see polls closing in seven seconds and we can make a call in three seconds. >> it is 9:00 p.m. on the east coast and all the polls are now closed with polls closed in michigan and arizona. we at fox news can now project that mitt romney will easily win arizona, as expected. leaving rick santorum a distant second in that state. that means the former massachusetts governor will take all 29 delegates in arizona, a winner-take-all state, padding his lead now in the nation-wide hunt for delegates. >> exit polls show newt gingrich slightly ahead of ron paul for third place in arizona but it's too early to say whether that lead will hold. now in michigan, romney's native state, he holds a slide lead oversup, but it's too early to project who will come in first. >> but fox news can project that ron paul will take third place in michigan, leaving newt gingrich in fourth. the michigan projections are

based on votes from sample precincts, statewide raw votes, exit polls and survey of absentee voters. >> michigan awards their delegates mostly by congressional district, making it likely that romney and santorum will be the only two candidates who divide the 30 delegates. >> to repeat the top news at the top of the ticket right now, romney has taken arizona and has a slight lead over santorum in michigan but we are saying it's too close to call who the winner is in a critical state, michigan. >> it could be long, depending on how tight all the votes are coming in. we are watching the raw totals and the exit polls throughout the state. >> this is not exactly what the romney camp wanted for michigan tonight, a nail-biter, but a win is a win as far as they see it. we don't know. he could win tonight, we just can't tell you at this hour. they are watching, as you are. and tonight we have fox team coverage for you. john roberts live in phoenix, and mike tobin we headquarters

in michigan, and karl come ran is at the romney headquarters in michigan. we begin with carl. >> michigan was supposed to be romney country. for the last week and a half he's found himself battling back from a double-digit deficit in the polls with rick santorum soaring ahead. it's been a pitched battle, one the romney campaign expected might happen but not to this degree. for the last five days romney and santorum has traded and #* and explanation changed insults and blows like never before. and the last 48 hours a big controversy about santorum's invitation for democrats to come in and vote for him and against romney. he did it on a robo call. romney called it a disgraceful and dirty trick. it's been the buzz on the campaign trail the last couple days. romney campaign has made the argument that its establishment

roots here, his decades of experience and his family ties to michigan going back all these years, his father was a governor and presidential candidate himself, would make something of the difference. they are counting on that. but as you see, the crowd behind me is patiently waiting and there's been an atmosphere here today of sort of quiet impatience, frankly. they are annoyed that this has not been as easy as they hoped it would and be they find themselves tonight wondering and even top aids in the romney campaigned to worried democrats could met up the results for them tonight and they don't really no what is going on. they like to low ball, reduce expectations but not tonight. the romney campaign said they don't know what to expect. they said there's a possibility he could lose the popular vote but take a way plenty of delegates and win the delegate count even if he doesn't k pull off the victory in his home turf. that would be a huge setback for him momentumly.

>> and mike is in grand rapids, michigan. >> what a difference the three-state sweep makes. last time we saw rick santorum in minnesota, he was working small rooms. now he's in the ambassador ballroom at the amway hotel. the room is packed. rick santorum used to be pretty approachable and now they swept the room with secret service before the people were allowed in. you hear them cheering behind me. big screen monitor, they are watching our broadcast at this moment. from the standpoint of the santorum campaign, they cannot lose tonight and that is because they came from behind before. now they put enough pressure on the romney camp that they forced romney's camp to spend over $4 million on advertising. it's not a winner-take-all state so one way or another they will come away with delegates and the santorum people call that a win. guys. >> mike is live in grand rapids. thank you. >> romney picks up 29 delegates with tonight's win in arizona. 30 more delegates are at stake

in michigan. right now mitt romney leads the back with 152 delegates. you see rick santorum is next with 72. gingrich is in third with 32. ron paul has 19 so far. 1,144 are needed to win the gop nomination. >> time now to bring in our all-star panel, steve hayes, juan will, and byron work. they are all fox news contributors, we are still waiting on michigan, which is a big question mark tonight. but, steve, it's hard to underestimate the importance of arizona when you talk about a winner take all state. and it is all about delegates at the end. >> there was talk two weeks ago that the margin was closing for rick santorum in arizona and in fact it looks like it i believe probably didn't. that is a win for mitt romney.

arizona, because of rnc rules, 29 delegates is 29 delegates and it's a good win for mitt romney. >> what does it mean at this point in the evening we haven't been able to call this michigan race? we don't know if it it is going to be romney or it is going to be santorum but what does it mean in romney's home state of michigan, byron, it is too close to call? >> it means it is tougher than he thought it would be. he won by 9 points back in 2008 over john mccain. there were times when he appeared to be maybe six, eight points ahead, and just in the last 48 hours, we had the sense that santorum was coming back a little bit. it's been so up and down. santorum had a poor performance in his debate in arizona a week ago. it seemed to hurt him badly. then he kept coming back after a couple of romney gaffes in the last few hours. >> juan, just an update, as we look live at the romney

headquarters, apparently the cable tv went out for a second and they missed the call of romney winning arizona. so somebody just grabbed the mike and said romney won arizona and then the cheers went up. so they have got the word. it's on fox. what about the fact that in his native state of michigan mitt romney has, as byron mentioned, had to defend and spend so much money in this race that we haven't called yet? >> well, it's made made it a syc tsunami. i think in some ways it's bigger than any other contest we've seen thus far in the primaries and caucuses on the republican side. tonight you have more delegates at stake than we've had in all the other contests. this is a ripe moment because it's a definitive, given the narrative we've been experiencing, which is are people willing to finally come to mitt romney and say he is our nominee for the presidency, we

think he has the best chance to defeat barack obama, and that he's authentic in terms of his conservative belief. that story comes to a critical moment tonight in michigan. >> you know, i want to point out that michigan is actually not his home state. it's his native state. his home state is massachusetts, which comes up next tuesday on super tuesday. but just a couple weeks ago, february 13th, according to polling, santorum had 39% and romney had 24 in michigan. it was a major deficit. santorum had a major surge after he won these three contests the beginning of february. if romney pulls out a win in michigan, his camp will claim this was a major turnaround for him, that the momentum is behind him, if you look at that. >> that poll is arguably the best thing that happened to the romney campaign between the three-state sweep rick santorum had. because it totally exchanged things for mitt romney in his home state. it suggested that rick santorum had been able to capitalize on his victories in those three

states, and to gain in the momentum, particularly in place like michigan that would be meaningful. what the result of that is that the fact that romney has sort of come back and that the rate tightened up and that it's even, what could be if romney wins tonight a two point win or a three point win would have looked much more like a defeat if santorum surged late and closed the gap at the end. but because of that poll and a couple others tharpe not quite as wide a margin it suggested that romney came back and that's the case he will make. >> let me offer a different viewpoint. i see in the exit poll if you decide as a michiganer, before january that was for romney. then he had the huge lead and then you get the intervening event of the santorum victory, and then if you decided today, again, it went slightly more mitt romney. but in the last few days, a clear lead for rick santorum. if you decided this month of

february, again, a substantial lead for rick santorum. >> but what matters here, as much as anything, given the delegate situation, there's likely to be a split. what matters here as much as anything, in my view; the story coming out of michigan. as byron suggested, a story coming out of michigan where mitt romney lost his native state would have been very problematic for the romney campaign. and the fact that he's able to potentially, if he wins, he would be able to say i fought off a challenge from rick santorum, i came back from this margin, that would have been a good thing for him. >> the problem was it kept coming back to the economy, mitt romney's strong suit. if you look at the exit polls, they and have you had anybody in your house held lose a job in the past few years? about two-thirds of the people said no and among the people that happened to, romney had a significant lead. so that pitch that romney made, i know how to create jobs, get people back to work, it looks

like it really worked. >> we should point out in michigan the delegates, the 30 delegates are awarded like this. they have two at-large state-wide delegates, and they will be split based on vote share. so it appears now that mitt romney will likely get one and santorum will likely get one. then the rest of the delegates, the 28, two per congressional district. there are 1414 congressional districts. so -- there are 14 congressional districts. we have 14 different races where winner takes all to get each congressional district. >> they are watching you, brett, explain this right now at the headquarters. >> all right. [laughter] >> i think that's right. >> and they are waving back. >> it had been theorized over the course of the week, and i think with some reason that it would be possible to have one person win the state-wide popular vote and not actually come away with the most delegates. i think that's not likely, but it's still certainly possible, depending on the vote share in

the different congressional districts. >> we hear on cable news, and we will talk about if santorum wins it's a major victory for him and if romney wins we will talk about the margin of victory. does the average american care it was romney's native state that he lost or won, oh, he just barely eeked out a win in his native state, do they care or do they just look at the delegate count and the momentum going forward? >> the romney campaign said a win is a win when it appears he won by 8 votes in iowa and then it turn out he didn't. he lost by about 30 votes. they are going to say it is absolutely a win and it is true. i have to tell you, the santorum people have been tell me and everybody over the past few days that we've already won this race. this is a victory for us because nobody ever expected this. but they really, really want to actually win. that would be a huge plus. >> here's the thing from my perspective. what we've seen in this race, again, coming back to the narrative, is ups and downs for

romney. he's unable to sustain it going forward. and everybody wonders is this the case tonight, that he might win, let's say squeak out a victory, and i don't think that's great news for him in a state he won over mccain substantially in '08. >> and we can't say that yet because it's too close to call. >> i'm saying he won in '08. but if he is to win tonight in a narrow sense, it's a big difference from the fact that in a contest that overall he lost in '08, he nonetheless was able to claim a substantial victory in michigan. he doesn't like to call it his home state but the man was born there. >> it's his native state. then he moved to massachusetts and that's where he's been. >> now you are going into a cycle he can go back down south and we think, wait, what happened to mitt romney's momentum. so if michigan gives him a substantial push, and he really is -- does allow him to sustain it at this juncture we shall will see it as a turning point

wench will have much more analysis throughout the night, i promise. >> i mean, i am living in new york city and that is my home. i was born in illinois. that is my native state but it's not my home. that's all i'm saying. >> all right. >> don't give me a hard time. >> all right. it just started. >> only 15 minutes into the program. the results are in from arizona, as you herred. but michigan remains still too close to call. we are a little drama going on. >> that's right. we will take a look at exit polls and what they are telling us. but chris wallace, karl rove, and joe with their take. >> fox news is your election headquarters here on the air and tonight lean. jenna lee is here with what you can find online tonight. >> and drama at the decision desk as well. we have some special live coverage at foxnews.com. rick and i are anchoring our live show with a great line-up for you tonight. all our interviews include your questions, realtime responses, realtime results and realtime

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election headquarters. mitt romney will take all of arizona's 29 delegates. he's a big winner in arizona. there you see the michigan primary as it tense to go. >> it's still too close to call. at this hour you see some of the raw vote coming in. we aren't able to project the first place winner in michigan. at this hour the drama all along is what was behind the state of michigan. in arizona there was a presumption he would win because he was ahead in the policy. we didn't know what would happen in michigan. and unfortunately now at 9:19 in the east we still don't know. but we have some information on why people are voteth way they are. >> and martha is keeping an eye on the exit polls in michigan and arizona. >> let's take a look at the question about how we learned what voters were thinking tonight in arizona in this race. this is what romney's strength looks like, folks.

