Palin Still ‘Spark’ for Underdog Candidates

Sarah Palin is back — endorsing Republican upstart candidates who are anxiously seeking to get to Washington.

According to ABC News, the former Alaska governor has returned to the fold after a two-year hiatus — and her success in two primary victories on Tuesday, and an endorsement in the Texas primary next month, has underdog candidates courting her blessing.

"Singularly, she doesn't win these races," said ABC News' political analyst and GOP analyst Matthew Dowd. He called Palin the "spark" that can ignite the fire of certain campaigns. "But if there is a forest with a bunch of kindling, she puts a match and a light on it. The forest wood had to be dry, but she's a spark."

For instance, Palin backed one upstart, Republican State Rep. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, who won the U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday. The endorsement came late in the campaign, though, via a note posted to her 3.3 million Facebook fans. Palin congratulated Fischer late Tuesday.

Palin also endorsed – along with other conservative leaders — Richard Mourdock over Dick Lugar in the Indiana U.S. senate primary. Mourdock, another upstart, beat the six-term senator by 20 points on Tuesday.

"If I were a long shot taking on an establishment candidate, Sarah Palin is who I would want to come and charge up the race,” Dowd said. “She would be number one or two on the list. She has as much ability to charge up the race as a former president."

Even some of Palin's earlier losses have been victories. In the 2010 Delaware U.S. senate race, she supported Christine O'Donnell, while also backing Sharron Angle for the U.S. senate in Nevada that same year. Neither won, but they both upseated established favorites in the primary.