Palin: I could beat Obama in 2012

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) said she can beat President Obama if the two went head-to-head in the 2012 presidential election.

Palin made the case for her electability should she decide to run for president, addressing one of voters' core concerns about the 2008 vice presidential nominee.

"I believe so," Palin told ABC's Barbara Walters when asked if she could beat Obama.

Palin made the comments during a sit-down for a special to air in December. The excerpt emerged on the same day that the New York Times posted a profile of the Republican superstar, in which she acknowledges that she's seriously considering a run for the White House in two years.

"I’m engaged in the internal deliberations candidly, and having that discussion with my family, because my family is the most important consideration here," Palin told the Times.

The former governor's sit-downs with ABC and the New York Times could be considered some of the foremost indicators of her seriousness about a possibly challenge to Obama. Palin's largely avoided interviews with major outlets, and has spoken most frequently through Fox News, for which she's a paid contributor.

Palin will have to convince voters -- in the Republican primary and in the general election -- that she is both qualified and electable if she wants to have any chance of winning. She made a direct stab at that by claiming she could beat Obama, whom she trails in polls testing a hypothetical matchup in 2012.

Aides to Palin asserted in the New York Times piece that her reputation is still fluid, and that smart politicking could build her popularity, and convince voters of her qualifications.