it shapes up this way. his appeal is across the board in arizona. he won conservatives, moderates, tea party supporters, and catholics and elderly. one in seven is a mormon. they overwhelmingly, 91%, won't romney. let's take a look at this one. the border state is fired up about immigration and more than a third of those who are said illegal immigrants should be deported. those people went big time for romney as well. he's had a tough stance on illegals and he took 43% to santorum's 28% in that part of the vote tonight. also in arizona nearly half, 48%, said the economy tense to be the issue for them, and of those 47% went for romney, and 28% went for rick santorum. let's take a little bit of a look here at the evangelical vote. there's been one recurring issue for romney and that's true again in arizona, he won catholics and mormons. he did not fair well with

evangelical voters, 37% of the primary electorate. they picked santorum. those who wants a candidate who shares their religion believes, they picked him as well. big win for romney in arizona. not an unexpected one. michigan is looking a little bit trickier and we will go over the numbers and get back to you with some of the results in a little while. >> very interesting, martha, thank you. >> fox news sunday anchor chris wallace has been following these races tonight with the wise moves in washington. are we settled on that, chris? >> i don't know, wise men, space cowboys, political insiders, but in any case they are the best in the business, karl rove, republican strategist, the architect of george w. bush's two presidential victories, and joe trippy, strategist, campaign manager. and i got to tell you, these guys don't just look at the numbers, they make the numbers stand up and salute. for instance, you see there 32% is in. well, here's what karl rove has

done with that. this is his scratchings. but they have a certain meaning to them. karl, tell us from what you see, from where the votes are in and where they aren't in of the 32%. who is going to win michigan? >> romney. the counties that are coming in for santorum, like hoden, delta, chippewa, marquette, more of that vote is? >> smaller counties -- the. >> the smaller counties come in quicker. and a grand total after couple hundred votes in one county. so the smaller counties are in and santorum is tend to go win them, 29-48. 29 for romney and 48 for santorum. but the bigger counties where romney is coming in, they are coming in much slower. macomb county, he has a lead of 1,000 votes there. only 3% of the vote is in. he will probably come out of that county with a 30,000 vote

lead. oakland county, 12% of the vote in. an 8,000 count lead. >> suburbs north of detroit. >> and near the center of the state near the state capital, 2% of the vote is in and romney has 1,000 vote lead in the county. looking at these bigger county that is are tend to go vote for romney are coming in slowly, and they have a lot more votes to come. as a result, they are going to come in with bigger numbers. >> this is a three point margin, just a guess, but what what is r guess. >> maybe four or five percent, maybe six percent. >> joe, does this track with you? >> i would agree. in iowa karl and i worked through the numbers and we disagreed. i kind of thought santorum would okay it out and he thought romney would, but you had sort of a better mix of counties. here when you look at this, it's pretty clear, i think, that romney has got the edge and you have to even think it's going to

expand out a little bit from what we are seeing. i think it's showing 3%. >> let's talk about the democrats, which has been an interesting thing. 9% of the voters identified themselves as democrats. it was 8% last time. it was 17% back in thousand. and they are going for santorum over romney 353% -- 53% to 17. which raises the question, what they did, do you think that the democrats, if not giving the victory to santorum, are narrowing romney's victory? >> absolutely. i had experience with this in 2000 with the mea, the michigan education association, and the the uaw was in a feud with the governor and instructed their members to come out to vote for mccain in order to engler. and those in a union household, they are voting for santorum 46-25.

but you also get a sense, for example, that democrats are voting for santorum, 53-17. >> my favorite is the strong tea party supporters are for santorum and people against the tea parties are for santorum. >> self described liberals for voting for romney but 43% are voting for santorum. >> you were saying back in 1988 the republicans did this to the democrats in michigan. >> that's right. a lot of republicans voted for jesse jackson in 88 and jackson ended up winning. i'm pretty sure that's what happened there. it was the romney people, organizers, who demanded an open process in michigan so it's kind of -- they are kind of coming back on it. >> wait, wait, because i want to get one last thing and then we will come back and tell that story. arizona, are we underplaying? obviously this is the mystery. and michigan. we aren't talking as much about arizona. are we underplaying his victory in arizona? >> first of all people didn't

want to contest him there says something about his strength there. and isolates a battleground state in the general election and romney is winning it handedly. 29 delegates. >> winner-take-all, that's not nothing. joe, final thought? >> look, i think santorum will be able to claim he won tonight. both sides are going to be able to claim they won. i think santorum will have a shot of saying that because of how close it is going to be, even if it does open up to four or five points. >> our guys are never in doubt and at this point they say romney is going totatious now this is just the back of karl's envelope burke he's saying romney -- and here it is. there. clear as can be, guys. romney is going to take michigan, and i can make perfect sense of it. >> maybe we should faction that to the decision desk. [laughter] >> these are my notes. not nearly as exciting. >> no. >> maybe we can get a picture of

them and tweet them out like i did with you last time. >> chris, as always, thank you. >> thank you. michigan is still too close to call. newt gingrich is looking past these two races. speaking in his home state. and coming up -- >> shannon is there with what the former speaker said and what his speech was all about about. stay with us. every time a local business opens its doors or creates another laptop bag

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>> bottom of the hour. same results so far. we can tell you that mitt romney has won arizona, and that primary there. but michigan remains too close to call. the race there neck and neck, as far as, you know, being able to project it between romney and santorum. when we know more, so will you. we want to tell you that ron paul, we are projecting, has taken third place in michigan. as for third place in arizona, still too close to call. >> too close to call in michigan, although karl rove is apparently calling if of it, but we aren't calling it yet. >> i'm talking about the third place. third place. >> but karl rove is calling michigan. >> yes, karl rove and his little white board. >> but we are not. >> take it for what you will. >> bill is over at the touch screen tonight. hi, bill. >> who are we to question karl? i mean, come on. good evening to both of you and to our viewers at home. this is how we can show you why. based on the results map for michigan as to why we cannot call this race at the moment for mitt romney or rick santorum, and this goes to what karl has

explaining moments ago. you are at 37% of the vote now. romney holds on to a three-point lead over santorum, if you drill down to the county map you can tell why romney feels good so far about the night and why santorum is holding on to hope. this is oakland county. there are a lot of votes in this county just north of detroit. romney has a commanding 15-point lead which somewhat mirrors what he did four years ago. we will show that you in a mommy. further to the east, this is macomb county. this is an area rick santorum thought he would do very well. reagan democrats here. romney with a then lead. romney is up by 6 points. santorum needs to cut into romney's lead there in macomb county in order to pull off the upset tonight in michigan. but look at this area out here in the west. this is grand rapids. this is kent county. this is gerald ford country. it's where his library is located and they have santorum with a slight lead right now by one point over romney.

further to the west, these are evangelical christians, these are people who rick santorum has targeted from the very beginning in michigan, and ottawa county along lake michigan has santorum winning that county by 17 points. so that is part of the reason why when we put our numbers into this state map right now, why we cannot call it. but some of the other numbers, once they come into the counties, will give us a better idea as we move away from about 38% of the vote to 50% and beyond. take you back four years ago. this is 2008. mitt romney against john mccain. romney was a winner in his native state by nine points over john mccain. and look where romney did so well. grand rapids. he won those counties out here that i just showed you. and all these counties where the center of the poplation is in michigan. and oakland county and macomb county just north of the city. watch the map fill in from 2008.

compare it to twelve and we will start to get a better picture as we go throughout the night. still too close to call, but romney with a three-point lead on santorum with a little more than one third of the vote in his native state. bret, megyn, back to you. >> no one can work the board like you. >> more. >> and it's still early. >> he's a close friend. >> joining us live now, presidential candidate congressman ron paul. congressman, thank you very much for being here. we appreciate your time tonight. >> you're welcome. >> tell us your reaction to the results today. already where there's talk about whether this would be a devastating loss to mitt romney. if he won michigan, but not by a big enough margin. we are able unable to call it. but your thoughts as somebody who is in the race? >> well, there arizona lot of talk about it but the votes aren't all counted yet. it looks like romney will win it and he will be able to use that to his benefit, especially with

the win he had in arizona. from my own viewpoint, i certainly wished we had been able to do better, but we aren't shocked because we knew exactly what the numbers were. but we did get a lot of enthusiasm for those who did come out. but i would like to, you know, when you are in politics you look for the positive things. yesterday we had a fantastic poll came out. so i'm doing the best against the president. at least tied for the top. when you take my message and look at independents and democrats, i do very, very well. so if the republicans are looking for somebody that has to get independent and democratic votes, somebody like santorum doesn't do that as well. so i think we will concentrate on that and we will concentrate on the delegate selection. this is where we are working, you know, in the caucuses state and we will continue to do this and see what happens next tuesday. >> congressman paul, you have focused on caucus states and you have been on that delegate hunt, as you mentioned.

you are in virginia and you are the only one on the ballot besides mitt romney in virginia. we have up on the screen the delegate numbers so far. do you regret your decision to spend time in michigan? it appears tonight you are going to come out of there with zero delegates. >> well, no, i don't regret it. i mean, we harbor our money carefully and spend it cautiously. you make those decisions. i think that you always wished you could have done better, but i think the message is -- the message is so important and that other people hear it and we going to continue. there's more than the television, there's the internet and when people see this it helps us in the caucus states. because everything that happens in all the rallies when we get 4,000 people out to a rally in michigan, everybody knows this in the caucus states. so it is a very positive thing for us. so we don't look at this as strictly a negative in a

conventional way. >> you have heard these stories, congressman, about these theories that you are somehow working in collusion with the romney campaign. you have said that you have talked to them about what debate you would do and what debates you wouldn't do. how much does your son's political future factor into your maneuvers in this race? >> well, we don't talk about it and we don't think about it. i have my job and he has his job. that just doesn't seem to be appropriate. i have to see how well i can do in this campaign. but the last thing i have done is talk to mitt romney. he wouldn't talk to me about that. i mean, that's just fiction and it's mostly been promoted by somebody who is super involved in conspiracy theories. that's santorum's doing that. but it doesn't make any sense at all, you know, that that would be the case. my son can care of himself. he doesn't need me to make deals for him. that's the last thing in the world that i would be thinking about doing.

