Karl Rove: There Is No Frontrunner in the Republican Presidential Primary

Karl Rove: There Is No Frontrunner in the Republican Presidential Primary (RealClearPolitics)

WALLACE: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in an interview with Bret Baier explaining why he's suddenly a hot property in the Republican presidential field. And we are back now with the panel. So, we showed this before, but I want you to look at it from a different aspect. Take a look at this Iowa poll. Just in from the "Des Moines Register" in "Bloomberg News." It shows Governor Scott Walker is now leading in Iowa over Rand Paul and Mike Huckabee and a strong Ben Carson. Karl, Walker got good reviews for his speech, his performance if you will at a candidate summit, cattle call in Des Moines recently. Is there more to that standing than that?

KARL ROVE, FORMER BUSH WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR: Yes, there is. First of all, don't underestimate him. He's always been underestimated. He was underestimated when he became the first Republican ever elected the Milwaukee County executive. He was underestimated in his gubernatorial race. He was underestimated in the battle over taking on the unions. He was underestimated in the recall election. The poll -- his standing in the Iowa polls is not what's important, though, because he's essentially no different than Rand Paul. It's within, you know, one point. What matters is the movement between September and February, he went from, I believe it was, let's see, 4 to 16. In New Hampshire, where they are also paying particular attention to it, during -- from October to March, he went from three points to 12 points so the movement is ...

WALLACE: And why is it?

ROVE: Well, because in Iowa and New Hampshire, they are looking at the candidates more closely than the rest of the country is and they see a guy who beat expectations. The expectation was he's another upper Midwestern politician like Tim Pawlenty. He did a good job, but he won't have passion on the stump. He had passion on the stump. And it was carried. It was watched on cable and so forth. Now, having said that, remember, all of these polls mean nothing now. I mean it will be the fall before we start to get real purchase. There's no frontrunner. Nobody -- this is unlike anything we have seen in 50 years on the Republican side. There's nobody who has a double digit lead in any state or across the country.