Joseph W. McQuaid
In a move that was seen more as a jab at Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney than a nod of approval, the New Hampshire Union Leader, the state’s largest newspaper, ran a front-page endorsement of Romney’s opponent Newt Gingrich in November. The editorial came just six weeks before the state’s primary and four years after the newspaper chose to endorse Senator John McCain over Romney. In fact, the Union Leader has gone to great lengths to criticize Romney, the former governor of the neighboring state of Massachusetts, and oppose his quest for the Republican nomination. The choice to support Gingrich’s bid (and squelch Romney’s) couldn’t have been more transparent. Yet just days after the endorsement, Gingrich was riding high in the polls and Herman Cain, another Republican contender, suspended his campaign in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment. The newspaper’s endorsement seemed to rewrite a story that may have already begun to rewrite itself. But the early weeks of 2012 will be the only way to determine whether Gingrich’s reign has any staying power.
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