Romney: America wants someone who understands the economy

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Well -- some big news from the campaign trail last hour a new Bloomberg poll.

Shows Mitt Romney well ahead of President Obama among a critical group of voters.

Independents take a look at the numbers.

He -- the president now by 49 to 41%.

Joining me now how to react former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney governor what do you make of that because the independence will be key voting -- come November.

Well there's no question in my mind but the Republican Party will come together.

President Obama has convinced us we gotta get him out of office.

And the key will -- get the independent voters Hispanic voters women voters independents to come together and support us as well.

And I believe if -- the nominee I can get that job done we can finally get -- Obama out of office.

Is -- getting to crack it look at that mean you have the independence he said recently he's got five -- years as president.

Does he -- too much.

Well he of course wants to put as positive -- -- -- -- he can but that the reality is that this is going to be a tough battle he's got a terrible record.

24 million people lot of work or underemployed gas prices twice the size when he took office national debt fifteen and a half trillion dollars he's got a lot of explaining to do.

And and I think he understands this is going to be a tough battle for him to get reelected.

I expect to be able to beat him if I get that nomination first.

Now you say it's a delegate count at this point but of course your rivals for the GOP nomination according to the fact that he came in third last night in Alabama and Mississippi.

States in which you are expected to do well and might possibly have even one but did not.

I want to show you a little bit of what Newt Gingrich said -- our own Brett -- last night.

I think frankly governor Romney for the front runner was remarkably weak tonight.

Two -- three delegates chosen Mississippi and Alabama will be either percent to -- -- They won't be for Romney yourself.

Phase one of this campaign has to be his Romney inevitable because.

Everybody in the media told us he was over and over and over again I think with each passing week he looks a little bit less inevitable.

-- response how well.

If have a weak frontrunner what does that make Newt Gingrich.

So I'm glad that I've got to I think about twice as many delegates as anyone else of the process.

But but this is ultimately a question about who can get the support of the Republican Party and independents to be able to win the White House.

And I'm very pleased with the fact that over the last several contests.

I've earned a million more votes that has either senator Santorum or speaker Gingrich from the Republicans of these contests and the reason I've done that.

Is because my message about strengthening our economy and putting people back to work and seeing rising incomes lowering gas prices this economic message.

It's connecting with voters across the country.

That's why I'm leading in in that vote tally and why I believe I'll continue to -- that vote tally and become the nominee.

You know that counterargument to that and that date your rivals pointed out your critics -- and a half of the voters in Alabama commitment.

And Mississippi said you were not conservative enough the AP headline this morning.

Was Romney's losses in Alabama Mississippi underscore a stark reality the core of his party does not want him.

Well I'm I'm sorry that -- -- back and look at some other states that actually are kind of important.

Let's say Florida for instance where I -- and of Michigan and Ohio.

And Nevada and New Hampshire -- the the list goes on last night by the way they're forgetting there were a couple of other contests including Hawaii what I -- -- and by the way last night I got more delegates than anybody else so this is a process of becoming the nominee were pursuing that and an intelligent way.

And conservatives when you ask of these -- -- prior elections who has conservatives did you vote I won the conservative vote.

Some were very conservative may not be -- in my camp but they will be.

When I become the nominee when I face Barack Obama because again what the nation wants is someone who understands the economy.

Now they if you will an economic lightweight -- senator -- a nice guy.

But he does not understand how the economy works he's never had a job in the real economy you have to understand this economy to be able to fix it.

You -- you've suggested that he had just this week is less conservative than you are Santorum -- at least economically when it comes to fiscal matters that he is that he is not to your right on those issues.

He probably wasn't too happy with that statement and went out Laura -- -- radio show and said that's.

They kept it the Mitt Romney who donated to Planned Parenthood and went the -- -- trip Planned Parenthood this is one of the most liberal guys we've ever had.

And for him -- they were attacked me has been and being a moderate.

Is is.

Just truly laughable.

-- -- well first of all as you put it out I was talking about his economic record he voted to raise the debt ceiling five times without compensating cost cuts.

He voted to that effect to put money into Planned Parenthood.

Millions of dollars of the Planned Parenthood.

And so it hit his record is that is one of nothing is fiscally conservative is that might be and by the way.

It's kind of interesting hearing him say those things went just four years ago on the same program he said the Laura he was supporting my candidacy for president.

Because I'm a conservative be a real conservative he said so obviously when.

You know campaigns get tough and you get towards the end of this process in your way behind in delegates you.

You say some things which may be.

Contradicting what you said to only four years ago he.

You know he's calling on on Gingrich to get out of this race now saying and he's -- officially -- not Romney you know you've seen a lot of not -- in his campaign he says it's and pressured out Santorum.

You agree that Newt Gingrich should get out of this race now start -- I you know I don't think it's -- -- the place.

