Sarah Palin finds Obama pretty 'cool,' never ordered the clothes and can't predict 2012

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin thinks president-elect Barack Obama is a pretty "cool" guy and she can work with him, especially on alternative energy and energy independence issues crucial to her state.

Obama phoned Palin during the recently concluded campaign and they had a pleasant conversation.

"He was cool, too," Palin told Greta Van Susteren as the governor prepared a Sunday meal in her lakefront kitchen. "He was, like, 'Good luck--but not that much luck.'"

Palin spoke at length openly in her Alaska gubernatorial office and her suburban home with Van Susteren  in the first of a two-part "On the Record" program (see video below) shown Monday on the Fox News Channel; Part II comes Tuesday night.

The "news" part of the interview is that the 44-year-old mother of five, who rallied the conservative base for the John McCain Republican ticket but not the hoped-for female crossover of Democratic women, did not rule out -- or in -- another national campaign come 2012 "or four years later."

"If there's an open door in '12 or four years later and if it's going to be something good for my family, my state, my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door. But I can't predict what's going to happen."

On the Republican defeat: "The American people spoke and it's the will of the voters that it was not our time and our message was not the message of change that the majority of voters wanted, so be it. Now, that chapter's closed. Now let me, let John McCain do all that we can along with our supporters to help unite the nation and progress under a new administration."

On her vetting: She was impressed with how much McCain knew about her when they first met. "They even knew my City Council votes back in '92."

On her campaign staff, some of whom have been leaking derogatory allegations about

her in recent days: It was strange to suddenly have to put her entire faith in people she'd never met but they were "very experienced, very sharp."

About allegedly not knowing Africa was a continent. Not true. Didn't happen. She'd long been familiar with the continent since, among other things, getting Alaskan investments out of Darfur. Same on allegedly not knowing that NAFTA includes Mexico and next-door Canada, which has considerable trade with Alaska.

On the media: Many of its members often seem eager to believe the worst about her without fully checking, taking at face value online assertions such as she was not the birth mother of Trig or that as mayor she tried to censor books that hadn't been published when she was mayor. And how much longer it seemed to take for the truth to catch up to the initial false reports.

On criticism of her: No problem. It comes with the political territory. Her family is used to it, too, from local and state politics. Well, wait, there was one moment in Philadelphia when her 14-year-old daughter Willow asked about protesters wearing T-shirts calling Palin a crude word for female genitalia.

On the clothes for her and her family: She never ordered any. Never asked for any. They were waiting when the family arrived at the Republican National Convention and belong to the Republican National Committee.

Palin said she's never set foot in a Nieman-Marcus or Saks, kept none of the purchases and prefers her own closet of clothes.

--Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credit: Stephan Savoia / Associated Press

Comments

[Tom Mariner]

Governor Palin is a threat to the now Democratic dominance. The news media is not only on the Democratic campaign team, but loses money when the fighting of the contest fades away.

Since all of the remarks from the "McCain People" about Governor Palin are anonymous, I can only assume they are lies, made up by the same media that reports them and eagerly traded from NBC to CNN, etc.

The Governor ought to take heart that the Democratic Party is so frightened of her future that they will call out all of their troops to continue the smear machine for a contest four years away.

[Grateful Republican]

Will somebody please show her the door already! IShe's killing what's left of the Republican Party!!! My 12 year old has better sensibilities and language skills.

[Ronald Sampson]

OMG. This lady just cannot get enough of herself. What a selfish, misguided egomaniac. Everybody but herself understands that she blew the election for the Republicans and that she's too far out there to get elected by those outside of the Alaskan outback.

[Sonia Kermaz]

I'm like OK...God picked me, you know, to like show me the door....I'll run right through and rid the world of phony chosen people like Sarah. I mean, I can see the sky from my yard in the winter, and that puts me real close to heaven all of the time. In Alaska it's dark now for a reason, you know. It's like God doesn't want Sarah to see heaven....that's why she also needs glasses.

