some republicans think that, they think that is what the republican party ought to be known for and work on whenever anybody's paying attention. some republicans believe that. some don't. frankly, a lot more republicans believe that last week than believe it this week. john boehner had hoped to bridge that divide in his own party by saying he would never give up in the fight against access to contraception in the house of representatives. by saying that he was pleasing the people who think issues like that ought to be front and center on the republican agenda but he thought he might also be able to appease the people who don't think that should be the focus of republican work in congress by the fact that he was not actually going to move on it. he was planning on letting it sit there and percolate in committee forever. democratic senators with this letter are now putting john boehner on the spot, saying, you know what, pick a side. which one are you? they say to john boehner, "we are asking that you abandon the promise you have made to bring legislation to the house floor similar to the

that are republicans. or in the house. when i came to washington, we had many, many moderate republicans. you know their names as well as i do. danforth, an episcopalian minister from missouri, hatfield and packwood. we had john heinz from pennsylvania, jon chaffee from rhode island. and on and on. you could count up to 20 moderate republicans. >> it wasn't limited by region, the midwest, the northeast. >> no, that's for sure. mainstream republicans don't accept all this crazy stuff that you see taking place within the republican run for presidency. but the sad part about it is the house of representatives, we all know, is dominated by the tea party. what people don't realize is the senate, about 40% of republican senators are tea party folks. look at what happened -- we have a moderate republican elected from missouri. he had had experience in house leadership, roy blunt. he runs for a spot here third or fourth down the hierarchy of republican leadership. he damn near got beat because he was running again

some republicans think that, they think that is what the republican party ought to be nope for and work on whenever anybody's paying attention. some republicans believe that. some don't. frankly, a lot more republicans believe that last week than believe it this week. john boehner had hoped to bridge that divide in his own party by saying he would never give up in the fight against access to contraception in the house of representatives. by saying that he was pleasing the people who think issues like that ought to be front and center on the republican agenda but he thought he might also be able to appease the people who don't think that should be the focus of republican work in congress by the fact that he was not actually going to move on it. he was planning on letting it sit there and percolate in committee forever. democratic senators with this letter are now putting john boehner on the spot, saying, you know what, pick a side. which one are you? they say to john boehner, "we are asking that you abandon the promise you have made to bring legislation to the house floor similar to the

the republicans both the super partisan republicans and moderates shoot off in a conservative direction. democrats stay roughly the same. since 1975. the most partisan democrats that is the very bat tottom line the stay where they have been over the last several generations. moderate democrats, that is oert line, they get more liberal over time but barely. look at the rest of the lines they stay flat. but the republicans, look, both the moderates and the super partisan republicans just fly off the charts. if you look over time, the craziest hair on fire most extreme republican in 1975, which that is top arrow, that person's super crazy far right wing positions in 1975 are where the most moderate republicans are now. that is where the most liberal republicans are now. they have the positions that were far to the right of the republican party just a generation ago, that happened over one generation. again, partisan democrats over this time have stayed exactly the same. moderate democrats have gotten more liberal but basically the same. the republicans have gone off the charts. the most ex

republicans are not dumb, republicans read polls, republicans read the political tea leaves as much as any democrats do. why are they going to keep running with this? after losing today in the senate, now they're vowing to take it up in the jobs, jobs, jobs house. what works for them on this issue? >> i don't get it, frankly. i mean, maybe there's some subtle political jujitsu that they're after here. i think you're right that the framing is supposed to be government intrusion. but it is incoherent, and you can't really claim government intrusion if you're doing the intruding. you're making the intrusion and mandating this ridiculous new policy that you never would have favored or even thought of in the past. it seems crazy to me, and i've been expecting them to try to find some way to back out of it. but if they're going to press it, fine. gee, we're the anti-contraception, anti-sex party. i just don't get it. >> the beltway is d.c., right, but it's also maryland and virginia, and we had this sort of amazing, i guess microcosm today, in the beltway, where we had blue state maryland to

some examples from republicans, these are just republicans, here are the words republicans are using to describe the republican contest. ready? unenthusiastic, discouraged, lesser of two evils, painful, disappointed, poor choices, concerned, underwheel manied, uninspiring, and depressed. so say the republicans. right now gallop says the favorability rating for the nominee, likely, mitt romney is 39%. at this point in the race in 2008, john mccain was at 56%. at this point in the race in 2000, george w. bush at 58%. poor little bob dole in 1996 was at 49%, and that was worrying everyone. mitt romney's 10 points below that. if you like republicans screw stuff up, this long drawn out process of trying to pick a nominee has been fun to much wave. has this been more than a comedy of errors for the republicans? is there a way they could turn the primary process and mess it has been this year to their advantage? for the general election? joining us steve kornacki with salon.com, nice to see you. >> sure, you too. >> is there any way for the republicans to turn what i think has been a long,

