Fox News commentator and best-selling author Dick Morris says former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination for president.
Morris says that, despite his respect for the political and intellectual talents of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who expressed keen interest Monday in running for the nomination, Palin remains the favorite.
"Oh, I think she always had front-runner status," Morris tells Newsmax.TV in an exclusive interview. "The person who is the vice-presidential nominee last time almost automatically has front-runner status if they did a good job, which she did. And I think that she was a fabulous candidate for vice president."
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The problem Palin will face, Morris says, is that the media treated her so badly "with sexist and biased coverage" that it "built up this huge pile of negatives against her."
Adds Morris: "I'm just worried that that might be too heavy a burden to carry in the 2012 election against Obama. But I think she's fabulous. I think she's wonderful."
Morris also notes that candidates Palin has endorsed have a very good track record of winning their races.
"The reason the people she endorses win is not only that her endorsement is significant, but she has good taste," Morris tells Newsmax.