>> congressman paul, you are showing a lead against president obama right now in a head-to-head match-up that rasmussen reports put out. mitt romney tied, santorum a couple bones behind bump as matched up against the other gop candidates according to the real clear politics dot com average. all policy. you are fourth, around 12% and you are significantly behind the other frontrunners, mitt romney and rick santorum. why should republican voters at this point, the ones who are not in your corner, believe that you can overcome that deficit? >> i don't think those numbers hold up when you look at absolute delegate counts. and it's going to be a month or two before you know about how the delegate process works. so even if i come in third or fourth, there's some states where i'm third or fourth and we think we will win the majority vote of delegates. the majority of the delegates. that's a long way to go. so we have to convince people

that, you know, i, as a candidate, would do better than the rest because the philosophy of liberty in the constitution and emphasis on spending cuts and different for yen policy and talking about the federal reserve, it's appealing to independents, the young people who have never been in poll text. many democrats are coming over. so the republicans are always saying we have to find somebody who can win. but if that's -- if they are truthful about that, then they ought to look more carefully at what i'm talking about. >> congressman paul, from a beautiful, the commonwealth of virginia, thank you for your time. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> it's nice and cozy there. >> it is with the fire. newt gingrich bypassing the primaries in michigan and arizona. the former speaker of the house focusing on super tuesday. one week from tonight he's in his home state. should we call it his home state? he really lives in virginia. >> yes. i'm just saying your home state is where you live now, right?

new york city is now my home. >> so he lives in mcclain, virginia. >> that's his home state. >> what's georgia? >> that's his native state. >> you just said home. >> then i correct myself. >> there you go. >> and you are in georgia. shannon. >> i am. and this really was a friendly crowd to the gingrich family because this was the very first district that newt gingrich represented when he went off to the house. so it was very much a hometown crowd feel for him tonight. his daughter, jackie, took to the stage and talked about going to high school here in carrollton got a lot of applause so there were a lot of personal connections. and he kept up lot of themes we've heard from him throughout recent days on the campaign trail engine went after the administration on energy policy, promising he can get gas to $2.150. he talked about in his view there's known in this administration that will talk up to our values, they are too busy apologizing for us around the world and he took on mitt romney

also and his favoritism toward bailouts. here's a benefit his speech tonight in carrollton. >> the challenge for us is to present a clear and compelling alternative so that the country has a really clear sense of what the difference is. and the reason that after ones are talking about it, and we made the decision to run, knowing it would be a lot of work, a lot of negative attacks, et cetera, but we thought as citizens that we should do it, is that i think we really need somebody who understands the scale of change we need, who has really large ideas for a really large country, and who can explain them in a way that enables us to be able to rally the american people. now i'll give you just a couple of quick examples of where we are going and what we are doing.

and the easiest one is the difference between president obama and myself on energy. president obama essentially represents a very anti-american energy view. the problem the president has, of course, is you can't run for re-election telling the american people you don't think they are paying enough for gasoline. so i began about two weeks ago to raise this issue, that we don't have to have expensive gasoline. and we don't have to be dependent on saudi arabia and iraq and iran, that we have an enormous amount of energy in the united states. the result was the president felt he had to respond so he gave a speech in miami on energy. it was fascinating because he's clearly conflicted. if you had a chance to read his speech on energy, you will see that he sort of wants to tell us

he's for less expensive gasoline except he can't be for less expensive gasoline so he can't really be are to drilling but what he is for is algae. and algae will some day be a solution. he said there are no silver bull let's. >> shannon traveling with the former speaker of the house down in georgia. >> it's a tight race in michigan with less than half of the vote in right now. come up, we will go back, the wise men down in washington, chris wallace, karl rove and joe trippi on the close race as we track the results right here live on america's election headquarters. don't go away. system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantiis proven to help people quit smoking. it reduthe urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking orood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away.

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[ mimi ] i had cancer. i have no evidence of disease now. [ erica ] i would love to meet the people that made the machines. i had such an amazing group of doctors and nurses, it would just make such a complete picture of why i'm sitting here today. ♪ [ herb ] from the moment we walked in the front door, just to see me -- not as a cancer patient, but as a person that had been helped by their work. i was just blown away. life's been good to me. i feel like one of the luckiest guys in the world. ♪ >> welcome back to america's election headquarters. still too close to call in michigan between rick santorum and mitt romney. interesting in the exi will pot numbers in michigan and arizona, rick rick santorum apparently lost the catholic vote in both michigan and arizona, according to the exit polls.

>> returning for more perspective and analysis, fox news sunday anchor chris wallace with his panel down in washington. chris. >> thanks, megyn. we are continuing to look at both of the actual votes and then also at the exit polls. two things strike me, gentlemen. who is the true conservative? people said, about 17% said that was the beg issue for them. 57 to 17, santorum over romney. who has strong moral character? a quarter of the votes said that was the key characteristic. 57-16, santorum over romney. karl, did santorum's talk, i mean part of this obviously may be perceptions of romney, but did santorum's foe if cuss on issues end -- focus on social issues help him this last week? >> i see the economic message freedom natured and if romney holds on, which i think he will, i think it will widen out to four, five, six points, that's going to be what won it for him.

what is interesting to me is he's starting to close the gap among groups he had difficulty with. conservatives, he won them tonight. but that's a smaller margin than he's been losing by and by some he won by 50-31. tea party, 41-41, a split. among those song he lost them, 46-46. among those somewhat supportive of tea party he won them 47-45. he's not winning on the values, as you talked about. if this value is important to you, like abortion. >> he loses on that issue. >> but on groups he is starting to narrow because he's making the economic issue and the ability to beat obama more important than the rest. >> do you think, joe, that -- and maybe it is because he couldn't win on the economic issue, that santorum pivoted to obama is a snob about college or contraception or, you know, the more religion and social issues? because that's where his

strength was and that's where the romney weakness is? >> it's clear it helped him. if you look at the exits, he clearly moved, you know, if people decide in the last month, they were deciding for santorum. so something was working for him and that's where he was. whether it was by accident or by design, it was working. but i still think these are problems for romney. i agree he's moving up with some of these groups, but when you have, you know, 20% of people who think that having you share their religion believes, only 20% think that's romney in this race. as you pointed out, a true conservative on all these things. >> so ask karl,we have about 30 seconds left in the segment, what is your feeling? is there anything romney can do about that? he is who he is. >> let's see if he continues to chip away at the problem. remember, look, this is an unusual race because here he faced an opponent who didn't close the gap entirely but closed it.

and had more visits than he had. he didn't bother going to arizona and romney at least went there. >> interesting, this perception that he's closing with the groups, but not on the question of the beliefs. so that's the job that's still out there for mitt romney if he is going to win this nomination. back to new york. >> chris, thank you. >> thank you, chris. we are following the michigan and arizona primaries. obviously arizona, mitt romney has already won. but in michigan a tight race between romney and santorum. coming up, the governor of michigan joins us live, but during the commercial break go to our website foxnews.com. >> and foxnews.com/mi for all the latest on the race in michigan. you can go to foxnews.com/az for arizona. foxnews.com is your front row seat to politics online. stay with us. [ male announcer ] this is lawn ranger -- eden prairie, minnesota.

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>> too close to call in michigan. joining us live, rick snyder. he's the republican governor of michigan. governor, thanks for being here. your take on the state of this race right now? >> i believe gov. romney is on a great path to victory. we are still waiting for more and more numbers bush the trend is good. i'm just excited to have the primary here in michigan. it's a great way to show off the comeback state in the country. >> governor, you have endorsed mitt romney. you have an enthusiastic crowd behind you. you also predicted victory for him in the state of michigan. are you surprised? or is it still too close to call in this late hour? >> michigan is a very diverse state and we've had a good contest here. it's no surprise at all. but i feel good about governor romney. he's clearly a great candidate

and that's why i was proud to endorse them. he has the skills and the focus on our jobs and kids. it's what our people are concerned about. >> governor, what about gov. romney's take on the auto bailout? it was a bit different than yours. it seems from the exit polls that that issue really didn't matter? >> well, that was my view of it to begin with. i thought too much time was being spent on the auto bailout. it's armchair quarterbacking. it got done and it was successful but there would have been other ways, including some of the ways that gov. romney proposed. bus the average citizen doesn't want to spend time looking at history. the michigan, the citizens in michigan, their question is what are you going to do to create jobs today and tomorrow and gov. romney has a strong platform for that and i think that is what is showing through. >> it got ugly at the end of the race with rick santorum encouraging democrats to go to the policy and vote for him and mitt romney coming out and calling the tactics outrageous,

disgusting, a dirty trick, he call it a desperate campaign s this politics as usual or do you think it went to a different level? >> well, that was unfortunate. as a practice matter, i'm proud of michigan having an open primary because of that effect. you have an opportunity for people to look at candidates they really want to vote for and support who they believe is the best candidate but it also can be somewhat abused and unfortunately that's what took place by asking people to vote for someone who they really don't even like in the hopes of causing for trouble in the race. some that's just a function of how the system works. but overall i think we will get to the right conclusion tonight. >> michigan governor rick snyder, governor, thank you very much for your time. appreciate it. >> just men's now to the top of the hour. and more than half of the vote is now in from the from the staf michigan. but the race remains too close to call. coming up, live reports from our team of reporters in the field,

and plus the governor of arizona, jan brewer, will join us on the race in her state. all in a few minutes.

>> tracking the results in michigan now. the primary race there still too close to call. welcome back to america's election headquarters. i'm bret baier. >> hi everyone, and i'm megyn kelly. rick santorum and mitt romney remain neck and neck in the state of michigan. >> the top two there. we can't call a winner yet. we are looking at both the raw total and the exit polls and the decision desk cannot make a call at this point. 61% of the total vote in already. we can say that ron paul will finish third in michigan and newt gingrich will finish fourth. however, it does not appear that ron paul, nor newt gingrich, will win any of the congressional districts, which means they will not win any delegates out of michigan. >> romney will win all of the

delegates from from from the stf arizona. romney won handedly in that state, which was not a surprise. he was polling 13 points ahead in the polls prior to today's vote and he's managed to secure a win in that state wishes is winner take all for gov. romney. >> john roberts is live in phoenix at the maricopa party watch party. hi, john. >> and a polite applause when it was announced that fox news had called arizona for mitt romney. the official results haven't come in yet. this is a party being hosted by the arizona regional federation of republican women so there are people who have different dogs in this fight. but it really was, as megyn said, no surprise that mitt romney walked away with this. people said his performance at the debate in mesa last wednesday sealed the deal for him. something interesting we picked up continue, talking to people who were in decided until the very last moments, a sense of appear path think for any of the republican contenders.

one fellow we talked to tonight who walked out of a polling place, i looked at the top four names that are on the ballot and i really didn't know what to do. so he said it was a case of eenie-meenie-miney-moe. he didn't think he saw a candidate that could beat president obama in november. and another thing to keep in mind, bill clinton won this state back in 1986, and the democrats the last decade have been shifting, 600,000 hispanics have moved to arizona since the year 2000. they vote 2-1 democrat. this year the democratic party has a big registration drive out for hispanic voters them want to put arizona in play for november, 2012. they want to see it turn purple, if in the blue, 2016 in this state could very much be up for grabs, bret.

