to one of the other questions. you mentioned two things republicans avoid going in to the next election. you think they will be strong. my question was, what do you strength?he biggest >> 2014 is off year as an election. i believe as strongly as anyone the importance of having important conservative ideas. they will on their a more -- unveil a more comprehensive version of their own health care reform that will be better than obamacare. people are working on that and doing good work. ,istory suggests the election it is about that party's tenure on the white house. do you want to have -- to help them?ut, or check

senators that will not go along with president obama and given like his approval rating, it looks to me like republicans are in good shape. i think republicans hold the house. different from 2016. presidential elections are about the future. nonincumbent presidential elections, particularly about, president obama will have been there for eight years. or do we go now? -- where do we go now? very important for what they want to do and what their agenda is. the governors start on the state level. publicans are probably a little slow on this but it is now beginning to happen, developing serious government agendas and domestic and foreign policy at the national level. it happens in magazines like national affairs and others. think tanks. a little slow to pick up.

so until we get into the 2015 and 2016 election cycle. important for republicans at this point. to say, ok, whatever happens, happens. if you are public in, you do not like it, if you are democrat, you like it more. that is the key question for 2016. i do not really distinguish. the dynamics of the off year election, which, already, you can see a pattern, is good for republicans. that is one set of dynamics. it does not translate to 2016. midterm elections, they lost. not much correlation. the good news for republicans is voters tend to want to replace the party in power after eight years. relapse incumbent after one term and then kick that artie out of

the white house. out kicked the democrats after two terms of clinton. think the forward-looking agenda is really important for 2016. these are political offers, mostly. they are not really going to be discussing in detail how to reform higher education loans or how to get rid of obamacare. tax reform and so forth. they will talk more of candidates. they will try to adjust the primary process and the debate process to make it more manageable for the party, in better shape, when it produces a nominee in 2016. personally, i am interested

the house is in pro forma session. we go to the house. >> without objection the house stands adjourned until noon january 27, 2014 for debate.hour host: with that the pro forma session ends. have students from texas christian university joining us on the line right now. richard from texas christian university, a journalism student there. go ahead with your question or comment. caller: good morning. mr. kristol i have a question. why is it that today more than the partisan divide is wider than it's ever been. compromise the very word? >> for reasons beyond anyone's this,l no one intended things are more different. they are more ideological, amonge more united themselves in their world view.

in the old days the parties were theral republicans in republican party, there were southern conservative democrats, old fashioned machine democrats, as well as reformed democrats. some of the most interesting fights of my youth in politics parties.in both on the democratic side there were all these reform democrats democrats inachine new york or chicago. then of course there were the scoop jackson democrats, they went away. so various social why logical, political trends led to this sorting out of the two parties. and it's just a fact that they further away from each other. everyone now, a lot of people now think it a bad thing and it has its down sides. is 50, 60 years ago,

political scientists were all fact that voters didn't have a clear voice. totally parties, but confusing, democrat and republican don't mean anything. clarity, ad is political science associates about a report about a system ine two-party the 50's, and its point was we need to have two parties like parties we have today that really stand for something different. pro-choice. now, we have that, we see it's in some ways not bad. for democratic accountability. but in other ways it can lead to deadlock, especially when voters elected barack obama and a democratic congress, they thought they had a mandate, they did a lot. aesident obama thought he had mandate obviously the second part of his first term. suddenly the 64 republican house seats that were democratic and the republicans in the house thought gee we have a mandate to obama, and then

in 2012 president obama gets republicanbut the house gets reelected. a lot of my conservative friends are annoyed that president obama liberal.govern as a a lot of media types are annoyed that republicans in the house supposed to behave like conservatives, that's what they ran as. come tonot supposed to washington and say forget what i said on the campaign trail. led lock is a result of the voters' indecision. neither party has really presented a convincing way forward. begin tolock could break in 2014. i think 2016 becomes a very lex.r 2016 is really a fork in the road. democrats win a third term, for conservatives like me it you get things back. the supreme court goes in a more liberal direction. foreign policy i suppose continues on this track. if republicans written in 2016

the houseue to hold and maybe the senate, then suddenly you have a did it situation. so 2016 becomes maybe a moment gets broken.dlock host: tim is from beaver falls, he's on our, democrats line. you're on, go ahead, please. morning.ood bill, i'm curious, where do you think the energy comes from for the tea party? and another question, short, if indiana when dick even was being primaried, though i'm a democrat, if he had won that primary, i would have decision to make statesman, man is a and he was defeated. it's like there's some kind of on in the country that i don't quite get.

