Chris Wallace: Iowa 'won't count' if Ron Paul wins

Fox News host Chris Wallace doesn't want Republicans to go wasting their votes on Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul's campaign.

Wallace, who is moderating a Thursday's Republican presidential debate, told Fox News's Neil Cavuto on Wednesday that a Paul win would "discredit" the Iowa caucuses.

"The Ron Paul people are not going to like my saying this," Wallace began. "But to a certain degree, it will discredit the Iowa caucuses because, rightly or wrongly, I think most of the Republican establishment thinks he's not going to end up as the nominee."

"So therefore, Iowa won't count," he added. "It would certainly be a knock to Gingrich because, you know, right now he was the frontrunner -- or a week ago he was the big frontrunner in this state so it would be missed opportunity for him."

Fox News has a history of subtly -- or sometimes not so subtly -- letting viewers know which candidates are less desirable.

Earlier on Wednesday, the conservative network had used a picture of President Barack Obama to identify Mitt Romney.

In the days before becoming the latest Republican frontrunner, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich got more airtime on Fox News than any other candidate.

Watch this video from Fox News's Your World with Neil Cavuto, broadcast Dec. 14, 2011.

(H/T: Mediaite)