>> john roberts live in phoenix. john, thank you. >> joined now by arizona gov. jan brewer, who has endorsed gov. romney in this race. governor brewer, thanks for being here tonight. your reaction to mitt romney's win in your state. >> well, it's a big win for mitt romney tonight. so we are very, very thrilled we were able to deliver this state and all our delegate votes to him. you know, i'm just relieved that the people of arizona realize that mitt romney is the right man for this time. and i think as we move forward through this process, that the rest of the country will see that he is the leader that we need. >> he won overwhelmingly with those who are very concerned about illegal immigration and want to see illegal immigrants deported from the country. there has been criticism suggesting that if mitt romney becomes the nominee, that stance is not going to help him in a general election. as the governor of that state who finds herself emersed in this ba(é&e with our own president on the issue of illegal immigration, what are your thoughts on that issue,

governor? >> well, i think that in arizona, of course, we are a border state so it's very, very important to us. but besides that, i think that might be some people's very top priority. but they are also very, very concerned about the economy and jobs. you know, those issues that are facing our whole country. and i think that they realize that mitt romney is the man that can beat president obama. we've had nothing but promises and broken promises from president obama. and now we are ready for a change. >> governor, thanks for being here. you know, after you get to super tuesday, there are still 67% of the delegates left on the table t does not appear that any of these candidates are going to get out of the race. do you believe that this continued race on the republican side hurts the party and eventually hurts the nominee? >> yeah, i do. i think that it's probably not a good thing, but i will tell you that the romney team, myself included, we are ready for the

long haul. in the end i think that he will be the victor. >> do you think, governor, that his position on immigration, which mirrors yours in a number of ways, might hurt him in the general election with independents? >> you know, a lot of the pundits have said that but the bottom line is he are a nation of law, we believe in the law, and people understand we have to have laws. that's what mitt wants to do, he wants the laws enforced. get our borders secure. president obama has done nothing to help us down here on the boarder states. then we can discuss the issue of how we are really going to solve the problem. i think gov. romney is the man who can do that. he's the right man at the right time and he's the one that can beat obama. >> governor jan brewer, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> time to go back to our panel. juan williams, and the guys.

we still can't make this call in michigan, but looking into some of those exit poll numbers, what strikes you, steve? we heard from karl and joe, what strikes you? >> i think the points they were making about romney -- how romney did with strong conservative voters and strong supporters of the tea party, he seems to have shown some progress. the numbers he has posted there, mid-30s, are more consistent with the numbers he posted with exit policy in florida and new hampshire where he did well and not like the ones he got in iowa and south carolina where he didn't do well. what is interesting about that, he clearly made a concerted effort to go after tea party voters in michigan. he spent time to talk to tea party voters on talk radio in michigan and spoke thursday night in milford, michigan and another event saturday morning. it seems to me the romney campaign has made more of a

concerted effort to court tea party voters, to court conservatives where really the base of the party, enthusiasm of the republican party still lies. >> and we talked to governor brewer, what she thought. and she's endorsed him: but juan, what do you think? >> i think it's going to be an issue. now, it's interesting, though, in arizona illegal immigration has died down as somewhat of a burning, defining issue at the moment. but in just the way that john roberts was talking about, the burgeoning number of hispanic voters who will be available if the democrats get them out in the general election, it could be a game changer, could be an issue. you look at the fact that president obama has had a spotty, if not bad record in terms of promises made to the hispanic community about immigration reform, there was an opportunity there for

republicans to appeal to people who are strong on family values, strong in terms of catholic faith to say you really be long with the republican party. but when you alienate them on such critical issue as immigration, you alienate them. president obama's support is back in the 60s, which is what he had in 2008. >> on the issue of religion, you look at the exit policy, you have in both of these states rick santorum losing the catholic vote in michigan and in arizona. and arizona substantially, and in michigan, they thought the western part of the state with big pockets of catholic voters would go to santorum overwhelmingly. it didn't happen. >> it did not happen. as a matter of fact, santorum won among the protestant vote.

you go to the rallies, he said i talk about the economy all the time. i don't know how impinge -- how i am looked at as a social issues kind of guy. but he did it last night. a christian academy featured an opening prayer in which the preacher prayed that god would make rick santorum president of the united states. and there was -- it was in a knights of columbus hall a few nights ago -- >> let me interrupt you there. there's rick santorum and his wife on stage with their family. let's listen in. ♪

[cheers and applause] >> a month ago they didn't know who we are, but they do now! what an absolutely great night. i am so thankful, so thankful to so many people here tonight first and foremost i just have to say to the people of michigan, you know, we came into the backyard of one of my opponents in a race that everyone said, well, just ignore, you have really no chance here. and the people of michigan looked into the hearts of the candidates and all i have to say is i love you back. thank you. [cheers and applause]

>> i also -- thank you. i also, as i said, you are get to go know me. >> we love you, baby, we love you! >> not necessarily exactly through the medium that is i want you to get to know me, but, you know, we have an opportunity tonight to tell you a little bit more about who rick santorum is. i want to thank the people on the stage up here behind me, my wife karen, and my family, who is represented here by elizabeth and john, and at home the rest of the family, daniel and sarah maria and peter and patrick, and bell law. i want to thank them sanding behind me every day of this campaign. thank them very, very much [cheers and applause] i want to tell you more specifically about three people. first, someone who is not here that i haven't publicly thanked yet, and i feel i have been

remiss of doing so and that's someone who i know is watching too, and that's my 93-year-old mom. [cheers and applause] >> i'm sure she's feeling very proud. one of her first jobs was in saginaw, michigan. she was very, very excited that i was coming back here to michigan. but my mom is in a very -- well, unusual person for her time. she's someone who did get a college education in the 1930s and was a nurse and got a graduate degree even as a nurse and worked full time. when she married my dad, they worked together at the veterans administration. that's where they met right after the war. and later on they had me and the rest of the family, my brother and sister, and my mom continued to work. she worked all of my childhood years. she balanced time, as my dad did, working different schedules. and she was a very unusual person at that time. she was a professional who

actually made more money than her husband. i grew up with a very strong mom. someone who was a professional person who taught me a lot of things about how to balance work and family and doing it well and doing it with a big heart and commitment. you know, that's probably one of the reasons that i ended up marrying the person i married here, karen. [cheers and applause] >> someone that is as strong as they get. someone i met when she was just about to start the practice of law, and i was doing the same. i recruited her in more ways than one, to my law firm. karen was a professional and worked for a nurse for nine years and then after that she -- we got married and she walked away. and she decided to stay home and raise her children. but she didn't quit working, would beiously. raising seven children is a lot

of work, but she found time also to be an author of two books. those books that really went to the heart of the family, and something that she knows a lot about. she too has been that rock that has been beside me and has been a great example of how it's important to balance that work and family and do so committed to making sure that you are the best at both that you can be. and i'm proud that i have a daughter here in elizabeth who is a great part of our campaign. she goes out on her own and campaigns, and the feedback i get is you stay home, just send elizabeth out. you will do just fine. so we've been -- i've been very, very blessed. very blessed with great role models. for me, someone who guess out and tries to do the job i'm doing right now, to balance the rigors of grinding the campaign and trying to maintain a good and strong family. we all have to do that as americans.

we all have that responsibility, to make both work and work as well as we can. and it's getting harder out here in america. it's getting harder for people to make ends meet because we have a government that is crushing us every single day with more taxes, more regulations, and the idea that they know better than you how to run your life. that ultimately is about what this race is about. it goes down to the very nature of who we are as americans. are we a country that believes in big government? do we believe in the smart and elite in this country to manage us or do you believe in free people and a free economy and building a great america from the bottom up? what do you? [cheers and applause] >> well, we put together a plan, and we announce it had here in michigan. our first 100 days and what we are going to do.

our freedom agenda, how we are going to get this country turned around. the first things we talked about is what is on the minds of a lot of people right now and that is the rises energy costs in this country. we can put millions of americans, and i underscore, millions of people back to work if we would unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of our energy sector of our country, we can drive down prices and decrease our dependency on more quinn oil. we can do it all but we have a president who says no. we have a president who, when the opportunity to open up federal lands for mining and oil and gas drilling says no. we have a president who we have an opportunity to open up offshore and he says no. deep water, he says no. alaska, he says no. build a pipeline, he says no. we need a press who says yes to the american people in energy production. [cheers and applause]

>> we interrupt this speech to project that mitt romney will win his native state of michigan. leaving rick santorum to finish second. this victory prevents a major embarrassment for the former massachusetts governor who had been trailing santorum by an average of more than 9 points in michigan policy less than two weeks ago. >> we will get you back to rick santorum but we wanted to bring you that news. unlike arizona wishes is a winner-take-all state, he will end up sharing michigan's 30 delegates with santorum. we want to get back to him now so you can listen. >> and areas that provides us the resources upon which you live. i was in northwestern north dakota, the other day. and i'll tell you how small it is, it's about the fifth time i've mentioned it and i've yet to get a shout out for tyoga,

north dakota. it's a small town. it is a small town and it could be a boom town but they are nervous because the president of epa is hovering. yes, they are developing oil on private lands. this oil. yeah, this is oil. oil out of rock, shale. it leeches oil. in fact, the highest quality oil in the world, light sweet crude. it can produce thousands and thousands of jobs up in northwest north dakota, but they have trouble. they have trouble getting investors to come here, why? because they believe -- they believe the government is going to shut them down or potentially pull the plug on them. they have a pipeline that they would love to be able to build to get the oil to market instead of running truck after truck after truck through the roads of north dakota and then on the rail. this crude that comes out of this rock is a premium product,

but not in north dakota. they have to pay, they get a $32 discount when they sell their oil. why? because we have a president who won't let them get their oil to market. [booing] >> folks we need a president who is on the side of rural america, on the side of small town america and opens up those energy resources for america. [applause] and it's not just the energy industry that small town rural america thrives on. of course, as you know here in michigan, it's manufacturing. one of the things i think that i felt very good about as well as we did here tonight, it's the message of creating jobs, manufacturing jobs for small town america, resonated here with the people of michigan. they saw a vision for how their lives could be better. they saw a vision how their ladder to success could be built

down to people with limited skills but the desire to work hard and to be able to upgrade their skills as they work in a manufacturing facility. we've lost from 21% of the economy to 9% -- not of the economy, but of workers in manufacturing down to 9%. that's just inexcusable. all of it because government regulation and government taxation. we put forward a plan, the wall street journal calls supply side economics for the working man. the working men and women of this country to be able to get those jobs in manufacturing, to be able to get those skills, provide for their family. the average manufacturing job in america pace $20,000 more a year than the average job in america. we can get those jobs back. we need to slash the corporate rate for taxes to zero. we need to let the regulatory environment that barack obama is destroying and crushing manufacturing. we will repeal every single one of barack obama's big government

regulations on day one. [cheers and applause] and, of course, part of those regulations, one of the things we will repeal right out is obamacare. [cheers and applause] >> that is the biggest issue in this race. it's an issue about fundamental freedom. it's an issue about whether you want the government to take your money and exchange, give you a right. give you a right. they are going to give you the right to healthcare, that's what president obama promised. but of course when the government gives you a right, they can take that right away. and when the government gives that you right, they can tell you how to exercise that right. and they do. not just what doctors you can see and what insurance policies or how much you are going to get

fined if you don't do what the government tells you to do. but even go so far as to tell you how to exercise your faith as part of your healthcare bill. if the government can go that far with obamacare, just think what's next. ladies and gentlemen, we need a candidate who can go out and take on barack obama, who is an author from 20 years ago, the author of free market healthcare economics, health savings accounts. has been a fighter for replacing all of these programs across this country at the federal level with a government-run healthcare, with not romneycare or obamacare but a program based upon you called you-care because that's what we believe in in america. [cheers and applause] >> we've got a great

conservative track record on not just healthcare, but on taking on the big problems that confront this country, the deficit. huge expanding, exploding debt in this country. someone has been an advocate ever since i was in politics for a balanced budget amendment, fought tooth and nail to get it passed. came within one vote but have never given up trying to fight. we will work to pass a balanced budget amendment to the constitution, but in the meantime we will do something that no one else has ever successfully done, but i did, and that is we will go out and we will end entitlement programs on the federal level, give them back to the states, and cut them dramatically to save money. [cheers and applause] people said we couldn't do it. we did it. i was the author of welfare reform. welfare reform which ended the

federal entitlement, cut the program and gave it back to the states like we need to do with medicaid and food stamps and a whole host of other programs that are already run by the states and have no business according to, remember that document, yeah, it's the u.s. constitution. that's it. right? we need to get those programs back to the states. we need to save the federal government money and more importantly, welfare didn't just save money, didn't just cut the rolls, but it saved lives. it put people back to work. it dug people out of poverty. it gave them something that dependency doesn't give, hope, and that's what america is all about, giving opportunity and hope. [cheers and applause] >> all of our economic plan is based on a very simple concept, based on what's worked for america from its very founding.

