a way you you have never seen the romneys before. i'm shannon bream. thanks for watching fox. stay with us all week from tampa and coverage of the rnc captioned by closed captioning services, inc. >> chris: i'm chris wallace reporting from the republican national convention in tampa where a big storm and mitt romney are the two top stories. in a "fox news sunday" exclusive we will is sit down with the governor on the campaign trail to discuss the issues and what he needs to do at the convention. >> if voters take away one thing from your big acceptance speech on thursday night, what do you want that to be? >> chris: then, we get a rare look behind the scenes with the romneys at their summer home in new hampshire. you will hear about the romney olympics. what goes on at the kitchen table. and the roll mrs. romney plays in the campaign. >> do you give your husband advice?

>> not on policy. >> chris: do you give advice on strategy? >> poor mitt. he gets advice from everybody, even me. >> i was going to say i didn't know she didn't give advice on politics. >> chris: it is all only on "fox news sunday." plus, are the latest on the state of the presidential race. we'll ask our sunday panel about the gop's big week in tampa and how the obama campaign plans to respond. all right now on "fox news sunday." >> chris: and hello again from fox news in tampa. site of the republican national convention. we are coming to you today from our sky box in the tampa bay times forum where the convention was supposed to start monday. but a dangerous storm named isaac headed this way has changed those plans. the republicans canceled the first day of the convention and squeezed this into a three day event starting tuesday and there may be more changes. joining us now the head of the

republican national committee, reince priebus. what is the latest on isaac and how hard is it going to hit tampa? >> we don't think it it will be that bad in tampa but the residual effects of the driving wind and rain we had to make a decision that put safety first out of the abundance of caution. here are a couple of things that caused the decision. we couldn't be assured a safe travel pass with the huge buses over the bridges between clearwater and tampa. that was the first thing. the second thing is the secret service took down the tents in front of the forum. people would be standing in line in driving rain. once those two things started to come to fruition we had to make a decision. >> chris: this could be a hurricane bearing down on the gulf coast on tuesday on louisiana and alabama and mississippi. four years ago your party canceled a convention you were a thousand miles away in minnesota because you didn't think it looked appropriate to

be partying and politicking while fellow americans were in it trouble. could you conceivably have to cancel tuesday as well? >> i doubt that, chris. i think that the show is going to go on and we will get the business done at the rnc and nominate mitt romney and paul ryan. this was done out of the abundance of caution for our delegates and guests here in tampa. >> chris: just to press this, if this storm isaac is bearing down on the gulf coast or hitting the gulf coast you would go ahead with the convention and tuesday? >> we have to take it as it comes. we will be nimble and do the right inning. safety first and obviously make sure that everyone no matter where you are is safe. n. this storm. >> chris: but the disposition is go ahead? >> we are moving forward. and but we going to be nimble and make sure that we are smart and we are making the decisions that i think are wise for our party and our nominee. >> chris: what does this do to the romney campaign if this convention is shrunk as it certainly will be to three days

and possibly to two days? >> i don't think so. i think we will be able to have a great convention and tell the mitt romney story and prosecute obama on promises made and promises delivered. we are not where we need to be. we have to fire obama and save this country. we will make the case but make the mitt romney case as well. >> chris: monday was going to be the contrast day when you really went after barack obama. are you going to be able to squeeze that in? >> we will squeeze that in. most of the messaging that we will put out on monday will be able to be put it in on tuesday, wednesday and thursday. >> chris: it wasn't your decision to hold this convention it was your predecessor michael steele. any second thoughts about holding a convention in florida during the middle of hurricane season? >> i don't think so. to his defense we have had conventions in miami, new orleans, houston, i mean charlotte is in the path. new york could be in a hurricane path. i don't think so. i think that this is a great place to be. we are are excited about being here in tampa and winning florida in november. >> chris: thank you for coming in and thank you for the

update. we will all be standing by to see what isaac has in store for us this week. >> you bet. >> chris: now, to our big interviews. in a few minutes we will give you a rare look at life inside the family and our surprisingly candid talk with mitt and ann romney. first we caught up with the governor late this week on the campaign trail in michigan. >> governor, welcome back to "fox news sunday." >> thanks, chris. good to be with you. >> chris: what do you hope to achieve over this next week in tampa? >> i would like people to stand back and say what are the big issues that america faces and what are the answers that i have and that paul ryan has for the issues that we face. and i believe that if people stand back and consider all that america has to deal with going forward they will recognize that we are the only team that has answers for these challenges. and they are big and bold answers. america needs that kind of help at a time when so many people are out of work or underemployed or having a hard time making ends meet.

