Dan Rather on the GOP race: "Santorum has the smell of triumph, the smell of victory in his nostrils"

Dan Rather has been reporting on elections and politics for more than six decades, and on Thursday he brought his unprecedented blend of experience and insight to "Piers Morgan Tonight."

Describing the current battle between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, the legendary journalist detailed the race for GOP nomination like no one else could:

"I do say that Romney is likely to be the Republican nominee," he told Piers Morgan. "But Santorum is now making his fingernails sweat."

While Rather contends that the Massachusetts front-runner is ultimately the candidate to "bet the rent money on," he suspects the former Pennsylvania senator is poised for success of his own: "Santorum, in my mind, is basically running to be the vice presidential nominee. And he's helped himself in recent days."

Watch the above video, as the seven-time Peabody Award winner lends his expertise to a political climate he says is unlike any he's ever seen.

» Follow Piers Morgan Tonight on Twitter