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Florida Primary

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    Chris Stirewalt and Ed Rollins discuss the Florida primary.

  • Duration 11:27
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It is now clear.

That this will be a two person race between the conservative leader Newt Gingrich and the Massachusetts moderate.

Okay.

-- -- The voters of Florida -- really made that clear primary contests are not easy.

And then -- supposed to be.

As its primary unfolds our opponents and the other party have been watching.

And they like to comfort themselves with the thought that a competitive campaign will leave us divided.

And weak.

But I've got news for them a competitive primary does not divide as it prepares us and we will.

That was the not victory speech by former house speaker Newt Gingrich and the victory speech from former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

Last night in Florida as that state awarded its fifty delegates to governor Romney and this is power play Internet and we come to you again today.

From New York where I've been -- here helping out the -- on the decision desk is we made our call.

Last night.

On the race and guess what it wasn't that tough Mitt Romney.

Win of one going running away one in every demographic category one across the board north south except for the Florida Panhandle up along -- Alabama and Georgia border.

It was a romp.

For Mitt Romney and he's feeling pretty good you can see in the video there that his message to Newt Gingrich was bring it on because I'm ready to fight.

And it is my great.

Pleasure to be able to say today that we are joined by Ed Rollins.

In his maiden voyage here -- the lowest power play I'm glad we can do it on the mother ship thank you Ed is political advisor to many including.

Former president Ronald Reagan and one of the wise men of the GOP think and we are grateful that you'd be here today thinking okay now.

So.

Last -- it looked like Mitt Romney was -- gals -- swagger in his step back like let's be real and adding yet he's got some confidence and he's there's some confidence he basically had a great victory great come from behind victory.

His team is men in an operation for a long time planning how to do this and you know when you get knocked down sometimes you don't always excuse they got up they -- -- And I and I think the it's two great tribute to him it's great tribute to his team.

There's a funny irony about this -- to win.

If you would have gone back we could take the way back machine and go to oh let's say August or July and if -- have said so here's what's gonna happen.

Mitt -- is going to narrowly lose Iowa.

Win New Hampshire and convincing fashion -- South Carolina and a blow out but then go down and dominate in Florida.

You would say that's how this is supposed to happen and that's the Romney plan right.

The only thing that change was that at some moment it looked like they might be able to run the table in January when all four.

And they went for it and it -- as I don't.

Ironically they probably could have won Iowa.

If they would have gone in there when I was doing the stock -- race and I surveyed the state.

We found 31000.

Strong supporters for her.

I found about 75000.

Strong supporters for Romney announce about phone next.

He chose at that point in time not to get in there -- so competing on an earlier -- done in early I think he could have -- that state and then he would have had to run this clock.

Saying all that.

He -- -- Gingrich got his appetite wet.

By the polls and he thought he was gonna win Iowa for a period of time.

It was the first test of the the the Romney team knocking him back.

And I think the key thing here for me it -- and I agree that we picked the modern we have not yet picked the conservative.

You again so you think that game is still -- I think Santorum I go away he made it very very clear that he's not going away and he didn't do great in Florida -- -- underperformed any under the well weakly supported the idea is of this child and -- it was not it was not his.

His game and he didn't have the momentum going -- South Carolina.

But as long as the two of them stay in this race which they mail away.

It's going to be hard for one of them but basically these.

The the not Romney had done on the hand and now and we need it I mean if if if you really wanna -- -- -- on -- -- So the it's interesting you saw -- Rick Santorum last ninety carpet.

Our colleague John Roberts and -- seem very adamant about him going forward.

And so for -- he tried to declare victory last night.

That's I have one than the not Romney primary I am now officially the not Romney.

But for Rick Santorum there's every reason to stay in this race right well.

-- he he is he's done extremely well he exceeded every had gone back to your premise of pre Iowa.

I'm Rick Santorum and the last guy he -- picked having won Iowa or doing as well as he has.

You -- where we defeated badly six years ago on the senate race.

He has you know and he's had two great debates were where were -- it did not have a -- to debates.

That Santorum had really great debates and and -- didn't.

So the key thing here I think and anyway and that and I've known as long long time have a great deal of respect form.

-- doesn't understand yet that campaign is an organization in addition to a candidate.

And when you move down the road here.

It becomes extremely important and can he get that in the month of February Kenny regroup.

-- put a team around that can compete in multiple states.

Because you saw in Florida the -- with the messaging was off the bye good bye bye bye turns of hours -- -- would change and the -- today on the logistics logistics were crazy and the whole bit.

We really have to stand he's a Smart guy -- as anybody in the business he needs to sit down say this is what I wanna run.

And they can't just be I'm not Romney.

So what -- right into his political director Martin baker wrote a memo that was very widely received in in in the political nerd universe these kind of memos are important.

We read them and Maarten -- his political director laid out a strategy that said look.

