some, longer time. but i'm reminded martin luther king jr said the arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice. we can never give up if it's justice that we are truly pursuing. and we should never waver in the face of what we believe to be. right. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. have a safe and happy halloween. "hardball" starts right now. i'm in new hampshire with the hot question of the senate campaign. can a massachusetts guy get elected here? >> is scott brown a carpet bagger? >> listen, anybody can move here and run for office. >> let's play "hardball." ♪ ♪ good evening, i'm chris matthews. in manchester, new hampshire, last night at a debate here at st. ann's, the issue of the campaign hit a high point. a debate panelist corrected scott brown on his state geography. >> what do you see going right in the economy in sullivan county and what's going wrong and please be specific? >> you're right, geography plays a role along the southern border, more jobs, more opportunity. struct infrastructure up north is more difficult. tourism and ski areas for trails and snowmobiles, i support these efforts. >> we're talking about sullivan county. and you're talking about the north country. >> i'm talking about any place past pconcord in the challenges of our state. i'm including the high tax rate, obamacare coming in after the election, we also have the challenges of high electric costs. >> sullivan county is west of concord, not north. what do you see going well and what's not going well there? >> with respect, i've answered the question. the challenges are the same in every part of the state. >> the panelist apologized. saying sullivan was to the west and not to the worth and he said brown was wrong in the debate. later on, he said in a news report at 11:00 here, he said that brown was right. let's watch him now correct himself. >> we were talking about the location of sullivan county. i said that sullivan county was west of concord, not north of concord. the truth is, it's both. so on this point, scott brown was right. i apologize to scott brown and to both campaigns. >> the question is whether brown or his rival, the democrat, will benefit from the debate. brown may come off as the winner, but the skirmish raised the issue shaheen wants in voters' minds. whether scott brown has the background to represent people from new hampshire. the issue of where sullivan county is localized the election, made it about new hampshire. however, the senator was more delicate on the subject itself. here was my conversation with her earlier this afternoon. >> there's an old expression, if it talks, walks and looks like a duck, it's a duck. is scott brown a carpet bagger? >> listen, anybody can move here and run for office. and it's up to the voters to decide. but the question is, who's going to put new hampshire first? who understands what we need to do to grow our small businesses and create jobs? who's going to support the families of new hampshire? i've been working as governor in the united states senate to support our small businesses, to support our families, so they have a fair shot at success, and my opponent, when he was in washington for massachusetts, represented the big guys, the corporate interests, the wall street banks, the companies that want to outsource jobs. >> but the audacity for somebody to cross the border for national political ambitions. what does it say about new hampshire even listening to the guy? why would they give him a shot? >> our voters are fair-minded, and hopefully they'll decide on tuesday they want somebody who's going to put new hampshire first, not the corporate special interests. >> i was impressed today watching your get out the vote campaign. tell us how important that part of the campaign that they don't see on television is. >> it's critical. this race now is about who turns out to vote on tuesday. if we get our supporters out to vote, we win. if we don't do that, then we don't win. and so this is all about contacting, you know, all of those people who have been talked to over months, about making sure they vote on election day. going to the doors and pulling people to the polls, doing rides to the polls. identifying who still needs to go out and making sure they get there. >> last question. after last night's debate, why are you going to sullivan county today, this afternoon? that to bring out the fact that he wasn't quite clear. >> it's always fun to be in sullivan county. i've done a lot of work with people in the county, in clairemont, the biggest city there, helping them supporting their small businesses to create jobs, helping them rebuild their downtown. they have great old mills there. it's a historic city. >> you really know that place. >> you know, i've been around new hampshire for a long time. but what i'm really going there to point out is that this is not about geography. this is about who's going to work for new hampshire. it's about who's going to support communities like clairemont, our small businesses, to make sure they can continue to grow and create jobs. my opponent has not been there for small businesses. >> so he's a carpet bagger. >> you can call him what you want. >> thank you very much, senator. >> thank you. >> you can call him what you want. that was nice of her. ltd me start with carol about this. you represent "the globe," a big newspaper, but this ability to jump across the border and within a year be elected a united