(CNN) – She may not be publicly endorsing a candidate for president, but Sarah Palin clearly has a favorite in the ongoing campaign feud between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.
In a post on her Facebook page Friday, the former Alaska governor praised Gingrich's Ronald Reagan connections, while questioning Romney's conservative credentials. Ultimately, Palin said the GOP establishment backing Romney were "cannibals" for attempting to discredit Gingrich.
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"I am in favor of contested primaries and healthy, pointed debate," Palin wrote. "They help focus candidates and the electorate. I have fought in tough and heated contested primaries myself. But what we have seen in Florida this week is beyond the pale."
Palin, whose husband Todd endorsed Gingrich earlier this month, said tactics used against the former House speaker were reminiscent of attacks against her during her vice presidential bid in 2008.
"The difference in 2008 was that I was largely unknown to the American public, so they had no way of differentiating between the lies and the truth," Palin said. "All of it came at them at once as 'facts' about me. But Newt Gingrich is known to us – both the good and the bad."
Gingrich's relationship with Nancy Reagan, along with an endorsement from Reagan's son Michael, should speak to the former speaker's record as a conservative, Palin argued.
"There are no two greater keepers of the Reagan legacy than Nancy and Michael Reagan," Palin wrote. "What we saw with this ridiculous opposition dump on Newt was nothing short of Stalin-esque re-writing of history."
Borrowing one of Gingrich's favorite campaign lines, Palin said the mainstream pillorying of Gingrich was "Alinsky tactics at their worst," referencing the radical community organizer Saul Alinsky, who Gingrich namedrops frequently on the stump
Palin boiled down the race to a tug-of-war between mainstream Republicans backing Romney, and grassroots activists unwilling to fall in line behind the establishment pick.
"I respect Governor Romney and his success," Palin wrote. "But there are serious concerns about his record and whether as a politician he consistently applied conservative principles and how this impacts the agenda moving forward. The questions need answers now. That is why this primary should not be rushed to an end. We need to vet this."
Palin ended months of speculation in October when she announced she wasn't seeking the GOP presidential nomination. Political observers have been looking for an endorsement from the former governor ever since, but have thus far been left hanging.
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Analysis: When disclosure is so simple it's complicated
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Why isn't anyone reporting the fact that neither Santorum or Gingrich can win the delegate count needed for the nomination?
Newt isn't on the ballot in Virginia,Missouri,or Ohio!
Santorum isn't on the ballot in Virginia or Illinois.
They would have to get at least 60% of the vote from here on out!Only Romney and Paul are on the ballot in ALL 50 states!
Marco Rybio! then Jeff Bush offering advice to temper down and perhaps somehow vehind the scenes they ask the favourred cndidate to step up hoping that the psyche of the other would have been damaged enough to make him unsure of where he belong on major issues. This brings us right back 'Nasty' Pelosi and what she claims to know that undercuts Newt's Preeidential ambitions may have its roots in the Republican establishment.
I knew it was just a matter of time before they would start eating each other. It's called Mean Cuisine.
A Presidential Candidate talked against the "War on Religion" at a Debate!
The "War on Religion" is this Candidate who COMMITTED
ADULTERY ON HIS 1ST WIFE AND THEN DIVORCED HER!! Then he married his
Mistress and COMMITTED ADULTERY ON HIS 2ND WIFE MISTRESS with a House
of Representatives Staffer! Then he divorced his 2nd wife and married the Staffer
Mistress as his 3rd wife!!!! THIS PERSON...THIS HYPOCRITE IS THE" WAR ON RELIGION"!!
Newt is a conservative. In the last week I've heard him say that when he is Pres he will build a new aircraft carrier division and station it in Jacksonville, Fl. Then he will see to the overthrow of the Cuban government. By the end of his 2nd term he will have established a permanent base on the moon. We are already overspending 1.2 trillion dollars a year. How does he expect to balance the budget and take on these massive projects at the same time. Washington cannot make any substantial cuts and Newt or Romney won't change that. They are making a big deal about cutting the military budget by 500 billion (over 10 years}. Sounds like a lot till you think that at the current rate of the spending, 10 years equal 6.9 trillion dollars, it sounds like a drop in the bucket.
They all know that when you step into the political arena, your life is open to all scrutiny, good, bad and indifferent.
Palin looses credibility when she defends a man who cheated on his first wife and then again on his second wife. To picture Newt “the cheater” as the leader of the country – is a disgrace.
