looks at a state of judicial elections for this year. subject the claims of candidates and outside groups from this year. the effect oft the election on defense legislation. you can join the conversation on facebook or twitter or call. we are live every morning starting at 7:00 a.m. on c-span. the cook political report the georgia governors race as leans republican. the candidates are democrat jason carter, republican nathan deal, and libertarian andrew hunt. the debate is courtesy of wsb tv. now back to atlanta. it is sunday evening, and welcome back to the action news debate for governor.

we held a drawing to determine which candidate would asked .hich candidate each question the first is from thunder carter for governor deal. -- senator carter for governor deal. do you think it is appropriate for you to take $10,000 a month into your bank account from a company that does the state $74 million in back taxes? >> first of all, i own property, and we're leasing the property. i do not think there is anything wrong with that. it is not determined if they or back taxes, but i have made it clear to the department of revenue that if they own taxes, we will collect every penny. i have asked them to refer it to an independent judge. let him hear the facts indeterminate. if they oh money to georgia, we will collect. i know that you do not really favor private business having success. you'll try to make a great deal out of that. it me assure you that what

have done with my business partner, we have worked hard for 20 years to grow a business. i put it into a blind trust. when it was recommended that we sell it, i did so. i have used my half of the money debts, as aness honorable individual would do, debts incurred as a result of the recession. the next question is from governor deal to dr. hunt. >> we both heard senator carter talk about his plans for funding education, and yet he voted against the largest budget increase of k-12 funding. we heard him say that he supported charter schools, but did not support allowing the people of a state to vote on an amendment. had you been in the senate, would you have voted for the this year, oring

would you -- and would you, and if i did you, both for the -- vote for the charter school amendment on the ballot? >> i did vote for the charter school amendment. it is an important thing to have school choices and options out there, the people can choose the different ways of being educated. as far as the budget increase, we need to be careful about that, because we have had a $2.5 billion increase in the taxes collected during your term. we want to have limited government -- that is what you read on, that is what we need to have. we need to focus on limiting the government back again and use the tax dollars wisely. education -- once again, i will point out that we can do it more effectively. there are other countries that are much more effective in teaching per dollar than we are. these are european countries were the cost or sometimes higher than ours to live. let's do what is right.

let's absolutely provide the best education in the country. but let's do it cost-effectively. >> the next question from andrew hunt to senator carter. lackingarter, you are measurable things that you will achieve if you happen to be elected governor. i think this is really important. so important that i did a pledge yesterday on social media, tweeted it to you and deal to see if you would match the pledge. because we have the most corrupt state, high unemployment, poor education. we have excessive health care costs. we have the ninth highest tax rate in the nation. we have grown our tax revenues by more than $2.5 million. ratese high incarceration and is lost to the middle class of $1500 during the last four years. and we have terrible traffic in atlanta that we really have to deal with. >> listen, dr. hunt, i agree with you.

we have taken this day and driven into the bottom. but we have every ingredient in georgia to be an absolute powerhouse. isaiah time and again. under the governor's leadership, the middle class is falling behind. they are losing $1500 compared to how much that median income was when he took over. seen, repeatedly, that the state is dead last in unemployment, that last and how fast we are recovering from the recession. and theserious problem, only candidate of your who doesn't see it as a problem is governor deal. i look out of the future and i see a state -- and you will see a governor, when i am the governor. the pledgor make is this. you will have a governor that restores -- pledge i make is this. you will have a governor that state.s the you of a governor that supports and believes in the value of small business in the middle class every single day. have saidain, you

some nice things, but there is no measurable end to those. do you want to increase it by 30 states? we are near the bottom, so we want to increase it by a lot of states. what numbers you want to hit? if you happen to be elected -- hopefully not, hopefully it will , i am but if you are saying that if i do not reach these things, i will not run for reelection. >> i will to you this. i promise that i will judge success not like governor deal, based on magazine articles that say we are the number one state to do business. i will judge success on the middle class families and whether small businesses are getting ahead. and whether the schools are getting what they need. your friend about statistics and rankings of the candidates, and

governor deal has based his entire campaign on a magazine article that says that georgia is a good place to do business. but you and i know better, and the folks at home know that what is happening at the state is not what should be. we can move forward, period. i will not be satisfied with george at the bottom. we will movie stayed up and you'll never hear me claiming success based on magazine articles instead of real results for real people. >> there is what is fascinating. you are all talking about the economy and bringing in different pieces of information. a lot of times our viewers won't say to me, how can cnbc say that georgia is the number one state to do business? we are sixth in job creation, we are tops in unemployment. you can cherry pick statistics. i will ask each of you to answer this for me. how do you reconcile statistics that, if you choose the street, it looks like georgia is healthy. if you choose these three, unhealthy.