>> chris: if voters take away one thing from your big acceptance speech on thursday night, what do you want that to be? >> that i believe in america and in the american people. that i believe that this nation is unique and exceptional and that we have everything we need to continue to lead the in prosperity and in peace. >> chris: in the wake of congressman todd akin's comments last sunday the obama campaign is, once again, attacking republicans for what they call the so-called war on women. now, i know that you you have an economic argument about jobs and opportunity but i would like you to deal with the social issues aspect of this specifically. how do you answer the obama charge that they offer more support, more choice to women when it comes to abortion or rape or birth control or women's healthcare? >> well, first of all with regards to women's healthcare look i'm the guy that was able to get healthcare for all of the women and men in my state.

they are just talking about it at the federal level. we actually did something and did it without cutting medicare and without raising taxes. number one. number two. >> chris: you are saying look at romney care. >> i'm very proud of what we did and the fact that we helped women and men and children in our state. number two -- and did it without cutting medicare which obviously affects a lot of women the way the president cut medicare 7 $716 billion for current retirees is a real problem. and then with regard to contraceptives we realize that people should have a right to use contraceptives, no validity to the obama effort to try and bring that up. with regards to the issue abortion men women have alternative views of that and we look at that and recognize that different people reached different conclusions. but it is not just men who think one way. women also in many cases are prolife. there are two lives at stake.

the unborn child and the mom and i care for both of them. >> chris: according to the polls there is a gender gap. you lead the president among men. he leads you among women. specifically, how much do you think congressman akin's remark about "legitimate rape" hurts you? >> i think it was a terrible statement on his part. i think it was uninformed. i think it was outrageous and offensive. i asked him to get out of the race. i think i have distanced myself from the kind of thing he said as far as i possibly can. he was wrong and obvious it is being used by democrats to try and cast a shadow on our entire party and it is not. leaders of our party have patriotic at the much unanimously said -- pretty much unanimously said mr. akin get out of the race. you said something which is highly offensive. >> democrats are running ads and looks like your campaign logo except it is romney, ryan

akin? >> it really is sad with all of the issues america faces for the obama campaign to continue to stoop to such a low level. they understand and they are wise enough to understand that people like myself who have asked todd akin to get out of the race are doing so because we vehemenly disagree with what he said. it hurts our party and is damaging to women. >> chris: let's run through a few issues. you say the president is raiding medicare and that you would restore the $716 billion that he teaks out of medicare to pay for obama care. but the medicare trustees say if you do that, that part of medicare, the hospital trust fund starts to run out of money in 2016 instead of 2024. now, your big reform, the premium support doesn't kick in for another decade. how would you keep medicare solvent when it starts to run out of money in just four

years. >> replacing obama care and the things i will replace obama care with will hold down the costs of healthcare. i'm not just getting rid of onshore care i'm replacing it. one thing for sure cutting medicare for current seniors by $716 billion is not being done to save medicare. it is being done to pay for obama care and restoreing that medicare does not makee does it less solvent. it makes it more solvent. >> chris: give a specific example of what you would do to. >> the three years. >> the four years. >> specifically what is going to happen in the four years? >> chris: yes. >> you are asking for my plan for healthcare. it indicates a whole series of things. one is to have individuals be able to purchase their own insurance and do so on a tax advantaged basis. two is make sure. >> chris: but i'm talking about medicare. >> if you take action that helps bring down the cost of healthcare and slow down health

inflation that helps medicare. >> chris: you accuse the president of running an angry and desperate campaign and even used the phrase a campaign of hate. the president this week said look, i have pointed out the differences between us on policy. where do you see a campaign of hate? well, when the president accuses me of being a felon or his staff does and he doesn't distance from that. a pac which says i'm responsible for someone's death and he won't distance himself from that. i would suggest that is a campaign of anger and divisiveness. his whole campaign has been about dividing the american people. between the haves and have notes. one location versus another. this is one street versus another street. that is the kind of divisiveness that i think americans recognize and one of the reasons that his campaign despite spending massively more

