Appearing on Tony Kornheiser’s ESPN radio show Wednesday, NBC News’ Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd predicted that if Rick Perry wins the Republican nomination, a “semi-credible independent candidate” would emerge.
“If Perry’s the nominee,” Todd told Kornheiser, “I think there’s going to be be a serious effort of some sort of moderate Republican linking up with a conservative Democrat of trying to run in some sort of like, ‘let’s throw all the bums out — let’s crash the party,’ you know, a la [Ross] Perot …”
“I just continue to believe that’s what’s coming,” he said.
Todd compared the current 2011 political environment to 1991, recalling that “… Democrats didn’t like their field of candidates … but [George H.W.] Bush seemed out of touch — and not in touch with the economy … and then, all of a sudden, Ross Perot showed up, sometime in the spring of ’92.”
“I think something’s going to happen in the spring of ’12 that will be that kind of dramatic,” he said. “Because all the ingredients are there … Perry’s not going to be seen as viable to a lot of people, but they’re going to want a change from Obama.”