To tell other candidates when they should stay in -- whether states should get out this is news decision he can do what he thinks is in his best interest of what's in the best interest of the country.

And and I'm just -- to give him advice and that at this point does it.

As I dislike for him he does not want you to get this nomination that there are reports out now courting him putting his senior advisors saying.

At this point it is about making sure you don't get to the magic delegate number.

And that they're gonna stay in this as long as possible to prevent you from doing any regrets -- going after -- so -- with the negative ads in particular in advance of Iowa now.

You know I sure hope that those quotes that you described aren't accurate just -- -- and his wife for friends and it and I hope that what they're focusing on is the country.

And who can do the best job one replacing Barack Obama.

And number two returning to America.

The principles and values that made us the hope of the earth.

We've got a president who has made our economy less productive less able to provide for our people a president who shrinking our military.

A president who's turning America into something.

We wouldn't recognize.

And and so replacing the president has got to be our priority not stopping one candidate or another.

This is a bigger matter than replacing one person with another it's about -- in this.

All of America what the president had when he was running for election last time around and you're in that race for a lasting up.

Was he seemed to have an ability to connect with and inspire people and you know that this time around you've been criticized as someone who doesn't have that ability.

Some -- set our president doesn't have it as president.

-- -- as a campaign either but.

This is -- is recurring theme with you.

And they point to things like you you been making some gaps governor you've talked about.

People asked about football you talk about you know the NFL owners they've got as a about NASCAR is -- about I know some erasing owners -- you talk about ends to cadillacs and people say.

-- he's so rich he can't relate to the rest of us may keep doing that Megan guess what.

I made a lot of money.

I've been very successful.

I'm not to apologize for that I know the DNC tries to push this out and they get it on the mainstream media networks and and that's for you guys see it and and everybody laughs about it because.

In this country we want someone who can help other people become successful.

What where when this is a nation which is not gonna choose our president.

Based on these little and innuendoes and and personal attacks we're gonna choose a president.

Based on keeping America safe.

Keeping Iran from having a nuclear weapon.

Restoring freedom in this country.

-- permit retaining the ability of Americans to have confidence that their their kids' futures brighter than their own past this is what America's looking for.

They want a real leader and it in the White House for the first time in three years.

And I believe that I can bring that this White House you know you're struggling now with the folks who make less than a 100000 dollars -- an update I want you -- without -- all of its -- in Ohio we -- we we have -- you don't win a million more votes.

Than anyone else in this race by just appealing to higher income Americans I've been able to have support and have support from people tea parties -- -- supporters.

Men and women I've got good support -- women in our party.

You -- -- the poll that you -- me with independents and those are all wealthy people.

Has there these these are average voter in America is not yeah most America's not these are Americans -- -- someone who can help us as a nation.

Lift our citizens -- better jobs and better and comes and can get America strong again I know how to do that I understand the economy.

Not because I've debated the economy -- -- sub committee of congress understand the economy.

Because I've been -- that.

I've lived it and if we're gonna get someone that to help get this country and track again it's gonna have to be someone.

From outside Washington who's had the real experience of creating jobs.

I have one thing that's been an albatross.

Around your neck and not -- from your campaign's perspective but from Rick santorum's.

Is Romney care our viewers know obviously that you backed that in in Massachusetts and they and they.

Want to know whether this is going to be an issue for you against Barack Obama.

You have said repeatedly look I I'm on for states figure out what they wanna do that's -- Massachusetts did I don't back in national mandate a national health care program like we've seen.

With the president's health care a -- lot now.

On the Internet otherwise some people are circulating a clip of you know.

Back in the last campaign during an ABC news debate in which Charlie Gibson asked you -- question about national mandates.

And you seem to back them on the play the clip and then giving a chance to respond here it.

His shoes and has mandated changes is that all you've backed away from mandates in the national -- don't know what I like mandates.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Yeah which is this of course you come up with.

Here's my view.

If somebody if somebody can afford insurance and decides not to buy it.

-- and then they get sick got to pay their own way as opposed expect government to pay their way.

And that's that's an American principle that's a principle of personal responsibility.

The Charlie Gibson said that you had backed away from mandates on a national basis and you said no now I like mandates.

You know as you said as you introduced this topic people have looked at this topic a hundred times more than a hundred times.

I have allowed and agree that a state should have the capacity if it wants to have a health care mandate we had that in my state agency that there you don't -- -- -- you know the bit of time and again -- put about it not in favor of a health care plan that includes a national mandate I do not include that.

-- and we can what we go through all of the clips from all of the debates.

I've put a presentation together describing my health care plan when I ran last time and in that.

I said not national program state by state let each state craft its own program.

I look.

This thing if if you want -- you don't expect if you're bringing back the the answer is I believe that we should get rid of obamacare it's a --

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