Mitt Romney needs Sarah Palin?

Earlier this year when Mitt Romney formally announced his intentions to run for president in bucolic New Hampshire, Sarah Palin also happened to be in the Granite State holding a clambake. Some interpreted Palin's New Hampshire trip as a slight to her fellow Republican, but not Romney.

"In a lot of respects, it's the best thing that could happen to me," Romney said regarding Palin's event.

In fact, the former Alaskan governor's presence in the GOP race may once again be the best thing that could happen to Mitt Romney, at least according to the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake.

In their article, "Why Mitt Romney needs Sarah Palin," Cillizza and Black argue that Mitt Romney would be the main beneficiary if Palin decided to jump in the race.

Cillizza and Black believe a Palin candidacy would split the tea party voters currently behind Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann. In turn this would narrow Perry's double-digit polling lead over Romney.

"A Palin entry also would blunt the momentum that Perry now has and take the focus off Romney's weaknesses such as healthcare, and put the focus on such things as electability," said a Newsmax piece on the subject.

Yet, Time's Adam Sorensen said the "maybe Sarah Palin will save us" strategy was not proactive and a much better Romney campaign plan to wound Perry is to "convince older Republican voters that President Perry would be a threat to their Social Security checks."

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