washington cnn after a bad defeat in the nevada caucuses the options dwindle for former speaker newt gingrich gingrich has benefited in the past from gamechanging debates but there is no debate on the calendar for two weeks the voting calendar looks equally ugly for gingrich republicans have three contests tuesday caucuses in minnesota and colorado and a nonbinding primary in missouri gingrich is not even on the ballot in missouri and caucuses favor the betterorganized romney campaign maine finishes its caucuses on february meaning most likely more bad news for gingrich not until february is there another primary that gingrich might hope to win arizona michigan a romney stronghold also votes february david frum meanwhile gingrichs most important financial backer is signaling that he may well have reached the limit of his generosity the new york times reported saturday that billionaire casino owner sheldon adelson who has been supporting gingrichs presidential bid has told romney that he will provide even more generous support to his candidacy if he becomes the republican nominee adelsons affection for and loyalty to mr gingrich have not blinded him to the reality that the nominating contest is tilting in mr romneys favor according to the times so what does gingrich do next he has three main options how does gingrich recover after losses a big night for romney gingrich vows to continue to convention option fight to the bitter end money or no money option try to make a deal now in hope of gaining something in exchange from the romney campaign a speaking slot at the convention some kind of advisory role in a romney administration pretty obviously neither of those options leads anywhere good option could rapidly lead to public humiliation option to lingering private humiliation which leaves option retire quietly from the field no deal and hope that romney loses in november and that gingrich can then claim the told you so rights of the party elder statesman over the next four years if romney wins what future does gingrich have really but if he loses gingrich can fill the hours on fox with messages conservatives will want to hear we lost because we nominated a moderate i was the real conservative in the race had the party nominated me i would have pummeled obama in the debates and won the election next time listen to me if the gop were to lose in the next cycle could be the most wide open since there would be no runnerup to claim the nomination next time the way romney claimed it in or john mccain in or bob dole in or george hw bush in but a gingrich who had won some primaries as a conservative alternative to romney something neither rick perry nor sarah palin nor by the way ron paul or rick santorum will have done could plausibly claim leadership of the conservative wing of the republican party such a gingrich could then credibly demand kowtowing and ringkissing from everyone entering the huge field especially since by that point a year older than mccain was in hed have difficulty mobilizing support for a second run of his own after all an obama reelection is a very possible outcome in recovery is quickening now job numbers are rising the president has foreignpolicy successes to point to house republicans have left behind a record the president can attack from threatening to default on the debt to passing a budget that withdraws the medicare guarantee from voters under age primary season attacks on romneys business and tax records have drawn blood after this primary season gingrich can only win his own personal future if romney loses look for him to do everything possible to help that outcome along