This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 12, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And tonight, the road to 2012 has brought us to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in beautiful Des Moines, Iowa.
(CHEERING)
HANNITY: As you can see, thousands to kickoff this very special show. Now, she is on the latest leg of her one nation bus tour. And is once again turning heads with a visit to this very key state.
Joining us now, Iowa, former Alaska Governor, Fox News contributor Sarah Palin.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HANNITY: I could save the best question for last. But we have a straw poll coming up tomorrow. And you are here at the fairgrounds. And I think a lot of people might want an answer to this one question. Are you considering a run for the presidency of the United States?
FMR. GOV. SARAH PALIN, R-ALA.: I am still considering a run, Sean.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
You know, I think the good folks here in Iowa, you can do a man on the street here, you can ask anybody here and I think that they would tell you, it's time this country is put back on the right track to see our economy strengthened, jobs created in the private sector, and they are ready for some positive change to allow that from Washington, D.C.
HANNITY: You know, it's pretty amazing, you know, Obama said in February of '09 when he got into office, that he would be -- it would be a one-term proposition if he does not turn the economy around in three years. Well, he's had three years. The economy has gotten worse. So, I guess, maybe that will be another broken promise on his end. But if the people of Iowa have a say have a funny feeling that he will be that one-term president.
PALIN: That's right. He did make that promise. And that recognition that he articulated that really there was no way, or no reason for him to be reelected if the economy was in the tank three years from when he said it. And, that's exactly where we are. So, now, yes, it is time for some positive change, for some common sense, fiscally conservative ideas, solutions to be put in place to get the economy back on the right track. And of course, they are common sense solutions. You heard some of them articulated in the debate last night. It made for a good debate, was a pretty exciting night last night.
HANNITY: All right. So, where are you in your decision-making process? I just spoke to your husband, Todd is here, your kids are here. You are having a good time, this is an important time for the state of Iowa. We are told that Rick Perry may make an announcement. Where are you in your decision making?
PALIN: And as for Rick Perry, you know, I hope that he does jump into the race. The more the merrier, the more ideas that are debated out there, the better for the electorate. You all deserve good choices in this 2012 election. So, you know, I hope he and others are willing to put themselves forward in the name of service. As for me, I'm still considering it. The impact on family obviously has a lot to do with a decision like this.
HANNITY: You just had a new grandchild.
PALIN: A new most perfect beautiful baby girl born into the family, very blessed. But impact on family is certainly paramount. Now, I still think that there's enough time here. Knowing that the field is not yet set. I think that there will be people coming and going in the next couple of months still, Sean.
HANNITY: Yes. All right. Let's talk a little bit about last night's debate. And a comment that you made earlier today which, anybody but Obama, that you could support any of the candidates that were on stage last night. What were your impressions of the debate as you were watching?
PALIN: I was thankful that some folks finally took off some gloves last night in the debate. Because the people in Iowa and everywhere else across this great country, deserve people who are passionate about the change that needs to take place to get the economy back on the right track. Now, last night, we finally find some folks calling it like they saw it, like Newt Gingrich, I was so proud of him last night. And he calls the press out, he calls the media out for taking on the press focusing unfortunately, too often on superficial issues. We are at a time of economic woe and things happening in our country that don't need to be happening that our so adversely affecting our small businesses. Our farm families, the individual Americans who want the exceptionalism put back into our country. And yet the media wants to focus on things that really are superficial. And Newt Gingrich called Chris out on that last night and I was proud of him for doing it.
HANNITY: Don't you think though, you have been beaten up by the press so hard and every time you kind of bounced back. Recently, they have attacked Michele Bachmann. You saw the picture of Michele Bachmann, the least flattering picture that anybody could have. You experienced that, I think you were in your running shorts. I don't know, you know. But it seems like every time the media attacks conservatives, they just come bouncing back with more support from people and it doesn't seem to work.
PALIN: It's because, you know, human nature. We are allowed to make a choice after how we react toward circumstances, right? We can become bitter or we can become better. I think a lot of conservatives, we are getting so used to being beaten up in the lame stream media that we're just saying, hey, I'm going to choose to become better, better informed, a better debater, even more passionate about positive change regardless of what the media is going to do to the person.
HANNITY: All right. Look at where we are here. Now, 75 percent of the country thinks we are on the wrong track. The president's approval rating is 40 on issues involving the economy, he's now in the low 30s. We see what is happening in Europe, in London, in Great Britain, in France, Portugal, Spain. If we continue down this path, is this something that you think is coming to America?
PALIN: Absolutely. We would be naive to put our head in the sand and pretend through some kind of magical thinking that demise will not happen in this country as we are seeing in other countries, if we repeat the mistakes that they made. The mistakes would be continuing to overspend and borrow money that we are sending a bill then to our kids and our grandkids to repay for us. And allowing government overreach to really stifle the entrepreneurial spirit in America. We are naive to think that we are not going to end up just like other socialist countries are ending up if we continue down that path. We know what the solutions are, it is just a matter of applying them.
HANNITY: I think like a lot of people, they were as frustrated as I was on this, you know, increasing the debt ceiling. Immediately, the president gets nearly a trillion dollars. There's only 67 billion in the first two years of cuts, it is going to be kicked down the road which is often the case.
PALIN: Right.
HANNITY: And nor do we consider or debate or discuss, that government increases their spending eight percent a year.
PALIN: Right.
HANNITY: And so, we are never going to balance the budget. I doubt everybody in this audience is getting an eight percent increase every year.
PALIN: Right. Even that 10 year deal that we saw just struck is not going to solve the problem. We are not digging into the root of the problem, which is government spending too much money. Borrowing money from foreign countries, that will make us beholden to foreign countries. So, even that deal will not get us out of the problem that has been created by liberals spending too much money in the federal government.
HANNITY: Do you have any faith in this commission that is now going to get together. We now know the people that have been named. Do you have any faith in their ability? Because I don't.
PALIN: You know, I agree with Pawlenty and Newt last night who both said, it is a stupid idea, really. More government bureaucratic commission and committee to do the job that Congress should have done.
(CHEERING)
I bet you, you can go out here and you can find 10 members of any Iowa farming family and ask them, what are the common sense solutions that we need in order to make the cuts in the federal government and in order to really get the economic engine, our small businesses, to be able to get up and running and grow and thrive and hire more people. You ask any 10 members out here and they could probably give you a better idea than those 10 members of the commission. You know, why Sean?
HANNITY: I agree with you.
(CHEERING)
PALIN: These members of Congress have been part of the problem. Not part of the solution. I say it with all due respect to those who are willing to serve in public office. But doggone it, no more of the same, no more politics as usual.
HANNITY: Isn't it embarrassing that the United States of America with all its strength and all its history, that has, you know, literally saved the world from fascism, Nazism, communism, terrorism, that now we get a debt downgrade, because they have spent us into oblivion? I think America is better than that. And they had an opportunity to fix it, Standard & Poor's told them what it would take.
PALIN: Well, the American public told them what it would take. We said Congress, cut the budget, cap spending and balance the budget. Now we are beyond "Cut, Cap and Balance." Now, we're telling Congress, cut the crap and balance, please.
(CHEERING)
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