Did Glenn Beck endorse Newt Gingrich? Not!
Glenn Beck sarcastically endorsed Newt Gingrich on his show this morning. The Bachmann-turned-Santorum supporter is hoping the non-endorsement for Gingrich will produce Santorum votes.
Republican presidential candidate and former House speaker Newt Gingrich laughs while speaking during a South Carolina Republican presidential primary night rally Saturday in Columbia, S.C. Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary.
Matt Rourke/AP
Glenn Beck doesn鈥檛 support Newt Gingrich. Let鈥檚 get that clear right from the start. The conservative former Fox News host considers the former House speaker a 鈥減rogressive 鈥� 鈥� yes, that鈥檚 the word Mr. Beck used today in a segment of his online GBTV show. He鈥檚 also critical of Mr. Gingrich鈥檚 marital history, and his work as a consultant for government mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
But the candidates Beck has been boosting haven鈥檛 been doing so well, according to him. He liked Michele Bachmann, and said so on air, and look how that turned out. She peaked at the Ames, Iowa straw poll, and after that it was a long slide downhill.
Lately he鈥檚 been pushing Rick Santorum, so of course it鈥檚 Gingrich who won the South Carolina primary and seized the prime聽spot of anti-Romney candidate.
鈥淲hatever we say politically, you鈥檒l do the opposite,鈥� Beck said Monday on GBTV. (It wasn鈥檛 clear who he meant by 鈥測ou.鈥� Perhaps he was referring to GOP primary voters in general.)
So for Beck, the next move is obvious. He this morning on his show.
鈥淣ow we鈥檙e coming clean,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淲e not only recommend, we wholeheartedly endorse Newt Gingrich.鈥�
Beck and his supporting cast then went on to compare a notional 2012 Gingrich-Obama election to 1984, which featured GOP icon Ronald Reagan versus ex-VP Walter Mondale. Only in Beck鈥檚 estimation, if Gingrich does win the nomination, he鈥檒l be playing the role of Mr. Mondale, who won only the District of Columbia and his home state of Minnesota.
鈥淚 think some might say that Newt Gingrich wouldn鈥檛 even win his home state of Georgia,鈥� said Beck.
As to Gingrich鈥檚 triumph in South Carolina, Beck congratulated Palmetto State GOP voters.
鈥淪outh Carolina, that鈥檚 maybe the best move you鈥檝e made since Lindsey Graham,鈥� Beck said.
That鈥檚 Lindsey Graham, as in the Republican Senator from South Carolina. You got it 鈥� Beck isn鈥檛 too fond of him, either.
---
Watch this video below on key issues on the minds of social conservative or values voters in South Carolina.