states senator in a neighboring state when you've already been a senator from another state. it will be a remarkable achievement if he pulls this off next tuesday. >> i think a year ago nobody would have said this would happen. but the fact that it's happening right now kind of shifts everybody's thinking about what's at stake here, what's driving this election. what's going to drive voters to the polls? what are the issues that really matter? i was thinking, when you were talking to jean, that here in new hampshire, we've changed a lot too. we have a lot of people here that used to be there. so there could be that factor too, people who have lived in massachusetts and are now new hampshire voters, they might embrace scott brown and that might be part of the scott brown factor. >> paul, another thought if he does win, i think he's still an underdog, but based on the latest poll he is. but if he does win, doesn't that make a statement that this will probably be a sweep election, but also that this was a national election. they didn't win because he was a good new hampshirite. he won because he was a conservative republican running against the president's party. >> right. a lot of this is about obama. we had a poll in the paper today that people are concerned about everything. i think the quote was a cornucopia oficky from a voter who feels like there's no reason to go out and vote and they're not excited about the opportunity to vote and they're having hope for the next congress anyway. if scott brown is able to win in new hampshire, that will be a sign we could have a republican wave coming. >> what do you think about the debate last night? it seemed to me that the incumbent center was really sharp and not jumping on his mistake because it wasn't actually a mistake. he said sullivan county was to the north. it is sort of a bit north, but it wasn't an error on his part. i guess that explains why she didn't jump on him as hard as the moderator did. >> i think one of the finer points of the people who live here, to get there from here, you have to go south first and then west, in most cases to get to sullivan county. so nobody thinks of it as a north ward journey and i think that's where james was going with that. we have a distinct idea of what the north country is here in new hampshire, and it's not sullivan county. >> well, he got off the hook anyway. anyway, the shaheen campaign has a strong get out the vote campaign. doing follow-up calls on people who tend to vote in presidential elections, but not in midterm elections. they want those people out there voting. and two categories are women and hispanic voters, believed to be the most likely to vote for the democrat shaheen. >> what do you sense about the ground campaign? is it clearly -- it seemed to me clear. they bragged to this point, that shaheen has it all over scott brown's operation in terms of get out the vote. >> yeah, that might be one way of looking at it, depending on your perspective. i spoke today to the new hampshire party chair, jennifer horn, who said this is historically their largest ground campaign ever in any midterm election. they're pulling out all the stops. and they believe that things are going to go their way, as long as they can keep pulling undecided voters in their direction. it's really a fight to the finish here. i think both campaigns are coming on as strong as they ever have. >> paul, how do you see it ending up with the ground campaign against the -- so the media presence of scott brown? >> the newsround table yesterday, and the republican was more optimistic, actually. he said that he felt scott brown had done a really good job introducing himself to the voters in new hampshire. and the head of the democratic campaign committee said, we think shaheen's going to win, but new hampshire voters are notoriously fickle. this race is closer than we expected it to be and that's good news for scott brown. >> i think my view of this has been, if you're watching us on election night this coming tuesday and i hope you are, if we say it's too close to call in new hampshire, look out for a sweep. because that's not good news for the democrats. they should win in new hampshire. this would be the tenth win for the night if they win in new hampshire. coming up, chris christie said he has no regrets about his angry outburst. in fact, he's basking in it. said it's just another day in a place he called rancho christie. i think he's the cisco kid. how is the tough guy act going to play when he hits the campaign trail for president of the united states? we've mashed up some of his worst hits, you might say. that's all ahead on "hardball," the place for politics. ♪ he did the mash ♪ ♪ he did the monster mash ♪ the design of the ford escape is clearly intended to grab your eye. ♪ oh, and your foot. ain't that a kick? the ford escape with the foot-activated liftgate. ♪ go open up something interesting. go further. they take us to worlds full of heroes and titans. for respawn, building the best interactive entertainment begins with the cloud. this is "titanfall," the first multi-player game built and run on microsoft azure. empowering gamers around the world to interact in ways they never thought possible. this cloud turns data into excitement. this is the microsoft cloud. heading into the final weekend of campaigning. let's get the latest polling on key races around the country. let's check the "hardball" scoreboard. first to iowa in the senate