KING: Now, the former Florida Republican Governor Jeb Bush publicly neutral in this presidential race. We spoke a bit earlier about the close race here, and Governor Bush's debate expectations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Let's start with the two candidates at the top. For yourself and for the conservatives you talk to across the state, what is the number-one challenge, let's say, for Speaker Gingrich tonight?

JEB BUSH (R), FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: I think it's to not go over the top in his attacks, to maintain the great connectivity he has with voters talking about the future.

I think there's a point past which Republicans and independent voters get turned off by this fierce primary spilling over into personal attacks. And I just would hope that both Governor Romney and Speaker Gingrich would stay away from that.

KING: Is there a different challenge for Governor Romney, or is it the same?

BUSH: Well, I think his challenge is also to show his heart. Here's a guy who's been incredibly successful. Everything he's touched in his life has turned out pretty darn good.

And he seems uncomfortable showing who he is. He's got a great record, and he should be proud of it. And he's been a successful man in every way. And I think people can relate to that if he expresses it in the right way. It's tough to do it in a debate where there's a lot of fur flying. But that's I think his challenge going forward is to connect with people directly in a human way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Still ahead: The Arizona governor, Jan Brewer, joins us live to discuss her tarmac confrontation with President Obama. Did Governor Brewer cross the line?

Plus, more from Jeb Bush, including a stern warning to Republicans about alienating Latino voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I don't think a party can aspire to be the majority party if it's the old white guy party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: We're live at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Look at the enthusiastic crowd of students behind me here, about one hour and 46 minutes away from our big Republican debate right here on this campus.

One man who will be watching this final showdown before Florida's Republican primary is the former Republican Governor Jeb Bush. You heard a bit of his expectations moments ago. Governor Bush speaks fluent Spanish. He warns his party it must solve its problem with Latino voters or risk -- risk national isolation for years to come.

More of my conversation with the governor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING: You wrote a very important essay in "The Washington Post." I want to read a bit from it because you sound a warning alarm for your party.

You write this: "For the Republican Party, the stakes could not be greater. Just eight years after the party's successful effort to woo Hispanic voters in 2004, this community, the fastest-growing group in the United States according to census data has drifted away. Although Democrats hold the edge, Republicans have an opportunity."

You mention an opportunity there, Governor, but as you listen to the rhetoric from whether it's Speaker Gingrich, Governor Romney or the other candidates in this campaign, is it the right outreach, is it the right touch, or, as many people would say, is it again off-putting to Latinos?

BUSH: I think there needs to be more done, both in the primary and the general election.

I mean, look, in 2000 and 2008, John McCain and George W. Bush both got the same percentage of white voters. One won in a landslide in 2000. The other lost by seven. That's the changing demographic nature of our state and of our country.

And so if you want to win in the swing states, you need to attract swing voters. And if you want to win in the country, you have to do that. And so I think there needs to be a concerted 24/7 effort, not just to do it when you come down to Miami. There ought to be an effort in North Carolina, efforts in New Mexico, Nevada.

The swing -- the growing populations in all of the swing states are Hispanic voters. And the tone of the campaign talking about border security, which is a significant issue, if you just focus on that alone and not talk about economic opportunity, over-regulation of small businesses, education reform to give people opportunities, a tip of the hat of the patriotic and aspirational nature of all the Hispanic communities to connect personally, if you don't do any of that, you're not saying welcome to our club, welcome to our team.

And we do that at our peril, I think.

KING: You say you do that at your peril. What's the future as a national party for Republicans? Your brother got 41 percent of the Latino vote in 2004. John McCain slipped to 31 percent. If that trend continues, sir, five, 10, 15 years from now, will the Republicans even be able to compete nationally if they don't repair this breach?

BUSH: Well, I mean, this is an oversimplification, but I don't think a party can aspire to be the majority party if it's the old white guy party.

So, clearly, there are new constituencies emerging in our country. They're making a difference in our communities, a positive difference. The tone of the message, the message itself needs to be focused on where the changing demographics of our country are. And so, absolutely, if we do nothing to try to reach out to voters that believe in our values, but feel turned off by the rhetoric, that is the dumbest thing in the world to do.

And my guess is that there's a growing awareness of this. I sense the candidates as they have campaigned in Florida have begun to understand that a little better.

KING: Governor, Saturday night, as the results were coming in, in South Carolina, and it was clear that Governor Romney was getting a thumping from Speaker Gingrich, I was reaching out to a number of sources asking what would happen when they came to Florida.

And some sources in the Romney campaign and some other sources who are not in the Romney campaign, but who are involved in the Republican Party and know you, they were suggesting that you were perhaps ready to endorse. And then came word directly from you, no, that was not going to happen.

I'm told since that there were active conversations back and forth between you and the campaign. But what I was told earlier today was that you pulled back because you were concerned that some of Governor Romney's language on the immigration issue was too off- putting to those Latino voters we were just talking about. Is that fair?

BUSH: No.

You know, I sent Governor Romney an e-mail. I talked to him on Thursday and I sent him an e-mail on Friday saying my decision was to stay out of the race. And it really related to, I think, the fact that I think we have well-qualified candidates.

And we haven't talked and Rick Santorum or Ron Paul. But certainly we have well-qualified candidates. And I just think that they can earn this and it will make them better contenders in the fall. After all, at the end of the day, this is not about winning a Republican primary.

KING: All right. Have you decided who you're going to vote for?

BUSH: I have already voted. I voted absentee. I'm one of the third or 40 percent of all the voters who have already made up their mind. And thank God it's a secret ballot, John.

KING: You don't care to share that with us today, I'm guessing.

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: You have got that right.

KING: All right.

Governor, in this campaign, you have heard all the candidates saying, I'm the heir to Ronald Reagan. Speaker Gingrich says it. Then Governor Romney says, no, he's not. Rick Santorum campaigns saying, if there is a Reagan conservative in this race, it's me.

Does it sting you at all that you don't hear any of these Republican candidates saying, I want to be a president like George H.W. Bush or I want to be a president like George W. Bush?

BUSH: Well, they both carried Florida. They carried it in the primaries. They carried it in the general election. They have a pretty good connection with the state of Florida. And I think they were damn good presidents as well. But, no, it doesn't bother me a bit. I think what the challenge we face is to take Reagan principles and apply them to the 21st century. If we are going to be the party that wins, we have to be a party that is forward-leaning, that's focused on the future, not reminiscing about the past.

Ronald Reagan, if he was a candidate today, wouldn't be dealing, talking about the good old days. He'd be talking about timeless principles and how they apply to the world we're in today and going forward. And I think it's great to pay tribute to Ronald Reagan. He was one of the greatest presidents ever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)