Q&A: Sarah Palin on Obama and Her Future

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Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin

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Do you need the support of the GOP establishment to make a successful bid for the presidency?
Assuming that the party establishment is willing to work for the good of the people and stick to the principles in our GOP platform, I see no reason why we can't work together for the good of the country.

What is the meaning of the 2010 elections?
D.C. isn't listening. People are seriously hurting. In the Beltway, they don't feel the unemployment problem. They're flush with government jobs. They don't feel the 22% unemployment in Silicon Valley! Think about that — Silicon Valley is a symbol of American ingenuity and entrepreneurship, and now it's suffering 22% unemployment. The Beltway doesn't see the pain in California and Michigan and Nevada and Florida. They're tone-deaf, but they had to face the music on Nov. 2.

Americans did not vote for reckless spending and runaway deficits in 2008. They voted for change, and now they've got barely any left in their pockets. The stimulus failed. It did nothing but stimulate a dangerous level of debt. This election was about stopping this fiscal insanity and turning the nation's car around before we drive off a cliff toward a Greek-style debt crisis.

You have a tiny staff, relatively speaking. Why?
It's very small, yet look at all we accomplish! This is a lesson for huge federal bureaucracies — it's possible to be smaller, smarter and efficient. You have to prioritize time and resources wisely. I have the ability to do that. Also, I don't need "handlers." I don't like traveling with "an entourage." I have a few very good people who work for me, and I really don't see the need for a large, expensive bureaucracy. I'm conscious of the fact that my PAC is funded by small donations from ordinary, patriotic Americans who expect us to work hard for the ideals we share in common.

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