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FOX News Sr. Political Analyst Brit Hume weighs in on the 2012 Iowa caucus and future of the election.
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Politics is exciting let me bring in Fox News senior political analyst -- candidates -- is now from Washington Brett.
Great to see you as always.
A nice -- -- -- vote margin.
A very small when indeed but was that's still a big victory for Mitt Romney thank now.
And wasn't a big victory -- Mitt Romney it was a it was a narrow win in which he did not manage to expand -- now the percentage of the vote that he got four years ago.
But.
You know he didn't make as much of an effort as he did four years ago -- emerges in about the same position he was going -- which is he's still the man to be.
He still has -- -- -- organization the most money.
And he still has a fractured field running against him -- that is been winnowed today I suspect that by the time a day is over Perry and and Bachmann will be gone and that it's been narrowed the question now becomes which -- the remaining candidates emerges as the alternative to him.
And how strong -- candidate proved to be.
What do you think because you look at Rick Santorum he lacks organization he lacks money and he lacks broad support.
Among Republicans.
Well I'm not sure that is fair to say lacks broad support we'll see.
This broad support has.
-- -- From one candidate to another throughout this race and we've had a whole series of non Romney front runners.
My guess is that you will now -- as the next non Romney front runner.
And we'll see what he's able to do -- it you're right that he uses significant disadvantage in terms of organization he's at a disadvantage because of money all the money will be.
We'll start to come in the trick in a situation like this is to take the out of the -- the momentum.
And the attention in the media coverage that all that go with the big early upset win or upset performance.
And translate that into all these all these old fashioned things like you know staff and volunteers and all that that you need to mount a nationwide campaign advertising campaign and all that.
No one has ever to my recollection successfully pulled it off with a -- -- come close and science and central law have a sovereign CB can do it.
And you can disagree with me Brett it I did have tended to -- -- lot.
But Newt Gingrich seemed angry he seemed angry -- Iowa he seemed a year I would have seemed angry again this morning.
And you saw those attack ads in Iowa they did work can anything that he does now hurt Mitt Romney yeah constantly he's.
Yeah and -- and I think you're right I think he is angry and it appears at the moment as if he's -- gonna run a campaign based on.
You know at least in part on spite.
To try to take down Mitt Romney who leads.
Will argue he -- took him down unfairly.
In Iowa you can we can argue forever about whether what what was done to him -- Ohio was unfair or whether it was just the kind of rough and -- we expect in the political campaign.
But in any case -- in light it one bit.
And -- looks like he's gonna set his sights on Romney knows he said nothing but kind things about about Rick Santorum last night so.
That's an interesting question you know I don't serious of money to mount the kind of media campaign.
Advertising campaign -- -- -- -- against him but we'll see what he does.
Seeing how much damage he can do -- exactly we've got President Obama today.
In Ohio.
Speaking about the economy how do you think that the messages.
Change shape particularly from Mitt Romney we just had our guest -- west very talking about.
He likes ricks and what Rick Santorum is set about the economy he thinks -- we give back -- 4% growth with what santorum's been talking about I wonder how much they focus on that.
Or just focus on how loudly the economy is make the president look -- Well.
I had my sense about this is that the economy will be a burden for this president all the way through Election Day.
And it will be a burden -- -- by the massive run up in the debt.
Americans of many stripes are very alarmed about these things.
And you notice in Iowa last night that the economy followed by this debt was -- and spending.
With a one and two issues that here's a state when -- the unemployment rate is relatively moderate.
Where land prices of recovery in word and where commodity prices which import and Iowa have have soared.
So it shows you that even in a place like that the economy remains a sore subject of people which also suggest Aegon.
That even if -- the unemployment rate declines.
Noticeably over the next several months.
And going up to Election Day that it may not -- people's anxieties -- -- and it will continue to be a burden for the president and opportunity for his challengers.
He needs that it -- history says.
The president needs the stock market to rally just ended three months right before the election in August September and October.
But that historically has helped and in combat but -- could come -- could come down to the wire in terms of stock market performance in the economy did not well -- Market performance is one thing but it doesn't usually outweigh the people's anxiety about whether they're gonna have a job and whether gonna have income.
And my sense about that is that if that the perception continues.
That jobs -- are scarce.
And insecure.
And people are worried about it even as they have jobs.
That is a terrible weight on a president and I'm not aware of any president since -- row is built who's been able overcome that kind of settlement.
-- one last thing about Mitt Romney won issue for him certainly and you're talking about Romney vs Santorum.
He got 14%.
Of born again Christian.
The vote of -- Christians in Iowa.
And that -- Santorum really exposes.
Romney's weakness on that and in some otherwise as well.
Well Santorum has a case to make -- born again Christians he's not born again Christians -- -- mostly Protestant.
And Rick Santorum as a devout Catholic.
But you know they're all believe in Jesus Christ -- their savior and that is something that does matter to a certain subset.
Of Republican primary voters they're pretty sick on the ground in Iowa.
And that -- vote may not be as important in other places but it is a definite advantage for Rick Santorum over Mitt Romney although I don't think.
That evangelical Christians and in large numbers will necessarily -- it comes down to it.
Hold that hold -- his -- -- against Mitt Romney.
Is just a sandstorm is gonna look like the more some petticoat candidate on that score.
-- it was great to talk to -- as always my pleasure -- covered at all you can always disagree with me if you want.
You can always disagree.
I would never disagree with you for the sake of disagreement hit it could benefit from that -- it was great to talk to you as always -- --