i would like to start with you, dr. hunt. >> what you have is you have people looking at it in different organizations. like area development, they reward you based on crony deals. they tax the poor in the middle class, given to the wealthy companies, and they give you a high-ranking. they think you are great. we know that is not right. we need different ways. some of these other people put this factor in their, how much money is the state willing to throw at hitting these jobs as a part of the ranking system. and what you really have to look at is how many people do not have jobs and the jobs and are underemployed. how many people are working part-time. that is why my job powerhouse program only awards full-time -- rewards full-time jobs and those paying $11 an hour or more. not mandating a minimum wage, but a program of the government does not choose the winners or losers. that is what we have right now.

>> governor deal, are we healthy or are we not? >> we're getting healthier every day. some of the numbers you just heard are inaccurate. the average family income, the median family income, has increased every year since i have been governor. we have seen the number of employees continue to grow. sexdo not get to be the highest number of employees created in the last 12 months unless you're doing something right. it is not just a magazine -- sixth highest number of employees created in the last 12 months unless you're doing something right. it is not just a magazine article. and just the other day, senator carter had said that he thought that we should fire all of our economic development team because they just were not professional. within the last several days, the international economic -- developmentl council is just rated the development team is number one in the country.

louisiana and texas are tied for second place. the reality is that we are growing, we will continue to grow. we set the foundation for growth in our state. >> how do you reconcile the different numbers? >> i am glad you asked the question, because folks at home likeearing the discussion governor deal just said. or economic developers is getting awards. i believe that a people that judge the economy are the ones that are sitting at home. the people that judge our schools -- or guilt will talk about statistics and make it sound great and cherry pick, as you said, dustin, though statistics. statistics. the question is this, if you are sitting at home and you walk into your school, ask if it is getting what it needs from the state. the answer is no. go down to the and employment office and look at the line. those are real georgians, 380,000 of them looking for work

today. go to small businesses and ask them, are they getting what they need? the answer is no. the way we reconcile this is we have an election, and the people of georgia will decide if they want a plan for the future or stick with an economy that has taken us to the bottom. not saying that governor deal was cherry picking, but that your campaign ads paint different pictures. >> i want this to go to governor deal. several states have passed medical marijuana laws. you signed an executive order this year that would allow the georgia regents university to start clinical trials -- very limited and it has not started yet. several so-called medical refugees out in colorado, parents who have kids with severe seizure disorders enough really want to come home -- that really want to come home.

there is a bill right now that would provide amnesty. >> i have met with those families and seen the children that are suffering from those seizures, and i have certainly great empathy for them. several years ago, when a youngest granddaughter's was suffering from seizures. -- one of my youngest granddaughters was suffering from seizures. because i understood that, when the legislature was unable to take action, i immediately contacted the fda and worked with georgia regents university, augusta, to make sure that we could start our own clinical trials and that we would be allowed to dissipate in the private sector clinical trials that are coming. -- dissipate in the private sector clinical trials that are coming. to answer your question, we will provide these families with every opportunity to solve the problems of the seizures of their children as long as is it is safe, as long as

it is legal, as long as it is under the supervision of a medical. senator carter, we saw the georgia democratic flyers send out if flyer saying -- out a flyer saying that you should vote democrat if you want to prevent another ferguson. >> i have not seen the fire, but george is very different than ferguson, missouri. we saw a few weeks ago in savannah i tragic incident, but the credibility of the leadership in the community demonstrated that they could bring people together. and i do believe that it is important that law enforcement have credibility, that the leadership in the state have credibility, and order to avoid those situations. i am very proud of the fact that this campaign has traveled to every corner of the state. just yesterday, open to choose a just yesterday. everywhere that we go, i do not

