Posted on 01/17/2012 8:42:14 PM PST by VinL
— Newt Gingrich says he thinks Sarah Palin’s remarks on Fox News that she would vote for him in Saturday’s primary if she lived in South Carolina may just be what puts him over the top.
That’s what he told Todd Palin, the former vice presidential nominee’s husband, who outright endorsed him ahead of the New Hampshire primary. Continue Reading Text Size
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“We’re thrilled — I just talked to Todd and we’re just thrilled,” he told POLITICO as he headed into his hotel here for the night. “It’s a signal to every conservative that the one conservative vote that’s effective is to Newt Gingrich and that’s very helpful.”
Gingrich’s campaign immediately cut a YouTube video of the Palin remarks and tweeted it out to supporters.
Palin, Gingrich said, is part of a rush of support he believes will power him to victory on Saturday — and from there, into the candidate who will beat Mitt Romney to the GOP nomiantion.
“Lots of different things are working together to help us,” Gingrich said.
But Chip Saltsman, former campaign manager to Mike Huckabee, cautioned that with the election in only a few days and the support likely stopping with her remarks on Hannity, the news may have come too late to make a difference.
“For it to make an impact she needs to come to support him,” Saltsman said. “Is it a game changer where it turns everything around? My thoughts are probably not.”
In an appearance on Fox News, Palin stopped short of endorsing Gingrich. But she didn’t leave any doubt where her preference was.
“I would vote for Newt and I would want it to continue,” she said of the campaign. “More debates, more vetting of candidates.”
Palin is a well-known figure in the conservative movement and her endorsement has been considered one of the biggest gets in this year’s campaign cycle. She used her support strategically in 2008, weighing in on midterm elections that in turn produced large fundraising prowess and surprise primary victories.
Gingrich has been traveling the Palmetto State trying to make the argument that despite disappointing finishes in New Hampshire and Iowa, he is the best candidate for conservatives to rally around.
Without a victory on Saturday, Gingrich could see his campaign come to an imminent end. He’s called the state a “must win” and said it would be “very hard” to keep going after another defeat.
Palin said she was among the many Republicans impressed by Gingrich’s debate performance Monday night.
“I do think that Newt is the one that won the debate if you will, because Newt came out like South Carolina’s own Smokin’ Joe Frazier,” she said on Hannity. “He came out there swinging, talking about work, talking about jobs and work ethic and how government needs to get out of the way in order for all Americans to have a sense of opportunity to work, and I think that’s what a lot of voters have been craving to hear.”
““Kraut’ had to grudgingly - and with the look of having just sucked on a lemon, give Newt his due...but you can tell he wasn’t happy about it - his RomBot did SO badly!”
I saw Krauthammer when he said that and you are so right - he did look like he was sucking on a lemon and was very uncomfortable having to say what he was saying.
I really liked Kraut until he just stomped and stomped on Newt and now my opinion of him is, he can go pound dirt.
I truly respect you and all your posts, but to say Rush has been “in the tank” for Romney is absurd.
He is hardcore ABO and would prefer Newt by far, i think, but from his perspective he needs to be honest if he thinks Newt of Perry or anyone is arguing from a non-conservative point of view.
In the case of Bain, I disagree with Rush, except that the PERCEPTION of Newt’s attack would be attacks on capitalism. I don’t personally think they are, and it pained me greatly to hear Rush, but i hardly think that taken over all he could even remotely be considered in the tank for Mitt.
Rush makes North of $200 million dollars a YEAR, while Milt is worth about $400 million in total. If anyone is the money man in that equation, it’s Mr. Limbaugh.
Brady,
She sure does seem to attach herself with McCain- gawd knows why—it doesn’t help her.. If she wants the Senate, in 2014 the Alaskan seat will be available- occupied now by the Dem who beat the corrupt and discredited Ted Stevens.
If she can get the Pub nod, she’d win hands down.
Mitt is about to be stripped of Iowa once the vote certification is in. Then we will have to strongly re-shape the narrative that he won it, SANTORUM did, and when Newt wins SC, it will be a three-man race again, in the narrative.
And Mitt endorsed McCain and Santorum endorsed Specter. The idea of writing a silly little endorsement into the history books as the be-all, end-all defining moment for a candidate is just ludicrous, especially a candidate who has a 30-year record in government of winning Congress for Republicans, working with Reagan and preventing Clinton from enacting liberal legislation.
I can’t speak for others, but if I were in SC, I would now vote for Newt. Prior to Sarah’s ‘endorsement’ it was a toss-up between Newt and Santorum.
Let’s see if others think the same...
God Bless him— I hope he makes even more- he’s earned it honestly- in true capitalist tradition. He’s lived the American Dream.
But, nonetheless, until I hear from Rush that Romney is a moderate RINO, [which, as you know, has ALWAYS been Rush’s mantra)— then, Rush is in the bag for the money guy.
Guess what--nobody cares. Knock yourself out for whatever loser you choose.
He’s just running on pride, right now. This campaign will hurt him in Texas, and there is really no place for him to go. Texas is electing a new senator this year and I doubt he will displace Cornyn.
"I really doubt I will endorse anyone in the primary process," Huckabee told Yahoo News. "I'm still holding the right to do that, but I don't see at this point a reason it makes a whole lot of sense for me."
Why? For one thing, Huckabee says it's probably better for him to stay on the sidelines because of his status as a Fox News host and commentator. ("If I were to endorse one of the candidates, I would have one ingrate and several other people who would hate my guts for the rest of time," he joked.)
“Even Rush Limbaugh, who’s been in the tank for Romney...]
If you think Rush is in the tank for Romney, you have not been paying attention.
I don’t know what else to say other than that is an incorrect statement.
Daily listener to Maha Rushie!
C’mon Vin.
Get over your jealousy.
Sheesh..
Bshaw,
I’m just asking, because you say you listen to Rush every day. Now, know he hates the “reach across the aisle guys”- the McCains. Has Rush come out and told you guys the truth- that Mitt is a Mass liberal, not in the Reagan tradition, and should be defeated? And if we nominate him, it’s as bad as nominating McCain- who I know Rush opposed aggressively?
I’m trying, moon. But that Mitt has such nice hair- and it’s always so neat! -:)
I admire your conviction. I have only one piece of advice for Santorum: it’s time to ditch the sweater. Rick in his sweater and his measured tone will lose against a preaching Obama in his shirt-sleeves.
Obama knows how to tap into nerves and tug heart-strings and work up a crowd. It’s galling because he’s so transparent and phony and the years in office have eroded the effect. But it works. Newt is showing us how he’d debate Obama and Newt’s style wins. But I do fear that Newt will collapse like a cheap suit—the way he did with Clinton—once he starts wheeling and dealing with the likes of Reid and Pelosi.
Rick at least needs to come across like he’d rhetorically roll up Obama and toss him on the ash-heap of history. If he’s a tough-as-nails conservative, he needs to show that side a lot more often.
For some people it’s what we’ve been saying for two weeks now. It would be nice to finally be vindicated.
I stayed out of the announcement threads for precisely that reason.
But that’s not what this thread is about. Now Newt is saying that other conservatives ought to support him because Palin has supported him.
Now, I get have a say about that, one would think.
An odd sentiment given the thread. :)
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