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Former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese on Mitt Romney’s efforts to win over more conservative factions of the Republican Party.
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This convention is shown to all America a party united.
With positive programs for solving the nation's problems.
A party ready to build a new consensus.
-- all lows across the land to share a community of values.
Embodied in these words.
Family.
Work.
Neighborhood.
Peace and freedom.
Who can forget that could lead to the Republicans gathering at -- TV ADV here they're -- any Ronald Reagan try to bring the Stanley together.
-- you think about it whether Democrat or Republican that's of these advances are all about trying to leave.
-- happy Stanley reunion now what's -- so happy for Republicans just four years earlier when Ronald Reagan had narrowly lost the Republican domination duped.
Gerald Ford then the argument was that a lot of conservatives were ticked off about their treatment at the hands of moderates in the party for years later -- flips around.
And Ronald Reagan is concerned of moderates not be treated the same way it would then -- when when conservatives went charge of the party.
-- -- he did back then -- that are both sides wanted to do -- and it worked of course Republicans went on to win.
In a landslide that year against Jimmy Carter but I should stress at the time that tape is being -- and Ronald Reagan was saying those words he was trailing.
The Jimmy Carter by about five points and up until weakens of the -- -- was -- Ed -- remembers that appeared well and of course the minute went on to become -- attorney general joins -- right now with the I guess he had that that seemed.
Pressure in reverse head and by that I'd be dead moderate -- -- to win over conservatives.
He feels he's won over by selected Paul Wright as his running mate.
It's -- some concerns about the dominate Grover Norquist saying he's more inclined to like this ticket as a results but will it be a good sell what do you anticipate.
I anticipate that it will I think for one thing.
Governor Romney.
Understand so what he has to do and bringing the entire Republican Party together he's made moves in that direction that are I think a pretty pretty well done.
He is the platform will be eight a a platform that -- all Republicans can not support.
And so I think -- overall and as you mentioned Paul -- in the himself.
But will be a part of that also Liu -- Marco the rubio and introducing him -- that all elements of the party represented here at the convention.
I think you're gonna find that will go into the fall campaign with a very united Republican Party.
As well as a party -- -- platform -- -- campaign it will appeal to a lot of Democrats and independents as well.
You know I started look at this researcher not election -- and of course you notice like but the back here and but.
A lot of those crucial electoral states were also very close Specter and closer than it would appear.
And that it would not have taken much for the Republican ticket at the time that was Reagan bush senior.
To convince folks that may be it was worth to try on another pair.
To replace Carter Mondale object -- it look like detective was up to speed and -- Ronald Reagan led approved in the debate could be an appealing alternative but that.
That -- in those key states not only produce what would also become a popular.
Vote landslide but electoral vote landslide as well.
A lot of the Romney folks who -- sort of a -- charts that.
They see that same kind of behind the scenes momentum the closeness of the battle and in key electoral swing states that could tip -- -- did their way and all of them.
It could mean -- significant electoral victory -- -- goes as far as to say Romney landslide.
What do you say.
Well I think it's possible I think it's gonna be closer than that.
But I think that you're correct.
I think what's happened many of -- close states like that many of the states that Romney carried a rather than a Obama carried last last time.
Are having real economic problems the -- people look at the sorry record of the past three and a half years.
They -- and they look at the what.
Governor Romney and debt.
Congressman Ryan are going to be proposing in terms of how we solve the problems I think of many people are gonna be willing to take that chance and to do something different.
They know what's gonna happen.
If we have four more years of the same and I think they'll be looking forward to a real change and real progress.
Do you buy the argument and -- this is not meant to be it a damning critique of Mitt Romney.
That the heart and soul of Republicans right now is in the house of other words that that mindset of cutting spending that Grover Norquist side.
No taxes of for any reason at any time is there and it might not be it -- statistic you got elected in the White House what do you make of that.
Well I think that death.
Governor Romney knows very well what he's running on and the fact that he is running on -- a conservative platform.
He's and I think he will be true -- -- what he's and talked about now and I think that the congressman Ryan would not have joined him if he wasn't convinced that that in fact will be the.
Case.
That -- or supplies or my friend take you very thank you very much -- -- of course -- chief confidant later on the attorney general.
For Ronald Reagan an improbable -- -- ninety dated at very -- thought Ben would produce the next president of the United States that was then this is now Charlie guess.
