“My endorsement still isn’t worth a hill of beans,” but Florida voters should ask who is the best Reagan conservative, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin tonight said in a two-segment TV interview from her home studio in Wasilla, Alaska. President Reagan “decreased federal spending and lowered tax rates,” she said. Gov. Palin said voters should listen to those who worked for President Reagan, such as Art Laffer.
Gov. Palin also exhorted voters to “pay close attention to a candidate’s prior experience,” noting that “Barack Obama was shaped by Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, and Saul Alinksy.”
“I want the vetting to continue. I am not going to endorse tonight. I wan the candidates to produce and to show that they have the core convictions, and record of accomplishments and are not flip-flopping around like a halibut,” Gov. Palin said.
Gov. Palin stood firm in her criticism of NJ Governor Chris Christie because “he played into the leftist media’s hands. We are sick of the media’s games and of them telling us who our candidate should be.” She quipped that perhaps “Gov. Christie taking a state-own helicopter to his kids’ ball game might be embarrassing to the Republican party.”
On Romney’s negative campaigning, Gov. Palin said, “of course it has a chance of back-firing. But in a rough-and-tumble contested primary every candidate should expect this.” Gov. Palin, however, cautioned all the candidates to not lose focus on Obama and his failed policies.
Gov. Palin praised Romney’s forthcoming release of his tax returns and Gingrich’s forthcoming release of his contract with Freddie Mac. She noted that as a VP candidate, her husband Todd had to prepare many years of tax returns and financial documents for release. “Though it’s not required by law, it’s a tradition and an expectation of transparency,” she said.
Gov. Palin noted that South Carolina is the latest primary and there were a lot of independent Tea Party patriots voting. She cautioned Romney, as she has several times before “to reach out to those who feel they are taxed enough already and not expect the GOP machine and the media to carry all his water.” Gov. Palin said a successful candidate in this election will need to give credence to the Tea Party.
Gov. Palin said she would endorse a candidate “at some point” – knowing that it contradicts her statement about it not being worth a hill of beans, because “you keep bugging me for it,” she said jokingly. Hannity responded, “You were a journalist once, you had to do this at least once in your life.”
“I know,” Gov. Palin said. “You’re doing great.”
Hannity requested that Gov. Palin let him know who her endorsed candidate would be when the time comes, but she made no statement about it one way or the other.
Video retrieved from SarahNET