race there, it's tied accord to a new poll. joni ernst and bruce braley at 45 all. next to georgia, where a new poll has it michelle nunn, democrat, 47. david perdue, 47. next to kentucky, where a new blue grass poll has mitch mcconnell up five over democrat alison lundergan grimes. mcconnell, 48, grimes, 43. in colorado, corey gardner is leading senator mark udall by two. 46-44. and we'll be right back. great rates and safety working in harmony. open an optimizer +plus account from synchrony bank. visit myoptimizerplus.com to open an account. service. security. savings. synchrony bank engage with us. you know your dentures can unlike natural teeth. try new fixodent plus truefeel. this smooth formula helps keep dentures in place. it's free of flavors and colorants for a closer feeling to natural teeth. fixodent. and forget it. the ultimate arena for business. hour after hour of diving deep, touching base, and putting ducks in rows. the only problem with conference calls: eventually they have to end. unless you have the comcast business voiceedge mobile app. it lets you switch seamlessly from your desk phone to your mobile with no interruptions. i've never felt so alive. get the future of phone and the phones are free. comcast business. built for business. i've been here when the cameras aren't here, buddy, and done the work. i've been here when the cameras weren't here and did the work. turn around, get your 15 minutes of fame, and then maybe take your jacket off, roll up your sleeves and do something for the people of this state. [ applause ] so if you want to have the conversation later, i'm happy to have it, buddy. but until that time, sit down and shut up. >> welcome back to "hardball." chris christie is making no apologies for that display of rage the other day. instead he's making it the centerpiece of his tough-guy tour across the country. he'll fight anyone, whether it's a nurse, a random guy at a press conference, or we'll see now the president of the united states. yesterday governor christie said wednesday's incident with that protester was just another day at rancho christie. that interesting place we haven't been to. and last night he said he had no regrets about that spectacle. >> you give it, you're getting it back. if you don't give respect, going to take you out on it. that's just the way it goes. i don't calculate it politically. this is who i am and most people understand that. >> do you have any regrets about yesterday? >> no. >> that school yard bully attitude, that lack of respect is how christie is framing his fight with president obama. at that same event, christie told reporters that president obama should, quote, get out of his way on ebola. watch. >> governors can do more because of the president's lack of leadership. [ inaudible ] but get out of the way and let people make decisions. that's what governors are doing. i wish the president was doing that, but he's not. >> well, bob erlick, governor of maryland and senior adviser to president obama. this tough guy on the street corner. i don't know what you call it. is this going to work? >> it's not an act. and you know and i know him well. he's a friend of mine. no neutral opinion here. this is chris, and that's his personal, his demeanor. it's very popular in new jersey, it's generally popular in the northeast. the issue is going to be whether that particular personality and it's cathartic for those of us who public office, because those of us who have been the short end of a guy giving you a hard time and heckling you, appreciate what chris is doing. but this is chris. it's unvarnished. he'll take it national but it's no act. it's not scripted by any means. >> what do you think people who have had to put up with bullies like him in school, in college, high school, and the neighborhood, will think of him? saying i knew that guy in my neighborhood and i didn't like him. are they going to like him running for president? >> let me challenge your definition. a bully is someone who starts the fight. when you see chris react, when you see him get back in someone's face, when you see the aggressiveness, it's typically not chris who starts it. it's someone who is acting out and chris responding. so it's not a bully. it's certainly in your face, it's grefs, it is what it is. but it's his persona, it's his personality. it's unvarnished, and for a lot of people, it's refreshing. >> who threw that nurse into that tent in the middle of a hospital? and all she wanted to do was get out of the tent. is she the aggressor, or is the guy who put her in the tent? >> now it's a different issue. >> no, this is what we're talking about, because this is how it started, with him dealing with the nurse, who said, let me out of my tent. he said she got the best take-out from the best restaurants in newark. that was his response to her. was he the aggressor, or was she the aggressor? >> this goes to his job, number one, which is protection of the general public. so you can characterize him, i don't know whether he was the aggressor, but he was aggressive in his response. it's government job one, it's governor's job one. the president's not doing his job. southern border, ebola, you name it, i'm going to do it. >> i know your point of view here, governor. i appreciate you coming on. let me go back to david axelrod. this guy is singing a song, aretha franklin, respe-e-s-p-e- whether it's sicilian or african american, whatever the cultural sense of, you're jumping