host: a loss by romney in michigan would only increase such speculation. why? a poll shows voters are dissatisfied. a recent po the number that were satisfied or not satisfied at all jumped in an nbc news wall street journal poll. 34 rated them as weak. republican-leaning independent voters wish someone else were running but the same poll found those voters would rather have a nominee to secure before the august convention than to have the nomination decided in contaminate pennsylvania so again republicans only this morning for this segment, we want to hear whether or not you would support a brokered convention or the g.o.p. nominating contest. this is from the washington times february 16, cary picket writes -- host: that's what he writes. in the washington times, the last brokered convention of either party was in 1952, the steven son contest in chicago. he was the top candidate and ended up getting the nomination, but it took three rounds of voting. first call up on whether or not a brokered convention is a good idea comes from cal in cookeville, tennessee. you are opposed to it. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. no. i don't think a brokered convention is the way to go. we've only had seven or eight states. i think the media is a little bit wrong with that. i saw the debates and thought for sure mitt romney hit a home run last night. and he's a guy we really need. he is a businessman building staples and a few others. so i don't think we'll have to worry too much about that. there will be talk about other candidates but in the long run i betemit romney will end up with the nomination. host: here's "usa today's" take on the debate last night. santorum gets smacked around in arizona, and in this article they talk about when they were asked to define themselves. the candidates were asked so define themselves by one word. here were the answers in case you didn't see the debate. ron paul said consistent. rick santorum said courage. mitt romney said resolute and newt gingrich said cheerful. in westchester, pennsylvania, carol, you, too, are opposed to it, why? caller: thank you for taking my call. i watch c-span a lot. especially when commercials are on. i was kind of surprised when they said only 42 -- we still have 42 -- eight states to go. i am following mitt romney. i read his book and listened to it again on tape last summer. admittedly his points like 63 or 59. it's complicated. anyway, i am from pennsylvania. i would love to see a mitt romney-santorum ticket. thank you. and thank you for taking my call. host: carol thank you for watching c-span. republicans only, do you support or oppose or are you opposed to a brokered convention? (202) 737-0002 if you oppose a brokered convention. if you support, (202) 737-0001 from last night's debate here's mitt romney attacking rick santorum. >> the reason we have this is because arlen specter, [video clip] >> you endorsed in a race, he voted for obama care. if you had not supported him, we would not have obama care. so don't look at me. take a look in the mirror. >> i supported arlen specter number one because he was the senator of the judiciary committee at a time when there were two to three supreme court nominees and one pore two or maybe all three were going to be out of the conservative block and arlen specter, we had a conversation and he asked me to support him. i said will you support the president's nominees? he said i'll support every nominee arlen specter he supported from the time he took on and saved justice to mas. every nominee he supported passed. host: and here's an color ter's column. what's their problem with romney? he did something even ronald reagan didn't do, he balanced the budget without raising taxes. he became deeply pro life and vetoed an embryonic stem cell bill meanwhile gingrich lobbied president george bush for a stem cell research issue. romney pushed the conservative -- it would have killed obama care in the crib by solving the health insurance problem at the state level and goes on to write i'm not sure what establishment supports romney? amity face of the establishment? if so, the scun going to be just fine, she writes. i would think the pristine example of the establishment is editor and fox news contributor bill crystal. but he wants anyone but romney. in 2000 romney was supported by shawn -- michael savage and many others who now seem to view romney as a closet liberal. this is especially baffling because there's no liberal in the republican primary this year. that's ann coulter's column. what do you think? caller: i think that would be great. host: why? caller: well, there's a lot of things that is going on here that i can't understand. number one, i haven't heard one of them candidates talk about the inflation we have in this country today. definitely caused by the government itself. the inflation we have in the fuel. nobody's talking about the fuel. bringing the fuel down to where it belongs, which caused other inflation. i went to the market the other day and they want $29.99 for a pound of fillet minute-on- -- filet mignon. host: who would you like to see at the g.o.p. nominee? caller: romney. host: mark? caller: good morning. scott, right? host: sure. caller: yes. ok. romney is going to crush. he's going to win. it's over. you know the right-wingers, they are going to cry and try to get everybody to get upset, but it's over. santorum needs to stand down. host: that was mark in germantown, and here's the hill. senator jim from south carolina said there's a possibility that the g.o.p. presidential race could lead to a brokered convention. speaking thursday on cnn -- this is from a few weeks ago. a brokered convention isn't out of the question. his comments came a few days after rick santorum dominated in colorado, minnesota and misratah. -- and my secure they. alex papa writes about the call to kill the presidential debates. there's the headline there. a little bit of this article. if i can turn to the right page, that would help a lot i think. there should be no more debates with george stephanopoulos or others in the main stream media picking the questions. not again, the editors wrote in a piece posted online wednesday morning. that's the same media that daily cary water for the obama administration, approach the tea parties as curiosities and persistently skew the public discourse left ward in ways large and small. instead, they argue, debates should be modeled on last year's foreign policy debate cofounded by the american enterprise institute. let the r.n.c. set the number and dates and locations of the debates. that's in the