>> guest: the npr republicans are a mixture i would say of republicans. a number of them have left the republican party and become independent because of their frustration with the social agenda. the starbucks moms and dads would be independent, but they might also be center-right republicans and centerleft democrats. it's a little tricky because i am focusing on independent voters, and that is mostly who i talk to but there are also registered democrats and republicans who swing quite a bit too. they just haven't changed their registration or maybe they want to be able to vote as moderates. >> host: 20% of democrats across the country called themselves conservative. ideologically, something most people might not know. we are using the word unaffiliated and independent. >> guest: that's right. i used the word independent for the more accessible but in most states, their registration category as unaffiliated or unenrolled. >> host: interesting. the third group, younger people. >> guest: younger people, the facebook generation, people under 35. they are reg

the republicans both the super partisan republicans and moderates shoot off in a conservative direction. democrats stay roughly the same. since 1975. the most partisan democrats that is the very bat tom ottom line they stay where they have been over the last several generations. moderate democrats, that is oert line, they get more liberal over time but barely. look at the rest of the lines they stay flat. but the republicans, look, both the moderates and the super partisan republicans just fly off the charts. if you look over time, the craziest hair on fire most extreme republican in 1975, which that is top arrow, that person's super crazy far right wing positions in 1975 are where the most moderate republicans are now. that is where the most liberal republicans are now. they have the positions that were far to the right of the republican party just a generation ago, that happened over one generation. again, partisan democrats over this time have stayed exactly the same. moderate democrats have gotten more liberal but basically the same. the republicans have gone off the charts. the mos

in fact he's more seriously republican the republican party because republican party a lot of those people will support earmarks and other kinds of government spending ron paul be very attractive to them but his isolation a school of foreign policy means that he can never win the republican nomination michael in new york it seems to me that when we've just heard here is that ron paul makes republicans the democrats will come also identical really on most issues here ok if you look we're looking at very little differences ron paul comes out because he wanted different things that could be republicans like even the democrats. well you really does and i want to jump on something said before about ron paul's utopianism actually in america we've had a lot of utopianism in the past decade suddenly two wars we're going to democratize the entire middle east this kind of will sony and for that somehow the force of arms will change a culture of a region in just a few years when the culture has been there for fourteen hundred years and that way around poles very anti utopian and much more of a

some republicans think that, they think that is what the republican party ought to be nope for and work on whenever anybody's paying attention. some republicans believe that. some don't. frank lakers lot more republicans believe that last week than believe it this week. john bain her hoped to bridge that divide in his own party by saying he would never give up in the fight against access to contraception in the house of representatives. by saying that he was pleasing the people who think issues like that ought to be front and center on the republican agenda but he thought he might also be able to appease the people who don't think that should be the focus of republican work in congress by the fact that he was not actually going to move on t he was planning on letting it sit there and percolate in committee forever. democratic senators with this letter are now putting john boehner on the spot, saying, you know what, pick a side. which one are you? they say to john boehner, "we are asking that you abandon the promise you have made to bring legislation to the house floor similar to the blu

in vermont, mitt romney is the projected winner of the vermont republican primary. and i should tell you the caucuses are underway in north dakota. we have no characterization from north dakota, we don't expect one for some time. here is where the race stands right now. mitt romney's win in massachusetts is his tenth victory of the campaign. you can see his wins marked in green. mr. santorums in purple, mr. gingrich's in orange. those are the states that mitt romney has won, massachusetts, vermont, virginia, washington state, arizona, michigan, maine, nevada, florida and new hampshire. chris, too close to call right now in tennessee, too close to call right now in oklahoma. >> those are two states -- >> too early. >> it will keep him in the race if santorum wins. if he can't win in ohio he can't win the nomination but he can stay in it. >> a close race in ohio is not enough to keep rick santorum viable? >> it's close in ohio i'm guessing he'll win the other two states, that means he has had a good night. it's been a process of between, of romney search and destroy,

