Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is predicting an election landslide for Mitt Romney, saying he'll take 53 percent of the popular vote and at least 300 electoral college votes.



"My personal guess is you'll see a Romney landslide, 53 percent-plus . . . in the popular vote, 300 electoral votes-plus," Gingrich said late Monday night on Fox News' "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."



Gingrich also predicted Republicans "may come very close to capturing control of the Senate," which would give the GOP control of both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue if it also holds on to its majority in the House.



The former Georgia congressman and presidential candidate described the election today as the great "American drama," where the American people "get to tell us" who they will choose to lead over the next four years "after all the talk, all the ads, and all the pontificating" has finally ended.



He said he believes that all the energy, enthusiasm and drive "is on the Romney side" as voters head to the polls this morning.



He acknowledged the concern among Republicans about the "mechanical machine" of President Barack Obama's campaign, which some political observers believe will drive a huge voter turnout among Democrats at the polls.



But he said, borrowing a line from a New York Times piece, that all the "organic enthusiasm" seems to be moving Romney's way.



"My experience in politics is organic enthusiasm, the whole wave effect, always beats the mechanics," he said.

Gingrich said he believes that Romney's last minute stops today in the Ohio and Pennsylvania could end up being "a big deal" that helps him squeeze by Obama in both states. He also predicted a win in Wisconsin, where he expects "the local boy," GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, will "help carry the state."



Asked about former President Bill Clinton's ability to deliver votes for Obama, Gingrich said it was "smart" for campaign to reach out to Clinton "because Obama can't help himself."



"I mean there are no votes in Pennsylvania that Obama doesn't already have that a visit by Obama will get him," he said, adding that "Bill Clinton is the best chance" the president has of breaking through there to carry the state.



Gingrich described Clinton as "a good Democrat," willing to help Obama despite the differences the two have had in the past, caused primarily by the 2008 primary campaign in which Obama upset Hillary Clinton to capture the Democratic nomination.



"Bill Clinton is a loyal Democrat. The party was good to him. It created who he is. His natural instinct is to campaign and he likes campaigning," Gingrich said.



But he added, "I suspect that Bill Clinton is collecting IOUs in case Hillary wants to run in 2016 . . . Knowing Bill Clinton, I am confident that he thinks her running in 2016 is a good idea."

Turning to the Senate races, Gingrich said he expects former Wisconsin GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson to win there by six or eight points.



He also predicted a win in Missouri of three points by embattled Rep. Todd Akin over incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill, despite the controversy over Akin's "legitimate rape" comments that drove many Republicans to reject his candidacy.



"I really like Todd Akin," said Gingrich, who has been campaigning for him. "I really think that he was given a very bum rap by the national [Republican] establishment."



But in another tight race, in Massachusetts, Gingrich appeared to give the edge over incumbent Republican Scott Brown to Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren.



"He has a chance to win. The challenge for him is going to be the size of the Obama wave in Massachusetts," Gingrich said, adding: "I think it's a very tough seat to keep.



"In my mind, that one of the hardest races to call in the country," he said.



The former speaker said if Romney does win, "his first real job will be to create a Romney Democratic wing by reaching out to senators who are coming up for election in 2014 and who agree with him philosophically."



"He will have to have six or eight senators in the Democratic Party willing to vote with him against [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid in order to govern effectively," he added.



But if the president is re-elected, Gingrich predicted more of the same gridlock with Congress because, "We have no evidence as of today that Barack Obama's capable of listening to anybody who doesn't agree with him."



Gingrich also said things could get even worse "because the scandals are going to get bigger."



"Benghazi's going to get bigger," he said, referring to congressional investigations of the administration's response to the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya.



"It's all going to get worse, it's not going to get better," Gingrich said.



Gingrich predicted as well that more questions would be raised about the administration's response to Hurricane Sandy, which he suggested may end up being as bad as the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.



He said there was a "total failure of the Department of Homeland Security to learn the lessons of Katrina."



Gingrich cited the delay in getting help to Staten Island and other areas devastated by Sandy as evidence of incompetence.



"This is a really bad situation. And I think because of the presidential campaign, it's not getting the attention it should be getting," he said.