Union Leader Endorses Newt Gingrich, Snubs Mitt Romney
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(NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
The New Hampshire Union Leader endorsed Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich today, giving Gingrich his most significant endorsement yet, and snubbing Mitt Romney as “one who tells us what he thinks we want to hear.”
In an above-the-fold editorial today, the Gingrich endorsement ran under the headline, “For President, Newt Gingrich.”
While the endorsement was largely positive regarding Gingrich, the editorial board said they did not agree with all of Gingrich’s positions and acknowledged what many Republicans are saying about the field of candidates.
“We would rather back someone with whom we may sometimes disagree than one who tells us what he thinks we want to hear,” the paper said. “Newt Gingrich is by no means the perfect candidate.”
In 2007, the paper endorsed Sen. John McCain, who then went on to win the state’s primary. But the paper’s track record is not spotless: In 2000, Steve Forbes got the endorsement but little else when voters headed to the polls that January.
The snub comes just over a week after Romney was seated next to Union Leader publisher Joe McQuaid at a fundraising luncheon in Manchester.
The Romney campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The paper met with all of the presidential candidates except for Rep. Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty, who, according to editorial page editor Drew Cline, “Just weren’t here.”
Businessman Herman Cain is scheduled to meet with the editorial board this week, and it’s not yet known if that plan will change in light of the endorsement.
The editorial board spoke with Gingrich last Monday, when apparently he was able to persuade the members with his straight-talk and a campaign strategy in which Gingrich says is based on solutions.
“We are in critical need of the innovative, forward-looking strategy and positive leadership that Gingrich has shown he is capable of providing,” the Union Leader wrote.
The Gingrich campaign seemed to be near dead in the summer when his staff left in a mass exodus after reports surfaced Gingrich had two half-million dollar credit lines at Tiffany’s and took a luxury cruise to the Greece, despite advisers’ recommendations.
Gingrich said Friday his campaign was like the movie “The Sixth Sense.”
“I was the only man in the room who didn’t know I was dead,” Gingrich said to a Naples, Fla., crowd.
Despite recent scrutiny Gingrich faced with reports surfacing he made almost $2 million from consulting for failed home mortgage corporation Freddie Mac up until its collapse and reports that he changed his position on health mandates, the Union Leader was able to look past his so far roller coaster campaign.
“Our nation is in peril, yet much of the attention has been focused on fluff, silliness and each candidate’s minor miscues,” the paper wrote.
The editorial cited Gingrich’s “Contract with America” from the early 1990s and his history of leading Republicans to their first majority in the House in 40 years. The federal government had a balanced budget all four years of Gingrich’s stint as speaker, and “even a surplus despite the political challenge of dealing with a Democratic President,” the Union Leader wrote.
“A lot of candidates say they’re going to improve Washington,” the endorsement said. “Newt Gingrich has actually done that, and in this race he offers the best shot of doing it again.”
More than 600 people showed up at both events the Gingrich campaign held in Naples this weekend. His rise in the polls has been a steady climb from 6 percent in the summer to around 14 percent support in October, to a virtual tie with Romney at the top of the pack. The former Massachusetts governor’s numbers have always been at or near the top of the field.
The Gingrich campaign released a statement today saying the Union Leader was one of the country’s “most important conservative barometers,” boasting that the paper was among the first to champion Ronald Reagan.
“Newt Gingrich has solidified his hold as the conservative front runner in the 2012 presidential race,” the Gingrich campaign said.
This weekend, former President Bill Clinton, who dueled with Gingrich when he was speaker of the House, had nice words to say about Gingrich to Newsmax.
“He’s articulate and he tries to think of a conservative version of an idea that will solve a legitimate problem,” Clinton said.
Clinton said after watching the national security debate, Gingrich’s position on undocumented immigrants and a social security guarantee would make an independent voter say, “Well, I’ve got to consider that.”
“I think he’s doing well just because he is thinking and people are hungry for ideas that make sense,” Clinton said.
The Union Leader wrote today they looked for conservatives with “courage and conviction who are independent-minded, grounded in their core beliefs about this nation and its people, and best equipped for the job.”
Gingrich is scheduled to campaign in South Carolina Monday through Wednesday and then to head to Iowa Thursday. There are no plans in the current public schedule to campaign in New Hampshire in the coming week.
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Gingrich is divisive, polarizing and confrontational. Gingrich = Gridlock. Gingrich is a Terrible idea for president of the U.S. Please, we need a leader who will work with all for the good of everyone. Romney is a far better choice.
Posted by: AmyAnne | November 27, 2011, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm
Why don’t we just hand over the next 4 years to the failed Obama. Romney at least would be a decent candidate. I’m disgusted with all of it.
Posted by: Kathy | November 27, 2011, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
FOUR MORE YEARS !!!!!! OBAMA 2012 !!!!
Posted by: Judy M | November 27, 2011, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
Are the republicans intentionally trying to throw this election? Gingrich???? This guy has the most baggage of any politician in DC and is the definition of “establishment”. The President is loving this.