follow and welcome to crossfire computable is the republican party on a long guest march to november it is very likely former massachusetts governor mitt romney will eventually capture the party's nomination but does he have what it takes to unseat obama in the general election. and. to cross out the prospects of the republican party just months before the election i'm joined by andrew hardisty here in the studio he is chair of democrats abroad in russia and atlanta we have amy kramer she is chairman of the tea party express and co-founder of american grassroots coalition and also in atlanta we have laura bramble she is a freelance writer and blogger all right crosstalk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want amy if i can go to you first in atlanta mitt romney he see it there seems to be an inevitability about the man but as things stand right now is he electable you know i do use the word and have a have that ability but i don't see it that way i mean we are only a third of the delegates have been awarded there this is still an ongoing process and anything can ha

bashing republicans. it's no question hurt the party in the short term. >> you know, to use a bad term, don't get in a peeing match with a skunk. these ads are making them all look bad. let's take a look at who has avoided the bad news. here's the president. good news for him in the poll. the president's approval rating is up to 50%. that's the highest since the killing of bin laden. on that great operation over there. the voters believe the economy is on an improved path. 57% believe the worst is behind us. just 36% think it's still ahead. in a head-to-head with republicans, the president leads romney, six points, 50% to 44%. he leads santorum even wider, 53% to 39%. >> still a long way to go. rick perry with ron paul. here's the one that grabs me. 50% to 42% against ron paul which tells me all romney can do after the millions and millions he's spent, tens of millions. he's 54 to obama down to the 44 end. ron paul who is a nobody in terms of being the next president, in terms of having a chance is at 42%

and republicans. it boggles my mind -- this is complicated legislation. yet, it is a major move to begin to get under control health-care costs. the politics -- on cnn there was a wonderful special on health care. it was out wind that it is really politics that is raising the cost of health care -- outlined a that is really politics that is raising the cost of health care. we need to learn more about obamacare and we have a lot to look forward to. host: thank you for the call. a reminder, when the court releases the audio, which will happen at about 1:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, we will then be posting the audio on our website at c-span.org. it will also be hearing on c- span3 as soon as is released and we will be airing at primetime on c-span. it is on radio, also. xm 199. c-span.org. in advance of this oral argument, we put together a poll asking you about some information regarding the u.s. supreme court. among those surveys from the c- span poll, 95% of those questioned are interested in the supre

republicans even, 42%. susan, this is not a winner statistically for republicans. >> it's not a winner for republicans. talking about respect for religion, religious freedom, that's an argument they can make. or talking about mandates by the obama health care plan that seem intrusive or extensive or too much for the federal government. that's an argument they might be able to make. they were trying to make it yesterday, but rush limbaugh has hijacked that argument and made it about contraception. >> he's not exactly speaking for the church. i can't imagine that. it would be incredible. >> it's hard to imagine republicans thinking this. even rick santorum, who is comfortable talking about these social issues, wanted not to talk about this. wanted to dismiss it and move on to other things. >> he's getting into the jobs issue again where he belongs. >> where he ought to be and tries to be. >> john, you know, he's not the only one that said anything today. he's using the lingo of, oh, he's an entertainer. don't

republican primary was white. the state is 40% african american, but nearly every voter today was white. so there is no need to make it harder to vote for today's election. no rush. here is the deadline mississippi republicans say matters. they want the voting rules tightened up in their state in time for the general election, the one for president in november, the republican secretary of state in mississippi saying he hopes the new rules will be ready by then "if we haven't got it by september, we're not going to have it." even if mississippi lawmakers to get around to passing the new riels the state needs permission from the federal government to make voting harder in that great state. mississippi is one of several states where elections come under special strut knee a legacy from the jim crow days when african americans were not allowed to vote in mississippi or pay a special poll tax in order to exercise that right. that leg dpa see is the same reason the justice department has also now said that they will not

the republicans both the super partisan republicans and moderates shoot off in a conservative direction. democrats stay roughly the same. since 1975. the most partisan democrats that is the very bottom line they stay where they have been over the last several generations. moderate democrats, that is over the line, they get more liberal over time but barely. look at the rest of the lines they stay flat. but the republicans, look, both the moderates and the super partisan republicans just fly off the charts. if you look over time, the craziest hair on fire most extreme republican in 1975, which that is top arrow, that person's super crazy far right wing positions in 1975 are where the most moderate republicans are now. that is where the most liberal republicans are now. they have the positions that were far to the right of the republican party just a generation ago, that happened over one generation. again, partisan democrats over this time have stayed exactly the same. moderate democrats have gotten more liberal but basically the same. the republicans have gone off the charts. the most e

