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Watch the ‘FOX News Sunday' panel, Brit Hume, Liz Marlantes, Bill Kristol and Jeff Zeleny, as they discuss foreign policy, in our web exclusive Pane...
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And welcome to FOX News Sunday panel plus with Brit Hume -- from mar -- this Bill Kristol and jobs -- a you know I think the conventional wisdom which is often wrong was of this campaign -- was going to be all about the economy jobs nothing else mattered.
We saw this week that just as with president's also with political campaigns you don't control events.
Could foreign policy be a real issue in this campaign.
Well it kind of depends on what happens in the next couple weeks in the world is always capable of interrupting anything and has done so for this past week whether this -- continues to lose -- sides.
Will determine how much.
Foreign policy.
It's an issue in this campaign I'm having said that I would also say there -- still think as I mentioned earlier that Mitt Romney needs to.
Make sure that he has seen at least as a plausible president on these issues that he knows where the -- do these issues and I think patriot and -- -- -- And and and just before we go to the rest of the panel.
What should he do to show that he is plausible when it comes well policy related it is a commander in -- we've got to say something I mean who whether he -- -- in -- speech.
As has been suggested or not since -- -- he's gonna face questions on foreign policy in the debate.
And you know of his answers are fluid and informed and reasonable and and differentiate.
Him in -- the public funds.
Attractive from President Obama -- my -- to do it in that way but he needs to do.
Do you think Liz and waiting for the debate and the foreign policy debate is the very last one it gets pretty late into October.
I mean it's not the place to address all these issues of what -- the Romney camp keeps talking about the four debates.
Where -- it would have been more sensible to it to lay some foundations.
By having made speeches and a controlled situation.
So we house them something to talk about.
I think speeches wouldn't be a bad idea because at the very least it would allow him to try to seize the news cycle back.
I mean he's been on on defense on so many a -- news cycles lately -- I think anything he could do to try to get on offense and kind of drive the coverage.
Would be beneficial at this point for him I mean it's just.
As we said earlier it feels like it's in this sort of not very good to -- -- for him at the moment and he's got to do something to try to shake it up and also.
You know I was looking into and debates this week because because of course now everybody is saying the debates and next moment you know that's that's gonna change things for him and seventeen -- -- it's not very little right historically debates almost never changed the trajectory of a presidential right if you look back even the most sort of memorable debate moment.
And Saddam let me just say our executive producer Marty Ryan he's been he loves this this calendar Ernie loves to -- -- -- does is -- October 3 the first debate.
The one in blue on the on the eleventh as the vice presidential debate on the other two but.
The last 11 on the 22 that's the foreign policy debates that's pretty -- late in the campaign.
Anyway just if you look at history and Gerald Ford saying there's -- Soviet domination of Eastern Europe Michael -- caucus saying that he would still support the death penalty of his wife was raped and murdered.
Did not move the polls at all so it it's rare for a debate to really have fun -- panel on.
Impact on the way a presidential races -- -- I'm not so sure about that I think the bush -- -- differently in 2000 Al Gore as president estimates.
-- made -- a post race because bush was so bad the first of may 2004 and Reagan won the 1980 campaign because of that debate so.
I don't know and I know the if you look -- day in the -- -- that's always a mistake.
Look -- the -- the day after the debate hey nothing's changed people assimilate these things.
Corporate days and even a week -- two amateur Ford doesn't win incidentally -- -- its huge comeback in 76 expert Larry it will with the three of us -- -- the former minister.
Ford was 25 points down pay the three -- enough remember -- -- guys.
Florida's 25 points that coming out of democratic imagine he had Warner gave Nixon the whole thing hang over and he and an amazing comeback which stalled out.
Because partly because of that I don't think you'll -- Romney can just -- not only played four and count on the delay of president Obama's not a bad debater.
And B it's crazy you -- ninety seconds in these debates than 32 response doesn't the country does that leave aside the politics of the census because you deserve to hear actually.
Curious account of what that Mahoney would do well as commander -- G a long speech -- -- most to me your lesson nine seconds I would think you can there's nothing you can do -- -- the -- -- -- the greatest fundraising machine effort.
Has -- been single lab and anything.
About what Mitt Romney would actually do as president.
Apart from he -- troubling and jobs I mean I agree with -- on this both the economic actual policies he would follow the policies -- that reduction.
But also people would like to hear maybe a little bit about what we're -- -- possibly could use some of their money to make the case for Romney.
Instead of just assuming that it's a referendum on Obama questions from my people for the 5000 time that the Obama economy.
Because bad things what we're just an -- to examine reject went this -- -- -- within in Charlotte.
And we've both been told whether Romney campaign that jobs report that house report on the Friday after Democratic Convention it's going to be huge it's gonna step on the democratic balance that's what's gonna drive everything.
What happened to the Democrats -- have gotten some ballots because they actually talked about some issues and the jobs report is not enough to elected from the present.
I would disagree with you about speeches to -- and I think one of the things is that that.
That Obama did very successfully in 2008.
-- he would use these speeches as events and drive and is covered her -- though obviously his speech on race when he was in trouble with the Reverend Wright.
You know I I think if of that if he -- -- -- -- serious -- -- -- You can tell what I think should happen.
A serious speech on foreign policy -- serious speech on his his plans for tax reform I mean he has gotten nailed down you to see it overwhelmingly in the polls people think that.
Romney favors the rich and Obama favors the middle class -- seems to me if he made a major speech and explained his tax reform plan and some of the ways in which.
Wealthy people would share the pain I don't know -- in a speech is something.
That you can control the problem about waiting for the debates you can't really control what is.
Is going to happen the format of the debates this time is a little bit different so they will have a little bit of a longer and time to answer questions but that's still something that slightly out of your control.
It's Sharon by moderator and responding and things -- a speech I agree with you perhaps it's a Washington way of thinking here but you can control what you're going to say you can drive the news cycle leading into the speech going out of the speech I think it it would make it would it would elevate him.
And make him seem like he's ready.
For the office just down the street here as opposed to just.
About campaigning -- doubts I think some type of speech or big interview or something would have to happen before the debates in the debates -- amplifier I mean.
Early voting begins in two weeks so with every passing debate in October 10s of millions of people by that third debate a lot of voting will already be done.
Especially like in western states Nevada Colorado North Carolina heavy early voting state they cannot wait till the end of October's.
Start making arguments like.
Well I've always said that political reporters are frustrated political operatives we always think we know best how to run campaigns.
Obviously the politicians don't think that's the case which is why they're paying them millions of dollars and we're sitting here on Sunday mornings but you know what we think.
Please check in -- us throughout -- let us know what you think about how those campaigns going.
And what either candidate should do look for my Monday edition of Wallace unplugged which you can find -- FOX News Sunday dot com.
We'll see right back here next.
