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Chris Stirewalt, Kirsten Powers and Ron Bonjean discuss Romney's foray into inner-city Philadelphia and charges of racism on the campaign trail.
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Education.
-- the gap in the educational.
Opportunity and achievement.
People of color in this society -- As a civil rights issue of our time and you'll have a better perspective of but it from my perspective our failure.
To provide kids with the skills they need for the jobs -- today and tomorrow is a crisis.
We have a we have an education.
An American education crisis and we and we -- -- talking.
Expecting some other things to get -- -- -- we're gonna -- -- does that hurt we -- we we gotta be bold and and.
That was as soon to be official Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
With -- very tough audience as he traveled yesterday.
To the universal -- for -- charter school in West Philadelphia which is one of the very roughest neighborhoods in this country and he went down there to make his case.
That he could be a president that would take to heart the interest of minorities take to -- the interest these folks it's crucial for him not just because he would like to have their votes but because he wants to put suburbanites who are concerned about the prospect of defeating the first black president he wants to put them to -- this is -- -- welcome back.
And saints preserve us.
Here's empowers is here and the Internet is glad we welcome -- she is Fox News contributor -- -- in USA today reader over the place is very Smart.
Etc.
etc.
she's the last -- who will do more fun -- later.
And -- Martinez with stealth.
So.
And cures and the big question is this.
This is Smart politics for Romney in the sense that he's willing to go.
To a place where and they hated it when he showed up that -- showed up they were about the neighborhood was not data.
It's good politics for him to do this but at the same time it's there's a big risk in this because some of those interactions that happened yesterday between him and that and the teachers at this school got real Dicey how do you do political -- on this.
I don't actually I actually don't see as having that huge of an upside unless he's trying to do something like that George Bush from past compassionate conservatism that does -- this is a broader right so if it -- is going to be something where he wants to start reaching out and saying I'm a different kind of Republican and kind of get the Rick Santorum -- offered him from.
You know from the primary.
And reassure women but in terms of you know African Americans he's not gonna win any African Americans he's he's you know I mean I think demographics are pretty.
Clearly set except for -- -- that preliminary and play and he and women do care about this especially server.
Well and they care about education and education is an issue that Republicans have increasingly.
Taken -- that something that the Republicans have found it something that they can do but what about my point on that with.
As we get closer to Election Day.
Through them.
Allegations of racism and we were talking about this in the first segment about West Virginia Arkansas on those places and I think it a bit of -- slander is people say well that's because they're racist.
And I think the real bigots are probably people who jump to those conclusions but anyway enough of my editorial side.
The point being.
Suburbanites in places like Montgomery and Bucks County Pennsylvania are gonna get creeped out about the notion of defeating the first black president.
Especially for a guy who is as white as me I mean Mitt Romney is is a deeply white person really yes so -- Does this help -- do that.
Well I think I think that around me you know we went in there to show that he's you if you were to be present -- would be -- -- And I thought that was the good -- send a similar message.
At the same time you know -- his actual message was something that wasn't very new and I mean it was right school vouchers illegal court facility.
You know.
And you know he got him reported I would imagine they were expecting some type of protest to occur I don't know what they thought inside the school -- teacher exchanges are gonna happen.
We're gonna happen in fact.
At that they're gonna have sent a helicopter again the -- Thai embassy -- suggestion but I do think that what he had to -- given education proposal want to do it there I don't think he's gonna spend a lot of time on this it's on jobs and the economy.
But it does send a message that he's ever expressed.
So how and you you write a lot about the intersection between.
Culture demography.
And these things and the political process something you know very well -- stand and how much.
Are.
Can we survive this election without -- the country to actually smithereens -- race is that is that even possible.
Well I don't need to leave it to smithereens.
The -- not dismiss yes well obviously -- tonight I gave -- this is a problem that people do not.
Any more debate on issues they get it off into character assassination.
Not just a race issue it's it's pretty much -- -- don't like the what what the person saints and I'm gonna go after and turn them into something that's completely.
Terrible so you can never trust anything that they say sit there are racist of their -- -- this that this matter instead of just taking on what they said you know instead of what their intent was or going after there.
You know what their internal beliefs are what you can never now and I just don't have any reason to believe that that's gonna stop and honestly I get into these debates with my liberal friends they really do see racism though there are a lot of them who actually do what I will say.
Do you see that here in -- is there actually convinced you know especially -- from the south -- no evidence that there's something nefarious going on.
And when we see wickedness and inequity in our opponent we flatter ourselves right when we see that -- welcome.
I'm I'm right and the only reason they're opposing him is because they're a bad person -- the idea.
That the person on the other side.
Genuinely able to believe -- -- genuinely sees things differently than you is a tough one to pull off in American culture.
JD -- points from the great state of Maine says.
They are not racist.
They just take a chance to point out black and white.
When ever they can as -- -- in case and -- I think the point that -- is getting here is.
And we talked about this with a little bit.
We slice and -- the -- you know that the politicians sliced and diced the electorate.
But we in the media and as pollster slice and -- the electorate to and to all of these subgroups and it's fascinating its interest and it's predictive of how elections -- but does that divide this country and it's and one.
Well when you get there a conversation about white voters -- there are nonwhite voters when you start talking about middle class they have set -- start getting to this whole.
Separation issue I guess that that fact that to be true.
You know -- -- thought about it too much but yeah I I think that that does reinforce.
The those stereotypes it's my fault.
I'm sorry all I'm I'm sorry JD would we do our next fox poll I would just say Americans we'll we'll have we'll have no -- of course we have today did you -- -- know who's gonna win the election and that's that we find out for.
It cures and you mentioned how women are very much in play a big issue for women.
A big issue as politicians look at women.
Isn't just how they're gonna vote but what their participation rate orbit and -- shorthanded for you.
When women make up women vote for Democrats over Republicans the size of the gap -- sometimes it's very large sometimes smaller men always vote for men always end up voting for the Republican we call the gender gap.
But the most important issue for Democrats is that women make up the over the vast majority of the electorate.
They want it to be 54% of the electorate and the closer that they can get it to women participate to question for you.
Are is your chance of women voters especially moderates get grossed out -- Like he doesn't there's a possibility that they it's grossed out it's just that they don't think either person Israeli gonna do anything to change the economy and that really is what they care about any different.
Different pollsters say different thing things not that the so called war on women some people say liberal.
Posters are more inclined to say oh it's going to energize.
Single women who don't normally vote so you know actually get this -- Al -- and they're gonna see an increase and not other people say it has had zero impact.
Whatsoever.
And -- any thing that debate has hurt Democrats because it has energized.
Catholic voters against president -- -- ten points among Catholic voters since that debate started.
That's accurate and -- is number one emissary by the way to Catholic -- highest ranking -- -- government.
Is Joseph Biden and his approval ratings are heading there are heading south you -- Dallas.