in fact he's more seriously republican the republican party because republican party a lot of those people will support earmarks and other kinds of government spending ron paul will be very attractive to them but his isolationist school of foreign policy means that he can never win a republican nomination michael in new york it seems to me that when we've just heard here is that ron paul makes republicans the democrats will come off like a nickel really on most issues here ok if you look we're looking at very little differences one poll comes out and says she won a different things that of the republicans even the democrats. well you really does and i want to jump on something said before about utopianism actually in america we've had a lot of utopianism in the past decade suddenly two wars we're going to democratize the entire middle east this kind of will sony and for that somehow the force of arms will change a culture of a region in just a few years when the culture has been there for fourteen hundred years and that way ron paul's very anti utopian and much more of a realist peo

in fact he's more seriously republican the republican party because republican party a lot of those people support earmarks and other kinds of government spending ron paul be very attractive to them but his isolation a school of foreign policy means that he can never win a republican nomination michael in new york it seems to me they were we've just heard here is that ron paul makes republicans the democrats will come off identical really on most issues here ok if you look we're looking at very little differences one poll comes out because he wanted different things that of the republicans like even the democrats. well you really does and i want to jump on something said before about ron paul's utopianism actually in america we've had a lot of utopianism in the past decade suddenly two wars we're going to democratize the entire middle east this kind of will sony in fervor that somehow the force of arms will change a culture of a region in just a few years when the culture has been there for fourteen hundred years and that way ron paul's very anti utopian and much more of a realist p

in fact he's more seriously republican the republican party because republican party a lot of those people will support your marks and other kinds of government spending ron paul be very attractive to them but his isolationist school of foreign policy means that he can never win a republican nomination michael in new york it seems to me that what we've just heard here is that ron paul makes republicans the democrats will come out so identical really on most issues here ok if you look we're looking at very little differences ron paul comes out and says the different things that could be republicans like even the democrats. well he really does and i want to jump on something said before about ron paul's utopianism actually in america we've had a lot of utopianism in the past decade suddenly two wars we're going to democratize the entire middle east this kind of will sony and fervor that somehow the force of arms will change a culture of a region in just a few years when the culture has been there for fourteen hundred years and that way ron paul's very anti utopian and much more of a r

he serves as the deputy whip for the republican conference and is a member of the republican steering committee. candidate mitt romney went to capitol hill head, the headline of the new york types says he was looking for allies. he did get some support from senator jim demint. not a flat-out endorsement but jim demint seems enthusiastic about what mitt romney has to offer. what do you think? >> i think that was a big thing. senator jim demint endorsed mitt romney in 2008 when he was running for president. but he's emerged in the last four years as obviously a very significant national leader, closely associated with the tea party movement. so i think the fact that he's speaking favorably, we're seeing other republican dozen that, suggests that the republican party is beginning to come together. doesn't mean the primary process is over, it's not. i think the process, in my view, has been helpful and has sharpened some of the candidates' skills. we'll see what happens the next few weeks. rick santorum's still viable, newt gingrich is still viable, ron paul has a devoted following and he

a winner for republicans. talking about respect for religion, religious freedom, that's an argument they can make or talking about mandates by the obama health care plan that seem intrusive or extensive or too much, that's an argument they could make. that was the argument they were trying to make yesterday. rush limbaugh has hijacked that argument and made it about contraception. >> he isn't speaking for the church. >> it's hard to imagine -- even rick santorum comfortable talking about the social issues wanted not to talk about this, wanted to dismiss it and move on to other things. >> he's getting into the jobs issue again where he belongs. >> where he ought to be, where he's trying to be. >> i think he's -- you know, jo john, he's about the only one who said anything, using the lingo, oh, he's an entertainer, don't take it seriously. he said it was absurd. they retreat to this. these cultural issues, will they drive up the republican base next november? will they help them when they need -- if romney is it

