Behind the Romney surge
Dick Morris on GOP presidential candidate's 7-point lead in Gallup poll
This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," October 18, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Tonight, Governor Romney's national lead is growing. According to the latest Gallup poll, Governor Romney now leading President Obama by 7 points, 52 percent to 45 percent. Now, these results are now factoring in voter opinion following the last debate.
Dick Morris, author of the book "Here Come the Black Helicopters," joins us. Dick, before we get to the Gallup poll, I want to ask you, we've just learned that "The Orlando Sentinel" is now endorsing Governor Mitt Romney. Four years ago, they endorsed President Obama, and in a very comprehensive editorial, which I'm posting on Gretawire, they have outlined why they no longer have confidence in President Obama. And of course, this is -- this is a swing state.
How significant is that endorsement, or isn't it?
DICK MORRIS, DICKMORRIS.COM/FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I don't think newspaper endorsements mean much of anything anymore, but that is a very leftist newspaper. It's always endorsed Democrats. And that's a real surprise. They may have switched editors or something. But no, I don't think that's terribly important. I think Romney's going to win Florida. I think he's going to win most states.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right, now to the Gallup poll -- 7 points. Now, that -- that's the national one. It's not talking about the swing states, which is where this is going to be decided. So explain whether or not, you know, that 7 points really is as powerful as some might think.
MORRIS: Oh, yes, it is. What Gallup did was they switched from polling all voters to polling likely voters as the election neared, and that gives a more realistic view of what's going to happen.
What's going on now is that Romney -- I'm sorry, Obama based his entire campaign, his entire spring and summer and fall on discrediting Romney, and saying, Whatever you think of the economy, whatever you think about the future, whatever you think about "ObamaCare," you don't want this guy as president -- cheats on his taxes, lays people off, cold-hearted. And you just don't want him near the White House.
And for a long time, the voters in the swing states bought that because it was pounded into them in paid advertising, hundreds of millions of dollars. And the Romney campaign ridiculously didn't answer it.
But now voters are seeing Romney for the first time, 90 minutes of him twice now, and they're really learning that he's a nice guy, that he's a reasonable guy. He's not going to blow anything up. He's not a heartless guy. He cares. He understands the needs of the average person. He shows an empathy that's very important.
And we're dismissing the Obama negatives. And once you take away those negatives, there's nothing holding Obama up, because he has neglected to spell out a narrative of what he's done over four years, if he could, and certainly neglected to give a vision for a second term.
The most telling fact in the post-debate polling with CNN, asked people, Who do you think spelled out a clear vision for America's future, regardless of who you're voting for? Obama 34, Romney 50. Huge, huge difference there.
VAN SUSTEREN: Well, it's interesting. That's even sort one of the objections to President Obama by The Orlando Sentinel is that he talks about how the fact that even programs like Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, three of the biggest drivers of deficit spending -- that President Obama would be more credible in critiquing the proposal if he had a serious alternative for bringing entitlement spending under control. He doesn't. And they're even sort of reflective of the fact that he's not offering anything.
MORRIS: Which has doubled, entitlement spending. And by that I don't mean Social Security. I mean welfare spending -- Medicaid, food stamps and all that stuff. You know, in the video intro-ing my segment, you had somebody -- I couldn't -- wasn't quite clear on the voice, saying, He won't tell you what he's going to do in the second term, Obama won't, because he doesn't dare.
Well, we had a little bit of an inkling of that today when it was reported that the United Nations General Assembly later this month will pass a global small arms treaty, which we warn about in our book "Screwed" and the new one, "Black Helicopters," a global small arms treaty which will create gun control in the United States by treaty.
And what you're looking at here are a whole series of treaties he has lined up to try to shove through during the lame duck days of his presidency and during the lame duck Senate, where he will still have a majority, really to strip America of much of its sovereignty. He'll let the U.N. tax our oil wells offshore...
VAN SUSTEREN: I -- I...
MORRIS: ... he'll let them tax the Internet. They're about to impose a fee...
VAN SUSTEREN: I don't think any...
MORRIS: ... for going to Google.
VAN SUSTEREN: I don't think voters are looking at that. I mean, it's, like, that may be sort of a more, you know...
MORRIS: Well, they're not because Obama's hid that.
VAN SUSTEREN: No, but -- but that -- well, yes, but it -- but it's -- even if you look at this Orlando Sentinel thing, which sort of reflects on what you said, it says it verges on magical thinking to expect President Obama to get different results in the next four years. I mean, this is a rather blistering...
MORRIS: Well, I don't know if it's magical or maniacal because what's the definition of insanity? To do the same thing twice and expect a different outcome.
VAN SUSTEREN: Indeed, it is. Dick, thank you.
MORRIS: Thank you.
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