Florida -- more -- We've got Georgia Alabama.

All these state southern states that are coming up and certainly Gingrich's performance in the panhandle.

And -- state of Florida basically everything outside.

Jacksonville proper.

Gingrich one N did well.

So this is a good argument the question now is will Gingrich have the discipline.

To adhere to the strategy that has been laid out for.

Well he he never has had this the discipline to.

Live up to -- -- he did you know and and unfortunately he had great people around them.

A lot of Smart people over the years and when they left to go to Perry -- -- sort of got a mindset that it's it's now family meaning -- -- last Friday.

He introduced his daughter -- -- his writing my speech is in my television.

Yeah and our nose and his wife is very much influential here.

-- nothing wrong with the family just you need professionals -- -- people went through the process before because you're up against a great team.

Yeah club in the that's right the Romney team except for.

Not.

For some reason knowing how to and answer the tax return question and the main question in South Carolina where they got smoked for it right.

They they are delivering on what they're a real promise was which.

Sort of -- a McArthur strategy this island hopping through the Republican process to pick up the big now.

It's a campaign of the it attrition you know and and I think to a certain extent.

Newt can't figure when he wants to run -- guerrilla war whether wants to fight the -- battle and he tried both this weekend -- work are right and Internet wants to know from you know.

This is all for jury.

Could you break down the Super Tuesday race.

Who and where are most likely -- for jury has an excellent question so when we look at Super Tuesday you have Massachusetts Georgia.

Virginia Tennessee Oklahoma what else my forgetting any thing.

This is a few others eleven was called Oakmont right well obviously Massachusetts Romney should win Georgia -- should win.

He either he's not on the ballot in Virginia and so what I would.

If I was a strategist in this which I'm not somehow the anti Romney which is now Paul he's the only one that's on the -- right there.

You've got to basically make sure that Paul does very very well and good to numbering and there and that means -- both Santorum and -- have to basically.

Play games you have a better chance of the three of them try to stop.

Romney from getting to 1144 -- I think at this point anyone of them getting 1144.

-- is so you're saying that the idea is basically and Gingrich has -- anything that we've ended up to the point where everybody is the sort of embrace that the Ron Paul strategy.

Which is I just want to get to the convention right with a satchel full of votes and make sure that Romney doesn't have eleven.

44 right.

I think that's that's the best strategy than any of these three could have that you know the other key state that's not on Super Tuesday but -- Texas.

And you know this gigantic mother loving mother -- and Rick Perry.

Has got to prove his manhood again that he still still his state he's certainly in the Gingrich camp that could be a big test if Gingrich can survive -- And that and we don't we're not sure what Texas is going to be yet because they've had some.

Did the difficulties with the federal judiciary -- -- it's an issue with there maps in their calendar but.

-- that that's going to be cute I want to ask you you mentioned before your work for congresswoman Bachmann.

She today as saying.

In advance have been Minnesota.

Caucuses that they're gonna have up there which is no plan.

She's not negotiating with -- to endorse Romney but it seems like that is a more natural fit for her -- it would be to endorse Gingrich did your gut tell you anything.

Think she has to look at your own base in -- base has been a Tea Party base.

She's gonna have a tough reelection not because anything that she's done.

The presidential thing -- districts -- tough district are gonna redraw it does take voters away from -- So at this point in time I keep my options options so -- you just -- back so you don't antagonize your base happy or make yourself look radical do.

Central I don't know what I would who has -- work real hard to reduce my -- the debate that if she does have a big debt.

-- itself.

Now -- last question is this on them the merits of -- you're looking into the fall campaign and we've talked about this we talked with this on the show Internet all the time -- you know.

Is the president's gonna talk about fairness.

And the Republican who whomever is gonna talk about freedom and it's going to be a fairness freedom like what do you think should be in a nation be more freer should the nation be more fair the president is going out today.

He's -- he's going to continue to do this he's got a mortgage relief program that he says will make it fair he's gonna have every week.

Every day while the Republicans are doing.

What they're doing he's gonna be making the predicate argument for his fairness election.

But the longer this goes on does this.

Really hurt the Republicans I think it does you know the key thing here is we have to start offering alternative programs it's not enough they've created jobs -- Bain Capital.

It's not enough to have been the speaker of the house fourteen years ago it's what are you gonna do for me now -- how do you move the ball forward.

And it's you know like -- say it's nice to talk about your past experiences but the -- no one cares about the best experiences.

When I wanna know is I'm serious right now right what I what I know is and that's what.

So this whole debate has been about I did this I -- that.

You know great thank you very much for your contribution in the past -- what do you -- for me now.

There we haven't talked about their plans and months and months and months and that's when you -- expect that.

Ed Rollins and he Smart Internet I like him about thank you he's awful good and we haven't come back -- -- -- icons on my pleasure of okay and we're gonna.

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