than our campaign that his campaign hasn't gained the traction that he would have expected. i think people have seen this kind of character assassination and divisiveness as being different than the campaign of hope and change he ran on originally. >> chris: the obama campaign so far has spent over a half billion dollars and doesn't include the outside groups and super pacs. mrs. romney says if you are elected you would like to begin to get the huge amount of money, obscene op amounts of my back out of politics and would consider accepting federal matching funds in four years. is that true? >> absolutely. this president candidate obama was the first are post wateris gate candidate for president who said he was going to push aside the federal spending limits and to be competitive we are following suit but i would

far rather have a setting where we both agree to the federal spending limits. what he has done means that inth of us have to spend an order nate amount of time fund raising. remarkable to me the more liberal voices fighting for campaign reform for decades had almost nothing to say when their candidate was the one who blew up the campaign finance achievements made over the past decade or so. >> chris: you have take and lot of heat about tax returns and i want to ask you one specific questions about that. you have been running for president for almost eight years and the question is is why didn't you years ago some where over the last eight years go to the people running your blind trust and say to them, let's get out of the swiss bank accounts and get out of the investments in the cayman islands even if it means we to

pay more taxes so we can clear the decks politically? >> first of all, there was no reduction, not one dollar reduction in taxes by virtue of having an account in switzerland or cayman islands. there was no tax savings at all. and the conduct of the trustee and making investments was entirely consistent with u.s. law and the taxes paid were those legally owed and there was is no tax savings by visit too of those entities. >> chris: why not go to them and say get out of those things? >> don't invest in anything outside the united states? i don't know whether a trust -- i mean i could have said don't make any investments in foreign companies or foreign bonds or foreign currency, only u.s. entities. by the way, don't buy any foreign products, don't have in i japanese tvs or foreign cars. i could have done that but i did live my he life and i expect that by virtue of disclosing all these things people can teak a look at it

and see whether that is something they are comfortable with or not. i'm not going to try and hide who i am and try and manipulate my life to try and avoid the truth. >> chris: what do you make of this talk? i can't say it is all this talk but there is certainly some about the cayman islands and the swiss bank accounts. >> i understand that is what the democrats and the obama people will do. again, their campaign is not about the big issues that america faces. their campaign is not about the fact that you have 23 million people out of work and half the kids coming out of college can't find work. their campaign is trying to find something so say gee, he had a swiss bank account which apparently was done by the blind trustee. i had no involve innocent in this. some currencies, u.s. current issues and some in foreign ken currency. that tends to be something which investors do. but they are trying to make that seem like it is an unsavory action and frankly all the taxes paid exactly as owed and no tax savings by visit too

of having that vehicle. >> chris: finally you are about to become the republican nominee for president. one step away from the oval office. your beloved father george romney tried for this. didn't make it. you have tried for 8 years. i want to ask you on a personal basis, not political but personal how do you feel? what are your thoughts as you take a very, very big step? >> chris, you may find this hard to believe but this for me is not about me or about what this means for me or for our family. this is not an ego ride for me. i'm real did really concernedt america and i think this president is weakening america in fundamental ways and a lot of people are suffering for this now and that over the coming decade the decisions he is making will cause a lot more people to suffer. i will look at this at a responsibility and privilege. it is an oner to be the nominee

of my party but this is about an opportunity to get america on track again. and that is what i'm thinking about. can i win this thing and be successful in replacing president obama. if i can i want to mix sure that we get the country back on track. for me i'm focused on not letting down the millions of people, literally millions now, who have endorsed my effort and sent checks in to help me campaign. i feel an enormous responsibility. i don't feel ebullient with aren't i great for having got in. i feel like wow a lot of people are counting on me and hoping i will be able to win and get america back on track again. >> one last swing at the personal side of this. i take your point. have you been thinking a lot about your dad recently and what would he say? >> i always think about my dad and my mom for that matter. i think a lot about them. and you know i'm drafting a convention speech. and thinking about the kinds of things my dad would say if he had the chance to offer that

