Does Newt Gingrich enjoy an electoral advantage with movement conservatives in part because he reaps the benefits of an “adultery edge”?

It would have sounded like a preposterous notion as recently as a few months ago, but the evidence suggests that fresh attention to Newt’s unconventional marital history actually contributed to his startling margin of victory in South Carolina, and his strong support from Tea Party true believers.

Consider the evidence: after the second Mrs. Gingrich appeared on network TV just two days before the primary, and denounced her ex-husband for suggesting an “open marriage” and ultimately abandoning her for his sleek blond mistress (now the third Mrs. Gingrich), his support dramatically soared among every segment of the South Carolina electorate—very much including women and Christian Evangelicals.

Conventional wisdom suggests that this unexpected result stemmed from Newt’s forceful and indignant response in the Charleston, South Carolina debate when CNN’s John King asked him about the charges. There’s no doubt that bitter denunciations of “lame stream media” (in Sarah Palin’s preferred formulation) always play well with the Republican base, but the explosion of pro-Gingrich sentiment may reflect a deeper longing on the part of committed conservatives.

In selecting a champion to confront the incumbent president, Republicans yearn above all for passion and authenticity. They want more than an Electoral College majority in November, 2012: they dream of utterly discrediting Barack Obama and exposing his agenda as profoundly un-American.