Is this the ugliest presidential campaign in history?

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If you -- the campaign trail now and charges by many political insiders that the 2012 race is the nasty -- one ever.

With the governor Romney campaigning in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania today.

And President Obama heading to Texas on a fund raising swing both sides engaging in what many are called calling a bare knuckled.

Take no prisoners brawl.

Case in point governor Romney accusing the president of cronyism.

Citing federal grants to alternative energy companies run by Obama campaign -- donors.

Meanwhile the president is keeping up persistent attacks on governor Romney's tenure at Bain Capital.

As both sides wage and almost daily war of words on Twitter.

So is this already the nasty is presidential campaign in US history.

And what impact will the constant attacks have on American voters.

-- us now former senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to president George W.

Bush Karl Rove he is also a Fox News contributor.

-- it strikes me that at a time when Iran is in you know reach of a nuclear weapon perhaps you've got Syria blowing up.

You've got all kinds of attacks on on US forces in Afghanistan and and the problem is that could be attendant with that.

The presidential candidates are talking about things like offshore bank accounts.

It is this the kind of campaign that we want to be running are they talking about the major issues out there and.

Well you talked about foreign policy think about the issues here at home in a bad jobs report right.

We have dropping consumer confidence yesterday.

Retail sales declined the biggest decline I think in three years -- -- we got a lot issue growing debt four billion.

Dollars a day added to the national debt so.

But you're right -- this this campaign is at a point where you know we've got a series of charges about governor Romney that are.

You know that have already been undermined by the media itself and and we've got the Romney campaign trying to change the subject by.

Attacking president Obama's.

Policy of -- -- green energy projects to companies that they interestingly enough had a lot of connections to his donors.

But but yet you ask an interesting question is this the worst the ugly -- presidential campaign in history.

Answer is no I mean -- my personal favorite is what was said in the 18100 election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson where the each employed the most vicious rhetoric.

In the communications media the time little newspapers local newspapers.

Where the 1860 presidential election which Democrats made outrageous charges about Abraham Lincoln.

And the question is after a tough election can the candidates.

In the winning candidate find a way to govern and the answer is we and our system seemingly.

Generally find a way to -- to govern and govern effectively two to one degree or another.

Well okay here's a quote from Stuart Rothenberg a noted political observer he writes today.

In his.

NN roll call he writes the nature of the attacks coming from the Obama reelection campaign.

Seems quite different from the attacks coming from their opponent.

While Romney's campaign blasts the president's performance agenda and decisions Obama's team is largely attacked Romney personally.

Trying to demonize him and discredit his experience do you agree.

I think Stewart put his finger on it there's a each campaign's attack in the other -- ones attacking the the president Romney -- -- and Obama on the issue policy whereas the -- Obama campaign is attacking Romney on the basis of personality and background.

Here's the trouble that each each is -- this represents potential difficulties reach.

President Obama is undermining the image that he created in 2008.

Of being a different kind of a politician and runs the risk.

Of generating a backlash because every argument in politics generates a counter argument.

And the counter argument here could be more powerful than the argument people particularly swing voters could look at the president's.

Arguments calling his opponent a felon.

That he -- is a vampire capitalist.

And say these are over the top and worthy of the man who occupies the Oval Office -- Rothenberg -- echoes your point in that same article you write the nature of the president's reelection campaign is troubling.

Given Obama's rhetoric for years ago about changing the tone of politics and given the hope that so many people had.

But Obama would be a different kind of politician -- sitting president of the United States who started off as an inspirational symbol of something better something different.

Is running a typical nasty attack campaign the question is Carl.

Are the Romney folks responding in in a way that's that that you think is appropriate.

Well first full let's look at the impact on -- a couple of key groups that President Obama depended upon among young people.

He's running eleven points behind where he was four years ago against John McCain and the level of enthusiasm among young voters is way down that's problematic for the president.

Independents which he carried by eight points to recent surveys have -- him losing independents to Mitt Romney by seven points and five point -- -- party having an effect.

Which -- right at some point.

The Romney campaign has to effectively respond to these thus far it hasn't had an impact.

Before that the the attacks on big capital began on May fifteenth at which point the Gallup daily tracking poll was 4545.

As of Friday last Friday the most recent Gallup daily tracking poll.

The race after two months of pounding away by the Obama campaign on Mitt Romney was 4646.

But that doesn't that doesn't mean that he's out of the woods Iran is out of the woods.

His campaign does he do assuage the tactical concern of Republicans.

Many of whom are now -- on their hands and turning into some some verses sunshine patriots.

Worried about whether or not Romney can take a punch -- -- Karl Rove a Fox News contributor Carl.

Lots of other questions to ask you -- we're out of time for today thank you you.

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Is this the ugliest presidential campaign in history?

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