I’m not surprised. If you’ll recall, I noted when Sarah Palin went after Mitt Romney Saturday evening, clearly indicating she wasn’t going to be neutral in this process, that they might as well endorse. While Sarah is a Republican and Todd and Independent, I think his endorsement of Gingrich probably reflects the Palin household sensibility. I’m curious to find if this has an impact on not only what Tea Party and Independents are thinking, but if Palinistas will now take a first/second look at Gingrich.
Sarah Palin’s husband is endorsing Newt Gingrich for president, Todd Palin told ABC News today.
But Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and John McCain’s 2008 Republican running mate, has yet to decide “who is best able to go up against Barack Obama,” Todd Palin said.Palin said he has not spoken to Gingrich or anyone from the former House speaker’s campaign. But he said he respects Gingrich for what he went through in the 1990s and compared that scrutiny in public life to what Sarah Palin went through during her run for the vice presidency.
Todd Palin said he believes that being in the political trenches and experiencing the highs and lows help prepare a candidate for the future and the job of president.He did not criticize any of the other candidates and said his “hat is off to everyone” in the Republican race.
But Todd Palin did point to last summer, when a large portion of Gingrich’s staff resigned and the candidate was left, largely by himself, to run the campaign.Gingrich’s ability to overcome the obstacle and still move up in the polls showed his ability to campaign and survive, according to Todd Palin, who said Gingrich is not one of the typical “beltway types” and that his campaign has “burst out of the political arena and touched many Americans.”
I read it as: we need to coalesce around one anti-Romney now, and I don’t want it to be Rick “Neanderthal” Santorum.
I’m not surprised by Todd’s endorsement either and hope this is the beginning of a strong push against The Bush Dynasty/McCain/Establishment/Media in their quest to make Ken Doll the nominee.
It’s a New Year and time for my first, but certainly not last, “Prediction” of 2012!(OK, so I was a Big Zero for One on the Labor Day Palin Announcement, sigh…)
Sarah Palin will not endorse any candidate for the Republican nomination. She will hold out until the nominee is selected and then bust her ‘a’ to get him elected and the Dumb Bastard and his cronies, drones, and pissants won’t know what him them.
Remember Madison! Game On!!!
posted 1/9 620pm Texas [Obama Must Go!] Time.
God I hope and pray that Gingrich can beat out Rom or that Sarah will punch her way through to the convention floor if Gingrich stays low in the polls, and Rom starts to peel away the field. I will lose a fair amount of respect for Sarah if she bites the bullet and endorses Romney. She is different then any other Pol, or commentator and should remain so. She is the standard bearer for the anti establishment, anti corrupt conservative movement. If she endorses Rom then starts pounding the pavement to get him elected, then she will have to basically and conveniently ignore Rom’s long list of fickle positions. (far more long then Gingrich’s and far worse the McCain’s I might add) This will also hurt her attempts to stump for TEA house and senate candidates. She will have to talk up the bland spineless Rom at 12pm then at 3pm talk up the steel spine and anti establishment views of a local house candidate. We have lost faith in the media for their bias, and for what they do not report, or leave out on purpose while reporting. Sarah would have to leave out a lot of info while stumping for Romney. She will lose credibility.
Politically Palin gains nothing from the GOP by endorsing Romney. They will declare victory over the TEA party as they where finally able to muzzle their most formidable opponent. Perry, Santorum, should endorse Gingrich as soon as they drop out.
If Gingrich drops out, then Sarah should jump in and immediately attack Romney AND the flawed GOP primary process. She could make her case as a referendum on the primary system. We should after all have a nation wide vote for the GOP nominee. This will force more people to pay attention and not allow empty suits like Romney to try and sound like he’s a conservative running for the governor of Iowa one day then tone it down for New Hampshire the next. This will also keep the media from dividing conservatives along social issues, and making us all look like fools in these many many debates. This would also reduce the effect of negative adds as primary candidates would have to focus more on their message as it would cost too much money to run negative adds nationwide. This local pandering to voters state by state has got to stop. We need to elect a nominee for all of the US, not just the first 4 or 5 states in this flawed primary system. The only way I could ever vote for Romney is if he had to sweat it out against Sarah, beating him up all the way to the convention floor. If Sarah was to fail to become the nominee then she would still gain much for our cause, and would even put her in that coveted “next in line” position;) Her supporters would feel like they have been heard, and would feel better about voting for Rom. We need a TEA primary strategy now!! Not after the GOP succeeds in selecting our nominee.