on me, i'm going to jump back. but he's now attacking the president. we saw a quote about a guy giving lectures on the south lawn. that doesn't sound respectful of the elected president of the united states. what do you think? >> obviously not. but let me correct one thing the governor said. he said it's popular in jersey. the last numbers i saw of governor christie, he was under water in jersey. people have gotten tired of that routine. and as far as his comments about the president, i assume that he's just trying to expea ate the since that the base of the republican party feel he committed by praising the president's leadership in hurricane sandy. so he's trying to get a few brownie points with the right-wing that he may need if he runs for president. i don't think you can run for president if -- it doesn't matter whether you started it or not. when you run for president, there are provocations every single day. and if this is the way you're going to react to them, you're not going to get very far. people don't want an angry president. people don't want a president who's going to fly into a rage at every irritating moment. that's not comforting to the american people. >> do you want something really scary? here's just a sampling of christias dark side. call it -- well, his monster mash. >> did i stay on topic? are you stupid? on topic, on topic. next question. ♪ good, thank you. thank you all very much. and i'm sorry for the idiot over there. >> after you graduate, you conduct yourself like that in the courtroom, your rear end is going to get thrown in jail, idiot. >> damn, man, i'm governor, could you just shut up for a second. >> and you know what, let me tell you this. you know what? it's people who raise their voices and yell and scream like you that are dividing this country. we're here to bring this country together, not divide it. >> what's her name? >> what's her name, guys? real quick. >> what is it? >> gale. talk to gale. >> gale, it's none of your business. i don't ask you where you send your kids to school. >> i was the guy out there, i was in overalls and a hat, but i was the guy working the cones out there. you really are not serious with that question. >> but i understand for someone like you, it's never enough. >> you don't know me. >> what you want to do is put on a show and giggle every time i talk, well, then i have no interest in answering your question. >> you know, tom, you must be the thinnest skinned guy in america. if she wants to get on a many and come to new jersey and review my medical history, i'll have a conversation with her about that. until that time, she should shut up. >> you want to have the conversation later, i'm happy to have it, buddy. but until that time, sit down and shut up. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ they did the mash ♪ >> i want you to respond to the following words. idiot, stupid, shut up. are you serious, governor? you think this is going to play in peoria? >> he's comfortable in his skin, you have to admit that. and i'll just say this, look, this is really aggressive. it's chris, again, unvarnished after six -- now eight years of a guy in the illinois legislature and being unable to make up his mind. i think people are looking for someone with an opinion, who is up front, who is aggressive, and, look, it may not work, who knows? but it's not a ploy. people are tired of scripted. they're tired of phony. there's nothing phony about this guy. it is what it is. i know him. he's the same way in person. and by the way, if he's so unpopular, he's won in a pretty blue state a couple of times. so we'll see how it goes, as it goes national. but one thing he will not be called is phony. >> i never called him phony, i just called him chris christie. david axleaxelrod, will this pln peoria? >> definitely not. i'll agree, he's not faking it. this is the way he is. but i don't think people want sop ran os politics in the president. they want someone who will be thoughtful. i would refer the governor to all the kind things president obama said about leadership in his state's time of need when hurricane sandy hit and i'll leave it at that. >> i just think -- >> [ all speak at once ] >> i think he's the kind of person, tell that mayor he can forget his bridge! and tell that mayor of hoboken, she can forget that federal money if she doesn't back my water project. sounds just like the guy described in all these accounts. thank you both for coming on. up next, what if michael jordan doesn't think much of president obama's golf game? wait until you see. the president has a much bigger defender out there on the links tiger woods. interesting debate here. and this is "hardball," the place for politics. introducinge cash card. it lets you earn cash back when you buy and again as you pay. that's cash back twice. it's cash back with a side of cash back. the citi double cash card. the only card that lets you earn cash back twice on every purchase with 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay . with two ways to earn, it makes a lot of other cards seem one-sided. there was no question she reminds you every day. but your erectile dysfunction-that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any symptoms of an allergic reaction, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial. [ female announcer ] we love our smartphones. and now telcos using hp big data solutions are feeling the love, too. by offering things like on-the-spot data