daily caller this morning. willy is on the line. what do you think about a brokered convention? caller: i am for a brokered convention. i would really like to see jeb bush get in there. and i don't think either romney or santorum or paul or gingrich can really make a good candidate against barack obama. the economy is slowly turning around there, and i don't see where they can have a good argument about him doing such a bad job there. on this foreign policy, he's done pretty good over there keeping us safe, so i would really like to see old jeb bush -- i think he would do a better job than his father and his brother. i think if we get him in there, the g.o.p. would be fine. host: haley barbour recently talked about a brokered convention. [video clip] >> of course odds are enormously against it. but the fact that it's even in our conversation is unusual. i was at the last contested republican convention in 19t 96. but it was a convention where there were really only two in the race. this would be different. if we had a contested convention -- and i think probably us -- we republicans would rather it be called a contested convention rather than a brokered convention. no offense. [laughter] >> but if we have that, it won't be a -- just two people. it will be three or four possibly. and depending on what happens, it could even be five if there continues to be no apparent winner, you have the possibility of a late entrant. host: and the new "usa today" gallup poll on a brokered convention. republicans, better if a candidate wins before that? 66% said yes. 29% of republicans agreed no. in california, hi, rick. caller: hi. before i answer your question, i don't really understand the question. are you saying that we have a choice whether to have a brokered convention? or -- host: that's up to republicans and how they vote. but if it comes down to a case where not enough delegates have been won by any of the candidates, what do you think about a brokered convention. caller: just seems like the result of voting. i'm a ron paul supporter, and i really can't understand how people have been complaining in the republican party for 30 or 40 years about government is getting bigger and more intrusive. now we finally have a candidate that's willing to slash all this that we have acquired in the last 30 years and they just pass right over him, and i think it's sad that the only hope mr. paul has of making a dent in this problem instead of a brokered convention and be able to make a speech. it would be a wonderful thing if somebody made him his vice presidential nominee. host: let me show you an article and get your response to this. this is a big headline in the daily caller this morning. graham paul said it would be an honor to be considered as romney's beat. and chuck todd of explains no one knows if some sort of barlingen has been made but it's interesting that ron paul has never attacked romney but attacked more conservative candidates at just the moment they were beginning to pose a athlete romney. the timing is noticeable. now f.c.l. news is offering us a clue. the junior senator says it would be an honor to be considered a running mate for romney. what do you think of that as a ron paul supporter? caller: well, i don't really make he wants the -- i value him being 76 years old and i don't really care about how close he is to death. but the fact that i haven't really been able to see negative commercials out here in california to know what the back and forth has been on the candidate's negative ads. it just seems like ron paul's big positives are reversing all this trouble we have had with government and everybody just forgetting that we have a problem. host: thank you for calling in. from this column, mitt romney released a new tax plan that called for a 20% across the board cut to individual tax rates and romney would also reduce the corporate tax rates and put an end to the capital gains tax for most taxpayers and a new proposal expands and seemed intended to big foot the corporate tax reform proposal unveiled by the obama administration and romney slammed the obama proposal after the g.o.p. candidate released his own ideas. here's mitt romney last night talking about his tax plan. >> number one, i said today that we're going to cut taxes on everyone across the country by 20% including the top 1%. that's number one. number two, i said yes, we should increase the debt ceiling but only if we have a cut, cap and balance provision put in place so i do do not agree with the deal done in washington. finally, senator, during your years in congress, since you've been there the government has doubled in size and voted to raise -- in my view we should not trays debt ceiling again until we see a cut, cap and balance approach. it must be taken. host: and mark is a republican in ohio. you support a brokered convention. why is that? caller: i was listening to the fellow from california. i'm also a ron paul supporter. and i think that's the only way ron really gets to be heard. and also the other issue is that the party really is splintered. i'm looking at the tea party faction, certainly. and the more liberal sections of republican party. somebody has to unify this party before we go to the general election or it's just all over. and i think ron paul could do that, possibly romney could do that as well. but i think they have to have a meeting where they all come and get in a group hug and all that and i think a brokered convention is the only way you spend the time being restored to one another before we go into the election. host: if not ron paul, who would you like to see as the nominee? caller: i'm kind of wishy washy on that. that's the problem. ron paul supporters are very rabid and motivated, and i'm having a hard time thinking would i go out there and canvas and work for another candor zphat and i really would have a hard time. i don't hate any of the other candidates, except i'm not a big newt fan. he's had his shot, and i'm kind of done with him. but romney, i could vote for romney. host: mark, where is mcdermott, ohio? and what do you do there? >> i work on software projects out of my house. it's by the southern most portion of the states. i am about nine miles north of the ohio river. i'm on a big creek here. south of us -- there's a little part of ohio that's south of us. we're inside of the county. host: that was mark in mcdermott, ohio. facebook/espn.com if you would like to send -- you can see here exactly tied it looks like here. brooklyn, new york. al, you're opposed. why? al, you've got to turn down volume on your tv. ready? caller: yes. host: