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Road to the White House

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    Jarvis Stewart and Michelle Selesky discuss the impact of the conventions and what's next

  • Duration 10:29
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-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Do you -- tax code -- regulation both from the moment.

President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans.

-- heal the planet's.

My promise.

Is to help you and your family.

Welcome to the fox all I'm your host James Rosen this is episode -- Well from the overwhelming public response or fledgling program we can stay with confidence that eight.

Is not enough.

Follow me on Twitter at James Rosen FNC and just beneath me -- your screen you can join our live chat and send -- -- questions all you have to do is log in using your Twitter or FaceBook account.

This is our extra special post convention edition of the fox hole I was privileged to cover both the RNC in Tampa and the DNC and Charlotte, North Carolina for the Fox News Channel you just heard some of the snap your moments from the convention speeches respectively.

Our President Obama and GOP nominee Mitt Romney so which party.

Have the more successful confound.

Here to debate that now is the first repeat guests of the fox -- Jarvis Stewart former chief of staff to democratic congressman Harold Ford junior Tennessee now the chairman.

And managing partner Ian read LLC and Michelle so let's -- Communications director for gopac a Republican advocacy group all right to you first Michelle -- -- more successful convention.

I would have to say the Republicans because whatever energy came out of Charlotte yesterday at -- Democratic National Convention was sucked away today about that really.

Tragic jobs report.

And -- there's no way.

To overcome any of the challenges and a half of that jobs report with speeches and rhetoric and and talking points anymore.

Well the jobs report is one thing the enthusiasm and the mobilization of the base in the voters is another and if they're sufficiently mobilized they will vote.

And so you really believe the energy coming out of Tampa was equal or better to than that to that which we -- -- -- at Bustamante is it a great job of firing up the base re affirming that candidates platforms and the platform of the party you know Romney has four.

Freeing up workers to help grow the middle class and deep deregulating and cutting taxes Obama is for.

Using government to grow the middle class until they -- the party lines and made -- clear choice for people but as far as energizing the base.

Everybody who's watching -- gonna go vote for a -- was gonna go vote for Romney and as far as reaching out to independent voters I don't think so much in today's jobs report doesn't help.

Jarvis the the the consensus amongst the press corps was that.

Charlotte was a more energetic and and happier place for the delegates and for the base -- and then Tampa had been.

But certainly this debate we saw this problem with the platform at the DNC was a major problem.

Unlike anything we saw -- -- and far -- Clint -- lunacy.

That was a major problem and the idea that the President Obama to personally stepped in to reinsert -- in Jerusalem into the platform that could hurt that the Democrat I don't know if it's gonna.

Heard but it clearly -- -- that the president is the leader of the party.

We had.

Amazing 33 and a half days of terrific.

So political conventions are one of the best in the history -- last -- the thirty not forty years.

A political campaigns I mean between.

The First Lady and and Gabby Giffords and that was in the trial on the floor.

You know Joseph Biden your name and I think all of our our students who are made Bill Clinton you can't.

He's sort of negate anything that he said to -- drive his speech.

But the reality is -- we still have some internal back and forth that we have to work out it's a growing evolving.

Party we have a lot of salute big mouse and strong will people within the party.

I think it was -- well let me get a you don't wanna call Maine automatically -- well.

Coming to reality is this just like the Republican Party has a lot of flexing of muscles particularly at the platform level in this DNA that is.

Didn't seem to me like a real exercise of democracy when mayor -- -- -- goes three times calls that voice vote.

And there was to any sane rational observer no real difference in the eyes and -- and he just been proclaimed the eyes have it that seemed like a railroading and certainly.

He saw big protests from the Michigan delegation where there's a large contingent of Arab Americans.

Problematic going forward yes -- -- You know I don't know is problematic and I think those -- every -- focused on on the president and we are excited.

About his nomination you know one of the things that we often see in Washington we hit you.

Preserve democracy not practice it and I think that was a great.

Good indication of it -- -- in many ways the leadership has to own.

The platform and how it's sort of were being worked behind closed doors and how you know democracy.

Takes -- -- and I think it worked out just file yeah there's a few ruffled feathers is a few ruffled.

Egos within the platform committee but I think at the end of the day we're all focused on making sure that we get.

President Obama another four years.

Shell we broke on Fox News yesterday the story that to -- tomorrow meaning today the Romney running campaign was going to begin the so called carpet bombing of the president.

And the Democrats with tens of millions of dollars of new ads.

By some accounts twelve to fifteen new ads in in many different states and those -- been -- rolled out today.

