c-span: and how old is bill kristol now? >> guest: bill is now 42. do i get that right? i'd hate to do i get that right? i'd hate to have that wrong. he was born in 52. he's 42. c-span: and how did you start to bring him into the intellectual world? >> guest: we didn't. he just was there; he was just part of our lives. when we had dinner guests, he would be around, i suppose, and we talked all the time. we talked about whatever was going on. i think this may help explain just how all this happens in our kind of family. my daughter, when she was very young -- she must have been 7 or 8 -- had gone off on a weekend date with one of her friends. when she came back she said, "you know, other families aren't like us at all. do you know, in other houses they just sit there and they listen to tv and they don't argue. they don't talk about it all the time." i suppose that defined our house. we always, i think, brought a kind of critical intelligence to bear upon whatever was happening. we weren't just passive about it, and i think the children acquired that just as a matter of co

quote, let's watch bill kristol, a smart guy on fox yesterday. >> we don't know how chris christie woulde, as fritz says, as a presidential candidate. i would actually like to see some of these guys try. chris christie would be a -- i've said this before and i've said to this him, and he's good natured enough to laugh at me and not knock me out, a big man for a big job. >> there's a pun. strong language urging the new jersey governor to get in. "there's no denying that chris christie has long been the hottest ticket in town. a genuine gop political superstar, with good reason. for one thing, he can construct a coherent sentence, appealing to people without talking down to them. and there is a freshness to him that's lacking in the other pole leader, mitt romney, who's been campaigning for five years now." michael, you understand this business better than i do, which is the suburban person who decides all elections tends to be maybe not real tough on abortion, one way or the other, tends to be probably pro-choice, but on issues of moderation, they look for somewhere center right. is chris

bill kristol having his hopes dashed about ryan in the race.nd now his heard is won to chris christie. two questions, are we overly harsh on rick peryewriting him off too quickly and what do you think of the chance that chris christie or knight in shining armor. >> i don't think we are too harsh on rick perry. he can recover his balance and put in a strong performance. what was troubling about from a republican point of view about this performance. perry was thought of as a true conservative. now he has a position in immigration that is anathema . that hurts him with the base. you can't look at all of the romney. he has trouble with the base. now perry has the same trouble and his weakness is real indeed . as to whether someone might get in the race, it is still early, but what keeps happening, the people have a moment and perry zoomed to the top and in love and get a dose of them on the debate stage. i am impressed by governor christie's tough love governorance in new jersey. who knows what he would do on the national stage. having spent not a

ab stoddard of the bill kristol. and fox news political analyst juan williams.brit, how do you read the straw poll? was it a vote for cain, perry or a statement please let somebody else get in the race? >> you can read it any of those three i was. perry really did throw up all over himself in the debate. at a time when he needed to raise his game. he -- he did worse it seems to me than he had done in previous debates. romney was strong as he has been lately. he has clearly raised his game in reaction to the emergence of perry. it has been good for romney. mock dead last -- michelle bachmann dead last. herman cain was there, he tried hard. he's a marvelous stump speaker. it seems he gets a moment out of this. i can't imagine it is going to last very wrong long -- very long. per very one half a step away from almost total collapse as a candidate. >> ab? >> i think the delegates in florida this is a more closed straw poll than in ames. these are loyal republicans paying attention to this process all along. i think it was a real flap towards perry and mitt romney. w

bill kristol of the weekly standard.a liasson of national public radio ed gillespie, chairman of the republican state committee and kirsten powers. >> what do you see that he could say. see this premarely and an economic speech tore political terms to try to set the of the debate. >> on the latter it as political speech. even the white house makes clear this is an attempt to lay out an aagain that much of which the republican congress won't accept to the obama administration can try to blame what will be slow and unfortunate results over the next year i suspect on the republican congress. i think it is mostly a political speech. some thins he will propose that they might pass. some things that they won't. i don't think he will do any of the major reforms that would be needed to get the economy going. >> chris: such as? >> fundamental tax reform. fundamental entitlement reform. all of the things that need to be done to really change what is a very bad economic situation. >> chris: mara, we have, we think at least at least