i wave this constitution at every speech and talk about it being the operator's manual of america. it's how america works. it's the how of america. but there's another document equally important, which is the why of america. and that is the declaration of independence. and in that declaration is these words, we hold these to be elf evidence that all men are created equal anden do youd by their eight tore with certain in ailable rights. that phrase was the most transformation natural phrase ever written in a government document. that phrase said that we are going to be a country with limited government and believing in free people to be able to form families and communities and churches and educational institutions and hospitals and be able to build a great and just society, a free society from the bottom up. that's how america works best, from the bottom up. and that's the solutions that we are going to propose for

america, the bottom up. [cheers and applause] the men and women who signed the declaration of independence wrote this final phrase. "we pledge to each other our lives, our fortune and our sacred honor." when they signed that document, they had very little hope, real hope, of actually succeeding in a revolution against the british. the british, the most powerful army in the world and the navy in the world. they were ruled by highly educated, noble people. the uniforms were crisp and stiff. they looked good. but their rulers ruled them from

on high. didn't listen to them as they fought the revolutionary war. our leaders were different. george washington, the signature leader of america, was different. he understood that the greatness of this new country was to have leaders who understood that in spite of their breeding and education, they didn't have all the answers. that they could trust the people, that rag-tag group of people who stepped forward to volunteer to create freedom in this land. and they believed, general washington believed in them. in fact, some of his boldest moves came not from him or his generals, but from the ranks. that's how america's freedom was won, leaders believing in the people that they led against

those who just thought all the answers resided in those in charge. ladies and gentlemen, that is what made america free, and that is what will make america free in the future. thank you and god bless! [cheers and applause] >> senator rick santorum saying america needs a fighter, and he is that fighter, after he comes in second tonight in the michigan primary. also in the arizona primary. fox news projecting during that speech that sen. santorum would come in second in michigan because gov. romney has won that state, has won his native state of michigan. you heard the senator saying there what america needs is not just a fighter, but somebody who will not bring romneycare, who will be on the side of rural america. and sen. santorum has campaigned in rural america from the beginning of this campaign,

reaching out to folks in the countryside and in the towns of this country, in addition to the metropolitan areas, suggesting that that's the area from which he hails and an area that he understand well and people that he can relate to well. you can see this the senator will view as a win despite the fact on the numbers bore it was not because he will take a portion of the delegates in michigan. it was not a winner-take-all state. there are 30 delegates to be awarded. it goes county by county with 28 delegates and there are two that go, one to romney and one to santorum. we don't know what that count is so far. >> karl cameron reports, before i go to arizona, newt gingrich will finish third in arizona. ron paul will finish fourth. fox projected before that romney won the state along with all 29 of its delegates. rick santorum came in second in arizona. i was going to say karl cameron is saying rick santorum called mitt romney before he took the staining. you remember that we made the call about the michigan win for romney in the middle of

santorum's speech. he knew that he was going to lose before that. he called mitt romney before he took the stage to concede both michigan and obviously arizona. so we are told that that call happened. don't have the specifics, but karl cameron saying it happened before he took the stage. >> that was the deal in the earlier primaries where they said newt gingrich did not call mitt romney when he won florida, and mitt romney was saying, wow, that's not something he apparently does. >> this is governor snyder talking in michigan, waiting for mitt romney to take the stage. it should be just a matter of minutes. and when he does, we will take you there. >> as we await the governor, see if he's coming in now. there he is. governor romney and his wife, ann, out to celebrate a hard-fought victory in the state of michigan. you heard sen. santorum refer to it as romney's backyard. so that's a neutral term as

opposed to home and native. it's his backyard. ann romney is about to introduce her husband as we've seen her do men times on the campaign trail and on election nights. take a listen. >> as usual, i have a long list of thank yous and i am going to see if you are all going to behave and listen to the list without cheering in between. we will see if you can get this right. thank you to our honorary michigan chairman, governor rick snyder who you just saw, lieutenant-governor brian calle, and to our campaign co-chairs, attorney general bill schutte, senate majority leader randy richardville. and speaker chase. and i want to thank out finance chairs. by the way, this is really helpful, david fisher and john.

and we have a big family here in michigan. we would like to thank them. scott romney, lin, ron and ronny mcdaniel and other members of the romney and dades family, by the way, my family across the state. i also must recognize our national committee members. sala and holly. and our congressman. this is a list, let me see if i can get through it. dade camp, fred up ton, mike rog,, dad, and bill, dan beneshek, kim wahlberg, and thank you to our wonderful surrogate, donald trump. [applause] >> governor tim pawlenty, governor bob mcdonald. governor chris christie, and your famous oakland county chair

that you love, let's see, brooks, brooks patterson. how can i believe forget brooks? representative aaron nezbet, former state rep, and rocky razkowski. and attorney general mike cox. this list has been so helpful. i'm sorry to keep going. to our state team, lori and bob. and finally, thank you, kid rock [applause] the last week i have been going along with mitt, my son, tag, we've been going up and down the state, all over from the tip of the mitt. [laughter] >> careful. >> i know. i better be careful. but what we have seen, what we

had seen out there has broken my heart. i love michigan. i love michigan. >> we love you! [cheers and applause] >> i grew up drinking burners and listening to tiger baseball. and what we saw when we went across michigan were family that were hurting, people tharpe out of jobs, and then there's something else, and they are so concerned about their children. and why it is because of the debt that we are going to give to our children. we have had it. washington, here we come. we are going to take back america and we are going to let this guy do it. [cheers and applause] >> wow, what a night! thank you! thank you!

now, first, first to call it -- [chanting mitt, mitt, mitt] >> okay. first thank you, was the first state to call it. thank you arizona. great victory in arizona tonight. and thank you michigan. what a win. this is a big night. thank you guys! [cheers and applause] >> you know, a week ago, it was just a week ago the pundits and the pollsters, they were ready to count us out, but across michigan and arizona i kept on meeting moms and dads and students and grandparents and they were concerned about what's happening to this great country of ours. and i was confident we could come together today and take a giant step toward a brighter future. so tonight their efforts have brought our cause a great victory and we celebrate with people across these states. thank you.

now tonight is also particularly special for me because this is the place where i was born. this is the place where i was raised. my mom and dad lived many years here and loved this great state. i know that michigan ders in this room, we consider you all family. thank you so much for your help and in this room are the people who knocked on the doors and made the calls and went to the policy, and it made an enormous difference. we didn't win by a lot but we won by enough and that's all that counts. and by the way, in arizona special thank you to gov. jan brewer there and senator john mc. they were tireless, particularly john mccain. he's been all over the country helping. what a hero. thank you, senator. thank you, governor. they are out there. we've got two sons out there that are celebrating with them. the great thing about having so many in our family, we can cover almost every race.

so super tuesday will be stretched but we are going to find a way. our campaign, as you know, is about restoring the promise of america. last week i unveiled a very bold economic plan that's going to jump start the economy, and it's going to get michiganders back to work and america nor jobs. we will have less debt and more government and i will deliver on more jobs, let debt, and smaller government. we will hear that day in and day out, more jobs, let debt, smaller government. [cheers and applause] you know, there are a lot of people who were saying that if you are running for office you really can't speak honestly to the american people. well, we will. and i will. and because this is a decisive moment, i believe this is a time that requires real leadership in our country. times are tough. we need leaders who will live in integrity, who have the courage to tell the truth, and have the experience to get our economy back on track.

that's the kind of leader i aspire to be. that's the kind of leader i will be if i am president of the united states. [cheers and applause] >> our campaign is about more than just replacing a president. it's about restoring america's promise, from generation to generation americans have always known that the future would be brighter and better. americans have always believed in a tomorrow full of prosperity. that's what it means to be the land of opportunity. in america you know if you work hard you can build a better life. if you teach your kids the right kind of values and help them make the right choice necessary life, you know their future will be prosper us and secure. and that deep confidence of a better tomorrow is a basic promise of america. today that promise is being threatened by a faltering economy and a failed presidency. four years ago we warned that the presidency was no place for on-the-job training.

well, today we have the economy to prove it, all right? this president, by the way, he likes to remind us that he inherited an economy that was in crisis, but he doesn't like to remind us that he also inherited a democrat congress. he had majorities in both the house and the senate. he was free to pursue any policy he pleased. did he fix the economy? no. did he tackle the housing crisis? >> no. >> did he get america bark to work? >> no! >> instead, he put us on a path toward debt and deficits and decline. it's time to get off that path and get back on the path of american prosperity! [cheers and applause] now these days when he's not spending our money or infringing on our rights, he's busy running for re-election.

he believes that -- did you hear this? he believes he ranks among the top four presidents in american history. can you believe that? i would find a different spot for him. he thinks he deserves a second term. he says we can't wait, to which i say oh, yes, we can. today we are $15 trillion in debt and real unemployment stands at 15%. you've heard that old saying by need a vacation from my vacation. well, we need to have a recovery from this so-called recovery. you know, as a nation we have survived the great depression, we've weathered two world wars, we made it through tough times, and we've not come all this way to give up now. we still believe in the hope, in the dream, and the promise of america. we know our future is better and brighter than these troubled

times. that unaware offing conviction guides our campaign and this effort. it's rallied millions of people to our cause and it's the message we are going to take to every corner of the country, from ohio and idaho to georgia and tennessee. we've seen enough of this president over the last three years to know that we don't need another five years of president obama because, you know, he thinks he's unchecked by the constitution. he's unresponsive to the will of our people. and in a second term he would be unrestrained by the demands of re-election. if there's one thing we can't afford, it's four years of barack obama with nothing to answer to. so we are going to get him out of that office and get him back home where he belongs. [applause] >> now, you saw his budget. [chanting mitt, mitt, mitt]

>> you saw the budget, he put it out and it foreshadows exactly what we will see ahead if he's the president. run away spending, record debt. they were the warmup act. for an encore he wants to raise taxes on job creators, small businesses and families and we are not going to let him do that. in this campaign i'm offering a real choice and a very different direction. i have a plan that will restore america's promise through more jobs and let debt and smaller government. president obama is making the federal government bigger, more burdensome, and bloated. i'll make it simpler, smaller and smarter, and it's about time for that to happen. [cheers and applause] >> he raised the national debt. i will cut cap and balance the budget. he passed obamacare, i will repeal obamacare. he lost our triple a credit

rating, i'll restore our triple a credit rating. he rejected the keystone pipeline. [booing] >> i'll get that from canada that we deserve. and by the way, by the way, i'm going to open up our lands for development so we can finally get the energy in this country that we need at a price that we can afford. when it comes to the economy, my highest priority will be worrying about your job, not worrying about how to save my own. this president -- this president wants to raise your taxes. i'm going to cut them. that's going to start with an across the board 20% rate cut for every american. i'll also repeal the alternative minimum tax and we will abolish finally the death tax.

