The concern is serious enough, one freshman Republican told POLITICO, that on the bus ride back from the House GOP retreat in Baltimore last week, Gingrich’s electability was the prime subject of discussion among nearly a dozen members — many of them first-termers.

Several conservative female lawmakers “recoiled” at the thought of Gingrich at the top of the ticket, according to the Republican.

A key concern expressed in the conversation was whether Gingrich would appeal to suburbanites — a demographic critical to the reelection hopes of many GOP House members.

“When I saw the reaction from conservative women, it scared me,” said the freshman who, like several other members interviewed for this story, spoke only on the condition of anonymity. “He needs to let us know how he’s going to appeal to suburban independents if he’s the nominee.”…

“With Newt as the nominee, everyday would be either excellent or awful. He’s an undisciplined messenger with huge baggage and abrasive to swing voters to boot. Newt’s our dream ticket to the minority,” said a conservative House Republican from the South. “He’ll snatch defeat from a winnable race in similar fashion to what Sharron Angle did with Harry Reid.”