paul gigot from the wall street journal and evan bayh senator from indiana and bill kristol of the weeklyd and fox news analyst juan williams. he is focusing on the job growth in texas and connention he has to teparters and evangelical . he has shown vulnerability. paul, what is your take on rick perry. >> he came out strong because he appeals to the republican coalition. cultural and economic conservative. he doesn't have a big foreign policy record. but has potential and undermined that with his performance in the debate. he hasn't thought deeply about the subjects and hasn't even defended his job's record in texas and on social security has a vulnerability calling it a ponzi scheme and a monstrous lie. if you are a libbitarian and technically true not the way to reassure voters in the way to give them confidence that you can reform it. it is a vulnerability. romney going at that saying he can't beat obama and vulnerable and so go with me. >> one of the first observations i have looks like the republican party is back to the 10 commandments. they forgot about reagan commandment of not s

time for bill kristol of the weeklyy standard. and mara liasson of national public radio. ie chairman of the republican state lead areship committee and kirsten powers for the daily beat. bill, now that the president is not turning -- what could he say thursday night to help with the economy that he might say and secondly, do you see it as a economic speech or political speech to try to set the terms of the debate for the 2012 election. >> it is a political speech and the white house said it is an attempt to lay out the agenda which the republican congress will not accept and the obama will try to put unfortunate economic results on the republican congress it is a political speech, and i think he will propose things and republican and democrat might pass. and i don't think he will do major reforms need said to get the economy going. >> chris: such as? >> fundmental tax reform and entitlement reform, all of the things needed to be done to change the bad economic situation . >> chris: mara, we have at least, the outlines of the obama job's plan and some extension of tax incen

bill kristol of the weekly standard. mara liasson of national public radio. ed gillespie and kirsten powers. bill, given that the president is not going to turn into a conservative supply sider overnight. what could he said thursday night that could work to help with the economy, realistically that he might say? secondly, do you see this as an economic speech or more as a political speech to try to set the terms of the debate for the 2012 election? >> on the latter question, it is a political speech clearly and obviously. even the white house makes clear this is an attempt to layout an agenda much which the republicans won't accept so the obama administration can try to blame what will be a slow, unfortunate economic results over the next year on the republican congress. i think it is mostly a political speech. there will be some things he will propose that i suppose the -- that i suppose might pass. i don't think he will do any major reforms needed to get the economy going. >> chris: such as? >> fundamental tax reform, entitlement reform. all the things that

today fox news commentator bill kristol wrote in "the weekly standard," -- kristol said the debate performancesqualifying two hours before him and kristol called romney, quote, a technocratic management consultant whose one term as fwom governor produced romney care. during the debate ann coulter tweeted, governor perry losing debate with his own tongue. last night's debate led to another call for new jersey governor chris christie to enter the race. "the wall street journal" argues in a column that the gop nomination is still up for grabs and there for the taking for governor christie. governor christie appeared yesterday with indiana republican governor mitch daniels at ryding university. both governors disappointed their fans when they announced earlier this year they definitely will not run for president. christie offered his thoughts on why republicans still want him to run. >> i think what the country is thirsty for more than anything else right now is someone of stature and credibility to look them in the eye and tell them that. and say, here's what i want us to go to deal with this cri

bill kristol. rick perry at the top of the poll based on the strong record of job growth and job creation in texas and this visceral connection he has to tea partyers and evangelicals but he has also shown some real vulnerabilities. big picture, paul, what is your take on rick perry? >> he came out strong because he can appeal to several of the different strands of the republican coalition. doesn't have a big foreign policy record as he showed in the debates, hasn't thought a lot about them but has the potential. but i think he has been undermineing that potential with the performance in the debates. he hasn't thought deeply about a lot of these subjects. hasn't even defended his jobs records very well in texas and on social security he has a vulnerability there calling it a ponzi scheme and a monsterrous lie which even if you are libertarian and you think it is technically true is not the way to reassure voters in a way that will give them the confidence that you can reform it. and i think that is

