Reaction to Dede's Decision to Exit NY-23 Race, Part 2

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View From The Right:

"[Scozzafava's] withdrawal... is also a vindication for those Republicans, most notably Sarah Palin, who broke with the party and supported Hoffman, and egg in the face for the GOP stalwarts who backed Scozzafava, particularly Newt Gingrich."

Matt Lewis:

"The Winners - Sarah Palin - Her surprise endorsement of Hoffman helped cement her status as the favorite candidate of the grassroots conservative "tea party" set. That could be helpful in Iowa!"

Maggie's Notebook:

"[Hoffman's] candidacy got a giant boost when former governor, Sarah Palin stepped in and supported him, over Newt Gingrich's foolish endorsement of Scozzafava."

GOP 12:

"Now... among 2012 people, Palin obviously gets the big boost, Pawlenty gets some (albeit) late credit, Romney and Huck just look tepid (which feeds into lingering questions surrounding Mitt), and Newt looks like a carved up Jack-o-Lantern."

Betsy's Page:

"Besides Scozzafava, the big loser in all this is Newt Gingrich who had been going to the mattresses to defend his support for her. Meanwhile, Republicans have been following Sarah Palin's lead and endorsing Hoffman."

Dan Balz:

"Then there was Sarah Palin. In her first significant move since she resigned as governor of Alaska, Palin announced her support for Hoffman, prompting others to do the same."

DaTechguy:

"Big Winners: Sarah Palin - She was the republican who was willing to put herself on the line..."

Robert George:

"Palin... recognized where the base's train was going and quickly got on board. Romney missed the train -- and missed the opportunity to take a significant role in a tough internal ideological debate that his party is undergoing. Even if Romney [had]endorsed Scozzafava... at least he would have made a principled decision and could have articulated his reasons for it. Instead, he looks completely wishy-washy."

Des Moines Conservative Examiner:

"Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson had the guts to do what Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and the entire Republican Party would not do... Leaders take bold steps by standing on their principles. That is what Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson did."

Rob Harrison:

"Gov. Palin is definitely one who gets major credit, perhaps the most credit, for taking down the Scozzafava campaign. Back in Alaska, she put a few trophies on the wall of her war room of 'Republicans' who weren't upholding the ideals and positions of the Republican Party; now, with her endorsement of Doug Hoffman, she's added another, her first from the national scene."

North Country Public Radio:

"The conservative movement that cohered around former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in 2008 has emerged as the vibrant core of the modern Republican Party."

Dump Dede:

"I see some liberals and certain moderates and their Razzie-esque support of Scozzafava as some sort of women’s rights leader, Tweets such as 'the GOP and big tent need more of her.' These were the same people who dumped all over Sarah Palin, the same people who dump on Michelle Bachmann, so no, 'women’s rights' isn’t something that you can cherry pick and decide to support based upon whether or not you like the woman in question."

C. Edmund Wright:

"Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson agreed before it was cool to be pro-Hoffman."

VotingFemale:

"This is a serious win for Sarah Palin and other big name GOP heavyweights who disagreed with the GOP business-as-usual forces such as Newt Gingrich and Michael Steele, who backed a Socialist ACORN-endorsed RINO and rejected a true Reagan Conservative, Doug Hoffman."

Rick Moran:

"And while Gingrich comes out of the fray with egg on his face, Sarah Palin emerges once again as a savvy leader who recognized the opportunity to ride the populist wave and make a sizable impact with her timely endorsement. Other potential 2012 presidential candidates hesitated, either failing to grasp the opportunity or not recognizing it. Palin’s boldness in sensing the mood of national conservatives and bucking the establishment only adds to the perception that... she will be a force in national politics in 2012 and beyond."

- JP