What does Ms. Palin Have to say about 1) Gingrich's ad mocking Romney's bilingual abilities, 2 Gingrich's anti-BAIN movie that turned out to be so full of falsehoods it earned a four Pinocchio rating, 3) his commercial calling Romney anti-immigrant, and 4) his ad that takes Huckabee's words out of context to blatantly call Romney dishonest? It seems to me that she is displaying a significant bias here that defies explanation.
It seems to me that the GOP leaders are genuinely concerned that Newt cannot win in November and that he will make a mess of things. Why do we have to assume they just hate the tea party? I don't see Newt as a conservative at all. He has been a Washington insider and has been on both sides of many issues.
Who cares what she thinks anyway.....And why bring up Reagan for one he is dead and gone.....All people do not think Reagan was a good man ...his Reaganomics plan put many hard working union people like truckers out of work or left them with terrible 22 cent a mile pay. Reagan was part of the problem we are facing now.
►Palin decries GOP 'cannibalism,' defends Gingrich
"I am in favor of contested primaries and healthy, pointed debate,"
"They help focus candidates and the electorate.
“I have fought in tough and heated contested primaries myself” to no avail
“But what we have seen in Florida this week is beyond the pale."
(Dang, Palin is almost a POET and don’t KNOW IT!!)
OMG, so the PA’IN really believes she is the “master” of the debates
Even though she got “nowhere” when she was pulled from her state
So she decides to jump in and voice her “not asked for” opinion today
Now that alone will spoil anyone’s campaign; they’ll definitely decay
Obama 2012
The Quitta from Wasilla has a lot in common with Newtmare Gingrich: They are both petty, snarky, narcissists whose ideas would take us back to the failed policies that got us into this mess in the first place.
Obama/Biden 2012
Thanks Sarah! if they swift boat Gingrich then he has no business being in the party and he should consider running as an independent period!
WHO is really surprised? they are 2 of a kind ... Palin & Gingrich ... BOTH love to hear themselves talk & BOTH full of HOT AIR.
Palin is an idiot – she supports a pompus old windbag who would be a disaster for this country. Newt was a problem in the 90's and is a problem today. The "Au Shucks" ex half-term govenor of Alaska needs to disapear – she is an embarasment to any rational human being.
That is right Romney! You dont need to Cannabalise Gingrich! He is perfectly capable of cannabalising himself! Plus he tastes bad.
From the article – “The difference in 2008 was that I was largely unknown to the American public, so they had no way of differentiating between the lies and the truth," Palin said.
At some point she needs to accept that millions people formed their opinion of her based on her own words and actions. The fact that the GOP did not have the good sense to give her a few million dollars after the 2008 election and tell her to never speak in public again is a clear example of their lack of leadership and strategy. She is not improving with time and the GOP would be wise to distance themselves before she does more damage.
Obama 2012 – Because being intelligent IS a good thing
You go sarah! Back the creep who said his first wife wasn't "young enough or pretty enough to be the wife of a president." I thought you were supposedly for empowering women yet you support newt - a misogynist serial adulterer!
Shame on you, sarah. You will sell out to anybody who might further your lust for power.
Just a note the other Reagan thinks Newt is dangerous and backs Obama. The question is why is everyone coming out against Newt ? Reason is not that they love Romney it's that they know Newt and being around him for years and years they know the flaw and those flaws look like the Nile river that runs forever. He's scary and this has been the view since the 90's . How do you think started the hate in Washington ..guess who...Newt. One of the reason that Washington is broken is due to Newt please please check what I say. Sara is Sara i need to get back on TV Sara , the Imay have a new book out Sara. If you've watched the debate Newt seems like he's trying to sell more books and DVD then anything else. Next debate count how many time he brings it up. Last debate 6 times one before 5..wow free ad time.
She thinks Romney is the cannibal? Lord have mercy, I was thinking Gingrich is the cannibal.
How can Newt be a Washington outsider, he has been their the last their the last 30 years.
Does Palin think people are gullible, what did Newt promise her.
Snooki Palin loves the GOBP Rove wingnut/teabagger trainwreck implosion. She wants Lizard to take them all down.
this woman is mental!
palin shouldn't be talking about other peoples record. Last time I checked she quit on the people of Alaska..
this women is so lost she doesnt kmow. I hope newt gets the Gop and pick her as VP. OBAMA2012