upgrades -- an idea that reduced overcharge complaints by 98%. no matter how fast your business needs to adapt, if hp big data solutions can keep wireless customers smiling, imagine what they can do for yours. make it matter. ♪ >> ha! welcome back to "hardball." time for the side show. it's halloween and republicans are getting into the shpirit of the holiday by jabbing at president obama. >> i especially like how the man portraying florida's charlie crist brought his fan along. >> well, clearly the president is no stranger to criticism. but this next item is coming from one of the greatest basketball players of all time. but even michael jordan is focused on golf these days. he sat down to talk about who he would put on a dream team. listen to his answer. >> i never played with obama, but i would. but no, that's okay. i take him out. he's a hack. be all day playing with him. >> do you really want to say that about the president of the united states? >> i never said he wasn't a great politician, he's just a [ bleep ] golfer. >> took a shot at the president, that's bold enough. but here's what tiger woods has said about the president's skills on the links? >> he pits the ball well and got an amazing touch. he can certainly chip and putt. if he ever spent, after these four years, spends more time playing the game of golf, i'm sure he can get to where he's a pretty good stick. >> when it comes to golf, most would value tiger woods's opinion over jordan's any day of the week, don't you think? and jon stewart taped his show from texas. he said that the odds of texas ever becoming a swing state are pretty slim. let's watch. >> i thought texas was going to be blue in 2012. >> really? [ laughter ] texas is going blue. texas has been a conservative state since dinosaurs roamed it 6,000 years ago. that date according to the texas state high school textbook. up next, mary landrieu of louisiana, ignited a hot fight when she said the south hasn't always been the friendliest place for african americans. she was talking about president obama himself. the roundtable and next on that topic. you're watching "hardball," the place for politics. told my doctor, he said humira is for adults like me who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. and that in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief. and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible. i take prilosec otc each morning for my frequent heartburn. because it gives me... zero heartburn! prilosec otc. the number 1 doctor-recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 9 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. how couin jellyfish, protein impact life expectancy in the u.s., real estate in hong kong, and the optics industry in germany? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 70% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. here's what's happening. a virgin glaktic space tourism rocket crashed during a test flight, killing the co-pilot and injuring the pilot. the ntsb and faa are both investigating. virgin founder richard branson said he's heading to the site to be with his team. the test flight was part of a program to be bring passengers on trips to the edge of outer space. back to "hardball." ♪ welcome back to "hardball." louisiana senator mary landrieu said something they think will go down as one of the most important quotes of this campaign. certainly one of the most memorable. my colleague chuck todd wondered why she's had a hard time in louisiana. maybe the energy policy, but that's not the only reason. >> being very honest with you, the south has not always been a friendly place for african americans. it's been a difficult time for the president to present himself in a positive light for a leader. it's not always a positive place for women to present themselves. it's been conservative. we've had to work harder on this. but the people trust me to do the right thing for the state. >> bobby jindal late today on fox news. >> i thought mary's comments were ridiculous and offensive. she's basically calling the people of louisiana, she's calling all of us in the south racist. she owes us an apology. >> well, the louisiana republican party chair said landrieu's remarks were insulting to me and every other louisianian. and big cassidy criticized her comments, saying we're not racist, we just should common sense. jeremy peter from the "new york times," michelle bernard from the bernard center for women. let me go to jeremy peters on this to start with. it seems to be an unexceptional comment historically, if you look at the whole jim crow period from the 1860s to the 1960s. you had jim crow, segregation down there. of course it was not friendly to african americans, by definition. it took until the 1960s for charlie scott to be the first basketball player in the acc, who was african american. well certainly the s.e.c. was slower, but we had nba players in the '50s before they played in the schools in the southern united states. how can someone deny there wasn't friendliness to african americans? it's historical. >> to me, it sounded like john roberts defense in the voting rights case a couple years ago when he suggested that racism had been fixed. and i think that there's absolutely no denying the strong feelings in these communities of color, when they look to incidents like michael brown being shot in ferguson. when they look to what state legislatures are doing to curtail voting rights. they