speech. and i mean i -- i think like most guys who have lost their mom and dad we think about them a lot. i think about them when i pray. i think about them in the day time. >> chris: what do you think he would say about you having taken this step that he was unable to and being the republican nominee? >> he gave some advice to the new governor of michigan john engler years ago and i heard him give it to many people which is be bold. don't worry about what people think. just be bold and get the job done. that is the advice he would give me. >> chris: thank you and have a great week in tampa. >> thanks, chris. >> chris: up next, a side of mitt and an romney you you have never seen with their family at their summer home in new hampshire as we ten from tampa, florida, site of the republican national convention. [ female announcer ] need help keeping your digestive balance?

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>> chris: and we are back now in the fox news sky box at the tampa bay times forum. one of mitt romney's biggest problems is the perception pushed by the obama campaign he is out of touch. and doesn't understand what many american families are going through. earlier this week the romneys invited us to their new hampshire vacation spot. opening their home to cameras for the first time in this campaign. the romney's summer home is a beautiful place right on the shore of the lake. the first thing we notice was a sign next to the front door the boys gave their parents some place back. bed and breakfast, ann and mitt romney hosts. >> inside they were making mrs. romney's trademark buttermilk pancakes. she prepares the batter and he

cooks them. >> i know it is a little early. i'm taking a look. honestly is this the first time you have done this in your life? >> chris: everything in the house is a family affair. they designed the island in the kip one a hole in it so the grand children can join in. >> there is sometimes as many as 6 in there at one time and they can work as well and make sandwiches or do whatever they can and i stand here and i'm the orchestra leader. >> kind of a short order cook, aren't you? >> she had to make two different types of batter. >> what do your grand kids call you? >> papa. >> and cakes papa. >> and mrs. romney? >> is mamie. for a blessed while we were ike and mamie. >> as a joke. >> chris: the governor served up the pa pancakes and that

started the first don't veronica moser i of the day. >> a real maple sire run we can. >> sure he is. >> this is new hampshire maple syrup. >> well, is there any other kind? >> yes, there is. there is vermont. >> but vermont isn't a wing state. >> and new hampshire is. >> maple syrup was any state isn't what the governor wanted. >> are you putting peanut butter on my buttermilk pancakes. >> and i can put them on chris'. >> i decided to get that you sticky subject by quickly eating my pan kicks. >> that is good. >> yummy, isn't it? >> sensational. what else are you going to say? >> i know. >> that is their oldest son tad there with his wife jen and their kids. >> what are family meals like? >> a little bit of craziness. dad always goes to the line first because he doesn't want to wait for all of the grand children. it takes forever. the parents cutting the meat and serving everything up and he is usually finished by the

time the rest of us sit down. >> but he starts on the dishes. >> he gets an early start on the dishes. >> chris: talk around the table is usually about family and sports not politics and they save the really serious stuff for night time after the kids go to bed. >> the family room. and all sit around and we begin by taking one couple and saying let's talk about your life and the decisions you have and everybody offers their advice. >> chris: do you like having your prents and your brothers and your sisters involved? like having them all weigh in on your lives? >> we are careful with what issues we bring forward. >> chris: the romneys hold a family reunion one weekend each summer. the parents and five sons and their wives and 18 grand children. the chore wheel. the kids versus too make their beds, brush their teeth and read scripture. the sons and their lives net to clean up.

>> cleaning the three area and sweeping the floors and kitchen duty cleaning up. this changes every day by one motion and everybody gets a different job. >> chris: i notice what is con spicconspicuously missing heres mitt and ann. >> we are involved in all of the above. sit down it was time to sit with the governor and mrs. romney. the polls show a lot of people still don't have a good fix on him. mrs. romney, your son says you are the great mitt stabilizer and you have said that sometimes you feel you have to talk him off the rails. when do you bring out the stabilizer and what is it you do? >> well, you know, mitt can get intense sometimes. and maybe people don't recognize that but there is also times when is just my stabilizer, too. works both ways. >> we talk it out. >> it is not anything specific that i do. it is just being around each

