House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s announcement earlier this week that he won’t seek the Republican nomination for president can only mean one thing: The world will be a far better place.

Gingrich’s announcement didn’t take anyone by surprise, but it’s a little disturbing that there must have been at least some Americans who were in serious support of a Gingrich candidacy.

How could a man with an approval rating south of Bob Packwood’s have delusions of being president? Gingrich can’t even muster the respect, never mind the support, of members of his own chamber.

During one of the budget debates, a group of Democrats put a picture of Gingrich in diapers on his chair in the House while others shouted “crybaby.”

Now, Gingrich isn’t supposed to like the Democrats, him being a Republican and all, but you’d think a “presidential candidate” should be able to foster constructive criticism.

In declining to make a run for the GOP nomination, Gingrich said he needs to spend his time concentrating on balancing the federal budget — a task that can only be accomplished by reaching a compromise with President Clinton, something the speaker just doesn’t seem to understand.

American politics is about compromise. Newt is about getting his way, hence the diapers.

Before Gingrich can even think about running for the nation’s top elected office, God save us all, it would behoove him to take an American government course. That shouldn’t be too difficult considering he’s a former college professor.

But in the meantime, the 1996 race for the presidency isn’t any worse off with Gingrich on the sidelines.