That’s right, Geraldo, who is on his fifth wife, wants the GOP to embrace him. (Of his tryst on a Central Park boat ride with Margaret Trudeau, he writes: “The estranged first lady of Canada leant new meaning to the term head of state.”)…

There have been serious periods in Geraldo’s journalistic life. He started out as a good investigative reporter, has parachuted into war zones, and once hosted a smart legal affairs program on CNBC. He’s taken courageous stands at times. But he also has a knack for talking himself into trouble. Back in 2007, he went after fellow Fox News contributor Michelle Malkin for her views on immigration, calling her “the most vile, hateful commentator I’ve ever met in my life” and saying that if he saw her, “I’d spit on her.” Geraldo later apologized.

It’s not that entertainers like, say, Al Franken and Jesse Ventura can’t change their image and get elected. But talk-show hosts thrive on controversy, which inevitably alienates potential voters. Do you think Chris Christie, no shrinking violet, is going to let Geraldo cruise to the nomination? And by the way, how does the 69-year-old pundit plan to raise all the money?