[Michael]

The more she talks the dumber she sounds. I can see why they did not let her speak to the press during the campaign.

[cccpatrol]

FRAUD?
Palin and the GOP, keep reminding us a third of Palin's wardrobe was returned and never used. How come the returns never showed up in the campaign reports as refund against the $150,000?

[Leslie]

The issue over clothes that the media is creating with Sarah Palin is stupid and proves the double standard in the liberal media. If you are going to report the money spent on clothes for Gov. Palin, then I want to know how much money the Obama family spent on clothes and how much the Bidens spent on clothes. Unless Obama shops for suits at Wal-Mart, shut *#$* up, because it doesn't matter. Michelle Obama spends just as much on clothes as Sarah Palin

[Sarah The Parrot]

Sarah, please run for president in 2012 as the Republican candidate. The Republican base will support a halfwit and the Democrats and independents will shut the Republicans out. You sank the 2008 Republican campaign, and I know you can do it again.

[redneck]

SillY Sarah is going t o have more babies - as Governor, and in the White House. She does not believe in contraception and does not want to deny Todd conjugal pleasures.

[pogo]

sorry but amazing nonstop motormouth. Does not stop for commas, semi-colons or periods. Her husband could ride her in the next iron-dog race and win. If Kawasaki or Honda could harness the power of her yap, they'd be rolling out the next space shuttle or at be breaking land records. Like dear old Ronnie she has a very specialized memory. Her favorite syntax error is falsely attributed antecedents... Gibberish is her native language. totally amazing skills that makes GW appear to be a genius.

[frieda]

Obama needs to talk to her about the energy independence. He got no one with her experience.

I hope we will see her more on national stage.

[phobe]

Ya know - if the "anonymous" backstabbers had kept their mouths shut till the election was over -- there would have been NONE of this frenzy. They think Sarah is stupid?? Look what they did.

[RBD]

The Republican Party I am certain is not seriously considering this blithering idiot for anything!!! They actually do have intellects within the party who also use common sense! Right now they are allowing her to substantiate John McCain's final act of loyalty to our beloved USA...realizing that Sarah Palin would do more harm in office than good, he surrendered his ambition (perhaps uncertain of his health) to one he knew would best serve our country's best interests. HE truly is a hero unsung.
As far as Palin, come on now! She steals from the Republican party and its supporters, calls them liars out of one side of her mouth and says they did not treat her fairly, then says they are extremely intelligent ( but did not heed their advice)?!! She tosses former supporters (aka Ted Stevens) aside with no regard when convenient for her along with anyone else she can walk over. Has no respect for learning and books et al ... With regards to her personal life, has anyone in our history ever been questioned about their child or children being legitimate? Questions like this only arise when there is some reasonable doubt! Hillary, Laura, et al even Michelle Obama have NEVER been the recipient of such insinuations because the children were actually theirs!!!! Who cares if Bristol is about to have her second child! A real mother would have accepted this for what it was and not preyed upon her child and the public for personal gain. Perhaps if she were one of the real working mothers who genuinely cared for her children AND did both jobs of working in AND out of the home her children may have taken different paths..... Her son's joining the army was to escape jail, not so noble as John McCain's and Joe Biden's children..That's great, give a drug user and jail avoiding child whose mother and father wished to seceed Alaska fromthe USA training in warfare!!! What are we thinking!! ANd you REALLY want me to believe the Republicans are that stupid to support Sarah Palin?!!!!! She'd be like that cartoon character "the Brain" on steroids and crack!

[Jeff Balla]

What did the t-shirt say?

(A four-letter word beginning with C)

[Karen]

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin thinks president-elect Barack Obama is a pretty "cool" guy ?

Is this the same person she claimed "pals around with terrorists" and "doesn't see America the way you and I see America?" The same cool guy she was whipping mcCain's rabid followers into a frenzy about? uh, yeah. okay. you betcha.

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
~~Abraham Lincoln

[Anonymous]

I think obama is a pretty cool guy. eh wins eletcions and doesn't afraid of anything.