and you know, he has now proposed raising tacks on small businesses and job creators. i will lower those tacks and also lower the corporate rate to larger businesses to 20%. make the tax credit permanent and end -- let's finally have a tax plan that puts americans back to work. and i have it and we will get it in place. now, you know he also proposes to raise taxes on savings and investment. and if i'm the president i'm going to help middle class families save and invest tax-free. yeah, good. i agree. it's about time. and he also has an extraordinary gap in his policy proposals. do you realize after saying that

medicare and social security were in trouble he has yet to offer a single serious proposal for saving medicare and social security. i have a plan to save them both. and unlike him i have the courage to put my plan on the table for people to see. look, what this campaign is about, what my plans are about is creating jobs and raising wages for the american people. they are going to strengthen our entitlement programs for the next generation, and they will not add to our deficit. we will finally balance america's budget. [cheers and applause] >> now beyond having a plan to get our citizens back to work, i have the experience to get our economy back on track. i spent 25 years in business. i was also the steward of the olympics and the leader of a state. i cut taxes 19 times. i have turned a budget shortfall

into a surplus. i know how government can kill jobs and, yes, i know how it can help createñi jobs. and i stand ready to lead our party to victory and our nation back to prosperity. we will get the job done. this time we got to get the choice right. i said it before, and i firmly believe it, that this campaign is about saving the soul of america. in election comes down to two very different visions of america.. >> it's a choice between squandering america's promise and restoring that promise for future generations. if you want to make this

election about restoring america's greatness, i hope you will join us. if you believe it is a disappointment for the last years are a detour and not the destiny for america, then you need your support. i am asking you to get out and vote and i'm asking you to go on mittromney.com and pledge your way in every way possible. i'm asking you to join the fight for our freedom, to ensure that tomorrow will be better than today. this election, let's restore america's promise, let's fight for this country we love, we've got work ahead, we are going to do that work, we are going to take back america, america is the greatest nation in the history of the earth and we are going to keep it that way. thank you guys! you are the best! god bless the united states of america! thank you! >> former.gov nor of massachusetts, mitt romney. a winner tonight with win necessary arizona and michigan. he said about his michigan win, quote, we didn't win by a lot, but we won by enough and that's

all that counts. he said he wants to make the government simpler, smaller and smarter. he had a new line about president obama that he cannot be unrestrained politically in a second term, that that would be dangerous. but it was his speech aimed at president obama, as we have seen many times. no mention of his other opponents in this gop race, saying that he is going to continue this fight. he also said this was a comeback and that the pundits and pollsters were wrong weeks ago when they counted him out. i don't know that many counted him out a couple of weeks ago, but clearly he was down in the polls in michigan and this is a big night for mitt romney. >> and he went down in those polls and santorum up of a santorum had those triple victory at the beginning of the i'm. romney racking up double victories on an important night for him. we will talk to thible and go down to our friends in washington coming up in a bit. get the thoughts of karl rove and joe and our panel right here in new york, as we continue to bring the events to you. we are going to take you, take a

quick break, pay the bills and be back in three minutes. don't go away.

>> welcome back to america's election headquarters. you look live in michigan, romney campaign headquarters would seem to be a very many relieved mitt romney in his speech tonight. a big winner in arizona and michigan. although not that big in michigan, as far as the spread. but a winner, nonetheless. as you look live, shaking hands,

working the room. and now he moves on to a couple of big contests coming up, washington and then super tuesday. >> one week from tonight. >> back now to washington d.c. we are with chris wallace and his guests. >> thanks so much, megyn. if you want to know what three percentage points, 31-38, what it means, all you had to do is look at those two speeches by mitt romney and santorum. romney looked triumphant, and santorum gritty, courageous. but defeated. karl, where does this leave this race now? and obviously it's better than losing but what about the fact romney only carried his state by 3 points? >> he will get a good chunk of the delegates tonight out of michigan and combine them with 29 in arizona and come out with a big bump of the night. he will also win the headlines in the next several days n race than volatile.

even before the election today we were moving back to a point where romney was back in the lead i think for the sixth time he's been in the lead. we've had now eight different leaders in this contest. you know, this will give him the moment and we will see how it turns out next tuesday but it will help him in ohio, which will be the critical one. >> i want to get to tuesday in a second. joe, let's look at it from santorum's point of view. a big bump wins those two caucuses and the one primary, and at one point about a week or so ago he was up by double digits in michigan, but he says, and you can make the argument to come within three points within this tee swing state works i is romney's native state, i guess we've decided to call it now, is a victory for him now. where does he stand? is he deflated coming out of michigan or he is still very much a challenger? >> it was a strong showing, but that's not good enough. particularly going into super tuesday. he needed -- he really needed a

win tonight which shocked the romney campaign and really put him an trajectory to be the guy to beat on super tuesday. now instead he's got to hope for a splint are field, he has to hope newt gingrich can stop romney in georgia and tennessee. he can't do it himself anymore. >> maybe something has changed, but the last poll i saw in ohio he's leading there. >> he was before tonight but what we saw is each one of these waves of victories has caused a change in the contest. santorum did not play in florida, did not play in nevada, came in third in one, fourth in another, and spent all of the time in three contests that yielded no delegates, colorado, minnesota and missouri, and by winning those three moved dramatically up in the policy. >> you think romney is once again the frontrunner? >> yeah. i'm not certain i want to be the frontrunner right now, but yes. and i think joe made a key point, it will now be a two-front war. gingrich fighting in the south, santorum fighting to get ohio, and romney taking virginia,

massachusetts, vermont and idaho, in all likelihood, without real serious opposition. >> ohio is the key? >> ohio is the key on super tuesday. >> megyn, back to you. >> chris, thank you. >> mitt romney winning both arizona and michigan. we will get more from martha mccallum on how romney won. >> and the panel here in new york, as well as charles krauthammer, and pat will are it all for you just minutes away. we will also have bill hemmer.

>> 11:00 on the east coast. welcome back to america's election headquarters. i'm bret baier. >> and i'm megyn kelly. we have all the race calls in for you now on the late call on the east coast. not so late in the west. mitt romney has won arizona. he will collect all that state's delegates, winning rather handedly, and look at the leaderboard there, it goes romney, santorum, coming in third we will put it up for you there, newt gingrich and ron paul. gingrich winding up with a third place finish in arizona but it does not necessary matter because that is a winner-take-all state. >> now to michigan. the 30 delegates there. mitt romney the big winner. not so big in the spread , but a big win as far as momentum. rick santorum will finish second.

in third, ron paul, and newt gingrich will finish fourth. the interesting thing about michigan is the congressional districts were still -- 8 of them are two close to call. the split in delegates could be very tight. santorum could pick up relatively the same number, maybe even more, depending on how it goes congressional district. >> joining us now, chief political correspondent, mr. cam ran. hey, carl. >> hi, megyn. a big relieve for mitt romney to pull off the win in michigan. there's not a lot of doubt in the romney camp he remains a fractured and fragile frontrunner. when you compare tonight's victory in terms of percentages, romney has actually back slid from 2008. back then he beat john mccain by 9.2%, and based on 75% of the precincts in he's running about 64% so half the victory he had four years ago w that said,

romney recognizes that there are still a lot of could be conservative he has skepticism problems with. i asked the romney campaign what do you do to deal with the skepticism? and the answer from the top down from the candidates to his junior staffer is simple, we have to win. as you look forward to super tuesday. they know where the action is going to be. they know where romney has to prove himself and he's going there tomorrow. romney will have a morning event in toledo and afternoon event in ohio. he knows he has to do well there on super tuesday. there was a real square for the romney camp last week where mike, the former u.s. senator and attorney general revoked and withdrew his endorsement of romney and got behind santorum. there was a worry that could be an erosion of the fire wall. it didn't happen but still

could. tonight's victory for romney, he has clawed back. but in the context of the overall year and a half in which this was a state he was expected to have a cakewalk in, tonight santorum has plenty of things to boast about as well. he made mitt romney spend a lot of money to defend his home turf and talk about how he liked the perfect height of the trees and all of his family and relative members who live all across michigan, it was very, very important for him him. when he goes to ohio on tuesday, he will not have the benefit of his native state to play on. he will be on new fresh territory with rick santorum leads the polls in ohio and elsewhere and newt gingrich looking to do strongly in the south. so romney recognize that is tonight was a bullet dodged. he was in danger of losing his birth state. he didn't do that, but it cost him a lot of time and effort. he goes forward clearly leading in the delegate race, leading in the states, and leading perhaps in a couple of days back in the national polls. we've seen it happen. a candidate wins on the primary night, the national polls shift.

but each time that's happened, megyn, bret, it's been important to recognize another candidate has won the next tuesday night's primaries. romney has some momentum tonight. we will see how long it lasts. >> karl, it got a little ugly between the two candidates, santorum and romney at the end, and romney calling santorum an economic light weight, and then santorum responding that mitt romney is a conservative light weight. but tonight there was a chord daily moment between these two men before rick santorum took to the stage. tell us. >> well, there's been a lot of back and forth about what calls who and does the courtesy calls to concede. this time it did happen. rick santorum did call mitt romney. romney took the call. it's been described by santorum's eldest daughterrer as a cordial conversation but brief. it happens minutes before he took to the stage to make his remarks. he made it clear that although it didn't go his way, he's not backing down and super tuesday

is an opportunity for him to rise again. mitt romney didn't mention any of thinks republican rivals tonight. there are only a few plays in the romney playbook, and he has been disciplined in sticking with them. tonight was a victory and he talk about barack obama, not about his republican rivals. that's likely to continue but in ohio and the states where it's close and romney has to do well next week, don't expect any let-up. mitt romney has made it clear he knows how to throw a punch and he knows how to take a punch. there will be plenty of those exchanged between mitt romney and rick santorum in the days ahead. >> thank you. >> bill is at the touch screen tonight. bill, mitt romney did win a greater share of the vote in michigan. some interesting results both in michigan and arizona. >> certainly is. yet good evening to you again. and to carl's point on the results map here on the touch screen billboard, if you exam michigan for the results we are getting so far in 2012 and compare it with 2008, it goes exactly to the point that carl was just making there. here is santorum in red and

romney in orange, with 84 terse of --% of the vote. you see in the western half of the state. southwestern part, santorum is taking all these counties. if this holds, and it likely will at the moment, santorum will likely win more counties than romney, but overall romney could take the overall vote total and will increase his vote total over four years ago. we will examine this now from 2008 between romney and mccain. just a reminder romney won four years ago just by 9 points. but lock at the area romney dominated. in of the west, in grand rapids and center part, lansing. detroit, all this orange area was romney territory. you look in twelve and you see where santorum has picked selected counties and bitten into his lead. we will watch and see as had rolls on further in the super tuesday. to the folks in arizona we have not ignored you tonight. it is just that early nonet night we were given indication that mitt romney was rolling

through the state. and this pretty much tells you the story. there are 76% of the votes been counted. every county right now is checking in for mitt romney. especially here in the center. maricopa county where phoenix is located, mitt romney did well here four years ago. look where he romped this time around. 26 points in maricopa county alone. that was a state that he finished second in to john mccain four years ago. tonight a very impressive showing nor mitt romney. he's essentially the only one that truly campaigned hard in the state of arizona this time around. a week from tonight ten different states will do battle. you will hear a lot of talk about virginia and georgia, tennessee, and oklahoma. but the critical state will be the 63 delegates on the map in the state of ohio. this is our economic landscape map here. the deeper the red, the tougher trouble you have had over the past four years or so. if you are in green, well, you are doing all right. you have a surplus of jobs since barack obama has taken the white house. but here in ohio with the

republican governor, john caseic, who breaks continuously by getting more companies and jobs to the buckeye state, the unemployment is down to 8.1% which is slightly below the national average. but jobs and the economy, taxes, deficit spending will be a priority in ohio as we go threw seven days from now. back to you guys as we look toward super tuesday in a week. >> no one can work that board like bill. >> he's almost as at home there as he is in old senate, his native cities, where the candidates are going to be very soon. i think they will have a lot of skyline chili. >> that would be my native state and home state but i guess it's my home here in new york city. >> now you are a new yorker. >> a three way one. >> and martha is not shy about telling people that her home state is the the great state of new jersey.

