He could. Whether he will or not is up for grabs. Newt has a pathological need to be liked, so he may well succumb to an early piece of kerry flattery like Jack Kemp did in his pathetic debate with Algore in 96. The result will be a daft concession on some critical argument that by the end of the debate will have vitiated his position.
That’s quite possible. But I still think he’ll beat Kerry, and clearly beat him, on substance. One concession, even a major one, is not defeat. Of course, it could be seen that way in performance terms, but very few Americans will be watching.