Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Power Play hosts WSJ Jerry Seib

Details

  • Description

    WSJ Jerry Seib talks with Chris Stirewalt ahead of the Fox News Debate

  • Duration 8:48
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

My.

Intends to defend who I am my faith my beliefs and my family by being who I am.

Because in the end the good voters in the good people of this country.

Are gonna come to know the nominee of the Republican Party in every way shape and form and they're gonna come to know the family.

The nominee of this party and all you can do is to be -- best.

That with a broadly.

-- accurate prediction.

On Saturday's presidential candidate forum on Huckabee.

Was former Utah governor and ambassador to China Jon Huntsman.

And this is power play.

Internet we are coming to you from here in the Velvet Underground we are coming to you from the people's beach Myrtle Beach, South Carolina it is our great pleasure to be with you today we are having a lot of fun.

As we get ready for the Fox News Wall Street Journal South Carolina GOP presidential debate.

Then we were down to just Mitt Romney Newt Gingrich.

Rick Santorum Rick Perry and Ron Paul -- down to five it's -- -- get interest thing tonight it's going to be very good now.

Probably against his better judgment no doubt is -- side.

He is Washington bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal he is somebody who.

I I can say that I never miss.

When you write your pieces you have one of the best post even handed.

Takes on how Washington works.

And the best thing that you do Jerry.

Is that you never hyperventilating about how we do we do in Washington have a tendency when we're writing stuff that -- you want to leave Iowa New Hampshire right by the high prevent that we have you been -- were so exhausted from the hyper ventilation that's going on you again you've never succumb.

Right so the process that we're engaged in right now is putting the.

Finishing touches on an hour 45 minutes to hours of questions 45 instead of four.

With -- being gone it may not change -- race that much because he was only pulling at five or 6% but how does it change -- debate to have him gone well you know as the as the debate -- shrinks the time for each one to separate himself from the others -- I think and you'll see more of that tonight I suspect you know this is an interesting dynamic for two reasons and in my opinion.

One is that this probably is the place maybe the last place where the clear alternative to Mitt Romney can emerge it's going to be South Carolina.

So I think the dynamic is different for that reason the second thing is this is an interesting debate because we are now in -- state South Carolina.

Where the unemployment rate is considerably higher than the national almost ten -- almost 10%.

Iowa New Hampshire the opposite they are actually in better shape economically than the rest of the country in many ways this it.

-- -- new I think Gelman into the debate and makes the economy jobs message which all these guys have been focused on to -- walked one degree or another.

Even more important and a little different in a state that's hurting and this is a state -- -- Another thing that's different course in South Carolina and this is Martin Luther King Day.

This is a more diverse state when you're in Iowa and you're in New Hampshire.

Those are states that are I think -- down in in new interest case 96% white are counties that are 99% white.

This is a more diverse state with a complicated sometimes bad sometimes good history on race.

How does that come into the discussion well you're right it's it.

It's a more racially diverse state -- -- more socially diversified and are socially economically diverse state and so I think that means the candidates have a particular burden to speak to more a broader range of Americans.

In South Carolina than in other states.

And address a broader range of topics I mean issues that were really issues in Iowa New Hampshire they have to do with things like voting rights acts will -- talk about those issues tonight.

Not and not -- that not a question for Iowa in New Hampshire but definitely a question for South Carolina.

Okay so when you look at what's going on in -- you know I think I and I think people.

Forget about this South Carolina is an open primary right that will be held on Saturday.

It is a state that is much more diverse.

Then he gets it in its socio economic and ideological views then the rest of the country thinks this is not like Alabama.

This is a state where in the coastal region here in the Myrtle Beach area along the coast you have a lot of transplanted yankees.

Who have come down here -- snow birds that that like a climate like the lifestyle.

You have also and this is I think one of the most forgotten is that in the up state up in Green -- My people up there.

They are now experiencing a manufacturing -- -- BMW.

They have all of this going on international economic boom.

Absolutely.

With -- in manufacturing.

So should we be.

