Oprah: 'I'm Not Going To Answer' Whether Palin Is Qualified To Be President (VIDEO)

Oprah got into politics during her wide-ranging talk with Barbara Walters, weighing in on President Obama's performance and her views on a potential run for president by Sarah Palin.

She said that she had sensed that Obama would be president ever since the first time she met him. Asked by Walters how she felt about his tenure so far, Oprah backed him firmly.

"I think it's unfortunate when you have a nation of people who don't want to support the president of the United States," she said. "I think we don't realize how close we came to Depression....people can't see it because they're only thinking about themselves. The fact that people still are out of jobs, but we're not in breadlines, we forget."

Walters then asked her what she would feel if Sarah Palin decided to run for president. "I wouldn't feel anything," Oprah said. "Obviously that would be her choice."

"But do you think that Sarah Palin is qualified to be president?" Walters asked.

"I'm not going to answer that question," Oprah said. That's good, Barbara but I'm not going to answer."

"I tried," Walters said. "You sort of answered."

"I'm not answering," Oprah insisted.

WATCH:

Comments

[mamapower]

10:25 PM on 12/16/2010

If Silly Sarah is qualified to be President of the USA, I'm qualified to be Miss USA!

[mamapower]

10:24 PM on 12/16/2010

Silence is golden honey!

[colinmincy]

08:05 AM on 12/23/2010

I think you spelled her name wrong...and I'm sure there wasn't any underlying malice on the slip-up.
I don't think you need to be qualified to speak on political issues. Oprah isn't a political scientist, but I certainly think she's intelligent enough to discuss politics.Lastly, look who the Republicans chose for their candidate for President in 2000 and 2004. Look who the base supported in the most recent Senate race in Delaware. I guess it's only a mistake when a Democrat gets elected? Take your finger off the snooze button...I think you've been out of comission too long.

[vegetablelollipop]

05:28 PM on 12/16/2010

I just logged on to say something vituperative about Oprah Winfrey. But, alas, I've said it all before.

[commonsense68130]

11:01 AM on 12/15/2010

Of course Palin is not qualified to be president. We are on our way to "Idiocracy" here if we keep voting for inexperienced leaders. Obama has proven that no matter how intelligent one is, you will not be successful without previously holding some form of executive position.

[westcountyPA]

05:45 PM on 12/15/2010

Sorry, no one said anything about Obama and whether Obama was successful as a president.
And Sarah Palin DID have an executive position - as governor of Alaska; why wouldn't she be qualified to be president, if a person followed your 'commonsense'?

[commonsense68130]

01:30 PM on 12/16/2010

Because she quit. If she can't hold up as a governor, she'd never make it as president.

[RusStyles]

10:52 AM on 12/15/2010

Well, her non-answer, was a diplomatic way of saying SP is unqualified. If she had come straight out...It would have only led to a firestorm of controversy. The follow-up question surely would have been "So, why do you believe she's...? And O is a businesswoman/entertainer. And how many for-profit CEOs render political positions...She took a huge leap from her normal apolitical stance by backing Obama; lost part of her fan base, but there were several special circumstances surrounding his run.

Too bad she has no interest in running for office, she has the smarts, obvious leadership ability, and charisma...Her only drawback--I doubt if she'd be willing to compromise on many of her core principles.

[SeattleFran]

05:16 PM on 12/16/2010

She might as well have said she didn't think SP was qualified for the complete storm that's going ot rain down on her for not answering with a whole-hearted, unqualifed "yes." She's will be branded racist, hater, anti christian and sexist. Then again Oprah is part of the liberal, the elite, the blue blue and also too the lamestream media.

[JohnRawlsInOveralls]

01:47 PM on 12/14/2010

I think some people are missing the point, specifically, the people who think that Oprah was doing a dignified thing by refusing to answer.

[Scar1]

01:16 PM on 12/14/2010

YUK; URK; MUSH, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH??? EBONICS FOR REAL!!!
BONQUISHA CAN DO BETTER-SHE GOT WORK OUT VIDEO AT LEAST.

[Scar1]

01:14 PM on 12/14/2010

ASK PALIN HOW SHE WOULD EXACTLY FIX HAITI'S PROBLEMS? ASK HER WHAT SHE SEES AS THE MAJOR PROBLEM THEY HAVE AND WHAT IN THE PAST HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR PLIGHT BESIDES NATURAL DISASTER? WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF HER TRIP NOW AND NOT BEFORE? BETCHA SHE GOES GOLLY GEE OPRAH THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES-LIKE WHAT? HUH THEY ARE IN DESPAIR-SO? HOW DO WE FIX IT NOW AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT NOW THAT WE CAN? BETCHA SHE AIN'T GOT A DAMN CLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Scar1]

01:09 PM on 12/14/2010

CLUE! OPRAH; CLUE!! SHE IS NOT QUALIFIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Scar1]

01:08 PM on 12/14/2010

Oprah I will answer that for you, okay?? NO!!! SHE IS SHORT CHICKEN WINGS!! WHO IN THE HELL WOULD CALL THEMSELVES GRIZZLEY? WHO IN THE WORLD GOES TO HAITI ON SO CALLED INTERNATIONAL MISSION AND CANNOT MANAGE THE JOB THEY HAD IN THE UNITED STATES AND LOSES ELECTION. SARAH PALIN (MOMA GRIZZLEY)!!! OKAY, OPRAH?? NOW THAT CAR AND TRIP SCAR1 DEPRESSED FROM TRAUMA OF IT ALL.

[WhySoCereal]

04:06 AM on 12/14/2010

I am glad Oprah chose not to bad mouth Sarah Palin and gave a dignified answer instead. However there are still some people who believe Palin should run for presidency despite quitting her position as the governor of Alaska. She has proven herself to be unreliable.

[scared1234]

05:58 PM on 12/13/2010

A 'no answer' closed the door to the Twittering Twit's negative tweets about Oprah. Bravo, very savy Oprah!

[jaslyn]

04:52 PM on 12/13/2010

If she would have commented, you can be sure Palin would be twittering like crazy by tomorrow responding to mistreatment.

[Ramin Streets]

04:33 PM on 12/13/2010

I'm from Chicago. Oprah literally lives a few blocks away from me and I'll be first in line to say I wish she would just shut up go away for awhile. I don't hate her. It's just that after 30 years I'm sick of her.

On a side note regarding Palin; why are so many public figures afraid to take this woman on?

She's barely qualified to manage a Dairy Queen let alone the Country. For the record, Sarah Palin is not a leader. She's not a statesman. Hell, she's not even a hack. She's the definition of a demagogue, pure and simple.