Todd Palin Explains Gingrich Endorsement

Whatever way you slice it, Newt Gingrich is really no one’s favorite for the GOP nomination in 2012.

Mitt Romney seems to have all but sealed the mainstream GOP spot in 2012, with Santorum rallying as well among many conservatives. And Ron Paul has a dedicated and fervent fan base, following him to campaign stops around the country chanting like Phish fans- and even pushing Kelly Clarkson albums up the charts as a thank you to the singer for shouting out their homeboy. But few have expressed similar confidence in or passion for Newt Gingrich, who hasn’t entirely been able to shake a lot of the negative aspects of his public persona- grinchy, unpopular- despite doing well (relatively) in debates and interviews.

The endorsement of Gingrich as a candidate by Todd Palin- who many might think is a bit irrelevant to the campaign, since he’s basically the former First Lady of Alaska- got a bit of attention, and Sarah Palin’s wifey spoke to Fox’s Greta Van Susteren about his family’s love of Newt. While Palin herself flaked out on a 2012 run, the couple believe Gingrich is the best hope the GOP has of returning to its core values in 2012. Todd explains:

“I think Newt is the best conservative that can run against Barack Obama. Obama is going to have projected a billion-dollar war chest campaign fund, and of course he’ll have a lot of the media in his corner. And Newt is a proven reformer. You have to have a proven record to go up against the Obama machine.”

Palin seemed to be impressed by Newt’s underdog stance in the race as well, citing his debate prowess as a wow factor in the decision to endorse Gingrich:

“Well, watching Newt from the beginning of all the debates, I just appreciate how he got his poll numbers back up the old- fashioned way and bringing it to the debates. And the American people are impressed with his experience and message and ideas. So I just appreciated the fact that he didn’t have to spend a lot of money to do that because he wasn’t in a position to do that.”

Do you think Todd Palin’s endorsement will help Gingrich win the 2012 nomination?