Has ‘hope and change’ been fulfilled?

>>> guest was a strong supporter of president obama but now his support is waivering. he makes as much of an argument for mitt romney as he does for barack obama . former governor wilder, it's good to see you. i do have some questions for you. i have to say as i read it, it seemed like it was lacking on the op part, if you know what i mean . you write that the election is the most important of our lifetime, but you don't make a call for either candidate. so who will you support?

>> i thought i did. i thought i laid out the issues. i thought i laid out why i thought people should be concerned with issues and how they should vote.

>> you did. so from an editorial perspective, you did, but you didn't come off with a clear consensus of the person who were supporting. can you tell me who that it is?

>> let me answer it this way. what would make you think that the vote that the cast in 2008 wouldn't be cast this time because i have not been around the country. i have not campaigned. i haven't said things in 2012 . but i have done everything that i was asked to do in 2012 . so nothing has changed in terms of my activity. all i said was in the editorial piece you speak of that this is a very important election. people will be voting jobs and pocketbook issues. where i teach at the university, i start my class every year by s saying my one word definite nation for politics is "money." that's the occasion this time. i think the president has done a good job. i think the president is continuing to do a good job. i think the voters are going to be asked is this job good enough to say four more years?

>> before the last phrase, you believe the president deserves reelection? can you answer that?

>> my vote is my vote. what the people of america vote is their vote. they are entitled to make up their minds and their opinions. that's what i tried to do in 2008 to show that this change was necessary. barack obama was needed. i think the president has done a good job. i think the president is asking the american people , give me four more years to improve upon the job i have tried to do.

>> i have thrown down the gauntlet. i find you absolutely confounding. because i have to ask you a few more questions. you write that the president ran as a moderate but some of his 2008 supporters now say he's governed left.

>> i did not say that he was a moderate.

>> it was written though that you had reported that from people that you had spoken to around the state of virginia . that's true, correct?

>> yes, that's what i hear.

>> is that your opinion?

>> my opinion is that the president has tried to be the president for all of america. not right, not left, nor center. and that context, there are some people who believe he hasn't been right enough. some people feel he's not been left enough. i know how difficult it is to do that. that was a judgment that was cast upon me when i was governor of virginia . i tried to run it as i thought all people would judge my actions as being concerned for everybody. and i think the president is doing that.

>> i know. i'm still trying to figure it out. how about the latest polls? i want your reaction to them. they are mixed in your home state of virginia . but they show a close, close race. in 2008 the president won by 6% of the vote. what do you expect to see this time?

>> i think it's going to be a cliff hanger . there were so many people in virginia last time that were disgusted with the two wars and the souring of the economy beginning, the joblessness beginning, that they were saying we're going to give democrats a chance. i have long preached that virginia is not a red nor blue state . people are more independent minded than any observers would believe. so my poll that i go by is the one taken on election day . when i ran, they had me up by double-digit figures and i won by less than .1%. so i don't pay as much attention to polls, yet they are guidelines. my guideline is who gets out to vote, who is motivated? president obama needs to make sure that motivation exists.

>> may i ask, did the obama campaign reach out to you at all or ask you to do anything specific?

>> no, they haven't.

>> surprisingly, indeed. what about in 2008 ?

>> they called all the time. every time you could turn around, they did. guess who has called me on a regular basis and who i'm supporting, that's tim kain. we have chatted and talked on a regular basis. and my judgment, he is going to win the the senate race in virginia . it's going to be tight, but he's going to win it. and guess what, he's cross pollinated. he's had the danville newspaper, one of the most conservative papers in our state endorse him and romney. unheard of. that gives you some idea --

>> what happened from the obama campaign ? why didn't they reach out to you?

>> i don't know. i didn't ask anybody to call me nor am i looking for things to do. i'm fully occupied with what i do on a regular basis.

>> you have a powerful voice there. we think so. so if the president had reached out to you, do you think he might have a better shot with virginia ?

>> i don't know that, but almost e cryptic. i couldn't have been more direct with you. when you asked e me, nobody from the obama campaign has called me to do a single thing. i know that might surprise you. but it's not that i'm looking for it. nobody. not a single person .

>> well, it is an interesting development. and i thank you for clarifying as best you can. i have to tell you, you're pretty good because i'm still not quite sure who you are supporting.

>> guess who is also very good, you are.

>> thank you so much. i appreciate having you on. former governor from virginia douglas wilder .