other. i think just being around each other gives us a sense of security and serenity and peace and all those good things that just happen just by being together. >> i think she has an intuitive sense in looking at people and considering individuals as to which people are telling us the straight story, which people are a bit phoney. she has a sense of how other people might feel about something. >> chris: let's talk about your role in the campaign and what your role would be in the white house. do you give your husband advice? >> not on policy. >> do you give advice on strategy and staff? >> poor mitt. he gets advice from everybody. even me. >> i was going to say i didn't know she didn't give advice on politics. [ laughter ] >> i might weigh in on that too, sometimes. >> ann is really good at seeing things in ways others don't see them and being able to provide that openly to me and i value it very highly. she is -- she has been my best friend obviously and my

counselor throughout my life. >> chris: you do disagree on some issues? >> are you going to ask me which ones? i'm not going to tell you. >> chris: can you give me one? >> no. >> chris: why not? >> because i think we have to have a united front on that area. >> chris: let's talk about planned parenthood. you have had serious health problems back in the '90s you you gave some money to planned parenthood. what do you think of your husband's policy to cut off federal funding for planned parenthood? >> i think that it is important that distinction be is made that it is federal funding and doesn't mean there is not going to be a planned parenthood. he and paul are going to get to washington and they are going to balance this budget and going to -- there is going to be cuts made to a lot of programs people aren't going to like and it is just what the reality of the situation is right now. we are going to have to face some tough choices. >> i think planned parent hhood given the fact that it is a

major provider of abortions shouldn't be receiving federal funding. i think it should be receiving funding from people who want to contribute and support the effort of breast exams and so forth but i don't think it as responsibility of the federal government to be providing money to planned parenthood. >> chris: mrs. romney, there is a perception among many voters that this fellow is out of touch. how do you help people feel his compassion that for lack of a better phrase he feels their pain? >> i wish everyone could see him how i see him. as a mother, i have seen how compassionate he has been with me as a wife and raising these small children and how he always valued miwok a my my wos being more important than his. >> chris: how about for all of the folks out there struggling? >> i think that is why we are running. when talk to fund raising

groups i see everyone looks like they are doing pretty well here. we are not running for you. we are running for the folks really worried about how they are going to have a paycheck or worried about how they will be able to afford to educate their children. that is what we are running for. we are not running to make your lives easier. >> chris: governor you does it bother you that according to the polls people don't like you more or is that not important? >> you know, all i can do is be who i am. remember that pop eye line i am what i am and that is all what i am. i'm doing my best to get the country waco on track to help the people who need to be sure that they can find a good job and have a secure retirement and that their child will get the kind of education their child needs. these are things people worry about and i know how to make those things happen and that is why i'm in the race. >> chris: governor let me ask you a lightning round of in or out of touch questions. do you go to the grocery store?

>> yes. >> chris: you act like i'm an idiot asking that. >> when i was really, really sick and this is where i think people need to understand where mitt comes from. i was unable to do anything in a normal life, i wouldn't go to the grocery store or cook dinner or anything. this was during the time mitt was running the olympics and putting in long hours. he would come home on his way home he would stop at the grocery store and he was making dinner. he was doing all of those things and saying ann it's okay you are fine, don't worry about these things, that is not we i love you because you go to the store and make dinner, i love you because i love you not what you do. >> chris: mrs. romney i notice there is no staff here. no cooks. no mas. >> no. >> chris: why not? >> you mow, mitt and i are pretty independent. is that is how we like it. like to do our own things. i think mitt ironed his own shirt this morning. i notice he was doing the laundry last night. >> chris: i also hear from pie sources that you have an

unhealthy attraction to costco. >> we both love costco. i love croftco. >> chris: why? >> it's great. have you ever been to. >> chris: i love costco. i'm in touch. >> you go in the door. i don't want everyone to learn this trick. goo in the door and take a sharp right and go down to the back of the store and just go -- just shop the outside of the aisles boom, booming boom. >> also got me one of these three packs of shirts from costco. >> he is bering them all the time now. i'm like that looks good. i got it at costco. >> chris: what are the romney olympics? >> in the summer time the boys and daughters in law and i get together. a swimming component and running component and biking component. >> that deteriorated over time. >> this year we went down to. >> it is when mitt started getting beaten by the daughters

