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Ed Rollins: First debate 'all about Mitt Romney'

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    Campaign expert on what GOP nominee needs to accomplish to 'win' showdown

  • Duration 6:53
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This transcript is automatically generated

President Obama -- on the each have specific challenges on that stage you see on your screen later tonight.

At least fifty million Americans at home expected to watch and Ed Rollins is a former.

Deputy chief of staff to President Reagan also managed the campaign for the reelection in 1984 and coach President Reagan for those debates he's also Fox's contributor -- good morning to -- morning are you there and terrific thank you for your time today specific questions.

What is a win for Mitt Romney tonight I -- if -- Has to basically come out of this debate tonight being very substantive lay out his vision for where he wants state the country.

And by the end of this week people need to be talking about how great he was and how he really looked very presidential so you you believe this debate is all about Mitt Romney.

I believe it's all about Mitt Romney obviously the president has the job presidents we've watched the last four years.

We know his skills that Canadians -- and talking he's much better off -- the teleprompter.

But he still very glib guy as -- and Lotta substance that's even the president.

What we don't know it and we don't know since that the primary debate is how good.

-- is that he was good against primary opponents but this is -- president and it states in yesterday's could make his case effectively.

Without being too strident and they school presidential -- one coming to give our producers at this point at the end of the debate voters have to say.

OK maybe well right today the election would be won by a bomb on a very close election what we need to do is to shift voters and have people who have made up their mind yet.

The decide I'm gonna give this guy another look here to stay in this race to the end.

I'm not gonna cast my vote tomorrow I'm gonna look at the other two debates and move forward if somehow he doesn't do well tonight many of these absentee ballots will be cast.

And I may be too late term rookie remain -- realize the debates in 2008 viewership actually went higher as the debates went along.

In the debate number two and number three I -- flip this around right now what does a win for President Obama that's.

That he comes off.

With with people's saying the same thing about him in a way.

That you know I got to give the guy a break yet he inherited tough times.

He's really not been a very bad president -- certainly more substance of them.

The Mitt Romney.

That's a good night for the president -- this either have to be specific.

I -- or is this a case of hey you walk on stage you have command your comfortable.

And you win it that way most people don't remember the details and what happens now is there's so much fact checking that goes on by the two campaigns.

So any mistake whatsoever is basically before the end of the evening it's out there -- In the media so you don't want to make any -- mistakes.

You want to look presidential that -- -- and and that's kind of a nuance.

But at the end of the day you know people have to be very comfortable for the next four years are going to be looking at this person they know what -- -- like they know.

Many people still support him even though he's been a failed presidency in my line.

At this point in time I don't know enough about Romney did.

In the specifics on his vision may need to -- and out above but there and terms of specifics Libya hang one fact out there are gonna take a tax rate do this with -- I gonna take unemployment rate -- this with and you have to be very factual on those things you can't be very vague because -- what the stories tomorrow will be all about.

Well he laid -- tax plan without any details.

What does that mean.

So there.

Do you find that most people cheer their guy -- boo the other one yet and that's FC easily debates reinforce.

You decide that you are on you look for the good points.

Very few people are totally neutral going -- I think.

It's it's not entertaining it's educational.

And it's -- up to individuals but -- that that contradicts a little -- the point about saying OK maybe.

We're in the case like governor Romney has been there is a sliver of people out there are saying and I don't know enough about this guy.

What he comes out of convinces me he might get my vote well I think that's important and when I say maybe uses is that the election were held today by the polls he's a few points behind.

He needs to basically change the dynamics here.

And which people see this really is -- down the wire race he's a good alternative let's look -- at the altar -- let's look at some of the details of -- plans programs -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- All of sudden you look across the stage in this guy -- -- he's being treated as -- equal a trying to get your job.

That they're not in the same kind of form Reagan didn't do well in his first debate Jimmy Carter didn't do well in his debate Gerald Ford and do well in his debate.

Even Clinton wasn't as great as he -- some other forms.

So I would say that.

The president who has.

A good debater but not a great debater basically has a lot of pressure on him -- -- your time at the White House to just reflect on this because also when these stories about incumbents.

They write about being insulated by people who are yes people.

And do not say no to the president.

Is that true and and how does that affect a person who -- well it it it does they're not used to being pushed around a little bit very critical player and our team as the man who runs Fox News today Roger sales came in.

For the second debate he said now the president was one of the premier political strategist at that time before retired.

And any get in the presence -- CD condom -- he basically told when he had to do.

We had a big rally before the event the first debate we had a rally after the event Reagan needed a crowd to rev them up so -- real change we made -- we had a big rally before he was revved up came out of that.

Audience and basically -- station and the very things Reagan called -- coach during those times well there's no there was nobody better in the business are you also work reject camp.

You work with Mike Huckabee.

Get Jack was a harder.

-- so much knowledge in his head and he he was not good about sound bites.

-- extraordinarily talented guy and and one of the great thinkers of our party and and he certainly you lost today.

Mike Huckabee was perfect Mike Huckabee had a great experience on -- radio he understood that that the quote he didn't need much much help.

But he was he was very substantive and extraordinary for a great community great community here and it and -- and the debates where his great form of the last -- just one more point and as you mentioned Jack camp he had so many ideas about the economy.

And and a lot of these ideas are flown and his -- and it was your job does.

To winnow them down.

It in ways it strikes me that it Romney might be some of the way of mine correct no matter how you know I think I think that's true I think I think to a certain extent.

You know I'm getting.

You know it's awful hard to debate -- -- in a minute 92 answer through and and and carries real substance and wanna be serious so.

You know people -- got a lot of lot of thoughts in -- had a lot of lot of knowledge.

It's it's it's getting them to be concise it's very important -- what I find also interest and tonight it's two minutes for the answer.

So you have to be really good in two minutes and not wander -- ramble and lose the audience with the will be tricky -- -- -- the temptation will be to wander and we'll talk to you tomorrow okay thank you know you love this stuff in so doing great Ted Rollins in New York came.

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