And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN, the Axviles, with your

host, David Axelrod.

In politics, Karl Robe is a guy who barely needs an introduction.

He is universally known as the architect of George W. Bush's two elections to the presidency,

but as a rich and long and interesting story about his life in politics.

Karl and I were part of a panel on the U.S. election in Ukraine last week.

And while we were there, I took the opportunity to sit down with him.

Karl Robe, when people hear your name, they think that Texas, that's your, your

Texan in everyone's mind, but you're really not a native Texan.

Yeah, I'm the worst kind of Texan.

I'm a convert.

They're like Catholic converts.

They're even more fervent in their Catholicism, converted Texans, or even more fervent in their

Texasism.

But you tell me about growing up, and you, I'm a guy who started following politics like

at a freakishly young age.

You were the same one.

Yeah, absolutely.

Which is odd, because my family was completely apolitical.

We never talked politics around the kitchen table, and nobody was active in politics, and

nobody was a precinct chairman or really elegant to the county convention.

So I don't know where it came from, but as long as I remember I've been interested in

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