Paul Singer

USA TODAY

Newt Gingrich is back in play.

The former House speaker and former presidential candidate is one of the top picks to be Donald Trump's running mate, according to two dozen smart people USA TODAY has consulted on politics throughout the election season.

We polled this group of political observers and activists each week prior to the Iowa caucuses to produce the USA TODAY GOP Power Rankings and went back to them this week to ask who is the best choice for Trump's running mate.

USA TODAY GOP Power Rankings: Trump dominates last look at unpredictable race

"Gingrich would never be on anyone else's shortlist for a number of reasons, but for Trump, he's a perfect fit," said Craig Robinson, editor of TheIowaRepublican.com. "If Trump has a weak spot, it's that he has yet to lay out a comprehensive set of foreign and domestic policies. Gingrich has not only spent most of his career in the policy arena, but he also gives Trump a seasoned insider who knows how Washington works, yet he isn't really considered to be an insider."

Kansas Tea Party activist Deb Lucia agrees: "Newt provides a consistent pragmatic record of orchestrating across party lines, pushing reform (balanced budget, welfare) and cutting taxes while beefing up defense and intelligence — critical with the rise of radical Islamic terrorism."

Gingrich was one of three names getting top billing. Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker was the top vote-getter, after his very public visit to Trump Tower this week; Gingrich was second, and third was Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, just ahead of Ohio Gov. John Kasich. A dozen other names were mentioned, ranging from Sarah Palin to South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, but none got nearly the support of the top four.

Corker would be "a really inside pick but a powerful signal that he will pursue a more mainstream foreign policy," said former RNC official Frank Donatelli. Emory University professor Andra Gillespie put Corker among a group of elected officials who would be good choices because Trump "will need a running mate who is better versed in politics and government generally."

Sen. Bob Corker says meeting with Donald Trump was on policy

Ernst is an intriguing pick because she rose from obscurity with the help of an endorsement from Sarah Palin to score a surprising upset in 2014, beating both better-known Republican candidates and longtime Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley to take over the Senate seat of Democrat and liberal icon Tom Harkin.

"Ernst’s military background would help the ticket and could shore up support with Republican women," Iowa State University professor Dianne Bystrom said. (Ernst served in the Army Reserve and was deployed during the Iraq War.) Several of our panelists suggested Ernst could blunt Trump's weaknesses with female voters and also shore up support among conservatives who may have doubts about Trump's core beliefs.

Ernst told Fox News on Thursday that she has not been approached by the Trump campaign and is not interested in dwelling on any hypothetical job offer.

Nathan Gonzales, editor of the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, warned that handicapping a VP race is a fool's errand because nobody really knows anything about the selection process except a few people inside the campaign. "Your best bet to figuring out the running mate is to hang out near some airport hangars and wait for the campaign plane to repainted," he said.

Nevertheless, we got some interesting suggestions from our panel:

Former presidential candidates Kasich, Chris Christie and Scott Walker all got votes based on the executive experience and appeal to more traditional Republican voters

Former secretary of State Colin Powell, who has the gravitas on the world stage that Trump lacks but may be more comfortable working for Hillary Clinton

Former Arizona governor Jan Brewer, who shares Trump's immigration hard line

Retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn, the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, a frequent Obama critic

Our favorite idea came from former Democratic congressman Dan Maffei: Andrew Card, who was White House chief of staff (among other positions) for President George H. W. Bush. "The 'Trump/Card' ticket might be too good to pass up," Maffei said. "And they should win Nevada."

Check back next week to see our panel's picks for running mates on the Democratic side.

Participants in USA TODAY's VP Power Rankings:

Paul Brathwaite , principal, Podesta Group

Dianne Bystrom, director, Center for Women and Politics, Iowa State University

Frank Donatelli, former RNC deputy chairman and Reagan adviser

Peter Fenn, Democratic political strategist, Fenn Communications

Andra Gillespie, polling analyst and political science professor, Emory University

Nathan L. Gonzales, editor, The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report

Lilly J. Goren, political science and global studies professor, Carroll University

Doug Gross, Iowa attorney and previous Republican gubernatorial nominee

O. Kay Henderson, news director, Radio Iowa

Ken Khachigian, senior partner, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Carl Leubsdorf, Washington columnist, The Dallas Morning News

Deb Lucia, Topeka 912 – the Capital City Tea Party

Matt Mackowiak, Republican consultant and president, Potomac Strategy Group, LLC

Dan Maffei, former Democratic congressman, New York

Jon Ralston, host, "Ralston Live" on PBS affiliates in Nevada

Craig Robinson, founder and editor, TheIowaRepublican.com

Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D., Sr. VP of digital strategy, turner4D

Adam Sharp, head of news, government and elections, Twitter

Alex Smith, national chairman, College Republicans

Kathy Sullivan, DNC committeewoman and former Democratic Party chair, New Hampshire