Washington (CNN) – Longtime Clinton ally and Democratic strategist James Carville had some rare words of praise for former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. But, ever the good husband, Carville made sure to heap equal praise on his wife, Republican strategist Mary Matalin.
The two were discussing the recent controversial cover of Newsweek magazine, in which Palin is shown in running shorts. Carville said Palin should not complain about the use of a photo which was not a candid shot but one she had originally posed for, even if it were for a publication other than Newsweek. Echoing recent comments by Palin, Matalin disagreed and said she thought the Newsweek cover was sexist.
“You can agree on this,” Matalin asked her husband, “she looked good in it, right?”
“She does,” Carville said without hesitation, “Ain’t no doubt about that. You and her are the two best-looking women in the Republican Party,” the Democrat told his wife.
Related: Carville, Matalin share rare tender moment
But Carville did not have much more positive to say about Palin.
While the Democratic strategist said Palin is “compelling” and connects with her supporters “in an unbelievable way,” Carville also said the former Alaska governor, believed by some political observers to be laying the groundwork for a 2012 White House bid, is not fit to be the nation’s chief executive.
“What I said about Sarah Palin on the day she was nominated [for the number two spot on the Republican presidential ticket last year], is still true. She’s uniquely and supremely unqualified to be president of the United States. But she’s got real presence about her. I find myself wanting to watch her more than I do most other politicians,” Carville told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King as Matalin looked on.
Matalin said Palin was good for the Republican Party as it begins to position itself for the 2010 midterms and the 2012 White House race.
“We’re ascendant in 2010,” Matalin said Sunday, “but we need people who can communicate the framework, the philosophy into which policy prescriptions can be put and [Palin] does that better than almost anybody.”
A totally non-news item with no value whatsoever. Get on to real reporting, CNN!
no she is NOT
Carville is a man among boys... Love him.
I'm sure saying that Matalin is the prettiest woman in the Republican party will tick off a lot of Republican woman. If thats true thats a party I wouldn't attend.
Palin is a cookie-cutter talking point machine. She cannot move beyond the very thin surface of typical GOP TPs. Her presence on the scene is only further sinking the GOP nationally. Btw Obama is doing just fine. The stock market is up almost 30% and jobs are always a lagging indicator and will come back.
The problem in this day and age is that people think Obama would come in and rainbows would fly out of his behind. People also have an extremely short, selective memory. When Obama took office we were ready for Mad Max, economic Armageddon. This country will recover but no one should think 96 months of mismanaging literally the world could possibly be fixed in 11 months. Americans better learn patience because if they think a 5 college pretty face from Alaska is a better choice than Harvard/Columbia we are doomed to failure.
James Carville seems like a nice guy. He seems to think he knows what he is talking about. That’s wonderful, that’s America! Being an elite leftist simply does not make him “uniquely and supremely” qualified to make pronouncements worthy of any consideration, however. He has a great thing going. That’s America, that’s wonderful, but it doesn’t make him “real”, or right. Sarah is real. That realness, thank goodness, IS uniquely and supremely American.
If Palin looked more like Ugly Betty, nobody would be interested in her and her idiocy. Could her supporters possibly be more shallow and superficial?
After the New York congressional race, she's showing herself to be
quite toxic. She ought to just disappear; the press could help here.
I do not get why people think Palin is attractive. I think she looks like a librairian stuck still wearing a 60s style beehive. By far though, it is her unethical personality that makes her truly ugly. Her stupidity is the final straw that makes her completely revolting.
I have no idea why anyone has any interest in this nobody. She has failed at everything she had ever done, including being a responsible Mother. She's like the Anna Nicole Smith of politics – a bimbo who lives solely on media attention.
If you want to see something hysterical, wait for the Barbara Walters interview Palin did. The clips are a riot. She keeps mixing up Iraq and Iran and her ideas on Afghanistan sound like the Miss SC answers on world peace. Palin needs to go home. She has no future because you just can't fix stupid!
