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Did Romney’s Entitlement Comments Hurt his Campaign?

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    FNC’s Bret Baier on the impact on Romney’s Presidential campaign of his comments about people who are dependent on the government.

  • Duration 5:36
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And no matter what they're all gonna vote for President Obama the media and opponents are hammering Romney -- is he's launching a major refocus on the economy.

But did his economic message -- voters just self destruct let's turn to an -- There is -- special report on the Fox News Channel Bret thank you so much for coming over to talk to us and they get ready for your own show.

I was how devastating you think this was.

Well I think we'll have to wait -- see is the easy answer but I'll say this.

He was not the best phrasing.

This answer.

If he was trying to get to the points.

That he is not going to get a lot of the voters that are already in president Obama's camp the 47%.

That's what he's saying today when asked about it that he was trying to say.

The additional words that he used about entitlement about victim hood about.

About feeling like they need to that they they can't provide for themselves.

That.

Really is not a great way to attract voters now.

That that said the campaign is signaling that they're ready to fight on this bigger issue.

Which is.

Root of fighting -- distribution.

And a government that they say is heading towards Europe and Greece.

Yeah I mean it was it was -- use that word victims that I think was probably the most problematic it reminded you of that moment in the Obama campaign when they said.

You when he said clinging to guns and religion you know it's the kind of freezing.

That that.

Echoes for a while to comp I want to play for -- the response though that he gave to Neil Cavuto it's train's been in the other direction get your reaction on the other side muscles that.

I believe the right course for America -- one where government steps in to help those that are in need where -- compassionate people.

But then we get let people build their own lives create enterprise as we believe in free people and free enterprise not redistribution.

The right course for America is to create growth create wealth not to redistribute wealth.

Does that help.

Well he's trying to re direct the attack to President Obama conveniently.

Drudge Report had had audiotape from.

October of 1998.

Today of then Barack Obama speaking in at Loyola university.

And speaking about the government and how he did believe.

In redistribution.

And that surfaced and in that interview with -- governor Romney reference that audiotape.

Twice I haven't heard the whole context of of Barack Obama is speech there so I can't tell you whether it's.

Totally in context but I can tell you that the campaign is clearly trying to grab on to.

This fight of big picture.

Fighting to try to keep the country from going over the edge now this has resonance.

The national debt and deficit is a big issue that plays a lot of places but what was said on that tape Melissa.

I think hurts because.

It's a gaffe that.

Plays to a stereotype.

-- that the Obama campaign has already hit home with these ads and what the believe them or not against Bain Capital and and that he's a corporate raider they played again and again in Ohio and Iowa and other battlegrounds.

And this -- Build on to that.

Does it I mean you have followed this campaign both campaigns so closely and you -- so well the exact voters that are in question -- that on the fence here.

Does this pushed down to one side or the other.

You know that's I don't know I just don't know right now -- it looks like that -- from the Democratic Convention is subsiding.

The Gallup daily tracking poll has come down it's it's now one point the rest -- -- is now one point.

We're seeing battleground states really get tight even after other polls suggested it was widening right after the Democratic Convention.

Yeah so most times you would think that something like this would just roll off.

A candidate.

Mitt Romney is a little different in that.

He has some of this image.

Of being you know the millionaire and already painted as somebody doesn't care about the little guy so they'll try to capitalize on that whether it -- -- not.

Is a big question.

There's an argument I've heard me today that what you said is is out there you know the people who think that he's a capitalist vulture that you know he's a private equity -- This plays to that but they already didn't like Cameron is it.

It you know whether this is in poor taste is that red meat for the base I mean is there any way it works in his favor as distasteful that -- Definitely I mean I've heard.

Conservative corners say we want to hear more of this we want to hear Mitt unplugged more cadence in the way he delivered it and his plain spoken.

Way that he'd been kind of talked about that that's what the base would love to hear.

It's just not.

You wonder about the five to 10% he's actually talking about in that video -- the independents.

And how they would have reacted a place like Ohio.

That he really needs Bret Bair thank you so much for your time and it get ready for your -- shall we appreciate you stopping by our.