As stated in Flaggman’s recent post:
We may be destined to destroy/abandon our party due to an indifferent liberal Romney white house. Then why not just focus on a strong conservative congress, and let BO finish off the democratic party himself?
If BO’s has such a glass jaw, then let the GOP fight him without Palin at their side? Her none endorsement will mean more to the US in the medium and long run then if she push’s Romney in 2012. She could even make a half endorsement. “I will vote for Romney over BO, but I DO NOT endorse him!” That would make my day;) Heck! It would make my entire primary season;)
I fear a Romney campaign will elicit the same hope and passion as the Dole campaign of 96. Now that was a mighty exciting run!!
GAME ON!
PS, I still smart every time I have to type the word Romney!! It’s like, Hey! pick a consonant already! N or M?? what’s it gonna be?? It’s like his for fathers were trying to have it both ways when spelling his name. How typical.
You may be on to something Dennis. This certainly will be a test of how much sway Sarah still holds among conservatives and moderates. Taking on the establishment from the outside may turn out to be more effective than fighting them from within as a candidate. I’m hoping she has a grand plan and if she does, count me in.!! GAME ON
As we’ve all observed, while they’re certainly individuals and independent thinkers, Todd and Sarah Palin are a team. Todd has been her must trusted counselor during her political career and chief supporter over the last 3 years.
My opinion…this is not so much a trial balloon to test the existing strength of her support and influence. Rather, this is Sarah’s way of safely stating her preference without endorsing.
Despite what SP has endured, Todd remains a relatively unscathed figure and so he’s a natural choice to make this endorsement. That said, I think Todd’s words do ring true. He views Gingrich as the outsider in this contest and the one who has weathered the storm and come through on the other side.
Also, please remember that Newt is the only one to embrace Sarah in this race w/ recent interview from a few weeks ago — floating VP, Sec. of Energy as possible roles for her in his administration.
With NH & SC looming, the timing of this does not seem accidental.
And lastly, I hope for Todd’s sake that Gingrich will be worthy of such an endorsement.
-sm
I could pull the lever in the primary for Newt with no problem. Sarah was always my first choice, and I assumed she was in it. I just have such a bad unexcited feeling about Mitt Romney. I will vote if he is the nominee, but I will admit it would be very very difficult.
Maybe we spent too much time on her, putting all of our eggs in one basket so to speak. Of course we did this based on her body language and activities in the last three years. Perhaps we should have been trying to recruit other candidates as well.
I do find myself wondering how many other “good” candidates might have gotten in the race but did not on the assumption she was running.
And man that Todd Palin is hot,hot,hot!
Yes indeed.
And then along came Jones
Tall thin Jones
Slow-walkin Jones
Slow-talkin Jones
Along came long lean lanky Jones
Curious that the endorsement comes day before NH primary, and that Todd Palin trends on twitter, and Greta does last minute interview,
and then along comes slow-walkin, slow-talkin, long, lean lanky Todd.
I honestly don’t know what should happen. Whenever anyone speaks with certitude, I have an urge to say, “Yes, but…” Romney certainly brings some skills to the table that, if properly employed, could do great good for the nation. And he must be credited for running a meticulous and flawless campaign. Nobody else has managed to do that, or even come close. On the other hand, Newt brings a much-needed spirit to the process. Newt seems to believe in something, to stand for something. But he’s also been known to be a loose cannon, to make enemies and carry baggage. Some people will be turned off by his serial monogamy. And he looks less presidential than Romney. As silly as that is, it counts. Recalling the Nixon/JFK debates of 1960, it’s been said that the people that heard those debates on the radio thought Nixon won, but the people who saw them on TV thought JFK won. It’s a TV world we’re in these days.
If Romney takes the prize, the big question is how he’ll avoid following in McCain’s uninspiring footsteps. And I actually like McCain more than some of you do. I respect McCain for his long-term focus on fiscal responsibility, calling his own party to task when they went out of control. I respect McCain for his clear-sighted global strategy. Those are core issues, and McCain would have handled them well. Yes, other stuff he would have gone wrong on. But he wouldn’t kill us like Obama is doing.
