Palin on GOP Candidates: 'Character Counts in This Race'

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Governor Sarah Palin is here. And the intrigue is swiftly building in the Republican race for the White House, and tonight a new poll puts four candidates in a statistical dead heat in the all-important Iowa. Herman Cain leads at 20 percent, followed closely by Ron Paul at 19 percent, Mitt Romney at 18 percent, and Newt Gingrich at 17 percent. Now, all those are within the margin of error, meaning -- well, it's anyone's game tonight.

Governor Palin joins us to talk about these stunning developments. Good evening, Governor. And I want to talk first about the strategy. I mean, all four are basically neck and neck. Each one has different issues, different problems going into the Iowa caucuses on January 3rd.

So let's start first with Herman Cain. What -- if you were advising Herman Cain, what would you tell him to do to win the Iowa caucus come January?

SARAH PALIN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR/FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Well, all of these candidates, thankfully, have strengths that they're bringing into the race, and we appreciate them being in the arena and being willing to put their names forward in the name of service.

As for Herman Cain, you know, he needs to be candid and quite truthful about these sexual allegations still because people are kind of hesitant a bit to, you know, delve right in there as supporters, not knowing what the truth is. It really sucks to be falsely accused. Believe me, I know because I have been also.

And if these sexual harassment allegations are false, then Herman Cain at the end of the day is going to take a deep breath and say, you know, Where does one go to get back their reputation after such allegations have been lobbed if they're not true? If they are true, if he disrespects women, then, you know, we're going to cross him off the list.

But Herman Cain just needs to answer candidly the questions that are still being posed of him. And Herman, too, needs to really concentrate on the substance that is necessary when it comes to the solutions that he proposes to America's challenge. People are waiting for that substance not just from Herman but from all of the candidates when it comes to their proposals.

VAN SUSTEREN: You know, sexual harassment is so painful, it exists, and it's impossible -- almost impossible if you are not someone doing it to clear your name. It's one of those horrible -- it's a "He said, she said" and done in private, so it's hard to tell.

So far, two women have come forward. One signed an agreement and said that there was no wrongdoing. They both worked at the National Restaurant Association. And the other one signed an agreement. Another one says that there was a more provocative conduct. Then there are these two anonymous, which I think actually don't exist and perhaps they're the two whose names we know.

But I was trying to think, if I were Mr. Herman Cain, what would I do? And I guess I would sort of sit patiently because he's come in contact with literally thousands of women all his professional career and someone who's a harasser tends to be more serial in his activity. So I guess the only thing he can do is to wait a time. If no one else comes forward, say, See? You're wrong. Or what does he do?

PALIN: Well, perhaps that is the best tactic at this time, Greta, is for him to patiently wait this out, and if others come forward with facts, with proof of the allegations, then, you know, it's going to be a game changer. But at this point, you know, people -- they don't want to really prejudge because there's still so much speculation and there still isn't a lot of proof, really, on one side or the other. So difficult situation for Herman Cain to be in.

But again, believe me, once a bell is rung, it's really tough to unring it. You know, I've been accused of having affairs. I've never had an affair in my life. My husband's been accused of having affairs. In the tabloids we see these -- that garbage that's thrown out there. And though we know what the truth is, many times, the public is never privy to that truth because it is that "He said, she said" stuff. So tough for Herman Cain at this point.

VAN SUSTEREN: OK, Mr. -- or not Mr. but Governor Mitt Romney -- he is at 18 percent. He's number three. And I'll get to Ron Paul, Congressman Ron Paul, in a second. But Governor Romney has stayed about the same numbers in the national polls. He doesn't go up, he doesn't go down. He stays where he is. I assume he wants to do better. He certainly doesn't want to do worse. But what's his strategy? And why isn't he moving in the polls?

PALIN: Hasn't really moved in the polls despite running for president for four, five, six years now. What Romney needs to do is reach out to those fiscal and social conservatives, the Tea Party independents, and really show his authenticity and explain what are perceived and real flip- flops over issues that he has been called out on, explain what he means today, as opposed to what perhaps he meant some years ago and when he served as governor because there have been some inconsistencies with the positions that he takes now.

So he needs to reach out to Tea Party independents and all constituents and do more television appearances to explain himself because we do seek that authenticity. We seek the candidness and we want answers.

It's been kind of a surprising role that Romney has played when you consider that he hasn't really gotten over that hump of that percentage of support that he's had over all these years that's stayed pretty steady. But you know, he -- he's got strengths, too. You know, when you consider that he's got what appears to be a solid personal life, a good family, I think that bodes well. It speaks well to his character, and character counts in this race.