Bill Maher: 'Sarah Palin can win presidency'

Comedian Bill Maher has predicted that Sarah Palin could win the US presidency in the 2012 election.

The Real Time host has been one of Palin's most frequent critics since she arrived on the national political scene in 2008, but admitted to CNN's Piers Morgan that the former Alaska governor could "absolutely" defeat Barack Obama.

Maher quipped: "This Republican party is not your father's Republican party. Somewhere along the line, they got on the short bus to crazy town… Especially in a bad economy with a black president, yeah she could become president."

Speculation about Palin's possible bid for high office increased after she launched a bus tour of the northeastern US in May, but the politician has so far remained coy on whether she will actually launch a campaign.

Director Nick Broomfield recently completed a documentary about Palin's life and political career, which could be screened at the 36th Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Piers Morgan Tonight is broadcast weeknights at 9pm ET on CNN and at 8pm GMT on CNN International, while Real Time with Bill Maher airs Fridays at 10pm on HBO.

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Watch Bill Maher discuss Sarah Palin's possible presidential bid below: