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The Weekly Standard Senior Editor Stephen Hayes and FNC political analysts Juan Williams and Ed Rollins on how the Florida primary results impact the ...
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Stake in the Florida primary tonight we welcome Fox News.
On its author of the book -- you solve -- honest debate.
Also with us -- wrong leading Republican strategist Fox News political analyst.
And and moments we'll be joined as always Stephen Hayes senior writer for the weekly standard.
-- let me turn -- you.
Are you getting a sense of any surprise of all in Florida tonight.
No.
-- that very geared for Mitt Romney and you know the turnout has been strong for Romney looks like it looks like the ads are playing off.
You know a lot of this Louis -- you look at the kind of body language coming from the two campaigns as they look at the exit polls as they get an early sounding -- things and right now the entire timber of comments coming from the Gingrich campaign is about moving forward a little bit of the quote that you just played.
Talk about the southern states that he expects he can do and especially -- his home state.
And of course the big ticket here would be that.
They don't think that the money that Romney spent on those ads in Florida can be replicated going for they just don't think he has that much money and so they hope that they can.
-- how close the gap in that measure and do so because it's used as he said in and that's bound by.
He believes -- still is a non -- majority especially among.
Hard line conservatives and Tea Party types I sort of here's -- -- -- like he's already looking ahead to the convention and those comments.
-- -- -- -- I I I've been -- with friends around hair that it's a little bit like a contagion or -- -- around the countered by talking about brokered conventions and and the like but I just don't see -- -- is that.
You know see what other folks think tonight but I I just don't think that's very realistic but again that's what Gingrich is talking about he's he's looking at the idea of they're still being as strong.
Percentage of people.
You know who don't like Romney on the conservative side and if you look at the numbers even tonight you'll see if you combined Gingrich and Santorum.
You would be approaching.
Romney's total so it's not as -- there there is a carnation going on on the Republican side there's still a clear major with in the party.
But I don't see how they deny Romney the nomination.
It may feel electric -- nation -- your name is Mitt Romney -- let me ask you before returned to Romney had.
Gingrich were used to talk about -- very carefully what Bill Clinton hardest.
That language he saw no evidence based out of a majority of Florida tonight artful at the very least.
By this this was a war and and obviously and my on top he's -- -- a big victory.
It went anywhere from 1214 points at least according to the latest polls.
Exit polls but you're still long ways to go here and for -- nearly four out of ten voters here -- they would like to have somebody else after they already voted -- such I think is a sign that.
The conservatives still aren't aren't happy with the Romney candidacy yet.
You can't take any -- from it's a war of attrition down there.
He has a better campaign he had better ads and certainly.
34 -- one more ads and they did the job.
Now we go onward which sort of done with the single day primaries.
We now go on to where -- two or three this four caucuses.
-- two different days in February.
Then you start going to the Super Tuesday we have eleven.
Seven primary eleven contest and one -- seven primaries or caucuses you -- have a full scale campaign -- And Gingrich and a lot of work catch up on that front.
Before we moved to the sixth of march -- and -- deceiving here.
In studio.
The one suggested that this in the minds at least of the Gingrich campaign cannot be replicated this Romney who.
Advertising attack political strategy that is carried out.
Which looks like to good effect.
Can't be replicated.
Do you think -- to correct judgment.
No I I think it could be replicated aiming at a certain point you know you're gonna run out of money you keep keep replenishing money the same way.
But look he did in Iowa to great effect he's done now in Florida -- -- -- there's a lesson there for the Romney campaign this is this works and I would imagine that -- especially given the fact that Newt Gingrich is leading three national polls which at this point are.
Not meaningless but not terribly meaningful but they still suggest that that Romney can't take -- -- half of Newt Gingrich.
So I expect them to continue to pound on -- Gingrich all the while being mindful of the possibility.
That Rick Santorum could.
Could surface again I mean you know this has been such a crazy race so many different things that happen every time the Romney campaign.
Fix that they've they've taking care of things it's like playing black couple and Santorum has somebody willing to back his his super pac.
It could keep going.
And and Gingrich continues supply one that the role of the -- In this he's and twice.
Twice -- Phoenix -- risen from the ashes.
Limited number -- -- -- at least give of my knowledge base.
What is your sense of his resilience here.
Well you know it to me he has become the anti Romney I think that it's pretty clear now mean there's been tremendous you know efforts to try to.
Played there Rick Santorum in the social conservatives.
Are remember that meeting down in Houston where some of the social evangelical conservatives -- -- But subsequent to that it's all been about Newt Gingrich and I think at this point it comes it in and I think this is something that the -- people don't wanna hear but I think it does become Romney vs Gingrich.
And the question is whether or not Santorum stays and today there was talk about testing and torme dropping out and saying it's because -- -- ailing daughter.
I don't know if that's something being put out by the Gingrich people but that's out there and so the idea would be if it's one on one does that help new well it should but I don't think again that Newt.
I don't think his strategy of just winning those southern states remember he's not even on the ballot in Virginia.
I don't see that that's gonna be in opted to stop the Romney train.
-- to regroup PS to basically really build a campaign but operatives which is refused to do up to this point in time.
Is advertising was very weak is the spite -- the fact -- -- less advertising and -- Romney he's got to run a real campaign and he has to assume.
That his bad behavior in which he got very much -- other than the -- here is not gonna benefit him long term.
He's got to talk about the difference in issues gonna talk about being leader and where is gonna take this country and conservatives will follow in the.
