“Of course she can. She can. Now, whether she will or not, whether she’ll even run or not, I don’t know,” the Arizona Republican said on “Fox News Sunday.”

“But she certainly is a major factor and I believe she can be very competitive.”

While he said she inspires “great passion, particularly among the Republican faithful,” he also said her high unfavorable ratings have something to do with the attacks she’s sustained in the national media.

“I’ve never seen anyone as mercilessly attacked and relentlessly attacked as I have seen Sarah Palin in the last couple of years,” McCain said.