constituency. >> bret: which helps romney in the end. >> helps romney and might help perry in the end. if they split a vote as the straight tea party, he could perhaps rise above them and come in second. i mean, this is like three cushion billiards. it's hard to predict. but it depends in the end, i think on whether palin enters the race or not. if she doesn't, as you describe, but if she does it scrambles who is the big challenger to romney. >> bret: the big issue is who can take on president obama in the general election for most republican voters. here is what the president said in a recent interview. if next november if they feel like i been on their side, is voters and i been working as hard as i can and getting some things done to move us in the right direction, i'll win. if they don't, then i'll lose. that is not to say the other candidate is irrelevant but it does mean i'm probably going to win or lose depending on