I'll say this for Sarah Palin. Just when you're thinking it's been awhile since she said something really stupid, the former vice presidential candidate always comes up with a real gem! And this week's sexist smack at New Jersey Governor Chris Christie shoots right to the top of Palin flubs.

The thrilla from Wasilla said Christie has his "panties in a wad" because her favorite GOP presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich, managed to take the South Carolina primary. Christie, of course, backs Mitt Romney. But wait, you ask, is this the same Sarah Palin who spent much of the 2008 presidential campaign accusing the media of gender bias every time someone criticized her? Why yes!

Sarah Palin endorsed Newt Gingrich last night ... eh, kinda. As in, not exactly. As in, she did, but then again, she didn't. So after the South Carolina debates, Palin said on Sean Hannity that if she were a South Carolinian, she'd vote for Newt "just to keep things going." She managed to not fully support the G.O.P. candidate while at the same time throwing him a little bone. Newt, probably unsure what to do with this half-assed backing, only tweeted his thanks to Sarah Palin, and has said nothing of it since.

Todd Palin, Sarah's First Dude, endorsed Newt about a week ago, so it's clear the Palin family at the very least has a soft spot for the former Speaker. So what's holding Sarah back from throwing her arms wide open and giving Newt a big old, endorse-y hug?

Sarah Palin let husband Todd out from under house arrest on Monday long enough for him to publicly endorse Newt Gingrich for president. Some thought it was Sarah's way of telling the world who she's backing, since clearly Todd isn't allowed to think or speak for himself, but no, no, Sarah went on TV Tuesday night to clear up all those rumors. Just because Todd likes Newt doesn't mean Sarah likes Newt, you guys.

She explained to FOX Business Network’s Eric Bolling that "the First Dude went rogue" and that she "respects him for doing that."

Chelsea Clinton campaigning for her mom in 2008When I play, I play to win.  If I were running for president I would certainly bring my children along with me so that I could maximize spending time with my family and win as many votes as possible. Campaigning with your children is a great way to appeal to a larger group of Americans and ultimately win votes. I’m not suggesting that political platforms aren't important. Instead, I think it's clear that a candidate's family life and portrait can swing some votes in their favor.  

As the election season heats up we'll be seeing more and more candidates out there stumping for your vote. When candidates are out and about it gives us a chance to see them as "regular" people. At least that's the image they hope to portray. This is where we see the cliche baby smooches and grandma pecks on the cheek as the candidates establish their own brands. We'll see candidates at various local diners and fire houses high-fiving all the townspeople and wiggidy wacks. Soon the candidates will step out from the shield of a podium and show their true selves (or as much of their true selves as their handlers want us to see). This is where it starts to get good. It's at this point of the circus campaign we see the candidates' families come out to play.

Sarah Palin and her children

During Presidential election cycles, much is written about the candidates' children on the campaign trail. The general consensus is often feigned indignation that children are even being mentioned, with hand-wringing and calls of "children are off-limits; keep the families out of it!" Unless, of course, the candidate is a Conservative, particularly a Conservative woman.

Shattering the glass ceiling? Not in their cases. As punishment for being icky old conservative dames not molding to the caricature of conservatives, which seems to be some sort of combination of Footloose and barefoot and pregnant Stepford Wives, they will be vilified -- along with their children. The most blatant and reprehensible example of this is, of course, Sarah Palin. 

What if I sat you down and pitched you an idea for a TV show that centered around snowmobiling -- would you be interested? Probably not, because, yeah, not that many people are interested in the jet skis of the winter. Sarah Palin thought she could make a show about her husband Todd Palin's champion snowmobile racing career, but despite being teamed up with famous reality producer Mark Burnett, the former Governor has gotten zero bites from networks. Not surprisingly, no one's really fired up by the idea of watching Todd Palin putzing around the frozen tundra on a snowmobile.

Fox News chief Roger Ailes seems like the kind of guy you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. He seems to have a very specific idea of what he wants to see on the conservative, incredibly unfair and unbalanced cable news channel, and if you end up going against that idea, well, you better watch your back. And the latest victim of his ire is none other than one-time Fox darling Sarah Palin. 

She's reportedly in trouble with Ailes for making her ridiculous announcement about not running for the presidency on Mark Levin's conservative radio talk show ... as opposed to Fox, because she was annoyed that the network's been cozying up to Karl Rove, whom she despises. Ailes supposedly vented to Fox's executive vice-president, Bill Shine, "I paid her for two years to make this announcement on my network!" Uh ... meaning he hired her to be a pundit and assumed that meant she'd make this BS announcement on Fox? STUPID!