, the npr republicans are enrolled republicans. these people a probably enrolled affiliate's? >> guest: a mixture, i would say, of republicans and independents became independent because of their frustration with the social agenda. there would be a mixture. the starbucks moms and dads would be independence, but they might also be center-right republicans and center-left immigrants. it is a little tricky because the book is called the swing vote. i'm focusing of independent voters, but that is mostly who i talk to. there are also registered democrats and republicans to swing quite a bit here just haven't changed their registration or maybe they want to deal to vote in primaries. >> host: 20 percent of democrats across the country call themselves conservatives ideologically. something most people might not know. we should also point of quickly that we are using the word unaffiliated an independent energy. >> guest: i use the word independent to sort of be more accessible, but in most states the registration categories unaffiliated we

some examples from republicans, these are just republicans, here are the words republicans are using to describe the republican contest. ready? unenthusiastic, discouraged, lesser of two evils, painful, disappointed, poor choices, concerned, underwheel manied, uninspiring, and depressed. so sayrepublicans. right now gallop says the favorability rating for the nominee, likely, mitt romney is 39%. at this point in the race in 2008, john mccain was at 56%. at this point in the race in 2000, george w. bush at 58%. poor little bob dole in 1996 was at 49%, and that was worrying everyone. mitt romney's 10 points below that. if you like republicans screw stuff up, this long drawn out process of trying to pick a nominee has been fun to much wave. has this been more than a comedy of errors for the republicans? is there a way they could turn the primary process and mess it has been this year to their advantage? for the general election? joining us steve kornacki with salon.com, nice to see you. >> sure, you too. >> is there any way for the republicans to turn what i think has been a long, drawn

some examples from republicans, these are just republicans, self-identified republicans, the words republicans are usesing to describe the republican contest, ready? unenthusiastic, discourt ranned, lesser of two evils, painful, disappointed, poor choices, concerned, under wheel manied, uninl spiring a-- uninspiring. the favorability rating for mitt romney is 39%. john mccain was at 56, george bush was at 58, poor little bob dole was at 49%, that was worrying everyone. mitt romney is ten points below that. if you look watching republicans screw stuff up this long drawn out process of them try to choose their nominee has been fun to watch. but has this been more than just a comedy of errors for the republicans, there is a way they could turn this primary process and the mess it has been this year, to their advantage? for the general election? steve kornacki, senior writer with salon.com, nice to see you. >> thank you. >> is there a chance for the republicans to their vng, is there a way this works for them in. >> the good news that comes out of this is the republican nominee is not going to be

because the republicans can't deny it. the republicans have no game for this. in fact, mitt romney's tax plan plays right into this chart. let me look at the tax plan for mitt romney. if you make under $30,000 a year under the romney tax plan, your taxes are going to be going up, that's right, if you're on the left there, in the blue, your taxes are going to be going up if you're in that income category. now, if you make over $1 million a year, anywhere from $500,000 to over $1 million a year, you're going to get a tax cut between 2% and 5%. let's go back to the vulture chart. so, the republican plan, they have more for the red liners, they have nothing but more taxes for the blue liners. median income in alabama, $40,976. median in mississippi, $37,881. if you live in mississippi and you live in alabama, your taxes, if mitt romney is the next president, your taxes in that income bracket, they are going up. look, i'm just tired of hearing about how the democrats can't win the south. that chart plays in every single southern state. this is what they want, more t

alone when welcome to crossfire computable is the republican party on a long guest march to november it is very likely former massachusetts governor mitt romney will eventually capture the party's nomination but does he have what it takes to unseat obama in the general election. and. to cross out the prospects of the republican party just months before the election i'm joined by andrew hardisty here in the studio is chair of democrats abroad in russia and atlanta we have amy kramer she is chairman of the tea party express and co-founder of american grassroots coalition and also in atlanta we have laura ramble she is a freelance writer and blogger all right crosstalk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want amy if i can go to you first in atlanta mitt romney he see it there seems to be an inevitability about the man but as things stand right now is the electable you know i use the word and have a bit and have that ability but i don't see it that way i mean we are only a third of the delegates have been awarded there this is still an ongoing process and anything can

i'm a republican. i look at the senate circumstances now and maine will be very difficult for republicans to hold. now you have -- bob kerrey coming back in nebraska. as a result, there is a lot of talk about republicans taking over the senate. now it is going to be a lot higher mountain to climb than it was before this week. in -- so -- as a result, you know, you are getting some losses that way. and -- there are seat throughout the country and no -- massachusetts senate race is one of them. and a few others in which you are not going to elect a pure conservative republican. but that republican -- if he or she selected in a more moderate leaning district, if you will, is going to help the party with procedural votes or whatever it may be. there needs to be an understanding, you are going to have to have a blend if you are going to be a majority party. if you just want to have your -- ideological beliefs, fine. you can keep on supporting the absolute most conservative candidate, have them get nominated