feel under siege. >> well, i was going to say, it's not that people feel under siege. i would venture to guess that many members of the african american community, myself included, will argue that it doesn't feel we're under siege. we are under siege. if you pick up any american history book, from slavery, to any of the events you were just talking about, it's just a basic history lesson. they should pick up the cliff notes, that african americans have not been treated well in the south. i was pretty stunned to see bobby jindal and others being so horrified by the statement that senator landrieu made, because it's factually correct. there's nothing they can say to rebut anything on a factual basis that she said. >> the quote was, just so we know. the south has not always been the friendliest place for african americans. that's mary landrieu. >> absolutely. and you can imagine as what i call a quote/unquote, sister of the south, i would imagine that mary landrieu has been in social settings, political settings, professional settings, where she might be the only white person in the room, in a southern climate, where people have probably made very inappropriate comments about the president, about african americans. i don't think she would make this kind of statement if she didn't have reason to believe it to be completely factual. >> never thought of it. rick, your view? >> that's not what she offered. she forgot to mention, yes, blacks have been historically mistreated in the south, but it was by the democratic party. the republican party, 109 african americans were to the state legislature after reconstruction. wiped them out, caused a massacre in the capital floor. so, yes, it's true, but she doesn't ascribe it to where it belongs. it was the republican party that was the party of freedom. the democratic party, up until jim crow, authored by democrats. standing in the door, it was a democrat. to let the black children attend school. it was the democratic party who mistreated blacks, not republicans. >> but it was a very different democratic party. >> those dixiecrats game republicans. >> exactly. >> the same people went to the -- >> none of those governors became democrats. i just think it's a misnomar. >> i have always said, if you say michelle, who is your favorite republican, i would say to you, frederick douglas was my favorite republican. today's republican party is not the republican party of frederick douglas, or of abera hapel lincoln. it wasn't for a long time. and blacks after reconstruction, all the gains that were made by blacks during reconstruction, were systematically taken away from them right after that period. >> but democrats, right up until -- >> [ all speak at once ] >> but today's democratic party is not the same as the dixiecrats for this period of time. >> no, it is not. the democrats today are not intimidating people from voting. they're intimidating people to vote because of the great lie of the great society. >> and southern democrats came up with what they call the southern strategy, and they all left the democratic party and joined the republican party and they did it for a reason. >> let me go to jeremy. can you tell me anything about expectations? is there any way to measure this? will african americans go out to vote? because of a number of reasons, one there's still an african american president. number two, there is a concern, i think justified, that the republicans are doing voter suppression against the black community and young people. and this whole issue of ferguson and all the rest of it. will there be a black turn-out consistent with presidential campaigns, or more like the usual turn-out, which is much lower in a midterm? what do we know yet? >> i've been looking at the numbers as they've come in from early voting in a lot of these states. they will not match what happened in 2012. they are exceeding what happened in 2010, and that's a bright spot for democrats. but, you know, you can't be sure that that's going to balance out the strong antipathy for the president among white voters, white men especially, in these states. and in the end, that may just overwhelm however many blacks turn out. >> i'm going to ask michelle. do you think the hatred of obama down south and in a lot of parts of the country, by white people, will drown out the love of obama, which may be fading amongst blacks and liberals? >> i think it is possible. i would be very interested to see what happens in states like north carolina and arkansas and georgia, where jeremy wrote a great piece for "new york times" earlier this week, there are pointed ads that are well needed. explaining what's at stake to african americans in our communities. and if people go out and vote in good numbers, it doesn't have to be the numbers i believe that we saw in 2008 or 2012, about you if people go out and they understand what is at stake, i think there's a very good chance that african americans will make sure that democrats hold the senate. >> down in georgia, the state democratic party is appealing to voters to rally behind the only black man elected to president with a flyer that said, it's up to us to protect the legacy of the first african american president. do you think that's fair game to do that? >> what legacy? what has barack obama delivered for the black community? the conservatives, the liberals and the moderates? he's delivered high unemployment, more people on food stamps, less opportunity and less