lugar, he's take dick was defeated in a primary in and then murdoch lost the general election. lugar probably would have won general because he had a history of getting democratic votes. i know dick lugar, i respect him, but i don't agree with him on some issues. hes with a pretty moderate republican on some issues and conservative than a lot of republicans would like. he also was 80 years old, being 80rong with years old, but certainly may be a time for a change in your senator. i don't think it was crazy for indiana republicans to i thought they, thought he would be a better candidate. one thing that happens when you have a party that's in turmoil lot of energy from the grass roots from the pea party,

with different funders coming in. there used to be money only on the establishment side. that's not the case any more. i was, i would take the energy in return for some of the losses of seats that maybe didn't have to be lost. otherwise i think you just have party, you reelect dick lugar, you reelect the 75-year-old bob bennett in utah, is that going republicanew of the party? so obviously some mix of experience and youthful energy thing.od but this is what happens when parties under turmoil, it difficult to go through it but for the party. if you look at american history these periods of turmoil and even some defeats sometimes do with or -- host: clarify. the generation al change and to some degree the ideological change within the party. host: our next student from

texas christian university, haveed in 1873, we students from the bob sheaf fear school of journalism on the phone. schmitt, go ahead, please. caller: my question is, in the election, do the demographics prove that the majority of the young generation are voting democratic, so i my question is i want to know how the republican party has taken this into consideration and what campaign strategy reforms we should expect to target that the 2016 election. guest: that's a good point, do think that's the most of all president obama's groups he did the best in cali, the young are persuade.t to try to the great thing about being young is that you can change of you voted for president obama, but the great thing about growing up is you mistakes. your and a lot of them certainly are happening with obamacare, with the economy, and

i think foreign policy as well wondering maybe this path that i thought might be a good idea.sn't such a good i know many people in my vote forwardo mccoverage, carter and ended up voting for reagan and republicans since then. very doable.'s it would be crazy if peel didn't try to learn anything from experience. it would be christmas if parties didn't try to change their image and also try to adjust to the times. where thebe issues republican party has to say look, the country isn't there so we're going to change our position or at least change the on we presently our position some issues. but i come back to the generation al change. one problem republicans have had pretty obvious, the democrats are running, the 43-year-old

the 44,nton and then 45-year-old president obama first time he ran. their 40's. young tickets, clinton-gore. runningrepublicans were president bush and then senator dole, then senator mccain, and romney, they're all people i voted for. but if you're a young person, think the democrats look like they're a little more in touch with me and my generation. time republicans won since the cold war was with bush who was younger, maybe two years older than gore, and younger than kerry. so i don't think it hurts to have younger candidates, that's why i'm a little skeptic about clinton. it's either in the nomination fight or the general election, not so sure about that. the pattern of the last several years is better off with a young heernor, young senator, but

seems on dealing with issues, i'm not sure voters like looking days.rd these host: another student from t.c.u., michelle. caller: good morning, here in that it's estimated latinos will outnumber any other ethnic group by 2019. were also found in several important swing states like florida. latinos will be an important demographic in upcoming elections, so how do you see the g.o.p. changing their strategy address this demographic concern? guest: the main thing you have groupss speak to these and respect them and show that you care about them, and people for you. a lot of the problem republicans have had that's been less latino working class.re think, and again it's maybe not their fault, it's the wealthyey, it's

finance.the world of i think seemed out of touch with middle class, working class concerns. romney, whom i respect as a person, spent all this time talking about entrepreneurs, people who are building businesses, but didn't spend a lot of time talking about the people who are working 8, 10 hours a day as nurses, teachers, whotruction workers and will never start a business, but they're equally valued, they're up their kids, contributing to their communities. it important for republicans to connection with those voters and citizens. so that requires some fresh thinking. but genuine thinking about how to have policies that are better for people like that, not simply pandering or thinking that this batch of immigration that if immigration,e for so many people change their

vote. hostile,ou can't be obviously, to -- the republicans made a mistake some of their rhetoric in 2006, 2007. but i don't think you need to views about path to citizenship and so forth. i do think being serious about middle class and concerns is awfully important. into ethnic groups come american life, italians jews, their own mind to some degree, they also just become different as groups. every latino is theirng a latino, i think intermarriage rate is pretty high. point there, they are americans already if they're voting. i guess i'm less concerned about appealing to this group or that group and more concerned about republicans having a really serious message that appeals to

all americans, but especially i say middle class working class americans who have had a rough time the last few years. to alex in go tennessee, republican line. morning.ood actually i have more of a comment. my daughter says i'm the oldest person she knows, old fashioned that is, and i just wonder why words likeear patriotism, god and country from today. these politicians i vote every year, every time an up.tion comes hear the same old garbage, but i abouthear anything patriotism and i'm very disappointed in our country right now, because they're taking church out of the schools, and everything. i guess i'm just too old fashioned, can't keep up with times. but i just don't know what to do. mybrother died in vietnam, ancestors fought in the revolutionary war, and i guess i

