when asked how romney would proceed if he won the nomination, communications director eric fehrnstrom said this. >> it is almost like an etch a sketch. you can shake it up and start over again. >> in a recent study, one of the most frequently used to negative words to describe mitt romney is "for proper." when you consider tha -- "flip- flopper." you wonder if, as roger simon does, romney is the date you do not show for. >> you often find the guy is more interesting than you thought, and other times you look back at the guy, 15 or 20 years later, and think, thank god i did not show up. >> how does this man fire up the faithful, charles? >> he can't. [laughter] he has been trying for six years and has not succeeded. he won't. but the fact is, if and when he becomes the nominee, there is no alternative to it is him and obama. the conservatives, republicans, knowing they have one choice other than obama, will be fired up. not over romney, but the fact he is not obama. >> colby? >> i don't think so. we had truth spoken this week when the guy said romney is lighke an etch a sketch. core is

the problem with the etch a sketch is th eric fehrnstrom said in public what people say in private. richard nixon said that you run hard to the right as you can to win the nomination and then dash to the middle when you have got it. romney i is seseen as having changed his position on aboron gun rights, and gay-rights, and then contro -- gun control. it is a moment not unlike john kerry's i voted against the $87 billion before i voted for it, or george bush at the checkout counter looking at the scanner and saying "myoodness, what is this," confirming the stereotype that he is outf touch and that kerry is not constant. >> the problem is partly numerical. i hate to be so data-driven. what romney the candidate would have going for him is that the replican base really loathes obama. but the only way he can win is to turn n out that base not just hav it passively vote or not about. the difference of a point or two can become in states like ohio, the critical difference between winning and losing. that is what karl rove found out in 2004. he has a problem with that ba because every time

the problem with the etch a sketch was, quite frankly, that eric fehrnstrom was saying on television what people say in private. richard nixon said you run as hard to the right as you can to win the nomination and then you dash for the middle when you get it. -- especially don't do i you don't tell people, and he did especially don't would you or someone like romney, who has changed his position on gun rights, abortion, and gay rights. it is not unlike john kerry, i voted for the $87 billion before i voted against it, and george bush at the checkout counter looking at a scanner and saying "my goodness, what is this," confirming the stereotypes that he is out of touch and kerry is inconstant. >> the problem is partly numerical. i hate to be so data-driven. what romney has going for him is that the republican base really loathes obama. but the only way he can win is to turn out that base, not just passively pettithave it vote ort vote. the turnout can be the difference in critical states like ohio between winning or losing. that is what karl rove it discovered in 2004 t. every time he

i actually buy eric fehrnstrom's answer. he was talking about the campaign being different from a general election to a primary. if the public can see through this, this is being spun by his adversaries. >> let's go back and replay the question and the answer, the actual question. mark, i'll have you jump in and answer it. let's play that, guys. >> any time. >> we don't have it. >> i'll act it out. >> but the question was, as john said, you asked the question. you repeat it. >> senator cain had been referenced, i pointed out that senator mccain was more moderate than the gentlemen he now faces. from santorum and gingrich, is it possible that he would tax so far to the right that it would make him difficult to reach the voters. >> and the answer was the etch-a-sketch remark. answer, mark, if you can, will's question. >> ultimately, it may not be fatal. it's a big hurdle they've thrown themselves when it should have been on offense, should have been celebrating a victory. it puts a spotlight on the weakness romney has, which i

but somehow eric fehrnstrom's comments ignited a media storm. >> the etch-a-sketch president. >> the etch-a-sketch comment this week was devastating to him it played directly to this narrative that he is a man who doesn't have core beliefs. >> that etch a step-- etch-a-sketch admission highlights his achilles heel. >> this will be remembered as etch-a-sketch day in campaign 2012. >> so here's governor romney's staff, i mean they don't even have the decency to wait till they get the nomination to explain to us how they will sell us out. >> my public policy isn't written on an etch-a-sketch, it's written on my heart. >> stephen: of course, the only way to read what's written on rick santorum's heart is with a transvaginal ultrasound. (cheers and applause) where there's a will there's a way. but folks, i don't see what's wrong with being compared to a classic toy. the entire campaign is full of them. we've got mr. potato head. the magical treasure troll, and the ken doll. totally smooth down there. and yes, eric, something, etch-a-sketch comment may reinforce the narrative created by ro

the problem with the etch a sketch -- quite frankly, eric fehrnstrom was saying on television what people really do say in private. richard nixon, the most successful republican in the history of the party -- five times nominated for national office, four times he wanted -- says you run right to get the nomination and then-for the middle when you get it. -- then dash for the middle when you get it. romney has changed his business and on abortion, gun rights, and gay-rights. it is amount not unlike john kerry, where he said he voted against the $87 billion before he voted for it, and george bush standing at the checkout counter and looking at the scanner and saying, "my gosh, what is this," confirming the stereotype that he is out of touch and that kerry isn't consta. >> the problem is partly numerical. i hate to be so data-driven. but what romney as a candidate has going for him is that the republican base loathes obama. but the only way he can win is to turn out that base. not just at that passively a vote or not vote. -- not just have it passively vote or not vote. it could be in states

eric fehrnstrom told cnn: that drew fire from rick santorum, in mandeville, louisiana which holds itsmary on saturday. >> they think they have this you have an opportunity here in louisiana to make a very clear statement. you're not looking for someone who is the etch-a-sketch candidate, you're looking for someone who writes what they believe in stone and stays true to what they say. >> sreenivasan: late today romney said "i was a conservative republican governor and i'll be running as a conservative republican nominee. the national football league came down hard today on the new orleans saints over paying bounties for big hits on opposing players. the n.f.l. suspended head coach sean payton without pay for the entire 2012 season-- an unprecedented step. and the team's former defensive coordinator gregg williams was banned from the league, indefinitely. n.f.l. commissioner roger goodell explained his actions in an interview with espn. >> it's more than sean payton here. uh, there are hundreds if not thousands of players, other coaches, that this reflects poorly on. and so, i don't tak

eric fehrnstrom was looking forward to the fall but he used an unfortunate choice of words to describeampaign strategy. >> well, i think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. everything changes. it's almost like an etch-a-sketch. you can kind of shake it up and we start all over again. >> well, his opponents, of course, seized on that moment saying it proves mitt romney has no core convictions. you think this and then shake it and you go over here and you get the point. john avalon is here. we have pictures today of newt gingrich carrying around an etch-a-sketch, rick santorum in a car looking at an etch-a-sketch. so they were quick to seize upon this. why is this getting so much pickup? >> this gets a lot of pickup because it goes to the heart of political communications. this resonates because it deepens an existing deepening narrative about mitt romney. that's the line his competitors have been trying to make over and over again. it was compounded by the sib of vivid language and a visual metaphor. immediately etch-a-sketch, that gives something to literally hold on to. and

. >> andy roth, all taking aim at that, by eric fehrnstrom. >> it is true. mitt romney has his unshakable reputation as a flip-flopper, someone you cannot locate his official position on all the issues. that is frustrating. i think it will be a big issue in the fall campaign if he is the nominee. however, when every other president running for reelection, it is always a referendum on the president's policies and whether the country wants to continue those policies or not. mitt romney has a problem and credibility and where he stands on the positions, but at the end of the day, this race is about whether obama deserves four more years or not. >> "new york times" is it a fair headline? >> obviously, in massachusetts, it romney ran against ted kennedy and took a lot of liberal positions in order to try and defeat ted kennedy. i assume that is what they are referring to there. it just goes back to the positions mitt romney took back then and the ones he continues to take now in the flip-floping credibility issue. >> and this question, is sunday take, ken mitt ro