Rand Paul And Sarah Palin Take A Victory Lap On FBN’s Freedom Watch

Sarah Palin capped off a primary week most pundits called as a resounding victory for her dropping by the libertarian Fox Business show Freedom Watch. Sharing the stage with one of the most controversial successful Tea Party candidates, Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul, Palin explained what it meant to her to watch Delaware’s Christine O’Donnell win after being criticized severely by Karl Rove and other prominent Republicans.

Asked to assess the victory in terms of national public opinion, Palin argued that O’Donnell was right when she noted “this is just a reflection of the sentiment of voters that are saying ‘no more of the same'” and wanted to see “smarter, smaller government.” She also expressed her hope that Tea Party leaders would not veer towards the “middle, which is really governing towards the left,” and shrugged off criticisms of O’Donnell that she was ill-prepared in terms of education to handle a legislative position: “I hear that and I think, ‘Christine, join the club.'”

Host Judge Andrew Napolitano praised Palin as beloved by conservatives and libertarians alike (some libertarians may beg to differ), and asked Paul to assess her influence and the Tea Party’s influence as a whole. He argued that, despite prominent figures like Rove expressing some inhibitions about O’Donnell and the Tea Party, “I think the party very much has come together,” and especially, he noted, the Kentucky Republicans since his nomination.

While Palin emphasized steering away from governing towards the middle, Paul argued that focusing on party at all was counterproductive. “I don’t see things in terms of party at all… if im in Washington, the Democrats will see me as someone,” he continued, who would criticize Republicans, too, and ‘honestly assess where we have our own faults.’

The joint Palin/Paul appearance on Fox Business’ Freedom Watch this morning below: