Media Roundup of Governor Palin's Endorsement of Doug Hoffman

Here is a quick roundup of some of the media coverage on Governor Palin's endorsement of Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 Congressional Race.

Chris Cillizza:

At issue is whether national GOP leaders should make the pragmatic choice (line up behind Scozzafava because she is the party's candidate) or the pure believer choice (opt for Hoffman because, regardless of his party affiliation, his belief system hues closer to the core conservative principles.)

That divide isn't likely to go away no matter who wins in New York's 23rd in 11 days, however. The head versus heart dynamic is already shaping up in Florida's Senate primary between Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.

And, the debate may not end until the 2012 presidential primary fight where, if Palin runs, she could be the choice of the movement conservatives while former governor Mitt Romney (Mass.) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will likely battle it out for the establishment banner.

Perry de Havilland

Sarah Palin has joined several other quite prominent Republicans and demonstrated that she 'gets it' by endorsing a third party Conservative over a Republican RINO running for the House in New York ... whereas Newt Gingrich has demonstrated the exact opposite.

Gingrich stated of his backing the official Republican nomination Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava:

We have to decide which business we are in. If we are in the business about feeling good about ourselves while our country gets crushed then I probably made the wrong decision.

Which means he thinks the way to revitalize the Republican Party is to nominate Republicans who are functionally interchangeable with Democrats on a great many issues.

Contrast with Palin's view, who clearly drew the correct lessons from her experience running as McCain's veep, has picked the Conservative Party of New York candidate over the official Republican one, as did Dick Armey and Fred Thompson:

The Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate who more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race.

As I have been arguing for quite some time now, this is exactly the sort of notion that needs to work its way into the Republican Party. No wonder the media hate her.

David Weigel:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has largely stayed away from candidate endorsements this year, swung for the fences yesterday and endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York’s 23rd Congressional District.

[…]

The first repercussion of Palin’s move? Last time, reporters got a chance to ask Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) if he’d make an endorsement in the race, and Pawlenty said he hadn’t been following it. That the little special election has become a litmus test is a story in itself; that Pawlenty, who is promoting his political action committee right now, passed on a chance to endorse a moderate Republican in a historically Republican district is another story.

Sheldon Alberts:

Her decision to go against the GOP establishment in the New York campaign underscores yet again her determination to position herself as a party outsider, with an eye on a possible presidential run in 2012. And her bet is that the party's going nowhere if it appeals to the same political middle ground that helped Barack Obama win the White House.

Ed Morrissey:

Just how effective has Sarah Palin’s intervention in the NY23 special election been? Douglas Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate that got Palin’s endorsement, raised $116,000 in a single day, according to a source within the campaign.

[…]

If Hoffman winds up winning this election, Palin will become a very popular woman in the 2010 campaign, especially in Blue Dog Democrat districts where conservatives have grown appalled by the direction of a Democratic Congress. Even if he doesn’t, this has been an impressive demonstration of influence and power.

Matt Lewis:

This race has become significant and symbolic as it pits grassroots conservatives against the establishment Republican Party.

When looking at the potential 2012 primary field, so far, only Palin has endorsed the Conservative Party candidate. (Newt Gingrich has endorsed the liberal Republican candidate, while Romney, Huckabee, and Pawlenty have all stayed out of it.)

Meanwhile, grassroots conservatives, talk radio hosts, and bloggers -- three groups of people who matter most during a primary campaign -- have coalesced behind Hoffman.

Tom Bevan:

Sarah Palin jumped right in and took sides in the intraparty squabble going on in NY23, bucking the GOP establishment and endorsing conservative candidate Doug Hoffman. This fits with what we know about Palin's style, the brand image she wants to promote, and her willingness to take political risks.

Meanwhile, Tim Pawlenty was also asked whether he would make an endorsement in the race. He responded:

I haven't been following that," Pawlenty said of the contest. "I haven't studied the race at all. It's not that I would or wouldn't [endorse Scozzafava], I just don't know anything about it.

Can't get much more cautious and non-committal than that. If that is any indication of Pawlenty's style and the kind of approach he takes to the 2012 GOP primary, I'm not sure how inspiring he'll be to the base of the Republican party, especially in a crowded field that will probably include Palin, Huckabee, and Romney, among others.

We can join Governor Palin in her support of Doug Hoffman by donating here.