Posted by: Tony | November 27, 2011, 1:32 pm 1:32 pm
Gingrich is a typical example of the candidate the white hairs, blue hairs and gray hairs of today’s GOP want to see. That’s how they came up with Dole some years back and later McCain. The GOP has got to get out of the mindset that the fifties, when Ike was in the White House, were the ‘good old days.’ ….. Today’s problems are complex and require someone capable of complex thought and who will surround himself or herself with a capable team. Neither the GOP nor the DEMs have actually provided such a candidate, at least not yet.
Posted by: munster42 | November 27, 2011, 1:34 pm 1:34 pm
FOUR MORE YEARS !!!!!! OBAMA 2012 !!!!
Posted by: Judy M
____________________
Don’t count on it.
Posted by: ivan | November 27, 2011, 1:38 pm 1:38 pm
The only speaker to ever get charged with ethics violations. Way to go morals and values party. This is one crazy race.
Posted by: Secondlook | November 27, 2011, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
FOUR MORE YEARS! GO OIBAMA!
Posted by: tom | November 27, 2011, 1:44 pm 1:44 pm
Poor Willard!
Here he’s gone and changed his position two or three times on every major issue and people STILL don’t trust him! Hope this doesn’t mean he’s gonna bulldoze his New Hampshire mansion too!!!
Posted by: Steve | November 27, 2011, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
Obama Yes. GOP idiots no way. The editors of this paper are not only racist fascist pigs they’re idiots.
Posted by: Leticia Cortez | November 27, 2011, 2:10 pm 2:10 pm
I’m confused about this comment:
The paper met with all of the presidential candidates except for Rep. Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty, who, according to editorial page editor Drew Cline, “Just weren’t here.”
Pawlentry dropped out weeks ago. Did I somehow miss his re-entry?
Posted by: Gordon | November 27, 2011, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Wow. He even has the endorsement of Bill Clinton!
Posted by: LOLA | November 27, 2011, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Oh! It’s a paper called the Union Leader. Not an actual “union leader”. For minute there I thought cosmos collapsed, or at least the earth’s magnetic poles shifted.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 27, 2011, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm
Obama wins easy in 12. Why are we wasting in here. We should be talking about the group of idiots that would vote for the republican party after they said they want to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class. lets talk . facts are facts.
Posted by: mark | November 27, 2011, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm
hm
Posted by: mark | November 27, 2011, 2:41 pm 2:41 pm
Hogwash! No matter how you, today’s media, want to spin the news, we will form our own opinion! Of all candidates out there, the best one is Romney, hands down!
Posted by: Aida | November 27, 2011, 3:20 pm 3:20 pm
Geeze ABC, Mitt Romney ain’t nothin’ if not good lookin’…how far did you have to dig to find a bad picture of him?
And he certainly doesn’t need this rag to sweep New Hampshire!
Posted by: CajunW | November 27, 2011, 3:25 pm 3:25 pm
Gingrich is divisive, polarizing and confrontational. However, Gingrich is a lot like Romney in that he tells the audience what he thinks the audience wants. Both, Candidate are like Carp – nobody wants them.
Posted by: MysteryMoves | November 27, 2011, 3:52 pm 3:52 pm
CajunW _________I don’t like the gop AT ALL, but your comment about ABC’s picture of Romney is spot on. Very funny too.
Posted by: Tall Tim | November 27, 2011, 4:03 pm 4:03 pm
Drudge finds bad photos of Obama. ABC finds bad pictures of Republicans.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 27, 2011, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm
In order for the country to head in a better direction we need a new party. The Democrats and the Republicans don’t have good solutions. Unfortunately it is very hard for a new party to get started in the USA. I imagine that for a new party to have a chance we would need an absolutely terrible disaster to occur.
Posted by: Robert Gillies | November 27, 2011, 4:28 pm 4:28 pm
I remember when the Democrats won the House and Senate majority in 2006 some posters right here said there were “only 14 more Republicans Senators to kick out, and the House was a sure thing” in 2010. Well, we saw what happened last year. At this point with the economy near recession, and employment at or above 9%, I think pronouncements of Obama as a sure thing in the 2012 is somewhat premature.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 27, 2011, 4:31 pm 4:31 pm
Gingrich is the only person in the last 20 years with a record of actually changing the way things get done in Washington. His “Contract for America” did bring about real change. You’ve got to give him credit for that. Everyone else has promised change and then brought us more of the same.
Posted by: hopesprings52 | November 27, 2011, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
NEWCOUNTRYMAN wrote: “I imagine that for a new party to have a chance we would need an absolutely terrible disaster to occur.” That is about to occur with four more years of Obama. The person ideally positioned to form a new party is Mitt Romney. The only question is whether he should do it now or after 2012. Perhaps he should wait and see how the religiously intolerant people in Iowa vote. Perhaps they will have a change of heart. But more likely, it is time for the Republican Party to hit the dust bin of history and be succeeded by a party of all the people.
Posted by: Wm. Inman | November 27, 2011, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm
I’m sticking with Romney. Gingrich was in on the corruption that got us into this mess in the first place.
