Video's & Transcripts;President Clinton Talks About Sarah Palin; "She come across as gutsy, spirited, real"

September 24th 2008

Larry King; What about Governor Palin? By the way do you know her?

President Clinton; Never met her

LK; Were you shocked at the selection?

PC: I was surprised, I just, you know, apparently some people who were following it more closely were not surprised. Look, but, I get the downside that, you know, the people who criticise her give her, but I can only judge how this is going down like in a state like Arkansas where I'm from where we have, you  know, half the people live in communities of less than twenty five hundred. There are people who are pro-choice and pro-life, and more than half the people have a hunting or a fishing license. But they like families who hang together who deal with adversity, that are proud of all there members and don't run off from life's vicissitudes. 

So I think that she, and her husband, and their kids come across as gutsy, spirited, real.

You know I have significant differences with her about any number of social and economic issues, but I find her an appealing person and I think that it's best to say that Senator McCain looks like he knew what he was doing, he picked somebody who gave him a lot energy, a lot of support
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Unattributed:
I come from Arkansas, I get why she’s hot out there, Why she’s doing well. People look at her, and they say, ‘All those kids. Something that happens in every body’s family. I’m glad she loves her daughter and she’s not ashamed of her. Glad that girl’s going around with her boyfriend. Glad they’re going to get married.’ I like that little Down syndrome kid. One of them lives down the street. They’re wonderful children. They’re wonderful people. And I like the idea that this guy does those long-distance races. Stayed in the race for 500 miles with a broken arm. My kind of guy."
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On February 16th 2009 President Clinton had a wide ranging discussion with Larry King during which the president was asked about former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin and the effect she had on John McCain's campaign;

KING : Sarah Palin, net plus, net gain?

CLINTON: I think she was a net plus before the failure of Lehman Brothers and the collapse of the stock market, because she gave him credibility on the Republican right. And you had all of a sudden -- I remember -- everybody has forgotten this. But before Sarah Palin was named, Senator McCain had two offices in Ohio and I think Senator O -- then Senator Obama had 14.

Overnight, you had an operation. Through no fault of her own, she became a negative on September 15th, because nobody on their team had any economic experience and the burden against the Republicans was overwhelming.

However, I think after September 15th, it wouldn't have mattered who his vice presidential candidate was. I think the election ended when the Bush administration decided not to try to help Lehman Brothers and accelerated what was then a deep housing crisis into a generalized collapse of the stock market. After that, I think the election was over and we were all just working hard as we could to do as well as we could.

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September 21st 2010
GS: Is she qualified to be president?
BC; That's up to.the American people can elect whomever they want, but she served, you know, not a full time term as governor, and she went out and did this. We don't even know if she is going to run for president.
GS; What you got on that?
BC; I think she's clearly a public figure who is, who speaks well and persuasively to the people who listen to her and she's someone to be reckoned with.

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BC; "I genuinely admire both of them" (Palin and McCain)