What Would Sarah Palin's Endorsement Mean?

No human being is perfect. We can’t look for perfection in candidates. We can only look for and hope to find one who most closely represents what we believe. If one comes close enough for us to be confident in their abilities if elected, that’s when we can support him or her. Will we get everything we want? No.

Tonight On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, Sarah Palin will tell us who she thinks has the best chance of winning the GOP nomination. For the record, I never like to be called a front runner or a follower. I make my decisions based on my own views. In most cases, my decisions are validated afterwards by conservatives who I believe strongly in. In few rare cases, they point out a flaw in my reasoning and I come more in agreement. In other cases, I disagree on that one issue or point and move on with no hard feelings, but for the most part my best conservative bellwethers are right 99.6% of the time.

Here’s my honest take on this. I’ve been leaning toward Newt Gingrich. However, I have also been looking at Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann. I like Rick Santorum and Rick Perry, but I don’t believe they resonate enough with the American people to win.  For all intents and purposes, though, I remain uncommitted and open to all arguments, which is I why I tend to listen more when writers and bloggers make the case FOR a candidate than when they make a case AGAINST a candidate. That’s not to say negative information is discarded. Some of it is important in the decision making process provided that it’s true information or reasoned opinion and not trash talk that’s agenda driven.

There are flaws in all the candidates, including Newt Gingrich. I’ve read them all and I respect my fellow bloggers and tweeters who have pointed these out. But, if none of the candidates have a vision and Gingrich has at least something of a vision, we must consider. If none of the other candidates have his intellectual capacity, we must consider. If none of the other candidates can articulate themselves better than he can, we should consider him as viable and electable even if we are not ready just yet to unite around him. It’s worth taking a look at him. The question is, will Sarah Palin being taking a look at Newt Gingrich tonight on Greta?

No one can predict Palin. She could end up picking any of the other candidates for all we know. She may endorse. She may not. She is an analyst, so what we get out of her tonight might just be analysis and not her final word. If Governor Palin does endorse tonight, be ready for it to be a huge boost to one candidate. Also, look for some to argue against her.

We must remember one thing either way. We have always loved her for who SHE is. She ran with John McCain. She backed Carly Fiorina in California. She may be the closest thing to perfection in our eyes, but there are no real perfect candidates - including the ones she's been affiliated with. Whoever she picks will not be perfect, which means we are all not going to agree. No matter what, we must avoid infighting in the Palin army at all costs and respect Governor Palin’s opinion tonight.

It may seem like I’m hedging because I'm leaning Newt, but I haven’t made up my mind yet. Technically, I’m still undecided. I want to hear what Governor Palin has to say. I’m not looking for her to pick my candidate for me. I’m looking for her input. Palin’s input holds a lot of weight considering she remains the best choice for president despite her not running. Why wouldn’t one want to listen to what she has to say? The person who should be president may be picking the person who can be president.

Gingrich has overcome one concern since I wrote Backing the Imperfect Candidate October 26, 2011 (emphasis mine).

Newt Gingrich is a Reagan conservative and The 21st Century Contract With America makes some strong arguments. However, even if he is not establishment in the sense that some other Republicans are, he too comes with baggage. His past marital infidelity and his lack of discipline raise questions. He will have to move up in the polls and he will have to raise a lot more money if he is to be viable. Herman Cain comes in as a political outsider with some new ideas. But stumbles on the trail and questions about his foreign policy credentials makes it harder for him to close the deal as well. All the candidates seem to be missing something or other when you go through them.

Don’t look for the Palin army to coalesce around one candidate just yet after being staggered by her announcement not to run. Palinistas have always wanted one thing since day one and that is the total package. Swallowing anything less than Sarah Palin as president is going to require a lot of water and good gag reflex control. But at some time, we are all going to have to walk into a voting booth and make a decision even if it looks like there’s a name missing on the ballot. When we do pick our nominee, we are going to have to accept imperfection. This is because there is no candidate in the race that gives us the confidence that Sarah Palin would have about vision, ideas, character and discipline. 

There will still be other questions. I still have them. But we need a nominee. Although I'm not a fan of group thinking, I was hoping to gauge who the Palin army could coalesce around. Right now, the Palin army is split and they are still debating amongst each other. Ultimately, if Sarah had run, this wouldn't be an issue. If we can’t find someone better than her, what else are we supposed to do? We have to go with somebody.

Since I started leaning, I was looking to see if another candidate could sway me back. All of them so far are either too establishment, not moving the needle or in some cases going backwards themselves. If great minds think alike and Palin endorses Gingrich, it would push me further in the direction I’m leaning. But, if she doesn’t endorse or endorses another candidate, then it leaves me as still undecided. In that case, I would have to consider her logic and reasoning as to who she picks and come more into agreement; or disagree on that one issue and move on with no hard feelings, with this being the 0.04% time that she was wrong.

There are pros and cons to a Gingrich presidency among Palin supporters and conservative writers.

Steve McCann at American Thinker makes a strong case.

Of the remaining viable candidates, there is only one who is not a part of the establishment, has laid out a viable plan to rescue the country, is not intimidated by the mainstream media or the Democrat smear machine, is knowledgeable of how to get drastic changes through the congressional legislative meat grinder, is more than capable of overwhelming Barack Obama in a debate, is experienced in foreign affairs, has a record of conservative legislative accomplishments, and can articulate to the American people as to where he will take the country.  It is time for the Republican primary voters to rediscover Newt Gingrich.

Palin supporters Josh Painter and Sheya make a case for him as well.

Palin supporter Gary P. Jackson on the other hand takes issue.

As the 2012 Republican presidential candidates continue to look less and less appealing, some are starting to fall for Newt’s pretty words and big promises.

Without a true leader in the bunch, no one to really get excited about, many conservatives are falling into the deadly pattern of listening to flowery speeches instead of researching the records of the candidates. Suddenly beating Obama is more important than electing an honest man who will actually bring the reform necessary for the nation to survive.

Gary is a good critical thinker and makes great arguments. He has also pointed out unflattering things about Rick Perry and Herman Cain as well. Those who point out the flaws in our candidates help us evaluate them. But this also serves to remind us that all of our candidates are flawed. Without Palin in the race, we are already choosing the lesser of all the evils and we haven't even gotten out of the primaries yet. 

Like I wrote:

While Sarah Palin is not running for president, when she speaks at conferences or gives analyses on Fox News, she’s still dead right on the issues – which is primarily the reason her supporters are finding it difficult to accept her not running. If there was a better candidate in the field, they would have already gotten behind him or her.

It may or may not be time tonight for someone to get her endorsement. But if Sarah Palin is dead right again when she endorses, we may have an idea about to who look at in the primaries as we choose the best of rest that are not named Sarah.

Maybe someone as intelligent as Newt Gingrich can see America's disgust with big government and crony capitalism enough to take action on it. It’s a risky bet to consider. But if we have to pull a lever, maybe our best chance is to look at the smartest guy in the room. With his intellect, he may be better able than others to understand what we’re trying to do long before they start bringing the pitchers of the Potomoc water into his White House. Maybe Sarah sees someone better. We'll have to see what she says tonight.

Being beholden to Sarah Palin for her endorsement may be the first step in having our voices heard in the next administration. If it’s not Newt, then there just may be another GOP candidate that wakes up the day after Palin endorses with a skip in their step, a bump in their polls and our voices in their head.