plus, house democratic leader nancy pelosi on the president's re-election campaign. >> i think he should run against this do-nothing congress. and off the trail to give us a primary preview -- phil rucker of the "washington post" and neil king of the "wall street journal." i'm candy crowley, and this is "state of the union." ignoring the iowa caucuses, jon huntsman planted himself here in the granite state, holding events, answering questions, signing autographs, shaking thousands of hands -- the works. huntsman hopes to pull a santorum in new hampshire. that was the plan anyway when we talked to him three weeks ago. >> i'm putting you on early notice that we're going to win the new hampshire primary. >> at the moment, the best poll for jon huntsman shows him in a race for third. i spoke with him just before last night's debate and his prediction has changed slightly. >> we're going to do well. you try to forecast to the best of your ability based on the information you have. what holds true is the fact that we're going to beat market expectations. we don't have to win -- >> can i just stop you? i don't understand. i've heard you say that. tell me what the market expectations are. >> i don't know what they will be because you will set them. the pundits who are following the race, they will determine what the bar is that we must clear on tuesday. and wherever that political marketplace is set -- and everyone will know that, huntsman has to do thus and such to move on, we have to clear that hurdle when we wake up on wednesday. >> do you know that? >> i don't yet know what that is going to be. >> what i mean is do you know what your market expectation is? >> i know what i think we're capable of doing. >> which is? >> well. i can feel it on the ground. all you can do is your very best. we've been to all ten counties multiple times. we've got a terrific grassroots organization in place. we've got a message that is connecting with people. i feel the energy. you can look at the polls but they are a snapshot of various factors at a particular moment. you get one that says 8%, one that says 16%, all i can tell you is there is something on the ground that tells me that all of the work we've done -- 160-plus individual public events -- is going to pay off in the end and we're going to prove the point, candy, that grassroots politics still matters in a state like new hampshire. >> would it be safe to say that your motto at this point has to be either show big or go home? >> we have to show big. >> is that fair? >> we have to show big. you've got to move a market, make something happen in the early states to prove the point that you are electable, that the math can line up in your favor. and i believe that's going to happen right here. >> let me ask you about electability. you came home from your job as ambassador to china. boy, you were the "it" person. jon huntsman, he's going to come in and he will be so great. is this the republican party that you expected to be courting? >> i've always been a constant republican. i've worked for three republican presidents. i haven't varied or wavered. the republican party as a backdrop is going to change every now and again. we've had abraham lincoln's party. we've had teddy roosevelt's party. we've had eisenhower's party, nixon's party, reagan's party and beyond. it is always remaking itself based upon leadership, and we don't have a whole lot of leadership right now today, and i think that's part of the problem. so you get the ron paul foreign policy based on complete isolationism, you get the mitt romney foreign policy based upon the cold war mentality. i'm not sure either one of them is the way forward, and that's the reason this selection is so critically important, not only for the high stakes for the american people but for the definition of the republican party going forward. >> there is a saying there is no greater burden than high expectations. do you feel frustrated at all? >> no. because all you can do is your best. i have a message that i believe deeply in about the two deficits that plague us most -- the economic deficit, the debt we're about to hand down to the next generation, which is toxic. it is a national security problem. and the trust deficit. because people no longer trust their institutions of power or their elected officials. and i say that's probably as corrosive and the economic deficit we face. i feel deeply about it. i've worked every single angle. my wife mary kay has worked every angle. our kids are in it. everyone's having a great time. we feel that we've worked every possible angle and approach to being honest and sincere at who we are. >> are you completely comfortable in this republican party in its current permutation? by that i mean the tea party conservatives and the ron paul faction. are you completely comfortable? >> i am comfortable that i'm at the center of gravity for the republican party. i proved that when i was governor of a very conservative state. i was re-elected with almost 80% of the vote. and it proved to me that it isn't as much about party, it is about leadership. we got republicans, we got independents. i won more democratic votes than my democratic opponent. not because i'm -- >> that's not a huge selling point, by the way, as you know, in the primaries. >> but here's the point. people want leadership. they don't want party orthodoxy exclusively. that's got to drive the core of somebody, that consistency, but leadership at the end of the day that's going to prove to people that we can have a new and a better tomorrow, that's what's important. that's not only what's lacking in washington and why there's no trust in the system, but right now i fear it is lacking in politics generally. >> governor huntsman, i'm going to ask you to stick with me for a minute. we're going to take a quick break, and when we come back we'll try to get the governor's take on his competition. you tell us what you want to pay, and we give you a range of coverages to choose from. who is she? 