Mike Barone talks with Todd and Michelle

He is speaking I believe next week the 24. At the pioneer institutes. Election 2012. In the American experiment will be his speech at the better government competition awards. Monday September 24 at the Hyatt regency to learn more at pioneer institute dot org. Joining us now Michael Barone Michael welcome to WRK a nice heavy here. Everywhere so -- there's been a lot of crazy stuff going on wanna give a slow assessment of politics in America. Well I think what we're seeing here is a -- -- -- presidential race between two candidates each of -- has some defects from political point of view. That is running about even mean on the one union President Obama here has. Advantages in that Americans like to think well they're presidents. I think there's -- feeling among many Americans that it would be a bad thing for Americans to be seen as rejecting the first black president. On the other hand working for Mitt Romney is the fact that the majority of Americans do not like President Obama is major public policies and don't think it worked well. That given us the race that is. Seriously contested in. And in. Roughly even. Where do you get that racial part from I haven't heard them mentioned before. Well I think that's just my observation based on American history I think one of the factors working. On ballots in president Obama's behalf in -- 1008 was the feeling that on the part of many I think most Americans that it it was a general proposition that would be good thing for the country to elect Barack president. I don't think that that's very difficult to understand their feeling if you think about the long run of Americans is always so lately the segregation and so forth argument. In so I think that. I think that affected the favored it would he have been considered. A major presidential candidate. His head he. You know do worry you have another background is disease junior senator from Illinois without much in the way of legislative accomplishments in the beginning of 2007 panel thinks so. Now likely the White House was so insistent. That this bloodletting going on right now -- it's been dying to ask you this question. They have been so insistent that the bloodletting was sparked by this video that no one walks -- well. -- that that that's been one of the positions they've taken initially. When Mitt Romney criticized the statement that the Cairo embassy administration apparently -- that statement because there have favored Romney's position because they are in this statement taken down which was of an apologetic nature. And then by Friday two days later they're saying that this was. We actually certain that this was only only only because of the film. I think they're ready. Our Susan Rice when -- and said. I know we we know for a fact that this is just the YouTube clip that sparked all of this islands but yesterday Jay Carney. Sort of hinted that the White House is taking a step back from the story that nobody believed. Anyhow what is the reaction in Washington when you finally have the American press picking up the story that was reported a week it on the British press. That we did in fact -- warnings people died in Obama lot. Well I don't know if I've put it exactly that way but I think -- the in a statement it would actually presently. Certainly it is it was nothing and that's the idea. I think it salaries of the video we saw. Would not credible and I think like by the administration make this statement released awhile I think the answer is. They had one of the things president Obama's that in 2008 campaign -- if -- -- me of the world will love us and especially in the Middle East. Will be loved there instead of -- as we air you know evil -- -- George W. Bush. You that we saw last week then. That. Campaign promise. Obviously. President Obama overestimated the extent to which. People of foreign countries would distinguish between one America president the other and failed to understand. For many people in the Middle East. We of this society's cancer society that we can have. Oh. The enemy whatever. The president's regional acts that are racial origin. There are. People particular Republicans perplexed by the race that Mitt Romney is running a sense that he's just an inadequate. Candidate and -- it occurs to me that. Part of the reason he's such a lame candidate is they're trying to make him as lame as possible so he can be is. Good Republican candidate as the generic Republican candidate was. -- back when they were polling generics rather than specific people any any ideas on that. Well I think the you know when you've got a race that -- -- think you should be well edit the fact you're the best just about these and but there's going to be a lot of frustration there's going to be a lot of second guessing and -- -- when candidates make mistakes in the field technician loses some people think -- idea. They're gonna come in for some pretty severe second guessing and I think we're seeing some of that phenomenon now. Or is that that they really hurt thing about running campaigns did you know you can a lot of by. To change. What you're doing in the most difficult things to distinguish between what the nine times that it can and should ignore that advice in the one time at a time when he should take it. Are any are closing thoughts force on the campaign something that you think is under covered over covered people might be missing. Well I think you've seen. Some pretty vigorous attempts but what I would call mainstream media to. -- the Obama campaign for the Romney campaign. I've been a little surprised about the vehement. And force that they. In these distortions that they native of the record -- -- -- and -- in more -- is conventions between effects. There's no -- regional. So I think that's one factor that just part of American politics the constitution guarantees is a free press that a fair one. Mike could you tell us a little bit about the event it's gonna take place in Boston at a -- next week. Well at pioneer institute which is the think tank in New England does this -- to. Dread delivers speech on them where I think we are him in the campaign and one of the things that I think. I try to do in those senate talks as did little historic perspective. People for example compare this for the 2004 campaign was. Seemingly pretty steady numbers in the polls. I think there's something that comparison but only up to a point. I think in 2004 we go through four straight cycles. Congressional elections in which. Voters voted almost the same in each one. There was very strong partisan views that were based in large part and strong moral or religious principles that. People were changing from election election. This year if you look back over the preceding four are -- which is she is wide variation. In how people vote really historic -- Voters there responded to a -- they've changed their party they've changed their view they change their proclivity to vote. And I think we can't rule out our ability that they may do so again. Michael Barone good luck next week at the pioneer institute people can learn more pioneer institute dot org. And we will of course keep reading -- at the Washington examiner website thank you sir for being here. Great picture that is by Michael Barone and WRKO coming up we're gonna check and.