Karl Rove: Christie, Palin, Ryan Might Still Join 2012 GOP Race

Stoking the flames of hope, Karl Rove said he senses that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, are beginning to falter in their determination against a run for the presidency.

The former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to former President George W. Bush discussed the notion on Fox News with Sean Hannity Monday.

"I think Chris Christie and Paul Ryan are gonna look at it again. I'm starting to pick up some sort of vibrations that these kinds of conversations are causing Christie and Ryan to tell the people who are calling them, you know what, I owe it to you, I'll take a look at it," Rove said.

Says Palin Still Might Run

But he thinks former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin might, too, give it more consideration.

"I think Palin is gonna seriously look at it. I don't k now if any of these are gonna actually get in, but I think the nature of the field and the fact that we've not got three candidates when we could have four or five or six major candidates, is gonna lead people to say, well I could be in that contest," Rove told Hannity. "Palin has got a pretty active schedule in early September."

In July, Christie reiterated that he was adamant against running for president.

In May, William Palatucci, a close Christie friend, told The Star-Ledger, "Nope, no budging at all. It doesn't matter who's in or who isn't in, the governor has been very clear from the outset."

Like Christie, Ryan has also continually denied interest in a 2012 run, telling ''Meet the Press" host David Gregory: "I'm not running for president. You never know what opportunities present themselves way down the road," he said. Plus, "My head's not that big, and my kids are too small."

Still, Rove thinks that the current Republican field is a good one, but he also had a warning: Don't stray too far to the right.

"You don't want these candidates moving so right in the Republican primary that it becomes impossible for them to win the general election, because it will become a self-defeating message in the primary," Rove said. "People want to win. They don't want somebody who goes so far to the extremes of either party that they lack a chance to carry a victory off in November."