Sarah Palin: Hillary Clinton ill-suited for president
Washington (CNN) - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she would be "disappointed" in the American electorate if Hillary Clinton becomes a serious candidate for president in 2016.
The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee argued Clinton would not be right for the role as commander in chief after four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, died last year in a terrorist attack against a U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker'] [twitter-follow screen_name='KilloughCNN']
"If (Benghazi) doesn't have an impact on the 2016 presidential election, if she is a candidate, then America, I am very disappointed in our electorate," Palin said Sunday on Fox News, where she's a contributor.
She said "anyone who would just throw away 200 years of military ethos and leave our men behind to be murdered" should "never be considered as a commander in chief."
The lack of security at the consulate and the September 11, 2012 attack are poised to be a major point of contention by Republicans if Clinton decides to run for president. Clinton ultimately took responsibility for diplomats' safety, and was grilled before two congressional committees in January.
At one point she lost her temper while responding to questions from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin. He was asking her about the erroneous, initial talking points that claimed the attack stemmed from a spontaneous protest against an anti-Islam video, though the administration later defined it as a terrorist attack and said a protest never happened.
"What difference at this point does it make?" Clinton responded. "It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, senator."
The attack on Benghazi is still a matter of congressional investigation by House Republicans.
"That's why I'm so grateful for Congress to be pursuing what happened in Benghazi," Palin said. "Because at this point, it still makes a difference what happens in Benghazi."
"Anyone who doesn't understand that and dismisses it as being indifferent, they should not be our commander in chief," she continued.
For her part, Clinton said in a recent interview with New York Magazine that she is in no hurry to decide about a potential 2016 bid for the White House, saying it is a decision "not to be made lightly."
Asked how she plans to combat any conflicts she may face related to her political legacy, she said the best course is to "find common ground."
"I have a lot of reason to believe, as we saw in the 2012 election, most Americans don't agree with the extremists on any side of an issue," Clinton said in the interview. "But there needs to continue to be an effort to find common ground, or even take it to higher ground on behalf of the future."
Palin's comments mark a stark contrast to high praise Clinton received Sunday from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who said if Clinton decides to run, "she will win."
"And when she becomes president, she'll be one of the best-equipped, best-prepared people to enter the White House in a very long time," Pelosi said on CNN's "State of the Union."
Noting Clinton's experience as secretary of state, as a U.S. senator from New York and as a first lady, Pelosi said Clinton would be "more prepared than President Obama; certainly more prepared than President Bush; certainly more prepared than President Clinton I might admit."
From CNN Politics
- Fact check: Trump repeats false claims during rally in Waco, Texas
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- Biden's student loan forgiveness program faces a new threat from Senate Republicans
- Republican lawmaker calls TikTok 'an immediate threat' and calls for app to be banned
- Trump leans into extremism at first 2024 rally as legal woes mount
- Supreme Court declines to hear Kansas racial gerrymandering case
Who keeps putting a microphone in front of this woman's mouth? Hasn't she embarrassed herself and those around her enough. The woman with the least amount of experience and clout has the b@lls to call out Hillary?!? Get real Palin...if you weren't so pretty we would have turned the lights out on you ages ago.
HA! Hello Kettle, this is the pot....you're black. And, way to insult the entire 30% of Americans (aka the electorate) that vote. #Hubris
Takes one to know one.
This the pile of bear scat calling the kettle black.
Hello Kettle? This is the Pot, you're black. And way to insult the American voting public with your hubris!
Palin isn't fit tohave an opinion. A half term governor from a state with less than a million people who took 5 years to get her degree in journalism from the University of Idaho has an opinion on a women who is an Ivy League educated and trained attorney who served as First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State. There is a lot of unused space between this women's ears.
Can someone please ask Palin to point to Benghazi on a map?
If Palin feels that strongly that Hillary Clinton shouldn't be elected president, maybe she should consider adding her name to the ballot. I'm sure if Palin could find a way to be Clinton's running mate, her chances would plummet.
Someone tell Wasilla Barbie that her refrigerator is running and she better go catch it.
Why does CNN continue to keep this fool in the news. I know it's not for her stimulating discussions of worldly matters. So what is it? People like her are in the news because of people like those in CNN.
OMG! How can she open her mouth! She is so pathetic, in total denial of her own failures. This woman is so manipulative and lacking of any qualifications for anything importante to people. The only thing that keeps her in the public eye is her fanaticism about conservative issues, and the ability to talk to those folks (the closed minded, retrogrades) who listen to her.
She already make millions by spreading the conservative b.s. to all those fanatics. She could retire now, please!
Guy: "Pelosi talking about the sad state of the American electorate in that they would elect Hillary president.... wow. That's something, Really something."
Re Hillary's rhetorical question, "what difference at this point does it make," reveals her questionable presidential caliber. What she is referring to with the word "it" in her question is whether the attack was caused by a spontaneous demonstration again an anti-Muslim video (as Hillary, Obama, Rice and other Administration spokespeople claimed for weeks), or a long pre-planned terrorist attack (as it was known by all the State Department and other U.S. agencies' people in Benghazi right away). The facts have become incontrovertible: Hillary (and Obama) knew that was the case right away, but the Administration made a coordinated effort to deny the truth and mislead the voters during the presidential campaign. Seems to me that if you believe honesty, integrity and responsibility are important character traits for a politician, then Palin's comments make sense.
Can you seriously believe a cuckoo!
Ken Shouts: Barbie Barbie Barbie! is that you
Barbie Says: Oh Ken, it's me, I love you Ken and I missed you since you went away
Ken mutters: I wish you can go away for good....
Now don't you wish this Russian neighbor can go away for good!
I would say that after Obama's performance, any Democrat is unfit for the Presidency.
So says the word salad airhead.
I didn't even need to read the story – the headline was the punchline!
"That's why I'm so grateful for Congress to be pursuing what happened in Benghazi," Palin said. "Because at this point, it still makes a difference what happens in Benghazi."
"Anyone who doesn't understand that and dismisses it as being indifferent, they should not be our commander in chief," she continued.
Does anyone speak Palinese? We need a translator here!
If anyone knows what it's like to not be prepared it's "Sarah Palin"..!
With Huma Abedin Weiner now free to help Hillary with her 2016 campaign, Clinton is assured the Al Qaeda vote.
When Saturday Night Live came out with "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave" they must have known the future and had Sarah in mind.
I like looking at Sarah Palin when she talks. I think about other things with her. I would like to see her in a video. What is she talking about now? That's nice. Do you think she would give a news conference in a maid outfit? I would pay attention.
You are really something Sara, and not in a good way.
Hey Sarah, come back when you're relevant.
Really Sarah? Really? Come on Fox! Really? Sarah Palin giving commentary? Really? This is rich! And we wonder why so many of our youth seem to have low goals. Sarah has sub par intelligence and the people that chose her to run on the presidential ticket obviously weren't much better. Better still, the guy who was on the ticket with her signed off on that train wreck. They wanted to replace that "C" student of a president that we had....... I guess that was reasonable in their minds and in the minds of those that voted for them. What does that say about a lot of people in this country? Really!