When Newt Gingrich’s entire senior staff quit on him Thursday after a dispute over the campaign's direction, it was a clear signal to many that he may have a problem being elected president. Whether Gingrich, 67, really thinks so is unclear.

Gingrich’s loss, however, was an immediate gain for one of his GOP rivals for the White House. The former governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty, hired Georgia ex-governor Sonny Perdue as part of his leadership team; Perdue had been a national co-chairman for Gingrich.

The Gingrich talent exodus also may result in another Republican, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, deciding to make a run for the White House. Gingrich’s former campaign manager, Rob Johnson, as well as another departed staffer know Perry well.

None of this flap seems to bother the former House speaker, at least publicly. After his senior staff left, Gingrich issued a statement that said, "I am committed to running the substantive, solutions-oriented campaign I set out to run earlier this spring."

(Photo: BRIAN FRANK/REUTERS/LANDOV)