Men are from Mars

Newt Gingrich is trying to boost his flagging campaign to win the Republican party nomination - by proposing a permanent space colony on the moon - and regular trips to the fourth planet in our little solar system - Mars.

The appeal of his idea - crazy or otherwise - is obvious as the contest between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney moves to Florida - where America's space industry has been based for years - at Cape Canaveral.

Florida lost thousands of jobs when America's space shuttle stopped flying - and the prospect of another space race to Mars might be attractive to some Republican voters - as they weigh up whether to plump for Romney or Gingrich.

Now I'm as keen on space as the next person - the case get to the moon and back under former President John Kennedy was inspirational to people growing up in the 1960s - like me.

But I have to say I doubt the wisdom of building a permanent space station on the moon - or flying back and forwards to Mars on a regular basis.

What exactly would we - or America be trying to achieve?

Now I can understand the argument that political leaders setting spectacular, ambitious goals - can have a galvanising effect.

In theory this might unleash a whole new wave of technological advances - that we can only dream of now.

And to some degree President Kennedy's bold declaration in the 1960s that America would send a man to the moon - had that effect fifty years ago.

Yet I'm very doubtful that a shuttle to Mars is the best way to boost employment and economic growth - not in the present climate anyhow.

Surely there are better ways achieve these goals - which are likely to be much better value for money while impacting more practically on the lives of ordinary Americans.

So I'm afarid to say it Newt - but it sounds like a crackpot idea to me - which might appeal to men of a certain age - while turning off more practical women voters big time.

In any event we'll find out soon enough - because Florida's Republican voters go to the polls tomorrow.