So surprised that Mitt Romney's doing as well in the whole series is in no maybe not -- one of the interesting things -- -- Rami doesn't get enough credit for this is that he's done well across arranger Republican voters in Iowa New Hampshire as well so probably shouldn't be so surprising here.

The other thing I think that that tells you is that this is not the South Carolina that a lot of us in my profession right about -- -- we kind of fall back on the L stereotypes it's us it's a conservative stay with a lot of evangelicals welcome true and true but as you say.

It's become economically diverse it's got a lot of transplants it's a much more cosmopolitan place.

-- -- -- -- -- In that probably does work to Mitt Romney's benefit because that means there's more of the middle of the road Republican here than -- people have perhaps.

What in the past now what I wrote in the power play which you can get it foxnews.com backlash politics I love to write it you would love to read it.

Is that for Rick Santorum he has a lot on the line tonight he has a tremendous amount on the -- -- because as you said this is the last chance for.

The what they called down the line conservatives people who who -- a fiscal instead of the social conservatism.

For the right to unite.

The polls continue to indicate that Newt Gingrich has an edge.

Over Rick Santorum here in South Carolina even as the two of them along with Ron Paul are tied nationally.

The new Fox News poll basically shows a three way tie for second between them.

But if Santorum can't deliver a breakout performance in South Carolina on Saturday if he can't show that he can get above the pack.

-- -- one would think his chances diminish -- being the not Romney what does he need to do tonight on the debate stage.

To differentiate I think you'll see him through another element that we haven't talked about -- yet into the mix which is.

Military security national security this is a very military friendly state lots of big military and it was in Camp Lejeune.

Lots of defense industries now increasingly aerospace industries are here and that's -- the defense contractor.

Rick Santorum talks that game a lot it's in his ads in this state I think he'll try to distinguish himself from the other -- been saying not only -- the social conservative.

That evangelicals come live with -- the national security hawk who really understands national security now Newt Gingrich is competing with him for that space.

But that's a part of you that's a line you're gonna hear from Rick Santorum tonight because it works in for him in this state.

I think you're absolutely right and we -- in Iowa that when you've got down the stretch and Iowa with Ron Paul just as he is here making a move at the end and getting some momentum rights and form sought to disqualify Ron Paul is being unacceptable because.

Of his non interventionist foreign policy in that this was not acceptable.

And I would think that here in South Carolina that has a stronger military presence you'd expect to you'd expect to hear that so it's informally as a tough task yes -- Show why Ron Paul shouldn't be the choice of -- sort of protest voters in South Carolina.

Yes -- show why he's a superior choice to Newt Gingrich but this is what I wanna get your take on.

The third thing he asked to do is demonstrate why and not Romney is necessary -- well why at a party where where you have probably in the latest Fox News poll now at 40%.

That he is gaining momentum that it seems to be Goodman happening fast I would think there are a lot of Republicans out -- -- be happy if this was just over especially given how ugly it's been for the last week it.

It's a good point because you know as a said a minute ago -- if you look inside the polling exit polling in in New Hampshire and Iowa and national polling.

A Mitt Romney is actually broadly acceptable to a lot of people -- the Republican Party we can distinguish between being excited about him.

And finding him -- -- dollar tolerable it's still something.

But it doesn't mean that a lot of people are gonna say oh my god not Romney that's really not the reaction even among people the Republican Party weren't supporting him so that it does become.

A broader question do you need an alternative to Mitt Romney -- that important yeah I hit it in this is the place for you can establish that because of the I think you're right if somebody -- established himself as that alternative to Mitt Romney here.

It may never happen.

These are very high stakes -- side will be on the panel with Bret Baier with his colleague Kelly Evans from the Wall Street Journal and -- -- the inevitable Juan Williams they will be together questioning it'll be a four on five game is these guys question.

The remaining Republican candidates and I want to point out to you because you like this a lot Internet that you can.

Propose your own questions that may get into the mix tonight she aryan Brett and Kelly -- -- will be seeing them in you can just -- -- to hash tag.

SC debate on Twitter that's hash tag SE debate on Twitter you put it out there your question may get in the mix you may get to ask these guys -- you wanna do.

Gerri good luck tonight -- on out there should be OK when we.

Load More