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New questions about tone of 2012 attack ads

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    War of words getting out of hand?

  • Duration 8:19
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Fox News alert we've got live pictures coming back from Lakewood Colorado where Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan.

Is now holding a rally he is looking to win over voters -- battle ground state.

Meantime the -- Ryan team is expanding an ad buy in Iowa.

Which is where the president is campaigning.

They are questioning president Obama's refusal.

To denounce an ad from his supporters that appears to link governor Romney to a woman's death.

Take a look.

What does it say about a president's character and his campaign tries to use.

The tragedy of a woman's death for political -- What does it say about a president's character when he had his campaign raise money for the and stood behind him as his top aides were caught lying about it.

So -- as the tone on the campaign trail.

Getting even uglier than we thought joining me now Peggy -- is here -- she's a Wall Street Journal -- best.

And a former Reagan speechwriter it's very exciting because she's African America live before.

Also Joseph Trippi who is a former Howard Dean campaign manager in a Fox News contributor he's an intimate ties -- less excited but I -- -- -- -- -- -- At that.

I I a -- -- -- -- I thought that you had one that.

This past week that -- that was entitled the nation that believes nothing.

And you talked about how you believe Mitt Romney didn't respond with enough outrage initially.

When he was hit with that add.

And talked about your experiences with president -- -- -- about how he was a man who knew.

When outrage was called for your.

It's a funny thing political figures on both sides often think that they have to maintain.

A relentless.

And -- her mobile some -- We'll signing this is great and being and equal -- even tempered person has really wonderful.

But sometimes you gotta be indignant sometimes you gotta get it.

A little bit man not only for yourself and your candidacy for the American people honest indignation is a good thing in politics.

It do you think it is coincidence that after you write this column met -- comes out with this ad fighting back and -- you know can you believe that he's taken this position.

Yes I do think it's coincidence but I would love it not to be but.

I think one of the great things about Romney this weekend is that.

For the first time he was standing there on the stage with someone else it was Paul line that was a -- he respects.

And it's as if being part of something that two of them.

Made him a bit more camera I camping the right we're proactive comes to mind but that's not the word.

Am a fighter made him a little.

Punch him out a little bit you know we handled the guy in the audience who was heckling them with a certain dispatch so the fight is on and that was good to say.

Before -- if -- -- I'll ask you because you talk about how Ronald Reagan knew we think of him as such an optimist and so.

Sunny as you point out but.

You taking -- -- to become indignant and you point out in your column a famous moment in a Republican.

Primary campaign back in 1980 where he did.

Show a bit of his higher suicide watch here.

What is automatically.

-- -- -- -- -- Why was that moments on -- I believe he won the New Hampshire primary that moment because he should.

First of all some guy was trying to bully him some guy was saying put off that -- microphone -- -- -- -- didn't say that to Ronald Reagan was a man he didn't say.

Shut that guy up.

He became indignant.

He happened to have a local really good issue which was that a number of candidates warned.

Warrant being allowed to speak at that debate -- -- he stood up for them and himself.

-- It was kind of a three for he made George H.

W.

Bush look hapless some weak so is a political moment you don't really get better than that.

But it was honest indignation.

That he understood.

Don't camp that down don't make believe I don't feel this way feeling go with it.

Use it how -- how does that compare to what we're seeing today -- terms of the ugliness of this campaign at times.

And we've -- Mitt Romney for example demand an apology when when an Obama spokesman suggested he might be a felon.

But is that the same as Ronald Reagan and I am paying for this microphone you know -- what.

And a -- -- the differences.

-- that.

I don't think.

Romney has that.

-- and he hasn't displayed that ability that Reagan had to -- to really read the moment and in turn that indignation on when he needed and I agree with Peggy he won the New Hampshire primary that day with that exact moment.

Don't but the thing that's happening in the news cycles completely different.

Now than it was was then and and I -- I think he can't.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- They've created this whole thing right which is right -- that super -- prior yesterday's priorities USA all right supporting of Obama never ran on paid television that has never been a paid ad wants it ran on the Internet.

And the Romney reaction to it his -- is what gave it the fire at that allowed.

The press and the media and all of us -- to spend all of us -- -- it talking about it.

But it's pretty US -- because we've got it's not the first that that's gotten up that routine with all of this is like we've seen a lot of ugliness in his campaign that's created the disdain.

A -- -- in the and -- thousand and the American voters.

-- because one it's a base election and they're so those two things do everything you can't excite your base in everything you can.

To turn off the base of your opponent both campaigns have been have been doing that and the other thing I think that's my very different about the cycle.

Is there's no price to be paid from the super -- -- they -- work for anybody there's not a candidate that you have to go and say can I wanna showing the ad and -- and you know as somebody who makes those ads I know how many times I've gone to a candidate and they really do sit there ago.

I'm not doing that.

That -- -- both sides that's true.

So isn't getting -- because do you like your -- thank you that you believe that we are becoming a nation that believes.

Nothing.

Yes and that's not actually a good place for a nation debate you know you can have skepticism is a beautiful fun but endemic cynicism.

-- not good that just leaves you a little weaker as if you can't.

Believe than anything I think one of the problems were about to see and the ads that are coming up.

Is that we're going to be debating.

Medicare the size of government cutting government who said -- who voted for what seems everybody's going to be flashing.

With dramatic music and threatening voice -- they're gonna be saying.

He tried to cut 700 million you know he tried to increase 14100 billion trillion billion.

It's also confusing.

And -- but he knows.

It's meant to be confusing it's meant to excite your anxieties in response to vote on your anxieties it's right there.

We did and oddly enough I don't think at the end of the day it wins.

I think that the problem is people are tuning it all out community billions of dollars will be spent on this election -- -- and it ended frankly in very few places so you have.

Hundreds of millions of dollars being spent in one state in all the ads armor or are negative -- attacking and I think people learned to tune them out and so.

That's one of the reasons we're also seeing the because the crossing of -- -- how -- get anybody to.

It's and it -- them right there must our -- -- on -- -- on my last trip was does that thank you both so much foot pleasure thanks this is a thrill for me I hope we see them again.

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