You post nonsense like this and wonder why your ratings are falling like a stone. Sara Palin is liked and admired by millions of people as the lines arounds blocks to get her book reflect. It's getting to be a joke to see how many anti-Palin articles or segments CNN, MSNBC, and the alphabet channels, can cram into one news cycle. I have a running bet with friends on how long it takes David Letterman nightly before he slanders Sara.
The one thing millions of former Democrat women learned this last election is just how visceral and pathalogical the disdain for accomplished and ambition runs. But then, without a permanent underclass of women and minorities who exactly would the Democrats have as a base?
The Truth Of The Matter: Sarah Palin is a pentecostal evangelical nutjob, and THAT, is why her take on the "issues" is so warped and therefore, comical, to most Americans.
"Born-again Christians" who fervently believe they're living in the "end times" do NOT belong in the White House.
Palin appeared very proud of her own pose in this photo, but I think she should have shown more respect for our flag.
I don't care about what she looks like, but I do care about our national flag.
Running blind and hoping to catch a break is not a strategy.. Palin really is clueless
Sarah Palin is not pretty and Mary Matalin is not pretty. Pretty is as pretty does. They are ugly on the outside because of the ugliness they carry within. If I considered them to be decent persons, I still would not consider either of them to be pretty. Just average. That Sarah is one of the phoniest persons on earth.
Love her or hate her Sarah is beautiful!
It must be disturbing too the Democrats that a Mother of 4 children that happens too be in the Republican party could look so good. Why not try too find a Democrat who has had that many children and let her become there photo op. Maybe they just don't exist.
CNN you are becoming a joke. What you consider new worthy is no longer news in the eyes of many. How is James Carville's wife beauty and that of Sarah Palin any news? I think comedy central has better news than you do these days. You are becoming like a tabloid.
If we stop talking about her, will she finally go away?
Sarah Pailin is a quitter. She quit on the Alaskan people for her own selfish reasons. She believes humans were on the planet at the same time Dinosaurs were. She just wants to drill drill drill which is moronic. She thinks global warming is a hoax. I cannot believe anybody can take her seriously other then she is a very attractive woman. Conservatives are living in La La land with there assinine beliefs. Cutting taxes is a great thing, the only problem is they only do it for the mega rich. Thanks GW and Dick Cheney for the 8 stupidest years ever for a administration.
Mary Matlin amazes me, does she even believe what she is saying? It is HIGHLY likely that Sarah Palin wouldn't even understand what Matlin meant when she said: "people who can communicate the framework, the philosophy into which policy prescriptions can be put..." This is someone she feels represents her party well? Hilarious!
"Palin, Palin, Palin"... when is CNN going to just let this air head float away? Having her name and the word "President" in the same story really is quite ludicrous.
Palin scares me. Not because she's a good politician but because she understands media. Anyone who listens to her realize that she's a vacuous intellect, bent on self-aggrandizement, but she's caught the public eye and it's the public that thought W was a great president. We've all seen what little it takes for popularism to overcome rational thought . . .
How about a Free from Palin news Day?
“she looked good in it, right?” Yes, but that was the point of the publacation which next to photo included the question, "How do you solve a problem like Sarah?" Lets face it, she won the Bubba vote in Alaska more with her good looks than her brains, hence the Newsweek cover is not sexist! As for comparing Palin with Matalin, there is no contest because Matalin not only has the good looks, she also looks smart and is smart.
As for Palin communicating the philosophy ... Well, the last eight lines of her book mentions God at least nine times ("God," "He" "Him...") Yeah, just add the lies about "Death panels" and she is the sum of the GOP..
I am no fan of Palin, but if Republicans and conservatives treated Pelosi or any other Democrat female the way the left has portrayed Palin, the NOW gang would have their balls. Double standard much?
I guess it's ok for the liberals to whine about a lack of tolerance from the right but that argument doesn't seem to flow both ways.