and i put it on this table behind my desk, and i remember our editor, bill kristol, come anything and looking at that and saying it's truly a neoconservative office. we have a shrine to fdr here. [laughter] i think, you know, who knows? i mean, it's always difficult to tell what historic figures would think about anything after their death. i mean, democrats are always lecturing republicans confidently about what lincoln would think about things, you know, he'd be horrified by the republican party today. um, some -- [laughter] somebody asked, somebody asked me the other day on a panel what would, what would people like franklin roosevelt think of annie wiener. [laughter] -- anthony weiner. and i said, first of all, the first 20 minutes of my answer would be explaining to him about computers and the internet and twitter which many people alive today don't fully comprehend. so, i mean, it's an unanswerable question. however, to answer your question i think roosevelt gets an unfair rap about that. i think that, i mean, 25 words or less, i think at yalta he was, he and churchill were pres

bill kristol. and juan williams. perry has been in the race, five weeks now at the top of the polls based on his strong record of job creation in texas. and this visceral connection he has to tea partiers and evangelicals. but, as we saw in this last debate he has shown real vulnerabilities. big picture, paul what is your take on perry? >> he came out very strong because being appeal to several of the different s of the republican coalition. cultural conservatives, economic conservatives based on his texas record. didn't have a big foreign policy record, as he showed in those debates. he has the potential. i thinkg-.mw he's been underming that with her performance. he has shown he hasn't thought deepably a lot of these subs. hasn't defended his jobs record well in texas. on social security he's got a vulnerability calling it a ponzi scheme. and a monstrous lie. which even if you are a libertarian and think it is technically true is not the way to reassure voters in a way this will give them the confidence that you ca

i'm not saying what bill kristol is saying, which, with all due respect, some degree, voting for hermann train is picking up speed and it is interesting, to get back to the perry-mitt romney debate. perry spent money in florida, trying to win this and he was viin this and worked with activists and, the fact that he didn't win, here's what his press secretary says about this: congratulations to herman cain, but, this is a real loss for mitt romney. he has been campaigning in florida for five years and can't get any traction and rick perry has been campaigning for five weeks, trying to downplay the investment rick perry had in florida. >> clayton: a big investment by the bachmann camp in ames, iowa, the straw poll, just over a month ago and now how the mighty have fallen, 1% dead last in the straw poll results, a stunner and there's a lot of question, floating in the blogosphere and other places will it cause michelle bachmann to drop out. >> dave: and perhaps another question for mr. cain, what has he learned, how quickly fortunes change and what is the take away and mitt romney continue

bill kristol said of the debate last week, a disqualifying two hours. >> hume said he thought he barfed on himself. i was eating popcorn. hume said that? it's the build 'em up, tear 'em down game. not to say that kristol and hume are wrong. he didn't have a good debate. but so what? that happens a lot. >> you think he can come back? >> sure. he has a good record in texas. he has a conservative base that likes him. he didn't do that well. but there's a bunch of other debates. maybe he'll do better. >> meanwhile, president obama really going after this. you saw him on the west coast at the fund-raisers. has anybody been watching the debates lately? you have a governor whose state is on fire denying climate change. you have republicans booing a service member in iraq because they're gay. that's not reflective of who we are. and it's clear that the president's team -- there's a strategy here. they think the republican base is way outside of the mainstream right now. >> you're telling me, this is shocking to me. the president doesn't like republicans? he's criticizing the republicans? >> but

remember a few years ago when bill kristol and others at the weekly standard were talking about what they called national greatness conservatism. it is not a phrase that you hear much today, but it was very much one crowded in -- and clay was part of that tradition, going back to hamilton. the idea of an energetic government doing conservative things. he gave us something called the american system, which was an enormous shot in the arm to the infrastructure of america and the american economy. >> let's do something for those watching to catch them up on all of these 14. let me go backwards. let me go to the newest one on the list, that will be shown on november 9th. i will move very quickly and have you pop in with quick comments about what relevancy all of these people had at their time. ross perot will be our december 9th program. what would you say about him? >> third party outsider. in some ways a cultivator of what is very clear now, and that is lots and lots of american angst. >> more specifically, a forerunner of the tea party in many ways. ross perot's greatest accomplishmen

