Is Alec Baldwin turning into his “30 Rock” character and warming up to Mitt Romney?

The outspoken liberal activist who plays Republican Jack Donaghy on NBC sounded like he’d bought into the appeal of the conservative presidential candidate at the Economist Gala on Thursday night, saying, “If Romney is the nominee, we have to get behind him and support that person to be president and give him constructive criticism.”

Baldwin, who offered political analysis that was more casting-agent than pundit, appeared with heavyweights including Democratic pollster Mark Penn, GOP strategist Mary Matalin and moderator George Stephanopoulos. Baldwin said Newt Gingrich, who’s leading Romney in the polls, doesn’t have a shot. “I don’t think the people see Gingrich as a headliner,” he said. “The last time you saw a guy who wasn’t a headliner win was [George] Bush senior. He only lasted one term. [Ronald] Reagan, [Bill] Clinton and even [George] Bush junior had a kind of a star quality.

“You’re not going to have a noncharismatic type take the nomination,” Baldwin said. [Romney] “looks like the president . . . for half of this country, this is a TV show.”

Baldwin said he thought that if Romney chooses Gingrich as his running mate, “They have a very good chance of beating Obama.”

Baldwin, who’s hinted at interest in running for mayor, said, “I’m going to talk to Mark Penn about how to do this.” He grabbed the Burson-Marsteller honcho on the steps of the Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts after the event to powwow.

Penn, a former aide to Hillary and Bill Clinton, told us Baldwin might have a shot at public office, saying, “Look at Reagan!”

Another guest sniped, “Too many skeletons.”

Baldwin’s rep clarified that he’s not a Romney supporter but meant, “Whoever wins the election, the Congress has to get behind that person, and we need to end the obstructionist partisanship in Washington.”