Posted by: sal | November 27, 2011, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
People, seriously. Gingrich? We don’t already know what a serve-the-rich low life he is?
Posted by: FrankBlourtango | November 27, 2011, 6:02 pm 6:02 pm
President Obama’s success depends on your lot in life. if you’re gay and in the military President Obama has signed a change you hoped for. If you were the family member of a 9/11 victim you are pleased President Obama got the mastermind of that attack. If you work for GM you are happy this administration saved your job, If you were a first time home buyer in 2009 you were happy to receive that large tax credit, if you are a teacher, policeman or certain government worker you are pleased the stimulus saved your job…. President Obama has been the best President after a recession that also got terrorists number 1 and 2 and those of us who voted for him in 2008 are proud of that. His haters are mad that NOT ONE of the republican contenders can hold a candle to him. President Obama is better than any president of the past 35 years… and I still ask name one president that kept the mission alive to kill a terrorist or enemy that killed over 3000 Americans? President Obama 2012.
Posted by: TV | November 27, 2011, 6:40 pm 6:40 pm
Some people are just sore losers and they hate winners. President Obama is a winner. People like Sarah Palin deep down inside must be thankful for President Obama. They can make millions off the criticism of the President. They don’t offer any real solutions however.Just oppsosition simple and plain. All they do is talk, talk, talk, talk, talk negative about him to get ratings, paychecks and the masses that agree with them are ignorant to the fact that these people are getting paid off your love of hatred. O’Reilly, Hannity, just about the entire Fox network is a sad joke and excuse for a network. Jesse Ventura told Hannity to his face on his show about his brand of programming and the truth about the state of the republican party. As a former republican, I am disgusted by the sheer ignorance that is lifted as leadership in this party. Unfortunatley any gesture towards intelligence is completely rejected by this party. This ” get off my lawn” approach and utter contempt for human decency and morality, isolationalism and selfishness is appauling. Thank you Sarah Palin!
Posted by: TV | November 27, 2011, 6:53 pm 6:53 pm
Clinton and other Democrats are enthusiastic about Gingrich. (Hint: That means they know how vulnerable he is on ethics issues.) Personally, though I think Romney will be the eventual GOP choice, I’d like for Gingrich to get the nod. It would be fun to watch the far right defend his appauling personal and professional unethical record.
Posted by: Cassandra | November 27, 2011, 8:46 pm 8:46 pm
If Clinton is for Gingrich I’m against Him.
The level of Liberal support for Newt is outstanding and that makes me think Newt is an Obama prop or plant.
Posted by: Kim Bailey | November 27, 2011, 9:17 pm 9:17 pm
Chances are it won’t be either of them in the end.
Posted by: snewsom2997 | November 27, 2011, 9:42 pm 9:42 pm
I don’t understand it. With Mitt’s life-long history of turning organizations around to profitability whilst not simply cutting everything, how is Mitt Romney NOT the obvious pick? Mitt is dedicated, experienced, and is the strong-willed voice that America needs to get us out of this hole.
Why wouldn’t we want someone that speaks for the people? Isn’t that what a President is supposed to be?
Newt is a self-admitted flip-flopper, and does nothing but speak of what people want to hear. I want a leader, not an actor!
Posted by: Deavon | November 27, 2011, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm
c’mon now. obama is not the perfect potus. he is just as bad as republican candidates. he is just as much a regime changer as bush and the list goes on and on. as for new hampshire and its newspaper, who really cares what they have to say or endores. new hampshire and iowa are states that are not representative of the USA. both have tiny populations compared to other states.
Posted by: david | November 28, 2011, 4:18 am 4:18 am
I wouldn’t think to much into this, after all most NH residents call the newspaper the Useless Leader.
Posted by: Steph | November 28, 2011, 7:24 am 7:24 am
It seems the republicans are determined to lose this election and I was so hoping for Obama to be a one term president. They keep forgetting the one thing most important……….ELECT-ABILITY. Go ahead, nominate someone so far out of the middle that the majority in this country are in and you shouldn’t be surprised by the outcome. Either Romney or Huntsman would win the election but, the GOP is too stuck on their religion, too bad, four more years of Obama.
Posted by: Indymind | November 28, 2011, 8:03 am 8:03 am
INDYMIND (8:03 AM); Scared are you?
Posted by: newcountryman | November 28, 2011, 8:13 am 8:13 am
I find it horrible that there are people out there saying that Obama will win. The shape we are in, nobody should vote for him. A vote for him means you approve of the way he runs this country and want more of the same. Quite frankly I can’t take things to get any worse. I certainly do not approve of his economy or of him getting companies to hire.
Is Gingrich the answer? Don’t know. I do know that he created a surplus in the 90′s, so the man definitely understands economics. There seems to be a few people hung up on someone’s personal life and any baggage they may have. To that I say nobody’s perfect. I can’t fault someone for running and trying to better this country.
Posted by: kris | November 28, 2011, 8:14 am 8:14 am
TV; If you like this guy you get other people’s money.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 28, 2011, 8:14 am 8:14 am