For those who’ve been around the Capitol a while, one face is surging especially fast into view as Donald Trump describes what he’s looking for in a vice president.

The presumptive Republican nominee says he’ll very likely want someone with much more traditional experience in politics and public service than his — a person who would command immediate attention in Congress, be skilled at shaping and advancing a legislative program, be a partner in governing and be prepared to become a worthy president at a moment’s notice.



[Related: The Veep Trump Needs But Won’t Get]

Newt Gingrich is among a very few prominent figures who not only readily fits all those criteria, but also sounds eager to be asked and could actually help Trump’s chances in November. As recently as Friday, Gingrich told a local television station he would “listen carefully” if Trump suggested he join the ticket.

The former speaker of the House was an avatar of today’s confrontational conservatism, but he nonetheless negotiated some of the biggest bipartisan deals of the 1990s. His ability to sell himself as both career insurgent and inside player sustained a serious run for president four years ago. His standing in both the Washington establishment and with the elite on the right would allow him to raise many millions of dollars for the fall campaign.



[Related: Trump’s Best Move: Kasich for VP]

A truism of modern politics is that the first genuinely presidential-caliber decision a nominee makes is choosing a running mate. In some of his rare moments of self-critical reflection, Trump himself has volunteered he needs to “start acting more presidential.” That suggests he understand he can’t afford to make a pick that magnifies the considerable worries undecided voters have about his broad range of over-the-top behavior.