Palin Warns Republicans: Stick to “We the People” Philosophy

Following rally Monday, former Guv tells CNN, "Heaven forbid that the GOP machine strays from this message -- if so, GOP is through."

Transcript of interview with CNN's Shannon Travis:

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, here we go. Fifteen days and counting here until election day and guess who we're hearing from now? We're hearing from Tea Party darling, Sarah Palin.

CNN, of course, has related political news and the best political team on TV. And that includes, most definitely, CNN's political producer, Shannon Travis. Quite a get in Nevada. Here's Shannon, who talked with Sarah Palin today -- Shannon, the floor is yours.

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: That's right, Brooke. Let me just set the scene. The Tea Party activists are filing out of here, from Reno, Nevada, at a very active rally. It's the kick-off to their fourth national tour. But the one person that fired them up was, as you just mentioned, Sarah Palin. She talked about electing

Sharron Angle to the Senate. She's the Republican candidate, obviously. She talked about cutting spending. But she also had a message to a lot of other people. I caught up with the governor and she -- the former governor. And she did something that she rarely does, which is speak with other media outlets. OK, I started my interview by asking her one question that's on a lot of people's minds. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRAVIS: Governor, what if it's -- what if Tea Party movement winds up splitting the Republican Party, too? Who will you stand with?

SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: You know, I don't think that it will, because I think more of the machine within the GOP is going to understand that this "we the people" message is rising and it's resonating throughout with the Independents, with hard core conservatives, with moderates, because it's just so full of common sense and time-tested truths that can put the economy on the right track that heaven forbid that the GOP machine strays from this message. If so, the GOP is through.

TRAVIS: So, Governor, is there no room for moderates in the Republican Party?

PALIN: No, that's the deal, is that this is all about an independent message, moderates who just believe that government's proper role is very constrained and restrained, according to our constitution, that our states' rights, our individual rights should be more powerful and made more manifest than a growing federal government -- their -- their power. So moderates can embrace that. Independents certainly can.

TRAVIS: But a lot of Tea Party activists say they're on a rhino hunt to purge the party of -- of moderate Republicans.

PALIN: You know, I wouldn't say that, because within my own family, my -- most of my family, most of my friends and associates, they're Independents. They're -- they're not part of any kind of political machine. Shoot, if my husband was here, he'd be the first one to tell you, he, as an Independent, you know, just with that common sense, knowing that it is, though, that constitutional conservative principles that can help our country. Independent, though.

TRAVIS: So what's the...

PALIN: Independent, though.

TRAVIS: -- what's the possibility of attracting more Independents to the -- to the Tea Party movement?

PALIN: That is a great issue and that's what we need to do. But again, as long as we apply time-tested truths and prove that they work -- and that's what we have to do in the next two years -- send a new Congress to D.C. to apply those solutions that are based just on free market principles, that really can't be argued then by the Independents and by the moderates. Then they start embracing more of what the party is all about.

TRAVIS: And the last question...

PALIN: And that's -- what we have to remember is the planks in the platform -- of the GOP platform -- really are the strongest, most solid planks to build a strong economy, because it's all about entrepreneurial spirit and equal prosperity and opportunity, according to a work ethic. So...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please...

PALIN: Thank you for your encouragement.

TRAVIS: What are...

(APPLAUSE)

TRAVIS: -- and what do you say...

(APPLAUSE)

TRAVIS: Governor, what do you say to your critics who say you're way too divisive to forge a consensus?

PALIN: Oh...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God bless you.

PALIN: Oh...

TRAVIS: Critics say you're way too divisive.

PALIN: They're going to say what they're going to say. And if I spent all my time just answering the critics, I might as well close up and shop and do nothing else. Instead we're out here and we're just a -- so appreciating the enthusiasm for the common sense message of Tea Party Americans. So thank you, guys. Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

TRAVIS: What are you...

(CROSSTALK)

TRAVIS: What are you...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where are you from?

TRAVIS: CNN.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

TRAVIS: Brooke, it cannot be lost what the -- what the former governor's -- Brooke, it cannot be lost what the former governor said in that first answer, when I asked her, what if the Tea Party movement winds up splitting the Republican Party and to whose side would she be on? She said she doesn't think that will happen. But she said very clearly -- you just heard it -- that if the Republican Party doesn't go along, she said they are through.

It's one of the rare and telling moments that we have. That -- that clip is actually as part of a documentary that we're -- that we'll be airing called "Boiling Point: Inside the Tea Party Movement." It's airing on October 30th and the 31st at 8:00 p.m.. That's one of many, many telling moments that we have a part of the documentary, that rare interview with the former governor, Sarah Palin.

BALDWIN: Shannon, that was an awesome interview, very raw Sarah Palin. And I wrote down those three words, as well, that "the GOP is through." Let's push forward and just what do you make of that?

Because we saw Sarah Palin, wasn't it over the weekend in California, standing side-by-side with Michael Steele, almost, perhaps, a show of solidarity with the Republican Party.

But her comments to you just now, Shannon, may indicate otherwise.

TRAVIS: Well, again, she says that she doesn't think that there will be a rift or a split within the Republican Party. And that if there possibly is, if -- if establishment type Republicans don't go along with a lot of Tea Party ideals, then they may be through.

So I wouldn't -- we wouldn't -- we don't want to go so far as to say that she's saying that they're -- predicting that there will be a rift, because, clearly, she's saying that she -- she doesn't think that there will be.

But it is telling, she is the darling of this movement. A lot of Tea Party activists here at this rally and other rallies that I've been to often scream and clamor to -- to have her sign autographs, to shake her hand, a lot of the people who were behind me in that little scrimmage were saying, Sarah Palin, please run for president in 2012.

So she's obviously definitely not trying to break ties with the Republican Party. But she's definitely sending out messages of great appeal to the Tea Party activists who really, really support her.

BALDWIN: Shannon Travis, great get in Nevada. Appreciate you turning that around real quickly for us.