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[ powers down ] uh-oh, flobot is broken. the "name your price" tool, only from progressive. call or click today. welcome back. governor, you want to end corporate subsidies, cut regulations, lower taxes, do more on energy development, repeal president obama's health care plan. differentiate yourself from mitt romney. what is the single biggest policy difference you have with the front-runner? >> trust. >> you don't think he's trustworthy? >> i didn't say that. i said he's morphed himself so many times that for many of the voters i think they'll find during an election based on trust they'll have a hard time getting a bead on where his core is. you run for the senate as a liberal. you run for governor as a moderate. you run for president as a conservative. where are you at the end of the day? that's a legitimate question that people have. >> if mitt romney should win this, would you be able to trust him as the republican candidate? >> oh, sure, i'll support the republican nominee. you'll do everything you can. that's what you do when all is said and done. >> i want you to look at some of the other folks that are -- you share the stage with them since this summer. had a chance kind of to size up their policies and personalities. newt gingrich. is -- does he have what it takes to become president? differentiate yourself from him. >> i'm not a washington insider. he would carry some baggage because of his k street affiliation. again, at a point in time where trust is so critically important, i believe the american people are looking at somebody -- for somebody who can stand up to congress, who isn't from that culture. >> he's pretty tough. >> that's a liability. other than that, newt is a thoughtful, smart man. i respect the revolution that he left -- that he led as speaker of the house. it was a big part of my generation growing up. i mean he was the most prominent republican in the country and one of the top leaders anywhere in the nation at the time. he led it by force of ideas. and i have high regard for where he has been and what he has done. >> do you think he's too tainted to become president? >> we'll let the voters decide. >> you don't want to take a position on that? >> i don't want to take a position on that because i tend to see the good in people and newt, to me, is a distinguished public servant. he's made his fair share of enemies, even within the very institution in which he served. but i have to say, when you look back at his track record, he was bold and he was revolutionary and at a time when this nation needed it, he led out. >> what about rick santorum? >> i don't know rick well, but i give him high marks for being consistent in his approach to infusing a moral ethic into ordinary economic policy. most people don't take that approach. i respect his consistency there. >> and ron paul. >> ron paul is another one who has been consistent, although i believe his ideology is not where the american people are at all. i think the idea that you can be -- >> why is he doing so well? >> you do well with 15% for three election cycles running. he's done very well with 15% consistently over and over again. it is breaking out of the 15% that i believe we're at the extreme end of the political spectrum. it is interesting how he brings them both together, whether it is a sense of isolationism or whether it is legalizing drugs, he brings a lot of the extreme ends of the political spectrum together, which to my mind means that he is not electable in the end. that doesn't mean i don't like him. i respect him for what he's done. he's led a charge that he believes in and anyone who's willing to do that i have high regard for. >> you would vote for him if it were him versus president obama? >> his isolationism during a time when iran is on the ascent, during a time when the world is more in need of america's values, of liberty and democracy and human rights and free markets, i would have a very, very tough time with. >> so you might -- you could pull the lever for a democrat. >> well, i don't think that will even be a possibility. >> you want to pull it for yourself. i understand. >> that's tired rhetoric. i'm not even going to try that one. but these are all hypotheticals, and to say that ron paul will get to the finish line is just not a reality. >> what about rick perry? what's your take on him? >> rick is a good man, and he's a personal friend. we worked together as governors. he has a lot to add to this nation because of his economic development track record and his ability to manage fairly effectively a large and complicated state. i think he's in it for another state or two to see how things go in south carolina. his base is going to be split by santorum. there is no doubt about that. but i think he wants to give it one last shot to see how things go. and then we'll have to see. >> nary a discouraging word for you except on ron paul which is interesting to me. >> well, the isolationism is part -- and i think a lot of other americans have hard time with. we agree on afghanistan. i want to get out of afghanistan. i think we've done everything that we can do in afghanistan. i want to recognize it for what it is as a counterterror challenge, not a counterinsurgency opportunity. but other than that, we part company on most other international issues. >> governor huntsman, we going to see you in south carolina? >> i fully intend to be in south carolina with a head of steam. >> thank you so much. >> thanks, candy. it is a pleasure to be with you. thank you. next, front-runner mitt romney emerges from last night's debate as -- well, as a front-runner. we'll bring you the highlights. and later, nancy pelosi on her former house colleague, newt gingrich. >> read the public record and that's all you need to do about newt gingrich. >> you think that disqualifies him or should disqualify him? can you enjoy vegetables with sauce and still reach your weight loss goals? you can with green giant frozen vegetables. over twenty delicious varieties have sixty calories or less per serving and are now weight watchers-endorsed. try green giant frozen vegetables with sauce. it'll cause cavities, bad breath. patients will try and deal with it by drinking water. water will work for a few seconds but if you're not drinking it, it's going to get dry again. i recommend biotene. all the biotene products like the oral rinse...the sprays have enzymes in them. the whole formulation just works very well. it leaves the mouth feeling fresh. if i'm happy with the results and my patients are happy with the results, i don't need to look any farther. turns out front-runner mitt romney was not the main target in last night's abc debate. instead, the event had the feel of a semi-final, a fight for the right to take on romney. ron paul went at just about everyone, including iowa's almost-winner rick santorum. >> well, it was a quote somebody did make a survey. i think he came out as one of the top corrupt individuals because he took so much money from the lobbyists, but really what the whole -- there it goes again. >> it caught