>> you betcha. >> and we are a week out from super tuesday, it may tell us what the trends are in terms of groups of voters, martha. >> that's exactly right. let's break down exactly how mitt romney did it in michigan tonight. eats truly a broad story. he won with women, seniors, seniors, counter tis, moderates. those worried about the economy and those who want to beat barack obama in the fall. that's a broad group. let's break it down for you. seniors were one quarter of the voters tonight. almost half went to mitt romney and how about this? catholics backed romney. the mormon over santorum, the contact lick, who has been outspoken about his catholic faith, especially in the later courses of the rate. and women about by five. beating obama is the number one priority and romney is their guy with 61% of that group. also the top issue continues to be the economy. and those who care the most about fixing the economy more than anything else in this race,

they went for romney tonight in a big way as well. those was the top issue was the deficit, romney bested santorum among that group as well. so how about the question of experience? and what better prepares somebody to become president. most of the voters think the business experience gave mitt romney the better experience as a candidate to serve as president and they picked him as well. and santorum's sort of last ditch effort to win michigan over the scoring of the week was to woo the democrats and to show up tonight and vote for him in the primary that. effort failed. he won half of the democrats. he made up nine percent of the vote. and for the republicans, he -- independents, he split them. he closed the deal tonight in a very broadway in michigan, guys. >> martha, thank you.

>> let's bring in fox news contributor and syndicated columnist charles krauthammer with his thoughts. good evening. your thoughts on this night? >> i'm here in my adopted washington, and not in my native new york. look, i think the story line here remains the same. the story line is romney. slow, steady, unspectacular. as you pointed out, rather jaunty tonight with a win in michigan. the other story is there's been six challengers that come up against him, they rise, fall, swing, u-turn, and the only one that remains is romney. i think santorum really had his shot here. he got the slingshot coming out of that three-win two or three weeks ago. he came really close, which would have been a tremendous upset and victory, but he fell short. and like the others, i think it was mostly self-inflicted. the story here is romney's luck in his choice of opponents. santorum, if you look at the exit polls, he had a seven

percent edge on those who decided in the last few days. but among those who decided in the last few weeks, he had been up twenty, which means his momentum really slowed in the end. that had to do, i think, with self-inflicted errors. there was kennedy, college and contraception. you know that attack on kennedy, the speech he made in 1960 on religion, and santorum said it made him want to throw up. he talk about college, the fact that he said obama was trying to push it for everyone that reflected elitism, snobbery, and indoctrination. there's a point there about liberal higher education, but it was extreme and overstated and on contraception an issue which has been decided, settled in the country a half century ago, he's on the wrong side of that. and you saw that in the women's vote. santorum came dead even on the men vote. and the women's vote he lost by

5% and that's what cost him the election. and i think you saw that reflected in the speech he made. what did he talk about? his mother, his wife, and his daughter, and he spoke about them as independent and professional trying to undo the damage he had done in the gender gap. so i think that remains the story. santorum had his shot. he will have one more shot i think in ohio. but again, romney, slow, steady, unspectacular, is the one who sort of remains standing when all the wind blows away and the sand disappears. >> charles, a lot of republican voters have been uncomfortable watching this primary contest so far with all the barbs being exchanged between the candidates and in michigan it got a little ugly in the end. your take now at this point in the process on whether this extended primary process that was a choice by the gop is working to the gop's advantage? >> no. i think it's hurting them

terribly. you are right about the fact that it is a republican choice. and i think it was a really stupid choice. they decided that in 2008 they had gotten a candidate too early. a weak candidate in mccain and they got slaughtered. so they were going to undo that and have a long, drawn out process. almost all the contests would be proportional, and let the voters decide over time. the flaw in the reasoning, and it was pretty obvious, they would be running against an incumbent president, unlike in 2008. the democrats would not have any early contests. they wouldn't have any negativity, they wouldn't have all this expenditure in trying to decide who is going to be the nominee. so they should have had a shorter raced but they designed it for a longer race in a year in which the democrats have no race at all and therefore have an advantage. nonetheless, i think the way obama has performed as president is so disappointing that that

will even out, and i think it is now an even contest between democrats and republicans as to the general election. it shouldn't be, republicans should be way ahead, given how badly obama has done and how week the economy is. but this process has certainly hurt all the republican candidates, and diminished the brand unfortunately. >> charles, one last thing. from a santorum campaign perspective, in michigan, rick santorum has outspent roughly 5-1 in michigan. he is probably going to finish three points behind in that state, the native state for mitt romney. the campaign is saying that they think they could win more delegates in the end. we are going to see by congressional district here soon. and i just got an e-mail from the campaign saying don't forget hillary clinton won nevada, got the news cycle, but then senator obama got the delegates. what about that line of raining from raining -- of reasoning from the

santorum folks? >> well, if santorum comes out ahead, it will be by two delegates. there will be 2,000 at the convention. it will be utterly ag significance. the fact is he lost michigan. so whether they get -- the delegates are split exactly evenly or one party gets a couple more than the other is unimportant. the fact is this was his shot. in the same way his elections he won three weeks ago, missouri, colorado and minnesota, had no delegates at stake and yet it was important. the momentum that was at stake before he got it, and tonight he lost it. >> charles, as always, thanks for the analysis. >> a pleasure. >> see you in washington. >> mitt romney winning both arizona and michigan. tonight, coming up, chris wall, karl rove and joe trippi on the races this evening. keep it right here on america's election headquarters.

>> one thing we can't afford is four years of barack obama nothing to answer to so we will get him out of that office and get him back home where he belongs. >> now you saw his budget. [chanting mitt, mitt, mitt]

>> now we will head back to washington where fox news sunday anchor chris wallace is with his guests. we have been told -- oh, my goodness. what is that? >> it has been a big might for the space cowboys, bret. i know it took the decision desk a little while, but karl and joe, and please take a shot of them because i don't want to go down in my career by myself here. >> no, no, no. >> 9:15 for mitt romney in michigan. >> we have serious things to talk about. >> what? >> we've jumped to shark.

it's official. >> no, this is like, you know, the red hour like you used to wear the victory scarf. the space cowboys called the race and we will put on our bandanas from now to the rest of the primary season. it seems to me, karl -- i know nobody is paying attention to what we are saying. but it seems to me mitt romney, and the tax plan, it gives him something to talk about, something to sink his teeth into. >> gave him a topic for the end of the which, which is good. he could have done better had he not had his speech to the detroit economic club where he rolled it out, the 300 people in a 65,000 seat stadium. but it was good to have a tax and a spending cut plan to roll out and talk about. >> let's talk about rack san. what is his play now? does he double down on the social conservative? it was the one area he could beat romney, or does he downplay

that and play more the idea i have an answer for the economy too? >> i think it's too late for him 20 do that. i think he will have to double down on social conservative. and the reason is it's the one easy play that gets you 25% across the board in all those states. he has to go -- he has to go park himself in ohio and somehow wage a campaign out there across the rest of the states. romney's got surrogates, he has all kinds of people, donald trump and other people he can send out to the other state and other elected officials that can roll out there. santorum just doesn't have that kind of an army. he has to do it by putting more red meat out there for the social conservatives. >> meanwhile, ron paul, newt gingrich basically ignored arizona and michigan and they have been laying in wait. paul in some of the caucus states around the western part of the country, and the north central. and gingrich in georgia in the

south. is there a third act potential for gingrich here? karl, what's his play? does he go after romney or santorum? what does he do? >> there's a potential third act and it starts in georgia wishes has a big block of delegates and it's not his birth state, it's his adopted state. >> i should point out he didn't grow up -- karl, tell us. >> he was born in pennsylvania. he didn't grow up in georgia. he went and caught college in georgia and entered politics there and now lives in virginia. he's not going to be on the ballot in the state where he now lives. he's going to be on the ballot in georgia, the state where he had his political career, and he will do well there. the question is how well does he do in the other southern states, tennessee and oklahoma that are on that day, and then mississippi and alabama. >> and also arkansas. >> no, alaska. alaska. >> oh, yeah. i knew it was "a" something. >> and ron paul will be active and also in north dakota which is a caucus state, and he will

try to make a play in idaho, although i think that's a beginning camp. but for gingrich it's how well he does the south and his opponent there is a santorum. that's why he went after him as a big union republican in georgia recently because he has to get past santorum in order to get at romney. >> i think it's going to be divide and conquer. santorum has to hope gingrich catches fire because there's no way gingrich can fight in all those places. the only way it will work anymore is to have ron paul score in washington state, newt go down in georgia and tennessee and some places like that, and you pick off ohio. if you can do that, you stop romney. >> isn't it likely the picture on super tuesday is going to be very mud he would? each one will win a pocket? >> i think so. but there's a chance romney will win virginia, and massachusetts, his adopted state, vermont, and i suspect idaho, which has a

substantial mormon population. and if he wins one more, ohio gives him five out of ten con tests or five out of eleven, and wyoming, and you have a majority of he will delegates. >> that's it from the space cowboys. >> chris, patty brown tweeted in this is not a great moment in tv journalism. >> we were talking beforehand as to whether or not we were going to do this, and trippi keep looking at each other, are we really going to wear these? i said you do other things. this is it for me. if i get a note from the boss tomorrow, this could be my final appearance on the fox news channel. >> oh, my. >> this is your moment right now. >> thank you, gentlemen. >> if we get a big spike in the ratings at like 11:20 -- >> we will all wear them. >> don't you guys feel so boring over there right now? >> just sitting here. >> first santorum brings a prop, now those guys felt like they had to one-up him. now our all-star panel in

new york. we have a break. but you have to up the game, that's all i am saying. and you can also, folks, get the latest on the race calls on our website. >> go to foxnews.com/ad. and foxnews.com/michigan for the latest on the race in michigan. and foxnews.com, your front row seat to politics and costumes. ♪

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>> it's the bottom of the hour. thing about winner in michigan, mitt romney. winner momentum-wise. the spread is pretty tight, actually. rick santorum will come in second. in third, ron paul. and in fourth in michigan, newt gingrich. >> similar results in arizona where fox news is projecting that mitt romney is the winner. rick santorum came in second there. a healthy margin of victory for mitt romney. in third place in arizona, newt gingrich. ron paul finishing fourth. that does not necessarily matter, however, because it's a winner-take-all state, and governor romney will get all 29 of that state's delegates. >> time now to bring back our panel here in new york. >> wait for it. wait for it. >> no costume, no costume. >> and juan williams, columnist for the hill. and the new york correspondent for the washington examiner.

