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Rove: No Rivalry Between Bush and Perry

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    Former Bush adviser sets record straight about alleged feud between Texans

  • Duration 6:52
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-- the impact segment tonight Rick Perry has been any big story in Republican politics this week.

Just a few days ago He jumped to a double digit lead against Mitt Romney in a Rasmussen poll.

But some people think he's put his foot his mouth a couple of times and may not be the strongest candidate to go up against President Obama.

With us now the architect of President Bush's two winning campaigns Karl Rove Karl great to see you in -- -- thanks for having nice to have you here okay said that once sleepy Republican presidential race just got a lot more lively.

Let me ask you about the Texas governor Rick Perry who seems to have just put a lot of jazz into this race.

Has this entry essentially turn this into a two man one lady -- So yeah I am right now it is but remember this is this race is so fluid.

I think there's a not Romney primary and then.

Romney so -- right now with three people and that.

May we will we have more either because they jump in or because others who are already in the field do something that jumps them into the front here I don't know.

But it's a very fluid race far more -- than any any I've ever -- Now governor out -- has not been on the national stage before he's not running national campaign -- down there in Texas you've been observed him for a long time what do you expect to see out of him.

Well a lot look I help recruit and to the Republican Party in 1980 -- I handled his first two races from within his first race He upset.

The Democrat who has led the ticket for years previously -- my -- agriculture commissioner.

And he's gotten off to a -- energetic start He had very adroitly announced.

Overshadowed.

If not dominated Iowa straw poll and then on.

Sunday after that Michelle Bachman had a bump coming out of when in the straw poll.

-- -- the more in the same place at the same time the black hawk county Lincoln day dinner in Waterloo Iowa.

And He took her school He showed up early He shook every hand He walked around us and went every table -- for every picture.

Gave a good talk afterwards hung around until they started to turn out lights and mop up the floors she on the other hand set out on a bus outside the hall.

Came in just before she spoke after she spoke she.

Stood on the stage and awkwardly autograph T shirts and tossed it down into the crowd below that was not a good way to do it and where they put a high premium on retail campaigning and as result.

Because the last time she probably gonna do this.

-- Carla -- has been made of this alleged bush carried by -- you obviously -- for President Bush you've been around the bush family for a long time.

Is there such a rivalry and if so how do you expect to get.

-- played out there's not between the two men I mean President Bush you know when He was governor moved heaven and earth to get.

Rick Perry elected lieutenant governor He raise the money outside of the state.

He set up an elaborate phone bank to call millions in taxes to identify the people who are for him and were undecided and lieutenant governor's race for the Perry campaign could -- -- over.

In nineteen -- eight.

President Bush forty -- senior bush was the most popular figure in the state of Texas He cut to television ads that year endorsing candidates.

His son Jeb running for governor of Florida.

And Rick Perry the final ahead of his campaign endorse him and encouraging Texans to elect him lieutenant governor.

It was a bush -- personal interest and his political interest to have Republican lieutenant governor.

And so I think this is a lot of people who are sort of maybe in the Perry -- -- -- not Rick Perry.

Out right well now that we put fact rest your Nowak -- -- -- -- yeah.

-- tells me we have avoided arrest -- yeah you're the first growth I would go back to some -- said earlier about.

About -- not having -- having what it takes to be a presidential candidate.

We don't know the answer that yet He had on Paper He does on Paper Mitt Romney -- on Paper Michelle Bachmann does.

The interesting thing is in the next five months we're gonna learn whether or not to do you now look Perry made a mistake in my opinion by -- in the you know chairman Federal Reserve board guilty as you know crime punishable by death -- treason.

But on and it isn't illustrious and almost treason while my -- well so he's almost guilty of a crime punishable by death.

But look that's it everybody gets -- for Hillary her and Obama certainly have a learning curve dwellers here when He was running right exactly -- look everybody gets a Mulligan and the important thing is not to do it and I thought it was very smart you'll notice -- next day the New York Times tried to bait him.

Into repeating the charge and He said I stand by my criticism of the Fed but He very smartly did not repeat it's.

Plays so -- look I think he's the real deal and I think he's -- -- this race on fire okay now looking at the current top tier GOP candidates.

Which one of them do you think is the strongest match against Barack Obama who do you think could defeat him.

-- look here's the deal we don't know everybody's gonna have an instinct everybody's gonna have a prejudice.

But that's the interesting thing about this contest if -- it'll -- about this a majority of Republicans.

Are undecided or not for the top three candidates we've never seen anything this fluid this late in the game.

And it's because I think Republicans are so intent upon winning.

-- are sitting there saying we better get to -- right I don't want another 1996 I don't want another 2008.

Let's see how these people perform so they've gone from being voters to like be an Olympic judges and they're judging everything that these candidates do this like Tim Pawlenty.

Tim Pawlenty who -- a wonderful governor of a purple state won twice in the circumstances were Republicans don't normally -- has a great conservative record.

But I think when He failed to take on Romney in the second debate.

Every you know lots Republican primary voters -- up there about bad form didn't do what I expected -- -- gonna downgraded.

And I think that's where they're looking at all these candidates so it's gonna place a high premium on the quality candidates.

Period in greater problem for himself the other day Michelle Bachmann -- creative problem for self and the other day and less.

They repeat it.

Do you think that anybody else is gonna get into this race I know that they have until about November.

You -- -- they have to file for Iowa and New Hampshire some the other earlier states.

Do you think this field is gonna expand say governor Christie Governor Palin.

Congressman Paul Ryan yeah.

First -- it November 1 is is for knew -- like New Hampshire.

I checked actually October 14 -- -- dropped a -- that's the Michigan primary one of the earlier primaries at the earliest date.

So they've got essentially two months to think about this.

I Palin's schedule after Labor Day that we can actually but it looks suspiciously like -- candidates and then the other day she came out of said.

It nobody emerges that I have confidence in on -- toss my hat in the -- And I don't know about Paul Ryan and and Chris Christie about senator congressman Ryan -- governor Christie but I do know talking to people who've been talking to them.

There is some very strong encouragement for them to think about it and these people in our conversations -- the sensible and we're gonna take some time take a look at.

-- being -- -- -- we may not be done we may be done yet we may not be done yet but we're also.

This could be an interesting contest has its gonna is gonna engages every step of the way and we're not Republican -- -- -- Yes as do cigarettes and that's how we need narrowly unhealthy competition for the GOP nominee Arizona -- of pregnancy and thank you.

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