bill kristol saying it's the worst performance they could remember.ot to fix. number one, they don't know him, and over time when they get to know him, maybe they'll warm up to him a little bit. but they know they have to simply perform better in the next round of debates. there are two, at least it looks like on the schedule for october. and he has got to -- he has got to not throw up all over himself. and then you're going to -- and this is the dangerous part for mitt romney. okay. we were in this space with hillary clinton and barack obama where everybody was like, boy, obama didn't bring anything to these debates, hillary clinton stands there, takes the heat from edwards, chris dodd, and bill richardson, and he sits there, and all of a sudden she has one bad performance. that's the concern if you're romney world, right? he only has to slip up once and he's in trouble. the irony is, had what he did -- had he thrown up all over himself, he would have been chased out of the race this week. >> machines don't throw up on themselves. what a low barb, by

remember a few years ago when bill kristol and others at the weekly standard were talking about what they called national greatness conservatism. it is not a phrase that you hear much today, but it was very much one crowded in -- and clay was part of that tradition, going back to hamilton. the idea of an energetic government doing conservative things. he gave us something called the american system, which was an enormous shot in the arm to the infrastructure of america and the american economy. >> let's do something for those watching to catch them up on all of these 14. let me go backwards. let me go to the newest one on the list, that will be shown on november 9th. i will move very quickly and have you pop in with quick comments about what relevancy all of these people had at their time. ross perot will be our december 9th program. what would you say about him? >> third party outsider. in some ways a cultivator of what is very clear now, and that is lots and lots of american angst. >> more specifically, a forerunner of the tea party in many ways. ross perot's greatest accomplishmen

. >> i want to read you something that bill kristol wrote after the last debate which it was a situation a presidential field has ever, we imagine, had as weak a showing as rick perry. it was close to disqualifying two hours for him. and mitt romney, when as all we said and done is could rise to the occasion as president or not. not exactly a going endorsement of you. a little tougher on rick perry, but there's still sort of this view that republicans are trying to figure out whether they want to buy you and take you off the lot, or not. >> try to get beyond that. >> i'll talk about my passion for this country. my concern that we're in an extraordinarily critical time in america's history, and i have the answers for what it takes to get us back to restore the greatness that has always been america. and our president may be a nice guy, but our president doesn't have a clue when it comes to getting this economy going again. basically he doesn't understand how the private sector works. how it is that entrepreneurs decide to invest their life savings, no, you hire people if you have customer

kristol and fred to lunch. and further takes them on a helicopter ride for which he billed the state $4,000.s scarcely waited for the cruise to end before writing that she was a republican star. it is that kind of abuse that someone would say that they abuse their office any way, $4,000 to show up on a boat cruise. is that going to hurt her? >> i don't. in this situation, i really just don't see this as a big problem. this incident has been reported over and over again about how they had lunch and went in a helicopter ride. it could still rear its ugly head. in that situation, there were two -- there was a situation where there was an abuse of power and that could be brought back up, i think. but with this specific one, i don't think it's that big of a deal and especially because we already know about it over and over again. i mean, i don't think it's a ref lalgs that could be brought back on the campaign trail. >> is there elsewhere about her abuse of authority that would make people question voting for her in a primary? >> chris, we wrote about it. i saw it firsthand. abuse of power took p

kristol and fredbarnes and "washington post" columnist michael gerson, former chief speechwriter with george w. bush for lunch. sarah dazzled her guests by taking them on a helicopter ride which she billed the path was immediate. barnes waited for the cruise to win before writing in "the weekly standard" that sarah was a republican star. is that kind of abuse, some people say is the normal way politicians abuse their office anyway, spending $4,000 to show off with conservatives who have shown up on a boat cruise, is that going to hurt her? >> i don't -- in this situation i don't see this as a big problem. i mean, this incident has been reported over and over again about how they had lunch, went on a helicopter ride. the issue could rear its ugly head though it's been reported over and over again. in that situation, there was a situation where there was an abuse of power and that could be brought back up i think. but with this specific one, i just don't think it's that big of a deal especially because we already know about it over and over again. i mean, i don't think this is a really revelation that could be brought back on the campaign trail. >> is there any pay dirt there, frank baile