jobs. i don't see shou the case can be made to black -- to african americans that we need to preserve this president's legacy. >> you'll notice mary landrieu didn't cite all the things i did. that we need to protect barack obama because he's got people off welfare, got people opportunity. she said they don't like barack obama because they're racist. that's what she said. >> if we're going to talk at least from a perspective of an african american and also from a woman's perspective, we want to honor -- there are people who want to honor the president's legacy. number one, just being the first elected african american president in united states history. we know that slavery was the original sin of this country and just what he does, just as a role model for young black boys alone, makes you want to honor his legacy. and it could be argued by many that but for the intransigence of the republican house of representatives, the president would have done a lot more over the last six years than he has been able to do so. because he's been working with a congress that -- >> i agree with the sense of what michelle said, but this president has a wonderful opportunity to heal race relations, it's gotten worse. not better. >> you know, it's interesting, guys, with the reaction to what mary landrieu said about the south not being hospitable to blacks, african americans. she also said they've been tough on women's rights. and there hasn't been a single retort to that, to putting women in their place down south. nobody said, we don't keep women in their place, michelle. they just said, i guess that makes sense. anyway, thank you, everybody. the roundtable is staying with us. it's halloween and the republicans are the ones yelling boo. a lot of fear out there, a lot of fear factor in this election hitting the voters. that's coming up next. this is "hardball," the place for politics. then there's trusting your vehicle maintenance to ford service confidence. our expertise, technology, and high quality parts means your peace of mind. it's no wonder last year we sold over three million tires. and during the big tire event, get up to $140 in mail-in rebates on four select tires. ♪ you know your dentures can unlike natural teeth. try new fixodent plus truefeel. this smooth formula helps keep dentures in place. it's free of flavors and colorants for a closer feeling to natural teeth. fixodent. and forget it. 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(all) awesome! i love logistics. one of the biggest issues voters care about as we head into the final weekend of campaigning before tuesday's mid terms. according to a new associated press poll, the economy dominates. 91% of likely voters say the economy is extremely important to them. next is health care. 78% of likely voters called that issue extremely or very important. followed by terrorism, ebola, isis, the u.s. role in world affairs. and finally immigration, which is pretty far down. lower down the a.p.'s list were social issues like marriage equality. we'll be right back from new hampshire after this. get to the terminal across town. are all the green lights you? no. it's called grid iq. the 4:51 is leaving at 4:51. ♪ they cut the power. it'll fix itself. power's back on. quick thinking traffic lights and self correcting power grids make the world predictable. thrillingly predictable. of connecting with family and friends. ities... realpad from aarp is now your easy way to share... enjoy... play... and celebrate. it's the tablet with free unlimited live help whenever you need it. hi, mom! hi, dad! happy anniversary! cherish moments like these with realpad. available at aarprealpad.org and at walmart. twhat do i do?. you need to catch the 4:10 huh? the equipment tracking system will get you to the loading dock. ♪ there should be a truck leaving now. i got it. now jump off the bridge. what? in 3...2...1... are you kidding me? go. right on time. right now, over 20,000 trains are running reliably. we call that predictable. thrillingly predictable. ok, if you're up there, i coulsmart sarah.elp. seeking guidance. just like with your investments. that sets you apart. it does? it does. you're type e*. and seeking another perspective is what type e*s do. oh, and your next handhold... is there. you don't have to go it alone. e*trade gives you the support and guidance to make informed decisions. are you type e*? we're back with our roundtable. jeremy peters, michelle bernard, and rick tyler. what's the state of mind of the american public just days before the midterm. according to a new poll, as election day nears, america is the land of the fearful. voters are rattled by the ebola vire. braced for years of conflict against the terrorist islamic group isis and still worried about jobs. two thirds of americans believe the problems of the country they're face right now are more challenging than usual. also, 21% of americans said their number one priority for congress right now is to deal with national security and terrorism. that's second only to jobs. it's a huge jump from two years ago when only 2% listed national security as the top priority. isis and ebola are on their minds. 