care what you look like a right you come from or everybody else. folks want a new georgia that brings people together and is moving forward on education and the economy. >> senator carter, one of your economic proposals on education would allow teacher retirement dollars to be invested in local torture start ups. some worried about is a risky investment. -- worried that that is a risky investment. how do you convince them that that is a good idea? >> teachers have every reason to be skeptical of politicians. the way they have been treated has been brutal. they had seen their employee benefits just destroyed. my wife is a teacher. i understand the pressure the teachers have been under, so i get that folks are nervous. i would never do anything that would weaken the pension fund. i would never do anything without respecting in communicating with the teachers. i do believe that access to capital is important, and it is not even on the governor's radar screen.

that we canake sure support our small businesses, our innovative and dynamic industries in the state. but we were not do it in any way that would jeopardize the retirement system. >> my i respond? -- mike i respond? that is certainly interesting, because he did not say that until he got the endorsement of a major teachers organization. were retiredrents educators as were my wife's parents. thing,ssion you of one they do not want their education retirement dollars invested in very sketchy investments. and i put a stop to that, two years ago. when we were looking at reforming the investment portfolio. this last year we had a 17.2% return on the teachers investment programs. that senator carter has received a lot of money from the

venture capital group. his father is in the venture capital business. as yoursure you, governor, i will not allow that, because i know what retired teachers depend on, and that is a retired teacher benefits and social security. methe governor has accused of playing politics with education, and he has attacked my family. i will to you this. i think -- i will tell you this. i think that is reprehensible and that is false when he said about my father. number two, it is important to me that we do not play politics with education. but governor deal did not do a single thing to help teachers until it threatened his reelection. every single budget until the election year, education to the bone. -- cut education to the bone. and then he destroyed the benefit plan until it threatened his reelection. the teachers know where i stand. they know that we can and will do a better job for schools, and

his attempt to play politics is just that, the same old stuff. >> i have met with some of the retired teachers organizations, and they are suffering from the low amount of income and no increases for five or six years. part of that is because of the economic decline and the return on their benefits. it is nice that the economy is coming back and we had a return last year, but at the same time, a diversified portfolio is a wise and prudent thing. when you have a large enough amount of money, you want a blend of different things, including a small percentage that would go into things that give a much higher return that is needed to help keep the teachers and their retirement increasing and benefits as inflation goes up. first of all, i did not intend to attack senator carter's family. theis father is not in investment business, then i apologize for that. then me tell you what he has done. that i havetold you

felt the benefits and the amount of money for public education during my first three years in benefits have cut the and the amount of money for public education during my first three years in office. the truth is that it increased in every year and he voted for all of those budgets. it was only this year, with the largest increase in k-12, that he saw fit to vote against it. all of those who went with them came back and voted for the budget. he did not. >> may i respond? we have been over this ground many times. his education budgets have underfunded education by billions of dollars every single year. this year, they underfunded them by $750 million. is perpetuating the same shell game that has led to 9000 fewer teachers, that has led to two thirds of the districts cutting instructional days, and

he is hiding behind the state budgeting process that has caused 91 school districts, since he has been governor, to raise property taxes. if you want less education and higher property tax, then his plan is working. i could not support it because we have to do better for the schoolchildren. >> governor deal stepped in because he was directly challenged. >> why didn't you offer amendments? you know was these highest increased -- the highest increase, and he voted against it. you say you took this about me tour, nobody that went with you voted against it because it was good. every democrat voted for it but five, including senator carter. even representt mainstream democrats in the state. he is on the extreme liberal edge within his own party when it comes to spending your tax dollars. i do not think we can afford for that to happen. , dr. hunt, youer

will get in but they keep challenging each other. >> the facts are this did we have underfunded education every single year. he says i had an epiphany tour. it is better to come to grips than to have never seen the problem in the first place. theould have made it all way to damascus without the epiphany, because anybody that is out there in the schools knows that we are not supporting the schools to the degree they need. 91 school district have raised property taxes. i have been as fiscally conservative as anyone in the senate. the governor mischaracterize my record tonight. i promise you, if tax increases are off the table -- we have what we need. if we can ensure accountability for atlanta to fund education. governor deal i stopped looking for answers. >> both of you have truth in what you are saying.