Anyway, McCain ran a lousy campaign, never straying far from the portrayal of Obama as a nice, nice man with whom he had some differences. Maybe it was for the purpose of balancing the high road that McCain brought in the feistier Palin. That’s what VPs do, play the attack dog while preserving the civil reputation of Number 1. Well, as we know, it didn’t work in this case.
I would actually find a Romney/Gingrich ticket kind of interesting. As VP, and with the counterweight of a more cautious executive, Gingrich might make an excellent hatchet man. He’d be free of the dignity and restrictions attached to the Oval Office; he could bang heads and shake things up. Romney might be made more effective with a Gingrich at his side. I’d certainly be more comfortable with a Romney presidency if he had a Gingrich at his side.
Don’t say it couldn’t happen. The first George Bush accused candidate Reagan of “voodoo economics”, and ended up as VP. Lyndon Johnson savaged JFK in the primaries (“Don’t send a boy to do a man’s job!”), but ended up as VP. After the contest, we’d better kiss and make up. If we fail to do that, we’re helping Obama. And Obama’s strong enough without our help.
Of course, Gingrich is getting on in years. If he should be VP, I wouldn’t think he’ll be running for president to succeed Romney. So the question of the GOP backbench will again loom large. But we’ll worry about that later.
And while I’m ranting, I’ll mention this. We suffer from mood swings. One moment we think that Obama is such an undeniable failure that he can’t win. And next week, we’re thinking that all our candidates are clowns and Obama’s silver tongue and coalition of cronies and racialists and useful idiots will carry him to an easy victory. Either scenario could be accurate, but my advice is to put it out of your mind. Whatever will be will be. Just do your part, whatever your part is. Speak the truth, and don’t be scared, and don’t be brash. We do what we can, and beyond that we’re in God’s hands.
Oh, and one final suggestion. If you find yourself in despair, and you’ve reached the point of feeling physically ill, and the antics of our deranged child-god is ruining your digestion…help is at hand. Click to Amazon and buy one of these.
Very good post Maynard. The one thing about John McCain’s campaign that completely boggles my mind to this very day, was their inability to get the message out regarding his incredible frugality. McCain could have won that contest, he had a lot to be proud of in his tenure regarding fiscal matters. I would state ” I am voting for the old frugal guy”. This one issue would have won him the election.
When John McCain stood before the American people and stated that he would halt all new spending and cut the budget, he meant it. He has a history of great decisions on economic measures. That is also the main reason he chose Sarah Palin. I spent a great deal of his campaign shaking my head.
Here is where I stand as a conservative. I do not need everyone in Washington to agree with me on issues. I am okay with diverse opinion. I want common sense. My grandfather was the smartest man in the whole wide world (to me). He passed away in 1980, shaped my life in all degrees including politics. He would read the constitution to me as a little girl. I turned fifty in September this year and have always been involved in politics. Back in the day the grown ups never talked about who they voted for, it was a different time. My grandfather’s favorite quote was “it takes all kinds to make a world”. He would make me sit and listen to Reagan, he loved the guy. I have no idea what my grandfather would think today, foul language would definitely be used regularly. To think there was a time when I thought I hated Bill Clinton LOL… what I wouldn’t give today for Bill Clinton. Newt Gingrich, warts and all, worked with him with very positive results.
I wish government could run like a business, the way it is suppose to run. A business leader will not hire people that solely agree with their line of thinking. A business leader when calling employees into the board room for a meeting on how to bring the company forward, does not just bring employees in that agree with their vision. Obama holds none of these virtues. All the other candidates do, warts and all.
Thank you, Maynard! You helped me find one of my dad’s birthday gifts!
–Reposted with censored content, as my post is still lost in the moderation:)–
not to sound argumentative, but just wanted to contrast a few points here and there.
“And he must be credited for running a meticulous and flawless campaign”
I don’t believe he is “running” a meticulous campaign. I believe he has the entire GOP establishment backing him with their money and connections. He is just sitting back and letting everyone else do the dirty work for him. His biggest job is to keep his mouth shut and not say anything that can be used against him. He is not a leader. He always takes the safe route and never takes a stand on anything. He reminds me of John Kerry. I believe electing these types are what got us in this mess we’re in.