in law. >> chris: i heard an ugly rumor when you started losing the physical competition you started adding old guy events like nail hammering. >> he still comes in last, it doesn't matter. >> true you. >> chris: the romneys took us outside. mrs. romney helped two-year-old johnny with his shoes. the governor showed off a new trick tag's dog just learn. >> is this where the romney olympics take place. >> right here is the site of the lumber jack events. this is the sawing and hammering and over there on to the little awning there is the pullup contest. we throw the footballs at the trees. have to hit each of the trees to get full points. >> chris: looks like a summer camp with a beach volleyball court and trampoline and dock filled with boats. the patrol boat anchored just off shore and reminds you this man may soon be president. >> i sure hope so.

i'm planning on it. a critical time for the country and the things i learned over my life and the people that i learned to work with i think are the kind of people we need to get the country on track. >> chris: earlier i asked the governor about that from a more personal perspective. >> as you hit here on the verge of becoming the republican nominee for president what does this woman mean to you and what role has she played in your journey, where you are now and where you may be soon? >> at the beginning i just loved her. now, she is much more than just the person i love. also the person that i really live for. ann is my counselor. my friend. my inspiration but also the person that i love. if i have any time available and people say what would you like to do. the thing i would like to do is be with ann and do something together. >> chris: not a bad guy, is he? >> that is pretty good. >> chris: the romneys have been taking their grandchildren on the campaign trail with them.

a couple of months ago, four-year-old nate asked papa, have you beaten barack obama yet? the governor had to tell his grandson not yet. up next, our sunday group joins us here in the fox news sky box to talk about the weather. and what mitt romney needs to do in tampa. ♪ forz(power!) andiamo! andiamo! (let's go! let's go!) avanti! avanti! (keep going! keep going!) hahaha...hahahaha! you know ronny, folks who save hundreds of dollars by switching to geico sure are happy. and how happy are they jimmy? happier than christopher columbus with speedboats. that's happy! get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

this is a president who says one thing and can't deliver. it is finally time to get a president who can do what he actually says he will do. [ cheers and applause ] >> chris: mitt romney in ohio saturday making the case we will hear often here in tampa. that he, not president obama, is the right man to lead the country the next four years. it is time to welcome our sunday group you to the fox

news sky box. bill kristol of the weekly standard. kir is sten powers. former governor mike huckabee host of huckabee and fox news political analyst juan williams. bill we have to start with the weather, the business storm isaac which forced the cancellation of at least the first day of the convention and i think conceivably although reince priebus says no and i think conceivable by a second day if it is bad enough on the gulf coast. what does that do? >> i think it is fine. the first day was the obama bashing day and honestly that is pointless at this point. the voters who have seen president obama for four years made up their mind on the successes and failures and romney campaign has to use the convention to make the case for mitt romney and paul ryan. since monday was mostly about obama i'm just as happy that it is gone. >> chris: we will talk to one of the speakers. >> i was going say seriously.

>> and that is a special reason. >> there you go. >> chris: we'll get to the governor in it a second. seems whether it is three days or whatever that mitt romney and the romney campaign have a lot they need to do this week in tampa. they have to appeal to women. they have to reach out to hispanics, most importantly, they have got to convince the middle class voters that they understand them and care about them. can they do that in a week in tampa? >> yes, because i think the most important speech is actually ann romney's speech in terms of dealing with the likability issue in terms of dealing with do you care with people like me which are both areas where mitt romney is polling behind obama though he is polling ahead of obama on can you handle the i can. what theeconomy. they need to show that side of him like we just saw in an interview. but to have ann romney really be able to describe the man that she knows and kind of humanize him i think is is one of the most important things. >> chris: governor as we

pointed out so rudely by mr. kristol. >> incredibly rudely. >> you you were supposed to address the convention monday night. >> yes. >> chris: do you know if you are going to speak and if so what night and what is it the romney campaign wants you to do? >> first of all, i don't know if i will be speaking. i offered if they need the time for other people i'm he totally okay with that. >> chris: you have three hours a day in your syndicated radio show. >> that is exactly right and there are other people who don't have that so i understand. i don't know if we will be incorporated into the other nights. the night was going to be a positive one. it was going to be we can do better. we need to show there is a fundamental difference in the way that these two men approach this country, its problems and its solutions and i don't think that is being negative. i think that is being honest. the whole idea that we can do better is an optimistic positive hopeful message. i hope the message gets incorporated even if my speech doesn't. >> chris: i have to follow-up. you are one of the very few

