Pirate's Cove

Obviously, you can tell I’m not a big Sarah Palin fan anymore, but, putting that aside, I’m not so sure this sorta endorsement will help Gingrich. It may be the equivalent of John McCain endorsing Mitt Romney to Conservatives

(CBS News) It wasn’t an endorsement, but Sarah Palin gave Newt Gingrich the next best thing on Tuesday, saying she would vote for the former speaker — if she lived in South Carolina.

Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee declared Gingrich the winner of Monday night’s Republican debate, comparing his performance to boxing legend Joe Frazier.

“He came out there swingin’, talking about work,” Palin said. “Talkin’ about jobs and work ethic and how government needs to get out of the way in order for Americans to have a sense of opportunity to work, and I think that’s what a lot of voters have been craving to hear.”

I’m not a big Newt fan, mostly due to his support of anthropogenic global warming legislation and regulations, but, I could vote for him, unlike Ron Paul. That said, he did have a fantastic debate, and gave the best answers.

Asked if she was any closer to giving an endorsement, Palin told the Fox News host that she could only tell him what she’d do if she were a South Carolinian. “If I had to vote in South Carolina, in order to keep this thing going, I’d vote for Newt, and I would want this to continue.” Such a position indicated her desire for the political vetting to keep unfolding.

So, kind of a back-handed endorsement. We’ll see if this helps or hurts Gingrich in the upcoming Primary. In reality, though, the next few debates will probably make the most difference. Palin lost quite a bit of support after she finally decided (late) to not run for president after all that time hemming and hawing.

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.