Sarah Palin said Sunday that her new reality television series doesn't hurt her chances in a 2012 presidential run because President Ronald Reagan was also an entertainer.
Karl Rove told the British newspaper Telegraph last week that Palin's new TLC show, Sarah Palin's Alaska, doesn't help her 2012 chances.
"With all due candor, appearing on your own reality show on the Discovery Channel, I am not certain how that fits in the American calculus of 'that helps me see you in the Oval Office,'" Rove said.
"There are high standards that the American people have for it [the presidency] and they require a certain level of gravitas, and they want to look at the candidate and say 'that candidate is doing things that gives me confidence that they are up to the most demanding job in the world,'" he said.
Fox News' Chris Wallace asked Palin to respond Sunday.
"You know, I agree with that," Palin said. "That those standards have to be high for someone who would ever want to run for president like, um, wasn't Ronald Reagan an actor? Wasn't he in Bedtimes for Bonzo, bozo or something? Ronald Reagan was an actor."
The former Alaska governor insisted her new show was a documentary instead of a reality show.
"Now look. I'm not in a reality show. I have eight episodes documenting Alaska's resources, what it is that we can contribute to the rest of U.S. to economically and physically secure our union, and my family comes along for the ride because I am family, family is us, and my family comes along on the ride to document these eight episodes for The Learning Channel. ... So Karl is wrong right there in calling it a reality show," she said.
Wallace explained to Palin that he thought she was unlikely to run in 2012.
"I think you're having too much fun," Wallace said. "I think you're making too much money. You're still a big player in national politics. You don't have a hundred people like me chasing you around saying, 'What does she read in the morning?' I don't think you're going to run."
"The country is worth it though, to make those sacrifices. When we talk about making money today, having a lot of fun today, having all this freedom, if the country needed me -- and I'm not saying the country would ever necessarily want to choose me over anyone else -- I would be willing to make the sacrifices if need be," Palin said.
In the same interview, Wallace asked Palin about two tea party candidates that she has endorsed that are not running strong races. Republican Senate candidate in Delaware Christine O'Donnell is trailing Democrat Chris Coons by at least ten points. In Alaska, polls show Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller is tied with Republican write-in candidate Lisa Murkowski.
Palin told Wallace that her choice to endorse O'Donnell was obvious because the candidate was a "common sense conservative."
Then Palin surprised the Fox News host with the claim that reporters from the CBS news affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska had conspired to create negative news stories about Miller.
"It was revealed at the rally that I had for Joe Miller on Thursday -- it was revealed and we have the tape that proves it -- that the CBS reporters, the affiliate in Alaska, conspired to make up stories about Joe Miller. We have the tape, Chris. And I can't wait until it busts out all over the nation to show what it is that we -- kind of what I put up with for two years now with the media -- but what Joe Miller is faced with in dealing with somebody who feels -- Lisa Murkowski -- so entitled to that seat she and her people including some complicits in the media will do anything. They will stop at nothing," she explained.
Palin seemed to be referring to a message that was accidentally left on the voice mail of Joe Miller's spokesperson. The Miller camp claims that two CBS reporters were caught plotting to find and interview a child molester at one of Miller's rallies.
The Miller campaign and Andrew Breitbart posted the audio Saturday.
"I'm saying -- and we have it on tape -- that CBS reporters in the affiliate up there in Alaska, on tape are saying, "Let's find a child molester in the crowd who is a supporter for Joe Miller. Let's blast that. Let's concoct a Rand Paul moment there. Let's find any kind of chaos so we can tweet an alert saying there's chaos. Joe Miller got punched.'"
"That's sick. Those are corrupt bastards," she said.
The liberal group Media Matters called on Palin to release the audio of the voicemail.
"Palin has a responsibility to release the full, unedited tapes publicly and to all media," Media Matters CEO David Brock wrote.
ABC News reports that Republican party leaders have all but given up on Miller and are hoping a Murkowski win will keep the seat in Republican hands.
