While newspaper endorsements are sometimes overvalued, Newt Gingrich on Sunday won the support of the largest – and most conservative – newspaper in New Hampshire, giving his campaign for the White House an important boost.
“America is at a crucial crossroads. It is not going to be enough to merely replace Barack Obama next year,” read the Union Leader’s endorsement of the former U.S. House Speaker.
“We are in critical need of the innovative, forward-looking strategy and positive leadership that Gingrich has shown he is capable of providing,” the paper wrote.
As expected, the Gingrich camp trumpeted the endorsement.
“This is just further evidence that Speaker Gingrich is the conservative frontrunner to be the Republican nominee for president!” read an email to Gingrich supporters sent on Sunday afternoon.
While that email was titled “A Huge Endorsement,” we should be honest – the Union Leader does not have a perfect record by any means when it comes to backing Republicans for the White House.
Anyone remember the Union Leader endorsing Delaware Gov. Pete DuPont in 1988 or Steve Forbes in 2000? Didn’t think so.
The Union Leader did endorse Pat Buchanan in both 1992 and 1996 – Buchanan won a moral victory against the first President Bush in 1992 and actually beat Sen. Bob Dole in 1996. And the newspaper endorsed John McCain four years ago. He didn’t exactly win the White House.
Still, even with that type of background, this is a big deal for Gingrich. The Union Leader is the top paper in the Granite State by far, and it has credibility in national conservative circles.
Let’s be honest - this doesn’t mean that Gingrich is going to win in New Hampshire, but it is clear evidence that his candidacy has certainly reached the top tier on the GOP side.
And it definitely gives voters an option other than Mitt Romney, which is sort of what we’ve been seeing for weeks, that many Republicans have been searching for an alternative.
Evidence of that is in the Gingrich campaign schedule this week, as today he starts a three day campaign swing in South Carolina, which votes after Iowa and New Hampshire in a primary set for January 21.
Gingrich returns to Iowa on Thursday. Voting begins in caucuses in the Hawkeye State just five weeks from tomorrow.
The biggest question we have right now is will Gingrich’s momentum last until then?
“Yes, it will last until Iowa,” my father the political said last night as we chewed on the latest events on the campaign trail.
“But his lack of organization can’t be ignored,” my father observed, as Gingrich's campaign has not exactly been a textbook example of a big time campaign for President.
Still, Gingrich may well be in the best position of any GOP candidate to take on Romney, who has the most money and the best organization.
The former Speaker now has five weeks to prove he is up to the challenge.