6 in 10 americans say they expect to be dealing with the threat from isis past the time president obama's second term goes to an end. and 4 out of 10 say a major outbreak of ebola in the united states is very or somewhat likely. let me go to jeremy and then michelle and then rick in that order. what do you make of the fact people are so concerned about ebola with only two infections that occurred here in the states and are thinking about a pandemic in many cases. it seems out of proportion, but why do you think? >> i think it points to a broader unease about everyday life in general. that explains a lot of what you're seeing in republican messaging right now and why they appear to have the advantage going into election night. what was so interested about what happened with the border crisis first over the summer and then isis, and then ebola was that it gave republicans a fresh way to make the same attacks they had been making against the president, and what they said was his ineffective leadership. so they had been making those arguments with obamacare and the va and a couple other problems, but when all of this stuff blew up the last few months, they had a brand new way to make an argument americans were kind of tired of hearing. >> michelle, i think that's an objective reality, and i think there's a fearfulness out there that, explain it, why are people so afraid of tomorrow morning? they're afraid of tonight, afraid of the dark. i mean, there's a jitteriness out there now. >> i think, i mean, i think it's two things. number one, just something that is very palpable. unemployment is down but it doesn't feel like it's down. people don't know how they're going to make ends meet. people are still worried about jobs and quite frankly, you turn on the news, you listen to the radio, read your newspaper and we have a government that doesn't seem like it functions. you know, i would venture to guess there are many americans who look at what has happened with ebola and, true, it's two cases in the united states, but we went through a period when we didn't know who was in charge. ron clay is the ebola czar, but we haven't seen much of him. we don't know what's happening with jobs. congress doesn't pass laws. you sit down and say to yourself whether you're a democrat or a republican, is there anyone in the nation that is at the helm that can take care of us in a time of need? when you add isis to that equation, it makes for very, very jittery feelings for the populous. >> try to outdo that, rick. >> i'm going to agree with a lot of what michelle said. >> how nice. >> she hits on something that is important and central to the democratic message. that is big bureaucracies don't work. they were invented in the 1890s, they were completely inappropriate for the information age. we have seen that with the v.a., for the irs, and lately with the cdc. the other part is truthfulness. if you can't tell the truth day in and day out and you send your mouthpiece out there every day to lie to the american people, why would people not be confused and afraid of a deadly disease when the cdc can't keep its story straight. >> who is the mouthpiece? rick, who is the mouthpiece? >> the contradiction in terms, josh earnest. but look, i think when the cdc goes out, obama says you can't get it on a bus, and the cdc says you can get it within three feet of people, as late as today, the cdc was saying if you sneeze you can get it, and they have taken it down. who knows? it's a deadly disease, yet, we don't know from this administration from one day to the next how to catch it. >> those are tough commentaries. i let them go because they're all true. a tough time, a tough time to seek re-election in this country. i do not like people who will criticize people because they are public servants. i don't mind people calling people flacks if they are flacks, but i'm glad ricky didn't do that. there's a difference between people who are political and people who have spent 50 years fighting for the country. it's data mayhem. but airlines running hp end-to-end solutions are always calm during a storm. so if your business deals with the unexpected, hp big data and cloud solutions make sure you always know what's coming - and are ready for it. make it matter. let me finish tonight with this. franklin rose velosevelroosevelt president of the past century told us we had nothing to fear but fear itself. that was quite a line. maybe now all these decades later, we should take a listen to just what he meant. fear, i should say, could be a good thing. it's what warns us of true dangers. the unexplained sound in the night, the sound of a car horn behind us, the sound of a child coughing. and then the nameless fear, the fear of the unknown, the fear of the dark. i don't know if the republicans out there are selling this kind of fear, this nameless kind, know more about ebola and the clinical basis for concern about it spreading or more about the dangers of isis coming here to commit terrorist acts in the united states, but there is one area in which inwriters of the right are on sound ground. historic ground. they know how fear works in american politics. how it worked in the bank runs of the great depression, for example. get people scared enough and you can close a bank. get people believing the worst is coming and they give up hope in every leader, in every institution. all they do is run, hoping they at least can put off the horror. so here we are in 2014, about to have an election. one party is trying to deal with the basis of fear, containing ebola as best it can by getting to its source in west africa, trying to rely on africa and other countries to contain the isis terrorists. the other party has a simple plan of action. get people scared which will get