Gov. Palin Advises Candidates on Greta; No Endorsements or Picks

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin tonight offered advice for six of the declared candidates running for President in 2012 on Greta Van Susteren's On the Record from her home in Wasilla, Alaska. Gov. Palin did not endorse any candidate saying that the "the cream has not risen to the top." She did not pick a candidate most likely to defeat Obama in 2012 as Fox News had promoted on its website, and the subject of a reconsidered run never arose during the interview.

Gov. Palin said a candidate who most closely aligns with her values and articulates them best would earn her endorsement. The values she specifically mentioned include: "shifting the balance of power back to the people and adhering to the Constitution."

In what will likely be the "takeaway" from tonight's interview, Gov. Palin said she "would bring the rope" to hang former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky "from the highest tree if he were found guilty and convicted of child molestation charges." That statement was made in answer to Van Susteren's question about whether Gov. Palin agreed with former Senator Rick Santorum's position that Penn State should not be allowed to play in any bowl game. Gov. Palin said that "it was not the players' fault and they should not be made to suffer for having had a perverted coach."

About Herman Cain, Gov. Palin said "it sucks to be falsely accused," but also said Cain needs to candidly answer the questions being asked of him and acknowledged that his answers could be "a game-changer." She said Cain needs to get to the substance of the issues. Gov. Palin recounted that both she and her husband Todd have been falsely accused of having affairs.

Gov. Palin said Romney has been running for president for nearly six years now and has not seen a change in his polling numbers. She said he "needs to reach out to the Tea Party conservatives and explain his real and perceived flip-flops." She said voters seek authenticity and candidness.

Ron Paul "has very energized supporters....it's unfortunate he has been written off," Gov. Palin said adding that Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum have also been written off by the mainstream media. "He needs to keep doing what he is doing. He was only given 89 seconds to respond to questions. It's not fair, but his supporters need to be the ones to raise the issue, Gov. Palin said.

She said public disdain for Congress, especially with revelations of crony capitalism and pay-to-play are at least contributing factors in Santorum and Bachmman being written off. She added that if Congressmen and women are not fighting crony capitalism, people will perceive them as being part of it.

"[Newt Gingrich] needs to hang on to his hat. People are respecting his performance in debates and his knowledge of history," Gov. Palin said. She continued that his momentum in the polls makes him a target for media scrutiny and he needs to be prepared for it.

Gov. Palin said this election is not just about replacing Barack Obama, but who we replace him with. "Evidently, in this day and age, personal indiscretions don't matter, but jobs and economy are paramount. People need an explanation about solutions and proposals."

Video retrieved from SarahNET