The Union Leader endorses Newt

Is Newt Gingrich the Ronald Reagan to Obama’s Jimmy Carter? The medium-rare steak au poivre to Obama’s boiled tripe? The Audi S5 to Obama’s Citroen 2CV? The New Hampshire Union Leader thinks so, and who am I to question their editorial page, which is correct about 90% of the time? Well, I’m gonna question them anyway. While the UL endorsement is an unsubtle shot at part-time NH resident Romney, the argument that Newt is more conservative than Mitt is nowhere near a slam dunk (I hate to link to the Washington Post, but thank you, Jennifer Rubin). Granted, both are in the top percentiles when it comes to brains and accomplishments, and both are fully capable of delivering innovative conservative approaches to cleaning up the heaping, stinking messes that are the Obama government, Washington DC and an economy ready for hospice. But Gingrich is not the most electable GOP candidate.

Apparently Joe McQuaid thinks undecided voters eagerly catalog the intricate give-and-take between general-election candidates, ultimately choosing the one who’s demonstrated the most facility with facts and solutions. Hence, Gingrich’s superior knowledgebase and compelling vision will attract the undecideds and give him the presidency. But there’s a small hole in that logic: undecideds are morons. They vote for whomever they “feel” best about.

They “felt” better about young, glib Obama than old, fuddy-duddy McCain. And despite the pure failure of Obama’s presidency, they’ll still “feel” better about him than a pudgy, sallow guy named Newt. That, and the tsunami of muck headed Gingrich’s way from the Democrats and their army of rump-smoochers in the media will be just enough to do in Gingrich. Of course they’ll try the same with Romney, but Romney has the demeanor — and the cleaner track record — to rise above the Axelrod/MSM gutter and contrast nicely with a panicked, flailing and increasingly vile Obama candidacy.

UPDATE 12/2: Yeah, what he said.

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