of what you think about him politically, and a lot of people on the left don t like him, but ed gillespie if romney is smart enough to let ed gillespie come in and put in a professional that knows how to run a presidential campaign, if they give ed the power, i think you ll see issues like this start to go away. well, i just think the conversation is naturally going to move on to different topics. we have been in about a month and a half and two-month period where something comes up and we are talking about the war on women. that said, if democrats were crafty, and i think some of them are, maybe, but they would use st strategically to try to reintroduce this. when you say war on women, are you talking about abortion issues? i don t want to use the word one woman because i think it s loaded. but there s been a series of
waging a war on women. i know you don t agree with that. but looking at the polls, you have a gender gap problem. recent polls show a huge, huge margin for democrats among women voters. how big a problem is it, and how do you close it? well, for one thing, you know, if the democrats said we had a war on caterpillars, and every mainstream media outlet talked about the fact that the republicans have a war on caterpill caterpillars, then we d have a problem with caterpillars. the fact of the matter is it s a fiction. ok. welcome back to morning joe. live from washington. andrea mitchell is still with us. and joining the table, we have pulitzer prize winner associate editor of the washington post bob woodward, and nbc news chief white house correspondent and host of the daily rundown chuck todd. it is good friday. but another big holiday today. another big event. andrea mitchell, allan green span celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. you blew my cover.
since perhaps 1968, there s a psychological aspect to this campaign. there s a very anxious feeling in this country. a lot of anxiety. who are we? and i think we all underestimate the impact that a decades-worth of war has had on many people. it s worn down the country and had many, many people, voters, thinking about the immediate future and the long-range future for their children, in this, the greatest country in the world. are we still going to be the greatest country in the world? and that s something that both candidates are going to have to address in some fashion. can i just say, i think one of the things we are heading toward is two distinct visions for the country and what government ought to do. i think that war wariness, our place in the world, is part of it. i think the other piece is what government should do in a time of economic distress. i really do think there s going to be broad visions. we ve got to get to that place where we have that big debate. but i think that
you ll save a minor amount of money and you re just burdening lower income women who really have trouble getting access to health services. so that seems unfair to them to put the burden on their backs. well, i think, again, a war on planned parenthood is not seen by a lot of women in america as a war on women. and there are a lot of women who rolled their eyes during the big controversy over planned parenthood and the rights for i forget, susan susan g. komen. and look at that and go, really? really? you re going to start a war against them because they don t want to be associated with the largest abortion provider in america? i mean, again, it s just this is not a black and white issue for women in america. and a war against planned parenthood is not a war against women for i don t know the numbers but for a lot of
how do you close it? well, for one thing, if the democrats said we have a war on caterpillars and you talked about it then we d have a problem with caterpillars. the fact of the matter is it s fiction. of course, they immediately pounced on his remarks calling them, quote, callous and dismissive of what matters to women and it s completely out of touch. they cited a recent poll that puts the president ahead of romney ahead by 18 points among women in swing states and 34 points among caterpillars. and david axlerod quoted this, from the department of clueless rnc chair he says gop problems with women are contrived by the media. andrea? well, i think that the interesting thing about this is that the lead story in the new york times today is that the republican national committee has retired its debt.