first of all, the election-year ploy of you not voting during the biggest increase is a valid point by mr. deal. time, your underfunding is also inaccurate point, because if you look back at her do when he was governor when he was governor and the percentage that went to education, look at a percentage basis, because we have inflation over time. he is underfunding the education system from 57% down to 53% of the budget. this is something that we need to correct, but we need to be more cost-effective, and have a quality of education. we need to get rid of common core. we do have a variety of schools and get rid of the bureaucracy and put the money back in the classroom. more teachers, less bureaucracy. carter, some of your supporters are disappointed that you voted in the so-called gun bill. why did you vote for and do you want to see other areas expanded, including college campuses?

>> i believe that the issue of guns is an important in polarizing one of the state, and what i have done in my time in the state senate is try to bring people together to find common ground. on this issue, that is what i did. we fought hard to bring republicans and democrats together to tackle the top issue. -- a tough issue. i believe in the second amendment, and my record has been consistent. i do believe that we can do more to ensure that we are tackling the true problems of gun violence. and i do not believe that we should ever see guns on college campuses. >> governor deal, college campuses? >> i did not think last year was the appropriate time to take the topic up, not because of what senator carter did. anybodynge you to find in the assembly that would say that he had impact on the final version of the gun deal. i do have concerns for the parents that are concerned about their children are going to class late at night, having to

walk back to their cars even in our capital city. i understand their concerns, because a student is an automatic target because somebody who is a criminal knows that they are not going to be armed. .t is a difficult subject i do not believe that we need guns intelligent areas where alcohol is being consumed, and our ballgames or things of that nature. -- need guns in college areas where alcohol is being consumed, our ballgames or things of that nature. but we need to make sure that college student's are not being victimized. >> georgia kerry says they will be back to get college guns into law. >> if i'm in the office, i will not put alaw i will lot of effort into getting it passed, but i believe in the second amendment and the constitution. i am a constitutionalist, and we'd return to the liberties and freedoms.

we have way too many laws and rules. people can say that this helps this or that, but it is stealing the liberties and freedoms our forefathers died for, the of up their estates for. .- gave up their estates for who has the guns right now? the criminals, and we do not have lost to stop them because they do it no matter what laws you have. it is the law-abiding citizens that we need to have protected. we do have it so they can protect themselves, because we know the police do not protect them, they are not out there to help them. we need to have that in the everywhere possible, but i also believe in private property limiting what is done on their property. >> it is time for closing remarks. every candidate will have one minute and we determined the order by drawing. the first is from governor deal. >> it has been an honor to represent you as your governor.

tonight we have heard thunder carter congealing to save a he believes. i too believe, but i have translated beliefs into actions. create a that we could state where we could grow private sector jobs and be designated as the best state in the country to do business even in the midst of a great depression. we have done that. as of tomorrow, 1800 jobs in the last two weeks. i believed that we could save the hope scholarship and going into cropsey, -- going into bankruptcy, and we have done that. i believed that we could make sure that we have funded education properly. you have heard the statement that we are underfunding education. as a standard that has never been met -- that is a standard that has never been met. i repeat again, in my four budgets, that represents the largest increase in k-12 funding in 50 years. i have lived up to my beliefs and put them into practice. >> next from senator carter.

heard, tonight, governor deal make excuses for why the state is dead last in unemployment. you have heard him say that this is the best he can do for the education system. you have heard him talk about private sector jobs, but just last month, governor, 15,000 private sector jobs were lost in e.e state - we are not only, but we have everything we need to be a powerhouse. if we have a governor that recognizes the value of small business and makes education the first priority every year, we will have the georgia that we want. you have not heard governor deal say one thing about the future of the state. it has all been about his record. but look at his record. see how it feels in your family. the bottom line is that georgia is not weren't needs to be, and

we can take it there with that take intos the future instead of excuses. >> dr. hunt. >> i have been very blessed to go through this process because i have met in person with more than 30,000 georgians. i have heard what concerns you. you have a concern about career politicians. you have the concern about too many attorneys in office. we aree the concern that not educating our children well and there is not enough jobs. college teens are saying will there be a job when i leave school? we need to correct all of that, and i have solid plans. go to my website and you will see that. a vote for hunt means a vote for jobs. it means a vote for no common core an excellent education. a vote for hunt means that you're going to have fairness and freedom and not cronyism. will and special interest deals.

