Gingrich Campaign Press Release - NEWT-MENTUM: Newt Now Consensus Conservative Choice

With today's endorsement by one of the country's most important conservative barometer, the New Hampshire Union-Leader, the paper that was among the first to champion Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich has solidified his hold as the conservative front runner in the 2012 presidential race.

From today's front-page editorial:

"America is at a crucial crossroads. It is not going to be enough to merely replace Barack Obama next year. We are in critical need of the innovative, forward-looking strategy and positive leadership that Gingrich has shown he is capable of providing.

"He did so with the Contract with America. He did it in bringing in the first Republican House in 40 years and by forging balanced budgets and even a surplus despite the political challenge of dealing with a Democratic President. A lot of candidates say they're going to improve Washington. Newt Gingrich has actually done that, and in this race he offers the best shot of doing it again."

What Others Are Saying:

"In the most significant endorsement of the GOP race so far, the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper endorsed former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich as his campaign surges in polls both nationally and locally. Despite his tumultuous political past, Gingrich was cited by the paper to have conservative credentials they believe to be critical to win the GOP nomination." – NBC News, First Read

"Former speaker of the U.S. House and current GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has received the coveted endorsement of the highly-influential New Hampshire newspaper'The Manchester Union Leader,' an endorsement Republican rival Mitt Romney has adamantly sought. The endorsement of the conservative newspapers' editorial board places an exclamation point on Gingrich's impressive surge from has-been GOP contender to front-runner, and sets him apart as the new anti-Romney candidate amongst his competitors. " – Fox News

"The most significant newspaper endorsement of the Republican presidential race has gone to Newt Gingrich. " – Salon

"With six weeks until New Hampshire voters cast their ballots, The Union Leader's move could shuffle the race there and give Gingrich another boost. In recent weeks, he has seen a surge in some polls as Republicans start to ask themselves: which candidate is best positioned to take on President Barack Obama?" – Associated Press

"It's the most significant  and impactful endorsement in the GOP race so far, and solidifies Gingrich's standing as the alternative to Romney as the race heads into the final pre-Iowa caucuses stretch. . . .Romney . . . had worked hard to court Union Leader officials. " – Politico

"The Union Leader's endorsement is a coveted one in the GOP presidential race, given the conservative lean of the paper's editorial board and its influence in the first-in-the-nation primary state. " – Washington Post

"The endorsement is a coup for Mr. Gingrich. The newspaper is considered to be influential among conservative voters in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary Jan. 10." – Wall Street Journal

"Gingrich has tripled his standing in the polls in a little over a month and even leads Romney in some of them. That may say a lot about Romney, but it also shows that Gingrich must now be taken seriously. " – Reagan political advisor and CNN contributor David Gergen

"What the polls show, increasingly, is that Newt Gingrich is solidifying his position as the anti-Romney. . . Gingrich is frankly the smartest, most creative and most thoughtful candidate running in any party. "  – Political strategist and Fox News contributor Doug Shoen