a practice that 99% of republican women engage in. republicans in swing states. democrats in swing states. independents in swing states. of course, on state sanctioned vaginal probes and a series of other issues. like whether somebody is a snob because they think it's a good thing to encourage our children to go to colleges. there are all these distractions, including saying a john kennedy speech made someone want to throw up on their sweatest vest. there are all of these issues that are not only scaring independent voters, but they're scaring die hard republicans into asking, why are you guys focused on side issues that aren't going to help you win this fall? it's been a very bad month for the republican party. >> in 2008, the majority of voters were women. democrats won the women vote, 56% to 43% for the republicans. the republicans know this. they stare at these numbers. you must be talking to some republican who is are quietly in the back room saying what are we doing? how do we get away from this? >> there's no doubt about it. and there's so many republicans

republicans are against it. republicans hate the individual mandate. also, the individual mandate is the republicans idea. this is the relevant but often left out context for what is happening at the supreme court this week and what it says about the principles or lack thereof of the republican party. republican senators are holding photo ops outside the supreme court to decry and demonize this thing that they invented and that they introduced 19 years ago. in 1993 when bill clinton was president, he argued that employers should have to provide health coverage for their employees. employers were going to be mandated to provide health coverage. the republican answer to that, the republican plan was to say no, it shouldn't be employers who have to provide health coverage, it should be individuals who take that responsibility. the 1993 republican health care plan in the senate included, look at that, something called an individual mandate. a requirement that individuals must purchase health insurance. the author of that plan was a republican senator named

>>> this is what it it's like to be in republican governance, not to be a republican candidate but to be a republican governor who is in office and responsible for making policy. if you are, for example, governor sam brownback of kansas and you've governed the way he has governed signing into law some of the most extreme anti-abortion measures in the country last year with more on the way this year, if you are sam brownback, your facebook page right now is full of questions like this, quote, do you have a crossword puzzle book i can have for in between pregnancies? seeing as i can't do too much walking around holding this aspirin between my knees. or this one. i just need to ask one more question. do you think it's true 100% of pregnancies in the state of kansas were caused by men? if so, do you have a proposal to deal with them? thank you so much for your time and expert tyce. sex with me would be pointless since i am in peri-menopause. or this one, governor brownback, i have a rash on the back of my hand. please let me know when i can come over and you can look at it and prescribe m

bush republican or santorum republican. well i i'm fighting i was very distressed to see senator snowe pull out she said it was the partisanship and and how bad things were nothing was getting done in washington it's one of my major goals of running for president is to try and bring the two sides together it's interesting though that i spoke at the lincoln day breakfast in eagle county michigan about ten days ago romney and i are the two candidates speaking and he didn't mention abraham lincoln once or about another dozen speakers for its office no one mentioned lincoln except for me and i said you know i'm an abraham lincoln republican i did all tribute to him so i'm i'm fearful that this republican party of two thousand probably is even distancing itself from lincoln which is a major tragedy that's amazing i grew up in ingham county michigan that's where lansing is and just down the road in. and jackson i believe it is an eight hundred fifty six is where the republican party started so many of fred thanks so much for bein

bashing republicans. it's no question hurt the party in the short-term. >> you know, to use a bad term x don't get in a peeing match with a skunk. the president's approval rating is up to 50%. that's the highest since the killing of bin laden. the voters believe the economy is on an improved path. 57% believe the worst is behind us. just 36% think it's still ahead. with republicans, the president leads romney by six points. he leads santorum even wider here's the one that grabs me. 50 to 42% against ron paul. all romney can do after the millions and millions and millions he's spent, ron paul who is a nobody in terms of being the next president and having a chance is at 42%. he has hardly any advantage over the guy who nobody thinks will be the next president. >> paul steals part of the democratic base. but if you take him out of the equation, look at the obama/romney issue for a minute. the thing about this poll that's unbelievable, chris is romney's personal negative rating. it's upside down. among indep

the obama doesn't, the republicans don't. so yes, it would be wise for romney to consider that or the republican nominee to consider that. but regardless of who they consider, they need to be -- they need to start talking to women voters directly. >> trey harden, as reasonable as ever, thanks so much and perry bacon, too, thanks for joining us. coming up, the silence is deafening when it comes to republicans and rush limbaugh. stay with us. >> i think one of the reasons why is governor romney and others were so timid in speaking out is because rush is the defacto leader of the republican party. so to take him on would be to risk your own standing within the party. [ male announcer ] let's say you need to take care of legal matters. wouldn't it be nice if there was an easier, less-expensive option than using a traditional lawyer? well, legalzoom came up with a better way. we took the best of the old and combined it with modern technology. together, you get quality services on your terms with total customer support. legalzoom d