you not telling the truth, ron. >> what really counts is his record. i mean, he's a big government big spending individual. >> the group that called me corrupt was a group called crew. if you haven't been sued by crew, you're not a conservative. it is a ridiculous charge. and you should know better than to cite george soros-like organizations to say they are corrupt. >> i think people who don't serve when they could and they get three or four, even five deferments aren't -- they have no right to send our kids off to war and not be even against the wars that we have. >> my father was in fact serving in vietnam in the delta at the time he's referring to. i think i have a pretty good idea of what it is like as a family to worry about your father getting killed and i personally resent the kind of comments and aspersions he routinely makes without accurate information and then just slurs people with. >> unscathed and pretty much unbothered, romney was able to pick and choose his own fight. >> we have a president that does not understand in his heart, in his bones the nature of american entrepreneurialism, innovation and work. >> i think that's a good message and i agree with him. little bit harsh on president obama, who i'm sure in his desperate efforts to create a radical european socialist model, is sincere. >> when we come back, surrogates for the romney and gingrich campaigns join us with a debate review and their expectations for tuesday. to see it through. today, while our work continues, i want to update you on the progress: bp has set aside 20 billion dollars to fund economic and environmental recovery. we're paying for all spill- related clean-up costs. and we've established a 500 million dollar fund so independent scientists can study the gulf's wildlife and environment for ten years. thousands of environmental samples from across the gulf have been analyzed by independent labs under the direction of the us coast guard. i'm glad to report all beaches and waters are open for everyone to enjoy. and the economy is showing progress with many areas on the gulf coast having their best tourism seasons in years. i was born here, i'm still here and so is bp. we're committed to the gulf for everyone who loves it, and everyone who calls it home. joining me here in manchester, john sununu, former governor of new hampshire and a romney supporter, and bob walker, a former u.s. congressman who's advising the gingrich campaign. thank you both, gentlemen. big debate last night. not a lot of fireworks aimed at mitt romney, so it seems to me that this is a nod in the direction of he really is the front-runner and this is all about can anybody challenge him. would you agree with that summation of what happened? >> they're all challenging him. that's what the process is all about. mitt romney's going a step at a time, recognizing it is going to be a long slog. although new hampshire is the most important step in that long slog -- >> thank you, governor. >> but really and truly, anyone who thinks this is going to end quickly and early is mistaken. >> i would agree with that. i think that in new hampshire, that mitt romney is certainly the front-runner. i think that there are a lot of people vying for the number two and three slots, again, in new hampshire. but clearly there are high expectations for governor romney here in new hampshire, and so part of this selection is going to be measured by those expectations. >> let me talk about this spin that's coming out. whenever you are losing badly, you move from saying i'm trying to win to lowering expectations. to me, the reference point for what you can do in the new hampshire primary was the bush-dole campaign. i ran the bush campaign in '88. bush beats dole 38-29. it was virtually a two-man race. and we had a great campaign, got up to 38%. this is six or seven people -- actually eight or nine major ones still on the ballot, including the ones that dropped out. that's the reference point that you're going to get somewhere, i think, in the middle 30s and you're going to win hopefully by eight, nine -- >> lowering expectations. but there's people in the 40s. >> why should it be any significantly different than the bush-dole margin structure that occurred then? >> but the fact is that the expectations of a lot of the new hampshire polls that i'm talking to is that he should be in the 40s in new hampshire, and the other fact is that right now we see, for instance, newt gingrich moving up into the latest poll and we see romney moving down a little bit. it is closing up. and that will be a factor in what the final determination will be. >> it always closes up, and that's the whole point. what you're getting is the spin of the losers trying to salvage something out of the new hampshire first in the nation primary. >> the fact is that everybody came in to new hampshire recognizing that if mitt romney would happen to finish second in new hampshire, it would be a disaster for his campaign. so everybody else is in fact finding a way to jockey for position. we'll see when we move from here. john believes that this is going to be a long slog. i believe this is going to be a long slog. >> i believe it is going to end in florida. do you all say you think it is going to be a long -- i mean i understand that the delegates -- getting the delegates out there will take a while because every state has delegates and has a different process. but the fact of the matter is, if somebody's going to come out of here looking fairly strong as the not-romney candidate -- correct? >> that could be. it is not clear exactly how that will sort out because to some of that is already sorting out on the ground in south carolina. >> in south carolina. so south carolina then becomes the next battlefield and you go there and you find the conservative alternative to mitt. then it is solved in florida. what's wrong with that scenario? >> it's going to be a long slog. it is going to go well past florida. >> i'm not certain it is going to go a good ways past florida, i'm not sure it isn't going to go a long ways past florida, because i think there is an opportunity in both south carolina and florida to have fairly close races in both of those places. which carries the campaign forward for some time. >> isn't it really a representation of, you know, people trying to overspin this process that we're spending all this time talking about how important a small margin differential might be? we ought to be talking about issues. we ought to be talking about the fact that the republican party has got a bunch of fair