You're watching...
Daily Beast Columnist Kirsten Powers and Former George W. Bush Advisor Brad Blakeman on Republicans trying to find blame for Romney’s election loss.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
Now the finger pointing began the GOP.
Is passing.
Around the blame on white Mitt Romney lost to a president who is overseeing a sluggish economy and unemployment hovering around -- percent.
But the elephant in the room.
What's -- -- for the Republican Party.
Let's ask Kirsten Powers Daily Beast columnist and Fox News contributor and Brad -- -- Former advisor to president George W.
Bush -- -- to start with you there's been a lot of finger pointing as a matter of fact Lindsey Graham had an interesting quote he said.
If I hear anybody say it was because Romney wasn't conservative enough I'm gonna go nuts.
We're not losing 95% of African Americans in two thirds of Hispanic voters and voters under thirty because we're not being and I'll paraphrase here being.
Hard right enough.
What do you say to that.
I think you're exactly right and this is what.
Always happens when there's a loss in both parties.
The base comes around -- says as C this is proof that if we just had somebody who is more conservative are on the left more liberal than.
And we would do better are better off -- and one group that Lindsey Graham didn't mention there was also women and -- it I think that.
The Republican Party has a problem with a variety of groups that are.
Our demographically.
Very very important and I you know the biggest one would be Latinos and -- they don't figure out a way how to track them they're never gonna -- the White House again.
And Brad what do you say is this Mitt Romney's fault or is the Republican Party not just not brought enough in its appeal.
Look here's the secret why we win would you like here.
I -- gonna say not enough voters voted for -- around you.
You got it.
And it's as simple as that but having said that we don't have a problem we have a challenge and and it's a challenge that we didn't seize upon.
And in past election cycles and it's just and said it's it's clear we have a problem attracting women.
Mostly single women we have a problem with -- African Americans Hispanics we have a problem would use and and young people.
And what we need to do is we -- -- stop asking for their vote what we need their vote.
And include them.
Not only within our party as active members and voters but also give the opportunity to run for office so we have a lot of ground work to do.
We saw.
And by a lack of enthusiasm.
Not only in battleground states but in many places.
That we thought were locks so we need a lesson to be learned by this but we are have to learn the left -- act on it.
Well -- do you accept or Republican operative a woman the other day you said one of the problems.
Is that on the campaign trail reporters who are largely women.
It on the campaign trail we're talking to people in the run a campaign who are all men.
And that that -- -- difficulty what do you make of that.
I he has nothing to do if anything actually.
And that there's me there's doubling media bias in the definitely -- the media -- things but the truth of the matter is.
This this campaign was about much bigger things than that and and the reason that women.
Tend to go vote democratic -- much spent much stronger ways than they used to it's because the Republican Party has become so hostile to the government -- its -- gone beyond that just the idea of smaller government which actually most Americans support.
It's actually demonized government and unmarried women which you know Brad just brought up.
Are dependent on the government or.
They know they may be dependent on the government they don't have any way to share the burden let them and if they lose their job at a precarious economy like -- they're children don't eat.
And that's a serious thing and is IRA you're gonna Brad respond what do you say to that Brad.
Well look at George Bush said it best when he ran in 2000 compassionate conservatism.
Government's right hello some -- three point sent an end and there and you that you make a valid point.
The government should only do for the people what they can't do for themselves what people can't do for themselves and their -- the government needs to do it well.
That should be Armonk truck and I think if it was and we were we were inclusive in giving the kind of due -- the government deserves I think we would attract these voters.
I want -- one other idea after on the table for you guys a lot of people particularly on the left think there's a big bad.
Republican Party in these guys all get together with cigars and some room somewhere -- -- -- is -- decisions.
The reality is when you get up close you know there was rants pre this with a tin cup asking for money in that was really if there is no there there.
And I think what happened is that you saw a lot of fighting for the last year with all the Republican candidates remember all the debates we had to go through.
It's no surprise that in the end of the day it was difficult to conduct a campaign that.
They're really made sense brat.
While the.
We had a slog as you point out in the primaries.
And we had a break -- short general election cycle the president can have a challenger to his incumbency for his party.
So the president got a huge pass but at the end of the day we could've won this election there's no doubt in my mind we -- won.
And we're mistakes made sure mistakes were made but a lot of the a lot of the blame doesn't lie with the candidates and -- with a party who didn't keep up with the kind of demographics we should be.
Not only attracting but people that we should give opportunity to you are right -- -- -- there person Brad thanks for helping us out tonight great conversation really appreciate it.
