National Review to Gingrich: Drop dead

Matt K. Lewis Senior Contributor
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I wasn’t surprised to see National Review attack former Speaker Newt Gingrich in their recent editorial. It is painfully clear they prefer former Gov. Mitt Romney — whom they endorsed for president in 2008.

This time around, they stopped short of endorsing Romney, which perhaps made their attacks on Gingrich even crueler.

While their take on Gingrich came as no surprise, I was surprised to see the other candidates NR advised Republicans to “exclude from consideration for the presidency” — versus the candidates whom they deemed worthy of “serious consideration.”

Two were especially interesting to me.

Texas Governor Rick Perry — the longest serving governor in America — whose state boasts the best record of job creation in the nation — was deemed not worthy. Meanwhile, they advised that former Sen. Rick Santorum — who endorsed Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey in 2004 — and then promptly lost his 2006 re-election in a landslide — “deserves serious consideration.”

The notion that NR views Rick Santorum as somehow more qualified or electable than Rick Perry strikes me as noteworthy.

In my estimation, there are two candidates (Gingrich and Perry) who have the experience and resources required to possibly derail a Romney nomination (lots of candidates could win Iowa or New Hampshire, but I’m talking about wresting the nomination from him).

Interestingly National Review has disqualified both of them.

Matt K. Lewis