Page 20 - Mark Haleprin News Today

Less expansionist, someone more in the mainstream would be comp compelling. >> where would people have gone if hes not in the race? hes taken a lot of votes. >> a lot of them wouldnt have voted. a lot of independents going in. i think as we go to new hampshire, i think its going to be fascinating. mark could rick santorum shock the political world in new hampshire talking about his blue collar roots? he is talking -- santorum geographically and i think demographically fits new hampshire better t...

Would be really unlikely for rick perry to come out and say, ive thought about it now, im going to still stay in this race. youre right when he said in the next 24 to 48 hours, he will most likely be goep gone. >> he still has $3.5 million hes not spent. all that support, ive got to believe, mark haleprin goes toward santorum. >> im not sure all of it does. south carolina, the primary there has been dominated by the establishment candidate. i think rick perry in south carolina was in some ways p...

Decided we dont need these anymore, and then, mark, mitt romney came out and gave his standard stump speech. >> theres irony here. he said at the top of the speech, i actually have some notes with me today. to speak from the heart he had to have notes because one of the ways hes failed as a candidate with a lot of success to do so well here, hes not been a disciplined speaker. he has great stories to tell, but on the stump he basically talks about -- >> he goes on for a long time. >> yes. he bro...

He shared his narrative, they saw themselves reflected in that narrative, and it came out last night -- and certainly over the last few days to the point where, you know, he was fighting tooth and nail. i kind of tweeted last night, you know, newt gingrich may be lucy, but charlie brown was definitely mitt romney. and guess who has the football? thats rick santorum. and thats a very, very interesting situation for both -- all three of those gentlemen. mitt romney cannot seem to break that 25% --...

Ill let you describe how you would describe it. for a state this size, to spend that number of dollars in negative ads aimed at one candidate is amazing. >> do you feel -- >> no, i feel romney voted. >> i think speaker gingrich announced he raised $10 million this quarter, he ought to be proud of that. were working hard to raise funds, as well. this is an election thats not being driven by money raised, its been driven by connection with the voters, debates, experience, and i think those are the...

Iowa. welcome back to "morning joe." were live at java joes. mark haleprin is still with us. and joining the set, we have national affairs editor for "new york" magazine and jon heilemann. >> theres too much profanity in television, thats the problem. >> the national republican national committee michael steele is with us. michael, lets get your take as a republican. how do you see iowa shaping up right now? after the register poll, which is usually dead on. >> yeah, you still have a significant...

However, do not reflect how quickly momentum is shifting in the gop field. the "des moines register" notes the order reshuffles and santorum beats out ron paul for second place. that reflects a volatile sense on the ground where over 40% of republican caucus goers say they could still be persuaded to change their mind. but when asked which candidate is most electable, romneys lead jumps to an overwhelming 48%. that is interesting. that reflects a little -- >> it does. there are a lot of things t...

Of people in the media have. that theyve looked apart from romney, none of them have looked plausible. you dont want to write that check until you think theres a guy who you think could be the nominee. romney who has looked like the plausible nominee for much of the year, and yet they look at him, he doesnt have that much money. romneys done fine, but not barack obama/hillary clinton level money and theyve looked at him and worries he has a glass jaw. youve had a lot of donors saying, you know, ...

Them, fantastic. if santorum slips by them, thats fine. he does not have the resources, organization to go forward. and if ron paul gets past them, its great. as long as they finish in the top two, feeling good about the road ahead. almost impossible to see how theyre not the nominee. and whats interesting, i know youre hearing this too, the other campaigns dont even dispute that. if you push other campaigns on -- if mitt romneys first or second, how is he not the nominee? theyre not going to gi...

Where were below 6%, the agriculture industry is going strong, we still have the same apprehensions that all americans do relative to the debt, relative to a private sector economy. those are the messages resinating with republican voters. >> mark haleprin, 1994, santorum got elected in pennsylvania, and everybody a year later dismissed it because it was 1994, you could elect somebody like me in 1994. i remember being in congress in 99, seeing santorum at an event, and everybody was whispering d...