Former President Bill Clinton said Gov. Palin is “resilient,” “tough,” and “somebody to be reckoned with,” in an interview with Good Morning America host, George Stephanopoulos, where he covered the the sixth annual Clinton Global Initiative.

“In the Republican primaries she’s very popular with the conservative base. She gets more people to come out. And she hasn’t won all of her endorsements, but she’s won most of them. And you know, she’s a compelling, attractive figure,” Clinton said. “I think she’s clearly a public figure who is, who speaks well and persuasively to the people who listen to her. And she’s somebody to be reckoned with,” he continued. “And she’s tough.”

Clinton’s statements were intended to counter the left’s meme that “a Sarah Palin Presidential run is the best thing that could happen to the Democrats.”