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Published January 26, 2017
This is a rush transcript from "Your World," February 27, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
NEIL CAVUTO, HOST OF "YOUR WORLD": All eyes on Michigan, where Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are running neck and neck. And it is getting pretty nasty.
Is this how the GOP wants to look to the rest of the world.
John Browne is a former member of the U.K. Parliament.
John, how are we looking abroad?
JOHN BROWNE, FORMER BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Well, I think foreigners, particularly in Europe, understand that politics is played with a hard ball and there will be backstabbing.
But they would like to see the backstabbing done in private and the forceful stuff and no blood on the floor in public. I mean, for example, Meryl Streep did this wonderful portrayal of Margaret Thatcher. And you saw her nailing my old friend General Al Haig to the sofa stating Britain’s position. Then she gets up and offers him tea and acts as mother.
And this -- the public portrayal after it was a big fight, but all in private, and in public, a persona of unity and a sense of vision, getting government off our backs, getting government out of our private homes, and getting government to be honest.
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: You don't think they're doing that -- I'm sorry.
You don't think they are doing that here, and the impression here, as it is I guess abroad, is that that's a big failing?
BROWNE: Well, the sad thing is that I think it tends to work in America is what I'm told by the pollsters.
But in Europe, I think it's a definite no-no. They want a persona of unity, although there's been backstabbing -- and they understand that -- in private. And I think they're looking for leaders of vision. And this is the trouble. In Europe, the primaries tend to be much more behind closed doors. And in America, they’re so open. And I think it does both the parties and the candidates a lot of personal damage.
CAVUTO: Well, I love dearly, John, but that is rich coming from you, because your country’s unified government, your old haunt, is falling apart in the open and behind closed doors. But I do see your point.
It’s well-taken. And that is one about it gets past and in the way of getting your message out, right, because all it looks like is you are fighting, right?
BROWNE: And I'm afraid in England, of course, we lack people of vision. And that's what really unifies people.
And all of us in the western world see our irresponsible politicians that run us into real trouble financed by central banks. And they're looking for people in America, in Europe and many parts of the world to find politicians of vision that are going to correct that, to start making responsible spending and responsible borrowing, instead of the profligate and irresponsible borrowing and spending we've seen that everybody knows is driving us into the ground.
And Britain is a classic example. Under Margaret Thatcher, we had a public debt repayment schedule. Although Margaret Thatcher was tough, she did unity and people respected her. Although they may not have loved her, they respected her because she was honest and she fought for unity.
CAVUTO: And you don’t think that any government anywhere on Earth is doing that right now?
BROWNE: Oh, they re trying. But I don't think they’re trying -- they don’t see it as a priority.
I mean, in America at the moment, the priority of these candidates is to talk ill of their opponents. And that does harm to them and to their parties, I think. But it would in Europe. But in America, maybe it's different. The pollsters say that the negative advertising works. And that is a very sad thing, because it reduces Americans' prestige around the world of people watching this on television in Europe...
CAVUTO: All right, John, your...
BROWNE: ... where they expect something different.
CAVUTO: Your fake British accent worked perfectly for this segment.
(LAUGHTER)
CAVUTO: Thank you very, very much.
BROWNE: I just picked it up.
(LAUGHTER)
CAVUTO: John, thank you very much, John Browne.
He's a former member of the U.K. Parliament, very respected, Euro Pacific Capital, money expert, knows where the bodies are buried, financially and in other ways, as they say.
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