republican notables in this country at this point who is defending todd akin the congressman who made the remark about legitimate rape. i understand loyalty. but isn't todd akin toxic. >> i'm not defending what todd akin said. that. that is indefensible. he repudiated his statement. it was factually and medically wrong and he has admitted that. my point was not to say that was no big deal. my issue was you had so many republicans who distanced himself from him over a comment he made when i think of all of the republicans who have done foolish and ridiculous things and you haven't seen that kind of backlash. >> isn't it still toxic for romney? >> nobody likes it when someone makes a gaffe. it is not a good thing and you have to deal with it.

everybody can deal with it by distancing them from the comment but you don't wipe out a person's entire life and career. the point is it is a great opportunity i think, chris, not to talk about todd akin. the real issue is let's contrast the difference between any republican, mitt romney, anybody, and barack obama's record on abortion which is so far to the left of most democrats. he three times as an illinois senator voted against a bill that would require medical treatment for a baby that was born alive from a botched abortion. he supports partial birth abortion. he wouldn't take a stand against gender selection abortion. is radical and worth talking about. >> chris: juan, what are you looking towards this week? >> i think we are here in florida, chris and i think it is very important that you understand the importance of the hispanic vote to mitt romney and the republican fortunes. right here in the i-4 corridor between tampa and orlando that is where i think this election will be decided in this state

with 27 i think it is electoral votes. it is critical that he start to reach out and spread a message and brand the party. at this moment the party is branded unfortunately for the party by people like akin and extremists in the tea party. that is the dynamic driving this party. the question is what does mitt romney stand for? what is his brand? you see the moderate flip flopper as some said in the republican primaries or is he now and the reason they selected h him i think is he going to be able to appeal to people more toward the middle and say this is a real alternative to barack obama. >> chris: governor, do you want to answer juan's question? >> i think mitt romney has a strong message. the biggest thing people are concerned about, are they going to have a job. a lot of people don't have jobs. their houses are underwater. this state in florida an unusually high percentage of people lost their homes or on the verge of losing their homes. they want to know can somebody step up and manage the crisis and when they look at the record of these two gentleman it is obviously has the

experience and know-how and will to manage an economy and it is not barack obama. >> i withdraw my earlier -- that was so good, i think mike needs a key spot, prime time. >> i was going say fox had a poll this week and the poll asked the basic question would you approve or disapprove of barack obama's stewardship of the economy. i think 50 something percent said they disapproved. when the wa question was askedo do you trust going forward to manage the economy? it was just about a tie. the reason is i think and we will hopefully see this this week, romney has not come forward for any convincing plan how he will help the middle class and is in touch with issues about the increasing separation between rich and poor in the country. a huge disappointment for a guy saying i'm running on my experience as a financial steward and i know how to make money and get this economy working. >> chris: we have to take a break. when we come back we will discuss how president obama plans to steal some of the spot

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i can't speak to governor romney's motivations what i can say is that he has signed up for positions extreme positions that are very consistent with the positions that a number of house republicans have taken. >> chris: president obama in an interview with ap arguing that mitt romney is a captive of conservative congressional republicans and we are back now with our panel. juan, is that the obama camp's most effective arguement that a

president romney will march in lock step with conservative congressional republicans and push a.b. extreme agenda? >> it is is a very effective argument because remember, chris, a stunning number of americans say they still don't know who mitt romney is. he will be introduced this week at the convention. when you you ask people what does he stand for if barack obama and the democrats are able to define him as the man who picked paul ryan who had this extreme budget on medicare, the man who says on abortion, you know, gosh, i'm not sure here and he flip flopped on abortion. the mano on gay rights has flip flopped and when it comes to the dream act and hispanics turned away and endorsed governor brewer and arizona's plan. if they see him as that extremists, especially moderates and women are not going to play ball. >> chris: governor, what do you think of the argument against romney? what do you make in his claim in the same interview with ap

