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James Rosen and Joe Trippi discuss battleground states and key voting blocs in the 2012 presidential campaign.
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Play I'm James Rosen sitting in for Chris star while we're happy to be joined right now by legendary democratic consultant.
And Fox News contributor Joseph Trippi Joseph you're best known and it's often said -- -- that you managed Howard dean's campaign for the presidency give us another.
Very high profile race that you've been involved.
Very high.
Look for -- Ted Kennedy's campaign for president against Jimmy Carter.
And I Fritz Mondale's campaign and -- and -- for it's Reagan either one of those.
I don't know none of the three is a very wealthy and well put -- -- -- -- you know there -- financial yeah.
All right so we're won't talk -- Tony twelve battleground.
Maps stuff with you.
There about twelve battleground states in which the presidential contest usually are decided because the other.
38 states tend.
Not to be in play so often we hear about Ohio and Florida.
We have a poll that I wanna spring up which you'll be able -- married for you how this is the latest Fox News poll among Ohio registered voters.
It says -- -- twelve election were held today.
Would you vote a vote for President Obama or Mitt Romney.
Back in February of this year Romney was ahead 44 to 38% among Ohio's registered voters today.
It is Obama who's ahead of Romney 45 to 39% in Ohio's registered voters but the margin of error is four -- -- so in both cases in essence is just -- statistical tie does that surprise you.
No look I think the election's going to be very close.
We.
Did you really nine states I think that are that are key to this thing and again -- for striking is Obama has a slight lead in all nine of the swing states that are really army Virginia North Carolina.
Ohio.
Even Pennsylvania.
Is a swing state but one that Obama is ahead and so I think look it these than the polling is gonna change.
Quite a lot.
You have Romney -- you know Obama's.
It's but it's a very very close race are.
Let's see that illustrated -- another four battleground polls this is the Fox News poll of registered voters in Florida.
Another critical stage.
Where we asked registered voters -- -- -- -- twelve election were held today for whom would you vote.
President Obama ahead of Mitt Romney here 45%.
To 43% again within the statistical margin of error so effectively.
A tie and this illustrates your point again this is a very close election.
Very close.
Again the deep the interesting thing about how the Electoral College is shaping up in -- -- states that is that Obama is the only one you can lose.
Both Florida and Ohio and still have the chance of winning.
Romney cannot lose both of these states one of these states -- critical time.
They will they they're they're big states to electoral votes.
That matter and they're always very very close races in the in the states and in Florida going back to.
To them the bush gore race and has always been very critical asides can can decide the whole thing.
Obama's in his situation be cut particularly because of his lead among Hispanics right now it -- -- -- and -- western swing states.
In a position where he loses Ohio and Florida.
He can still win the presidency can still get there.
What's fascinating about this -- different is that Romney is actually behind the eight ball on.
On the Electoral College vote in the sense that if he loses both Ohio -- Florida there's -- he has to -- one of those states.
To win now he's within a few points of doing that but there -- the critical states or he asked when both.
The Associated Press did -- kind of a breakdown of the electoral map we're general election matchup between President Obama and Mitt Romney a few days ago and he did today essentially said that the number of states that are solidly or leaning democratic.
Creates a number of electoral votes for the president as much higher than the number.
Correspondingly of -- states that are leaning more solidly Republican Mitt Romney and there's about a 104 electoral votes that are up for grabs.
It's been suggested that for Mitt Romney to win -- to win every state that John McCain won in 2008.
As well as take back from President Obama every state that mr.
Obama won by nine points or less something like there is that your reading.
Yeah absolutely that's what puts -- -- Romney is such it.
Critically tough situation and -- he can win the presidency obviously since it's going to be a close race but.
But in the -- you have to give Obama the -- -- due to what Romney has to pull off.
Take every state I think it's seven points but every state that the president won by its seven points or less.
Well Romney has to take them but I mean it's a dozen top.
Tough words -- this person whom the Mitt Romney selects as a running mate improved his chances.
I think you can help in one state I don't I really done im not a big for.
Believe reliever and yet you know the UK -- you pick a rubio and it helps you with local Latinos and Hispanics across the country is don't I don't think that's the words in your view of things as a professional on these matters.
The choice of vice presidential running mate.
Has -- real potential to hurt you.
But not any real potential to help exactly exactly and if it does help you might help you in one place and when geographic -- -- -- its popular.
You're you know you know -- -- like.
Chris Christie in New Jersey seniority and northeastern.
Ticket.
-- with the subscribe to the view.
That the primary process that we've seen play out in the Republican Party which was by all accounts long and drawn out and occasionally ugly and so forth.
Damage Mitt Romney.
With the voters and with a discrete.
Groups of voters like women and independents do you believe that absolutely absolutely it did it hurts anytime you have a big party -- mean.
It hurts.
-- and with Romney -- it this time it was that that fight was was on the Republican side but you know you can't shorter than the Obama Clinton race of -- -- that's right but Dallas a different kind of race in the sense that people were very excited about both of those candidacies agreed to.
Hillary's people were very excited about Hillary people who were very excited about promise.
This time name and Romney is very excited about Mitt Romney is what I'm saying this although with the other thing -- we didn't have happen is neither one of them had.
Super.
Hacks that could -- you could continue to -- -- with millions and millions of dollars of attack -- even after.
They were wrong gondola which it's happened this time I want to bring up a poll which again -- won't be -- see little narrator.
You -- this is another Fox News poll.
This in fact as a comparison -- two polls.
One was done in mid January of this year.
Showing once again though President Obama.
-- -- and and Mitt Romney.
We -- all voters all registered voters than with women and independents and in the same poll was taken.
Just last week.
And what you find from this is that there is no statistical change really it all again within the margin of error.
Between how Mitt Romney was polling with women and independents in January and how he's -- -- them today so this would seem.
Contradict your view what what these to their primary has been no I think we'll look what happens in these primaries is you start to you you get.
You get hammered stuff leaves you people leave you.
And then.
As soon as it's over they start to people start to come back where they really naturally work.
I think he he did take some hits among women independents let Latinos Hispanics particularly those in the immigration position of the polling doesn't think -- that -- -- I think it starts to death some saying it's already starting to come back because this thing was oversold so as soon.
I don't really think that what I'm saying is he was hurt by it but he's recovering from -- and again is the same was true.
The fight right after Obama and Hillary were over.
There was some bad feeling but it didn't take very long for the party to to come together coalesce around Obama if I don't think in the end.
I think the one lasting one may be Latinos and Hispanics I think that that's when -- is.
We're Romney's got to address his policy there.
Not to the attacks on and that's on the his policies that he he'd put out there are not going to be popular with -- without constituents.
I always loved when Hillary Clinton was asked after she endorse President Obama and started to campaign with him and then again when she was made secretary of state.
Her answer to the question of what what you said XY and -- about this man and an extension -- -- -- really wasn't ready to be president.
Wasn't ready for the 3 AM phone call etc.
and her answer to those questions always.
From revolved around the stuff -- phrasing like this that well the things we say in the heat of the campaign are not really in essence he believed.
I think that's damaging in some way for democracy because it -- to the voters you shouldn't believe the things we say in the heat of the campaign.
Does that -- we're only supposed to believe the things that are said in calmer moments of the campaign.
Ended ended I think it gets that issue of trust the voters have a politician to be telling me I shouldn't believe the things you said when from the campaign are -- Well that part of the problem is -- most of the time when you hit somebody.
You can't say -- all the differences between us.
Your first small compared to the differences everything wrong and it we got to leave it there -- -- -- thanks for joining -- -- James -- has -- an -- to -- -- -- -- are -- -- power play and now.