and also pat. pat, your thoughts on tonight and the big picture. >> pat, did you hear a word that that panel in washington said? >> not a word. [laughter] >> who could tell? once you saw those neckties. >> how did they have cocktails and we didn't? that's got to explain it, right? >> it's our studio down to washington there. an open bar? i never had that for a special report. >> look, several things. one, romney dodged a big bullet tonight. what is interesting is how he did it. santorum had this thing lined up and lost it, and he lost it today with people who voted today. 19%, he was winning. and 7% for romney today. it broke down. but here's the more important thing. romney for a three point victory, i've never seen an exit poll like this. we are seeing things we've never seen so far this season. romney won people -- excuse me,

lost only people who make less than $30,000 or less than $50,000 by a few points. usually he loses them by a lot. same with college. 30% of the people in michigan have been laid off that voted today voted for romney by plus 6. those are down-scale voters. you think they would be voting for santorum, but, no, they aren't. and donald trump particularly went out to campaign for him to help him identify with those voters but here's the real story. for 40 years no presidential incumbent since nixon, the 40th anniversary of watergate, and i take this very interestingly, seriously, it is for 40 years no incumbent party has attempted to influence the nomination of their opponent. tonight for the first time in polling we can see the evidence, that that concerted effort paid off. let me give you a couple of

examples of this. rick santorum lost somewhat conservative voters by 19 points. he won somewhat liberal voters, which he's never won, by 5 in that state. people who opposed the tea party, he won by four points. he lost by a point for those who support the. but anything people who strongly opposed the tea party, he won by 16 points. this is an effort to obviously influence the vote and it's the first time we've seen, quote, strategic voting. it's the first time you see that kind of broad-based effort by the incumbent on his party in modern history. >> we talked about this a moment ago. to what extent do you think santorum's comments this week and the past few days hurt him tonight? i think charles referred to it as kennedy, catholics and contraception. he made a remark about president kennedy's speech, an absolutely separation of church and state and santorum said it made him

want to throw up. and the controversy about contraception we know. he went on from there. what do you think -- how did that play into tonight's results? >> the john f. kennedy caused a problem for him. if there are people in michigan who remember the older romney, they remember john kennedy, as well. and i don't think the college remark was that big a gaffe for santorum. you have to remember just 25% of people in michigan have a bachelor's degree or higher 75% do not have a college degree. santorum won them narrowly. and they didn't vote as much as people who do have college degrees. but it all came down, all of it, to the economy. i mean, 55% of the people there said it was the most important issue for them. another 25% said the federal deficit so that's 80% of the people talking about the economy, and federal spending. romney won strong among both.

one thing we haven't talked about enough is romney's pitch, which pollsters asked which do you think is the best experienced to be president? a business background or a background in government? and by a big margin people -- >> two to one. >> people said business. look back at the list, we haven't won a lot of business people president but that's romney's pitch and it won tonight in michigan. >> it seemed like rick santorum was aiming toward ohio with his speech tonight and trying to get that message out to ohio, someplace that his campaign thinks he will do well there as well. is that what you heard, you know, holding up the shale, making the pitch on energy, a blue collar pitch that he has had on the trail? >> sure. and i think we've heard this since new hampshire when he gave a very nice speech, even though it was a concession, where he talked about his grandfather as a coal minor. now he's again working toward, i

think, gal van nicing the blue-collar vote. what i see is basically romney won people who went to college and santorum wins people who have high school education or less. i think romney winning people who make more than $100,000, and santorum winning people who make less than $50,000. santorum wins people who are in unions, romney wins people who are not in unions f you ask the voters in michigan who is the true conservative, it's overwhelming. rick santorum. who has morale character? rick santorum. but when it comes to who can defeat obama, it's mitt romney. who has experience, it's mitt romney. >> you are shaking your head, pat? >> no, i disagree with juan for this reason. let me just say this, romney's margin that he lost these lower income voters, he's been winning the rich people, the well-educated. he's being slaughtered by the others. the question is how did he run so closely with some of these groups he has not run well with,

and yet win the state by only three points? >> the answer, pat, this guy was outspent by more than four to one -- >> no, no, how did romney only win by three points? >> that's what i'm saying. romney blanketed the airways. and romney is successful at tearing down otherwise opponents. and i think he's been very successful at it but i think it's damaging to the brand ultimately. >> let me settle this for you. i think there actually might be an explanation, and i heard it repeatedly when i was talking to voters in michigan when i was there for several days at the end of last week. remember romney's argument here in this state, i'm the businessman, i'm the can-do, practice guy, i'm a problem solver, will have a special resonance in michigan because it's the same pitch that rick snyder made to voters when he con two years ago. it's what he's been doing, and by and large michigan republicans think he's done an effective job. he's not been terribly ideological. he said i will come in and reduce the deficit. he's delivered on a lot of those

promises. there's a model for what romney was arguing and i think that might explain some of the reasoning. >> how do you think that could translate if we see romney in a general election contest against president obama? here you have a large portion of the voters in both states saying they view experience in business as more important, more relevant than experience in government. in this contest that meant romney won over santorum. if you see a contest between mitt romney and barack obama, does that translate, even though this is a republican primary? juan, does it cause you concern that they place such a high value on experience in business which barack obama is light on, versus experience in government? >> no, i think the economy would -- should be the defining issue. if it comes to the economy then you would say mitt romney, in terms of his experience with business, would be someone that you could have confidence in. but the thing is, making that the economy is getting somewhat better. consumer confidence is improving. so if the economy is not the defining issue, then, of course,

you know you see the advantage diminished. the other thing to say is from the barack obama team's perspective, you can attack mitt romney. remember we heard job production i think what perry said in massachusetts was next-to-last. that dukakis proud more jobs from mitt romney. >> and the plan in the south, for super tuesday, for the washington caucuses on saturday, is there a newt gingrich plan that works in your mind? >> no. i think he has already been knocked out. he needed threes three weeks to establish himself, to redefine his campaign, and i don't think he's done it. >> do you agree? >> we should say one more thing, we haven't talked with the super-pacs tonight. each of these candidates, santorum or gingrich, might at some point run out of money and drop out in the future, but now

they don't have to because they have super-pacs, funded largely by individual supporters of them. foster freiz, if he's in the mood to keep giving money, he can keep airing ads. >> and sheldon with the newt gingrich campaign. >> thank you. we will be back in a minute. >> we will check in with those guys down in d.c. and see what on earth they are wearing now. don't go away. >> it is harder to make ends meet because we have a government that's crushing us every single day with more taxes, more regulation, and the idea that they know better than you how to run your life. that ultimately is about what this race is about. it comes down to the very nature of who we are as americans. ♪ [ telephone rings ] [ mayhem ] please continue to hold.

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>> a couple pieces of business we want to take care of. we were talking about the robo calls and specifically the ones santorum made urging democrats to come out, and democrats did come out and among the democrats who did, romney lost to santorum but you think there's a backlash? >> if you made up your mind who to vote for last year you voted for romney 50-17. and earlier this month in february after the february 7th victories, you voted for santorum. 54-32. if you made up your mind in the last few days, voted for santorum, 49-31 but if you made up your mind today that was ten% of the voters you voted for romney, 38-31. i heard on the ground from people in the state there was avis re-elected reaction to the

robo calls, and santorum trying to get democrats to enter the primary, and it shows up in the exit policy, 38-31 romney. >> and let's talk about another robo called. and do you think the robo call from donald trump helped? >> he did a robo call a few weeks ago, started it through michigan. i think it's really helping. trump helped him twice, in nevada and now michigan. he's a force helping with the -- >> what does he connect with? >> tea party republicans, blue-collar folks. he's appealing to them. he appeals to them and gets them to take another look at romney. it's happened now, and i think the robo call helped. >> we were talking with the panel about the fact that the unemployed voted for romney. do you think trump may help with that? >> absolutely. it opens the group up. and particularly as you go into super tuesday, having that in

the -- you know, in your arsenal is really important to romney. >> the final point, karl, we were talking, and the panel in new york was, as well, about the controversial things, some would say positive, some would say negative that's correct rick santorum said about college, catholics and contraception. you think the college remark may have been the one that really hurt? >> i think it hurt more than what you might think. how many people say, yeah, i don't want my kid to go to college. darn it. the best thing for him is to avoid going to college. most of us believe in a higher education is a means for prosperity and opportunity for our children, and i think this remark hurt him among some people. >> and even though colleges are hotbeds of liberal indoctrination? >> even if we know that, we send them off to college and hope they come out sane. but one thing mitt romney hit the last week is he wanted to have an economy in which people had an opportunity to rise, there was opportunity and prosperity in the future, and i think this hurt santorum because

it soundedlike he really didn't get it, that that was a way up for people. >> well, a lot that we've chewed over tonight. a lot of radio interviews and that panel thinks he was making a difference. >> with all due respect to trump, i think we may be underestimating the effect of kid rock. romney thanked him as well. coming up, two wins for mitt romney tonight. we will be right back with final thoughts from our panel in new york. stay with us.

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>> he likes to remind us he inherited an economy in crisis but doesn't like to remind us he inherited a democrat congress. he had majorities in the house and senate and free to pursue any policy he pleased. did he fix the economy? no. did he tackle the housing crisis? did he get americans back to work? >> mitt romney tonight the winner in michigan and arizona focusing his speech, as he has in the past to president obama time now to bring back our panel for final thoughts. steve, first you. >> i think mitt romney avoided a disaster, that is not going to be a disaster because he won the popular vote. if sabt santorum ends up getting more delegates they're

going to press the case very hard. and the feeling in romney's camp has to be of relief. i thought he gave a good speech. i suspect he'll go back to the economy and in what is interesting from his speech i thought is that he seem today. pand his criticism of president obama and included longer passage on entitlement reform in which he said the president hasn't had the courage to layout a plan for reforming entitlements in the way that i have. i think that is a critique of president obama's leadership. >> and we could remember tonight as the night that mitt romney really turned a corner and put all of the anti-romney to bed. if he is able to sustain going forward going into ohio. but into that southern area of the country. the heart of the republican party and a party you're going to see more of a social

conservative and evangelicals coming into play. will antimormanism come into play there? we don't know. spend sog much money in michigan and elsewhere trying to develop momentum he drained funds as he goes on. because especially if you throw in gingrich tonight there is a strong antiromney sentiment in the republican party. >> this is the first speech i heard mitt romney mention his web site and donations and people should contribute. >> this is a man dropping 30 plus million of his own money and doesn't want to do it again. i think the bottom line in this for rick santorum is that you can't escape your reputation. for decades he's built a reputation as leader in the social conservative movement. i think the bottom line is that as much as he talked about the economy, the voters i talked to thought of him as

a social conservative guy. most won with 76% was a group of people believing abortion should be illegal. >> i'm from the ohio coming up and we've heard and discussed this is a critical issue. he's not winning those voters now economically in the north as he needs to win and i think joe trippy was right. romney did better than he's done after two states and after the nascar statement. this is the real test. santorum, i think blew an opportunity. romney dodged a bullet. >> and thank you so much. that does it for us tonight. but the race for the republican presidential nomination is not over yet. the debate appear to be over but on saturday, 8:00 p.m. eastern governor huckabee has a forum and then, special coverage 10:00 p.m. out of washington. >> next tuesday, a super tuesday contest.

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but when she got asthma, all i could do was worry ! specialists, lots of doctors, lots of advice... and my hands were full. i couldn't sort through it all. with unitedhealthcare, it's different. we have access to great specialists, and our pediatrician gets all the information. everyone works as a team. and i only need to talk to one person abouter care. we're more than 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans.