Campaign rhetoric getting too ugly?

This transcript is automatically generated

We're inside America's election headquarters right now a new round of political attacks is raising more questions about the tone of this presidential race.

Accusations are flying as both campaigns ratchet up the rhetoric yesterday in Virginia.

Vice President Biden raised eyebrows using the following language to suggest what would happen if governor Romney and the Republicans.

Roll back Wall Street regulations listen.

Romney wants to let that he said the first hundred days he's the what the big banks once again right -- rolls.

-- chain.

Wall Street.

They're gonna put you all back and shaves.

Well the Romney campaign called that remark a quote new -- and prompted this response from governor Romney himself listen.

Over the last four years this president has pushed Republicans to Democrats about as far apart as they can go.

And now he and his allies are pushing us all even further apart by dividing -- civic groups.

He demonize Islam.

He panders to others.

His campaign strategy has to -- American art and then try to cobble together 51% of the pieces so Mr.

President.

Take your campaign and division.

And anger.

And hate back to Chicago and let us get about -- -- The Obama campaign is not backing down -- mr.

Obama's deputy campaign manager saying quote for months speaker Boehner congressman Ryan and other Republicans have called for the on Shaq -- on the private sector.

From regulations that protect Americans from risky financial deals and other reckless behavior that crashed our economy.

Since then the vice president has often use a similar metaphor to describe the need to unshackled the middle class.

So let's get a fair and balanced debate underway Mary Katharine Ham is editor at large for hot -- dot -- -- a Fox News contributor.

Juan Williams is a Fox News political analysts.

Mary -- what do you make of what the vice president had to say there in southern Virginia.

I think it's pretty par for the course when it comes to liberals going after conservatives -- are used to frankly unfortunately -- Tea Party years in particular being accused of being some sort of racial throwback that wants to turn back the clock.

I think this is -- care and in line with those kind of comments coming from vice president.

Vice president doesn't always make mistakes because he's goofing up -- -- makes mistakes because he's not terribly new wants speaker and he's pretty comfortable with this kind of demagoguery.

I think that's what he was doing what I say -- a lot because I'm from North Carolina Biden does not he changed his tone in this particular setting to send a specific message you've heard about.

Racial dog whistles than the in the past -- -- to be embedded very subtle messages about race in the campaign I think this is a racial trombone.

And look -- have a chance to talk about policy and they're not taking it they're talking about.

Chains and about dogs.

When do you want to see what he had to say as racist in some -- Not a godly and I'm you know I have such respect for Mary -- I really think that this is.

An example of where something's being blown way out of proportion I think he was talking about all Americans and you think.

An analogy with regard to Wall Street and the fact that Republicans do want to.

Pull back -- the regulation Dodd-Frank -- the like and the interpretation is that it would have negative effect on Americans on the American economy on mortgage rates.

Bank loan interest rates and the -- and the idea was that it will put people -- -- I think that racial.

Component here is he was speaking in southern Virginia almost out of North Carolina border to an audience that included lots of black folks.

And the airport was seen as.

Appealing to racial feelings in that audience but.

I don't I mean that's a real stretch in my mind but again that's the where this campaign's been going John -- people who are pick up on pettiness and blow it out of report.

I guess I guess you know what offends one is in the year of the ball holder -- but if any Republicans said that I mean of Mitt Romney got up there in front south Virginia audience and said.

Put you all in chains wouldn't he be excoriated in the press.

Well I think if he was talking to a black audience given the history of the Republican Party -- that the party.

Is overwhelmingly a white party at this point and the party and way to do that.

Yeah but he didn't do that before the NAACP.

Get a very straightforward -- I thought I thought admirable speech and I don't think Vice President Biden was playing to racial animosity is here all right.

You want to see -- -- I think that what he was marshalling -- is the exact idea you were you were just stating these trying to take this history and sort of turn it.

Into a problem for Republicans today exacerbate that there's a clear track track record of Democrats going after Republicans on turning back the clock -- on just blatant.

Accusations of racism often.

But almost entirely unfounded frequently and it's it's just I think there's a clear pattern here I think it was nasty they have a chance to talk rubbish is assault -- on the stump the other day he's -- -- energy -- talking about the debt and they're talking about a dog in -- -- -- -- one's done the other's dirty.

Is this eight sort of -- a new -- Early moment on the calendar for the campaign to get this nasty one what do you think.

John you know it depends on the campaign you're talking about but I mean you think back to.

Obama and McCain I think this is a little earlier in -- terms of the viciousness but.

We think back to bush vs Kerry this swift boating of John Kerry in the fight there in your tax blood for oil against President Bush -- -- gotten into pretty early.

But what strikes me here John is how low it's getting some early this is -- come on this is really.

Way off message for both campaigns I wonder the either of them really want to go down this road pretty low -- Would I run is pretty on message that they pulled -- debunked cancer rabbits on TV just today than I mean we can get back to talking about -- that.

-- jumper that he did he did that they add about somehow Obama wants everybody on welfare I mean clearly not true -- it.

That's that's what's going actually that campaign had a lot of -- and into little thing.

You want to know we're gonna have to leave -- there -- gather -- one willing to thank you both.

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Campaign rhetoric getting too ugly?

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