Why The 'Union Leader' Endorsement Doesn't Matter

So, Newt Gingrich has been endorsed by the [once] vaulted Manchester Union Leader which is supposed to give Newt a leg up going into the New Hampshire presidential primary.
As Joe Biden once said, this is supposed to be a "big f - - - ing deal." But it isn't, and here's why.
To begin with, newspaper endorsements generally don't count for very much anymore because the age of print is over. Most newspapers are struggling to survive. Their circulation has plummeted. They're dinosaurs.
But beyond that, remember that the Union Leader has a rather sorry track record with its endorsements.
In 1976 the paper endorsed Ronald Reagan but then-President gerald Ford went on to win.
Remember Pete duPont? That's who the paper endorsed in 1988 but George H. W. Bush won. In 1992 the paper endorsed Pat Buchanan but President George H. W. Bush went on to win the nomination again. In 2000 the Union Leader backed Steve Forbes who lost to John McCain.
So, with or without the Union Leader, Mitt Romney remains the clear front runner in New Hampshire. In fact, a statewide poll release just last week shows Romney with a commanding 41% to 14% lead over the former Speaker of the House.