If I worked for Mitt Romney I would instruct him to bring it up. Bring it up to knock it down.

It's the economy, stupid. You're running against a president with 8 percent unemployment and 1.3 percent GDP growth. I can't imagine why you would talk about anything else, especially race, which this president I think has done a wonderful…

He should stand up in that debate and raise it himself and disavow attacks from five years ago on the president that seem to me to be driven perhaps by race rather than economics.

You want to run for president looking like a president.

That is so offensive. And it does shine a light on the sort of arrogant elitism that clearly animates Governor Romney and his views toward fellow Americans.

The last point is completely wrong. First up to that, I salute Ari, he's embracing this, it's not a gaffe. It's -- what Mitt Romney said is what Republicans really believe.

First, that he doesn't care about the middle class.

Well, because the Democrats are trying to push two narratives. And I'm helping them, as you point out. I help a pro-Obama super PAC.

President Obama's campaigning saying, I want to cut taxes for the middle class and raise them on the Romney class.

Well, thanks for the help, Mitt. In the latest CNN poll, by the way, before this gaffe, President Obama had a 20-point lead over Mitt Romney in the question of who's more in touch with the concerns of the middle class.

I do note in our latest CNN opinion poll President Obama has jumped out to a 12-point lead on who do you prefer on foreign policy.