Bill Clinton doesn’t want to waste his or America’s time by taking to the airwaves to slam and smear John McCain, Sarah Palin or any other political candidate, for that matter.

In an interview with CNN’s Larry King Wednesday night, Clinton said voters need to drill down on the issues, not the catfighting.

"We’re going to have to make this election about something real," Clinton told King, as he urged Americans to "think through here what is the right thing to do for themselves and their families and for our country" when they vote in November.

Clinton – who is supporting fellow Democrat Barack Obama for president and will begin campaigning for him next month – says he has the highest respect for John McCain (describing him as the "only Republican with a chance to win"), and even appreciates the way Palin has handled her tough family issues (meaning, her 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy, and her newborn son’s Down syndrome).

Clinton said that many Americans, like those in Arkansas, who are both pro-choice and pro-life, "they like families that hang together, that deal with adversity, that are proud of all their members, and don’t run off from life’s vicissitudes."

"I think that she and her husband and their kids come across gutsy, spirited and real. I have significant disagreements with her about any number of social and economic issues but I find her an appealing person and I think that it’s best to say that Sen. McCain looks like he knew what he was doing. He picked somebody who gave him a lot of energy, a lot of support," Clinton said.

He also said Palin — who has "good political instincts" and is "gutsy" — has definitely energized both Democrats and Republicans.

"She also helps Sen. Obama," Clinton said. "When the Obama supporters — the Democrats — found out she lights a fire under the right and got McCain more money and more volunteers, then in turn there was a reaction and Sen. Obama started raising more money and getting more volunteers."

Palin often mentions Sen. Hillary Clinton on campaign stops – as a way to try to convince those who wanted to see Hillary in the White House to come to McCain’s side instead of Obama’s.

So what does Hillary think about that name dropping for McCain’s benefit?

"Once the smoke clears and you get beyond the emotional appeal of that, I would hope that her supporters, Hillary’s supporters, would think about what she said at the convention and what she says every day she’s out there campaigning for the Obama-Biden campaign," Bill Clinton said. "This is not about me and my feelings or you and your feelings; this is about who’s in it for the American people and their future."

The former president also denied that Hillary, who ceded the Democratic primary race to Obama after a knockout fight, has been a reluctant campaigner for her former opponent.

"She has done more than all other runner ups have in the Democratic Party in 40 years. We have been quite clear on this. We’re not party wreckers, and we believe that the country needs to take a different course."