“We suffer from mood swings. One moment we think that Obama is such an undeniable failure that he can’t win. And next week, we’re thinking that all our candidates are clowns and Obama’s silver tongue and coalition of cronies and racialists and useful idiots will carry him to an easy victory.”
I have not read such comments as BO being able to easily win. I think it’s more of a case of one week, there seems no way he can win even with our clownish line-up, and the next is seems he could squeak through.
“Speak the truth, and don’t be scared, and don’t be brash.”
To not ever be brash would take all the fun out of blogging. Things may seem to cross a line once words are written about a candidate that another person supports. I am sure most of us love to hear Tammy call out the d__b b____rd here and there. My favorite thus far has to be on last nights briefing. Obama is a “whining little bi___!” hahahah:) If that’s not brash then I’ll never know;) I love that Tammy is more brasherer with her commando show. That’s what keeps me tuned in. I also love her unapologetic snark towards the republican field, including digs at Gingrich and Palin when deserved. I think we should not be too concerned about keeping everything on a totally civil and polite level. That’s what network news is for. If a candidate say/does something that is total BS then it needs to be called out as such. If a commenter goes too far in their disgust then they too can be called out, and apologizes can then be solicited.
Sincerely,
TPOH
I have one more thing to add.. At least John McCain had to fight in the primary for the nomination. He sat out the general, but I digress.
In my lifetime I have never seen a “my turn candidate” such as Romney be such a shoe in by the establishment. He practically has this thing locked up without nearly a fight. I have never seen that happen before, it is quite disturbing.
Some people say that the fix is in for Romney, and the process we’re going through is just a charade. There’s an element of that, but it does seem there’s nobody to take it away from him. Look at what happened four years ago in the Democrats. We thought the fix was in for Hillary — and then along came Obama and took it from her. Which was a tragedy for the nation, because she had a competence Obama lacks, but that’s besides the point. Anyway, at this point a lot of rank-and-file Democrats know their guy is rotten, but they don’t know what to do. Seems that politics mostly beacons in the lesser specimens of humanity. They get worse and worse, and they control our lives more and more. It’s a recipe for progressive human degradation. But what can we do? What sane person would run for office?
[…] Most still are. However, as Tammy Bruce notes, people exposed to sudden media attention can get publicity addiction. It occurs when a […]
not to sound argumentative, but just wanted to contrast a few points here and there.
“And he must be credited for running a meticulous and flawless campaign”
I don’t believe he is “running” a meticulous campaign. I believe he has the entire GOP establishment backing him with their money and connections. He is just sitting back and letting everyone else do the dirty work for him. His biggest job is to keep his mouth shut and not say anything that can be used against him. He is not a leader. He always takes the safe route and never takes a stand on anything. He reminds me of John Kerry. I believe electing these types are what got us in this mess we’re in.
“We suffer from mood swings. One moment we think that Obama is such an undeniable failure that he can’t win. And next week, we’re thinking that all our candidates are clowns and Obama’s silver tongue and coalition of cronies and racialists and useful idiots will carry him to an easy victory.”
I have not read such comments as BO being able to easily win. I think it’s more of a case of one week, there seems no way he can win even with our clownish line-up, and the next is seems he could squeak through.
“Speak the truth, and don’t be scared, and don’t be brash.”
To not ever be brash would take all the fun out of blogging. Things may seem to cross a line once words are written about a candidate that another person supports. I am sure most of us love to hear Tammy call out the dumb bastard here and there. My favorite thus far has to be on last nights briefing. Obama is a “whining little bitch!” hahahah:) If that’s not brash then I’ll never know;) I love that Tammy is more brasherer with her commando show. That’s what keeps me tuned in. I also love her unapologetic snark towards the republican field, including digs at Gingrich and Palin when deserved. I think we should not be too concerned about keeping everything on a totally civil and polite level. That’s what network news is for. If a candidate say/does something that is total BS then it needs to be called out as such. If a commenter goes too far in their disgust then they too can be called out, and apologizes can then be solicited.
Sincerely,
TPOH
Yes, Todd Palin is very, very hot looking!
I’ve already been looking at Gingrich, but he’s flaming out. He’s still raging over Romney’s effective Iowa attack, but Gingrich insisted on playing positive and nice in the first place. That’s not how elections are won. He has no one to blame but himself.
As a former Palinista, I’m still too busy wiping egg off my face to pay attention to her possible endorsement.