patriotic to my country and i love my country. host: thanks, caller him. guest: that's very well see. i wouldn't be too despairing. problem that politicians speak about god and country and seem insincere, and it turns out they are sincere. do maybes what they more than what they say. and i think there's a lot of there.ism out i'm struck by that when you see about's attitudes returning veterans, compared to war.ietnam i just did a panel discussion former -- where we discussed the civilian do, we didn'td to really fight the war here, but i can do toe's more we integrate civilian and military lives, make sure we're doing a good job for our vets and also

our active duty military obviously. but i think the patriotism is think.than people but it's an interesting question, sort of how everyone the millennial generation, as they're called, interested iness that, i'm not so sure about. i think a candidate who can god, country, community, family, in a way that hollow, that didn't seem pandering actually would have a great appeal any time, 2014, 2016. i don't think people are just interested in my paycheck, my this or that. tea party for all the people criticize it, the pea party was a patriotic effort. certainly i think the obama camp, the people who rallied to president obama also thought thingere doing the right for the country. tea party didn't have any self didn'tt in this, they ask for taxes to be cut, and i remember watching earlier in reporter on cnn

bewildered by what are you doing here at this, obama is not raising your taxes, he's only raising raising the taxes on the wealthy care about this, he said i think we're damaging the country. so i think there's more out there than people realize. i think there's too much, too professionals have told too many politician as peel to this group that way, 18 to with this promise, and obama was good on this, you can stay on your parents' health plan. wantre about you if you contraceptive coverage. i think for republicans, they've got to elevate the discussion to about something bigger than what government program is going to do this little thing you or out. host: the students today were chinbull.y professor our next student is matt jennings, good morning, go ahead. caller: good morning, thanks for us on.

i just was wondering with all the talking the last couple years about national deficit and finally creating a national budget, what's going to be the strategy moving forward regarding managing the deficit and deal with the national debt? guest: that's a very good wastion, and the debt which so huge in 20092010 has receded a little bit. the deficit has been reduced some, but we're still running up amazing amounts of debt each year. bond like so far the markets and others haven't penalized us for that, but that in my opinion him so i think everyone would be wise to continue focusing on the debt we have an think important development, which is the republicans, paul ryan put seriousbudget that had reforms. everyone said it political whatever, ryan and romney didn't win in 2012. but there's no evidence that it hurt the campaign, the medicare

attacks, the attacks on ryan's reform plan didn't seem to work, republicans held the house which is the body that had budget.his republican candidates in 2014 are on board with that budget and i think they're doing fine. i think at least the republican party, i think is getting more serious about debt and deficit. now in practice people have bill,interests, the farm subsidies, they don't want to give them up, so it's easy to it's hard in general, to do it in reality. way to testey, one the next republican feel of presidential candidates, and i inclined to will be do this to say what really are you going to do. i think voters will require a degree of specificity in 2016 that they haven't particularly presidentialecent elections, i think they're distrustful now of everyone's stuff and will say show me what your plan is about federal spending. not down to every tiny

detail. but basically with a is your platform. and i think republicans who try, votersocrats too, the may not like that as much. host: we want to thank charter helpingations for arrange the visit at t.c.u. today. one more student, this is on withmorris, you're bill kristol. caller: good morning. my question is in the 2012 more women voted for president obama than mitt romney. what is the republican party women foreach out to the 2014 and 2016 elections? well, look, women have always been a little more liberal than men, it goes back of reagan,y days they're a little more more compassionate, a little more concerned if someone says these asicies will hurt the poor opposed to gee we can't afford this any more. gender been a consistent gap. wasn't any bigger in 2012 than elections andus republicans won a lot of those

elections with reagan and bush amonge they did very well mening anded acatly well among that youo i'm not sure need to reach out to one gender as opposed to the other. most women want what's right for the country, their rightes, not just what's for individual members of your own gender. i think it doesn't hurt to have and as,en as candidates you know, the governors and congress women, and senators and that's happening in the republican party. and it's happening kind of as a reflection of developments over the last 20, 30, 40 years and now it's really hitting. it hit the democratic party a little earlier, but now it quite widely. leading -- barbara come stack has a

distinguished record in the virginia house of delegates, i she's likely to win the general election. sheo one recruited her, decided to run, no one tapped her on the back and said you're a woman go out and do this. i think it's naturally happening in the republican party and i think that will help the democraticke charges which are pretty demagogic charges him. host: we want to thank the texas christian university for joining us today with their questions and