But nonetheless remains the fact that the electoral map is rather challenging for Mitt Romney true false.

It -- he definitely has to win back some states that Obama won in 2008 -- The jobs report today is suffering and -- help you know there's.

-- -- percent unemployment at 368000.

People drop out of the workforce in August.

And unfortunately for Barack Obama most of his base which is African Americans Hispanics minorities.

An African American unemployment is up to fourteen point 1% Hispanics is ten point 2%.

Those are both above the national rate and they're above the rate they were when Barack Obama took office so.

-- got Barack Obama ever has some challenges to winning back the states that he won before what about it she has to offer -- a good alternative Michigan Pennsylvania.

Right the -- the Ohio was -- stubbornly out of reach for Mitt Romney right now he's got a serious problem in the sense -- he doesn't ask to prove that his solutions cutting taxes across the board.

Helping manufacturing are gonna help especially in those two states.

Barack Obama's popular because of his saving of the auto companies so we'll see but it's.

Met Ronnie can offer positive alternative and I think if he -- his jobs message and why he would create jobs in the states and he definitely has a chance to win.

Let's talk about the debates which are going to be big moments still to come -- what two presidential and one vice presidential right.

Am I right about that it was 33 total potential of three presidential and one was presidential art.

Barack Obama seems to me Jarvis his his greatest gaffes have been unprovoked sort of unforced errors.

Things that are widely believed to be -- let's shall we say but the shovel ready jobs comment -- -- provoked him into that.

The comment about taking if you have a business you didn't build that.

And he'd he'd seems to me that Barack Obama can't be provoked into a mistake but he can inflict damage on himself sometimes is that his biggest vulnerability coming forward in these debates.

You know I don't know that I would call this vulnerability but I I didn't think that the president.

In in all of his wisdom in the in the in campaigns I mean -- are terrific because they're the same thing about.

You know any candidates is running for national office or dog catcher in the local community you have a tendency when the microphone.

And -- -- 100000 people are screaming your name and cheering for you have a tendency to go off script.

That's not a common what it was more important I think is how the president has come back.

And even reshape the redefined what exactly was -- now obviously in this age of 24 hour news cycle you know what you see now will slow live behind you for.

Days and weeks later an hour before doctor -- and I think that has been the case but I think the president has been able to sort of recover.

Gently -- carefully.

Win in fact he sort of makes those missteps he's very good about saying.

You know -- I didn't exactly mean what I say and -- that he regrets his secrets is absolutely I mean that's -- I mean I think that's acceptable and we have to get -- You know a leader this lunatic and assume responsibility and that goes a long way.

Now Michelle its been said very often of of Mitt Romney that he doesn't connect well with people there's some sort of barrier to him a really establishing rapport with the American people perhaps it's his wealth perhaps it's.

His religion.

No one can essentially put their finger on -- -- say.

Is that going to be a problem for him in the debates.

I think now I think in that if he stays true to himself if if -- were to try to -- tummy and you know.

Brush elbows with some people -- don't think you come off as authentic yesterday who he is and that comes across as cold I think he did a good job of coming over that in the convention you know that a lot of personal story -- his wife and third parties who helped.

Talk about what kind of a good person he is but in the debate tonight it's gonna be a great opportunity aside from what these conventions did.

For voters to see both candidates side by side I'm debating the fax conventions are hard because.

You know you're in front of 101000 of your most ardent fans there's nobody.

Rebutting anything you say so of course is easy -- get across your message for the voters it's not is not as helpful in deciding who's.

More.

-- -- -- for coming over the economy but I think you know in the debate people have a good chance to see a comparison.

Or final minute I'm going to ask you each to attain the highest intellectual plane that is to argue against your own deeply held convictions.

And so Jarvis if you were -- Earnestly advising Mitt Romney in prepping for these debates what would you advise him he needs to do and what would you how would you put -- -- Thirty seconds to block me I think I would advise him to really focus on what matters and and he has to articulate his three or four basic points of how he's gonna continue the the recovery that the president has started.

All right and Michelle if you were earnestly advising Barack Obama particularly after this jobs report and probably one or two more than will be rather like it.

What would you advise Barack Obama to do in these debates.

He needs to tell the American people what he's gonna do in his second term to start and turn in the economy.

You know -- -- more of the same isn't gonna help so what's his plan for the next four years what's the mandate -- -- reelect him.

And let us know -- our thanks to both of you Jarvis Stewart and also Michelle the last let's let's be of gopac.

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