ok al, we're going to put you on hold and let our producer talk to you and remind you turn down your tv. shirl >>i caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i think it would be a good idea because as soon as someone is in the lead the rest of them gang up on them because they are upset they are not in the lead and mitt romney has so much money that he can spend all kinds of money going after whoever is in the lead. he cannot face the fact that he's not going to make it. so i think it would be a very good idea. plus i know mitt romney is not going to be good as president. he's got so much money that he just doesn't relate to any of us that have to live on a budget. ron paul is a good man, but not presidential material. newt gingrich has way too much baggage, and the people in this country are not going to vote for him, and most of us know that we have to have a change in washington. so the way i see it, the only one this i think is good and we should get behind and support is mr. santorum. so that's pretty much how i feel about it. host: what about a candidate that's not currently in the debate circuit or running? caller: well who do you think that might be? sara pail season? host: what do you think? caller: well sarah palin attracts big crowds and people like her and she's a very smart woman, but is this country ready for a woman is the next question? host: shirley, have you ever been to a convention? caller: no, i haven't. host: thank you for calling in. former senator alan simpson had some harsh words for rick santorum. the co-author said santorum's focus on social issues is a mistake. quote i'm convinced if you get into the social issues and just stay in there somehow they are going to take us all out to aalaska and float us down the bearing see, he said we won't have a prayer. that's in "the hill" newspaper and alan simpson's former chief of staff just wrote a book "shoot from the lip" about senator simpson. book tv attended a book party for form simpson. former vice president cheney was there and elizabeth dole. that will be on c-span this week you can find out more information at book tv.org. this column, the article about the gap between mitt romney and the rivals, look no foote than his campaign's financial report. at first glance the numbers may seem like good news for romney given he is the largest fundraiser in the field. he had raised $62.7 million more than twice as much as the next most successful candidate, which was ron paul. but look more deeply at the numbers and a trend emerges. romney is getting considerably less support, those who give less than $200 at a time. these small donors don't give because they have been invarietied to a fundraise tore meet the candidate. they are the type of supporters who will help by volunteering their time and talking to their friends and neighbors about the race. gingrich and santorum have raised more than half of their money from the smaller donors giving less than $200 at a time. in florida, terrence, what do you think about a brokered convention? you've got to turn down the volume on your tv. we're going to put you on hold and move to al in brooklyn. ready? caller: yes. i think a brokered convention is a terrible thing. you know what you have. you don't know what you're going to get. host: and what do you have as a republican? caller: right now i would support rick santorum. but i think that we should get behind it and get any possibility of having a brokered convention out of our mentality. that's the worst thing we could do. host: ok. thank you for calling in. from the washington times, gingrich warned second time on reimbursement. the campaign has received a second warning for wide sfread financial irregularities saying the campaign must disclose why nearly $1 million was paid in cash for questionable reimbursements. but hours after the letter on its 2011 finances became public they t campaign filed a report that indicated the problems have become far worse and the campaign transferred mr. gingrich $88,000 last month for unspecified travel expenses, a pace far higher than he paid himself over the course of 2011, a file showed it was part of $22,000 in mystery money that went to people close to mr. gingrich close to their salaries raising the potential of self-dealing. terrence in bradenton, florida? caller: i'm thinking somebody that hasn't been mentioned as a possible dark horse or candidate. but i like jeffrey sessions, the senator from alabama. i think people, you know, you should know essentially from their past, their world view, and he seems pretty articulate. that's all i've got to say. host: but the senator sessions doesn't run, who do you like? >> caller: who do i like? host: yep. caller: i -- i don't know. you know christy might be the best, but that's -- since mitch daniels from indiana says he's not running, so that's all i can say. host: one more question, what do you think about the convention coming to your area? caller: well, it's interesting, you know. i don't think i'll show up even though it's only a short distance away. if it's a congested -- a contested election, it will be more interesting than most in my lifetime or adult lifetime. host: thank you for calling in. joe in sarasota, what do you think about a brokered g.o.p. convention, joe? caller: good morning, peter. host: hi. caller: i would suggest everybody who wants a brokered convention, which i do not want, goes out and finds movie "lost horizons." i think it was made in the late 1930's and had a wonderful british actor anded that most beautiful voice that you ever would have heard. it was a group of people that were climbers and they climbed up this mountain found a utopia. and once they got there, they and now there was no utopia. and that's all i'm going to say. you know, this morning, everybody think about that. everybody wants a perfect world. with a perfect answer to everybody's perfect problems. it doesn't exist. you've got work for it. that's the only way that we get to the point where we can help other people. so think about that. i don't care whether you're for , against, or where you come from. host: right. who are you currently supporting? caller: i'm not supporting anyone at the moment. i really am not. host: did you vote in the florida primary? caller: i am definitely not going to vote for a party that believes in everybody looking the same, acting the same, wearing the same, doing the same and being the same. i believe in a future for all of our people in this country. host: so are you -- caller: therefore, let me go back to what i was saying. host: are you a republican? cal