if he is reelected he will be able to forge compromises with house republicans because they will no longer be so obstructionist. >> if addressing the serious problems of incredible choking debt if dealing with actually presenting a budget as opposed to the senate that hadn't put one on the floor since april of 2009. if having convections and being for something if that is a problem, that is a problem i think republicans are more than delighted to have. that is a program i think i would rather run on than saying i have been president for four years and i have nothing to show. >> chris: what about if i have a second term i will be able to make compromises. >> i know what he whispered to the russian president about he wouldn't have all of the restrictions. i'm worried about a president who says give me a second term and i don't have to worry about the constitutional restrictions of check and balance. >> when did he say that the? >> to the russian president. >> he said he didn't have to

worry about constitutional requirements, governor? >> flexibility. the whole idea of our government is the checks and balances of three branches with equal power not somebody who believes he can ignore the law and put in what he wishes to do. >> chris: kirsten, when one party is holding a convention traditionally the other goes off the stage and takes a week off but the democrats nort aret going to be doing this. barack obama on some college campuses and joe biden was until the weather hit going to be down here in florida and michelle obama making a bunch of high profile appearances. smart politics? >> definitely. i think they he always do some of counter programming. the only thing that was outside kind of the normal behavior would have been biden coming down here. they are trying define romney in the period where they still feel he is unknown and trying to define him as this extremist and radical and continue to use the todd akin thing calling ryan his ideological twin and

trying to make sure by the time this is all over that they convinced people that the person they are presenting romney to be is who he is. >> chris: i was talking to karl rove and he said both of these guys have jobs at their convention and that romney has a much easier job. all he has to do is reshape the perception people have about him. obama has to reshape the way people view their first few veers in office. >> the obama campaign is all counter programming. what is the obama campaign. be scared of mitt romney. he has been president for four years. can't change that with one speech. people can see with their own eyes the degree to which president obama hasn't succeeded measured by his own criteria. i think mitt romney has a bigger challenge and after both conventions. >> chris: romney has a bigger challenge. >> sure. he has to make the positive case to the american public. he has a good chance to win but he has to make the case and the

obama team will be out there this week and next making the case against mitt romney. such a temptation in the romney camp they are hitting us and we have got to hit them back. disciplined andkiss say the american public does not know mitt romney as well as they know barack obama. what is the positive agenda going forward. if this week is about the next four years not about the last four years i think romney wins. they have to make it about the few you tour and lay ou -- futd lay out the positive message. >> chris: a couple of minutes left. start with you bill. the two week stretch of the republican convention and then democratic convention the president it is about dead even in the polls but looks like the president has a slight lead. >> i think 50/50 a winnable race and i think mitt romney's to win. >> i reserve judgment until after the debate.

>> i still think romney has the leading hand in this because he goes into it looking at a record that is pretty dismal. he has got a successful record he can lay on the line for america. >> chris: juan? >> if you look at the swing states which are the critical states and i think it boils down at this point to seven. you have to say obama has the advantage. but it is not a great advantage so in terms of the electoral college he also has an advantage. in terms of public perception if you ask people as the poll did this week they blame congress to get back to the other question about is romney in lock step with congress. they blame congress and romney. again, advantage bobb obama. they still blame george bush for the economy. >> chris: 30 seconds left. governor, a pretty smart politician your youself. if you were advising mitt romney about his big speech thursday night. biggest moment of the campaign for him. what does he need to accomplish? >> be positive and lay out the vision and tell us what is different about america when he is president and that is the winning point. >> chris: and what about the

idea of humanizing him and getting people to see him in a different light. >> people care if he can get the job done. you don't care about his bedside manner, you care about his surgical skills. that will get the job done for mitt romney. >> chris: check out panel plus where the panel picks up on our website. we will post the video before noon eastern time. follow us on twitter @ fox news sunday. wallabwe'll be right back withe final thoughts. hello? the words are going this way-there's no way.

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>>. >> chris: now this program note. stay tuned to this station and fox news channel for complete coverage of that dangerous storm isaac as well as the republican national convention. next week we'll be reporting from the democratic convention in charlotte. it will include los angeles mayor antonio villaraigosa. have a great week. we'll see you next fox news sunday.