you have a choice -- a night and i am an engineer and then a technologist, and i am putting it all out for you. -technologist, and i am putting it all out for you. [applause] thisconclude -->> concludes the debate for georgia governor. he joined me next sunday, 11 a.m., when will be hearing from the candidates for senate. minute have up to the results. we will see you again tonight on the action news nightly at 11:00. 2014,pan's campaign bringing more than 100 debates for the control of congress. stay in touch with coverage by following us on twitter and spam.g us at facebook.com/c

at the political ads airing in georgia in connection with the governor's race. >> he came into office with millions in personal debt. after four years of governor, he is worth millions. how did he get rich? he sold a salvage yard for over $3 million to a company that does the state of georgia $74 million in back taxes. million.al made $3 the governor still owes $74 million. in the middle class has fallen further behind. nathan deal, putting money in his pocket, not ours. carter has big ambitions but his promises fall short of the truth. he claims to be for education and the middle class, but his plan would restrict middle-class access to the hope scholarship. spendinglan increases 12 point $5 billion, requiring higher taxes on small business

and the middle class. jason carter, falling short. we dated at five years before we got married, and after five more years, we had our first son, henry. two years later, we had thomas. it has been the adventure of our lives. he is the best dad. he takes them to school in the morning. he reads to them. i do not have the stomach for politics, but jason is very courageous. he is strong and unafraid. and he is never afraid to do what you think is right. >> first place. the pinnacle, number one. how do we get there? lowered nathan deal taxes on job creators and built a skilled workforce, giving georgia families a future. he brought real healing to the economy, creating new jobs. now our business climate is leading the nation.

for the first time in history, georgia is the number one place to do business. hello, georgia, i am andrew hunt, libertarian, and i want to represent you. 80% refused to vote in the primary. ethical third choice, and all you have to do is go today government back. we want to move away from being the bottom in education and the top in prisons. government out of our lives. -- we want government out of our lives. this november, vote andrew hunt for governor. i am andrew hunt, and i approve this message. >> be a part of c-span's campaign 2014 coverage rate follow us on twitter and i guess on facebook to get to make schedules, video clips, debate previews from our politics team. we are bringing you over 100 senate, house, and governor debates. and you can instantly share your reactions. the battle for the control of

congress. standards and engaged by following us on twitter and stayg us on facebook -- engaged by following us on twitter and liking us on facebook. night, meredith, the president and ceo of the wireless association. >> i was at the commerce department, and this is repurpose thing from the cross -- repurpose thing from the department of defense. it is going wonderfully. it is prepared, it is internationally harmonized. it is 65 megahertz. we are excited. we will turn around and happy broadcast incentive options. i think that discussion is going well, too. the green hell report by use the report, by greenhill use the spectrum. we're excited about those options.

we are certain the carriers will come to them and it will be a win-win situation for everyone. >> monday night at a clock eastern on "the communicators." -- 8:00 eastern. "washington journal" looks at campaign ads. it is a half-hour. roundtable number two, focusing on campaign ads of 2014, the best and the worst. we have a democratic strategist and then allen who is a republican consultant. thank you all for him with us. i want to get with you, what makes an effective political spot? >> these days when there's so much advertising in different ways, and effective advertising spot does one of two things. it stands out, but it also reaches the target. it is hard to do that these days.

>> i think trust is important. with the team that is putting in the ad together and working with the candidate. and the more so making that , connection with viewers. if you can build up that trust and confidence through the camera it makes people feel like you are in the living room, and that is how you are able to connect with them. >> but also in terms of getting the voters attention beyond the standard voiceover and music, what do you look for? >> there are a lot of different things. you have to look at what is going on in the market. if there are millions of dollars being spent, which are rna lot of the states, you have to figure out a way to cut through. sometimes, when you are looking to cut through, you have to look for something humorous, a little outside the box. other thing, at scott holding company, what we look to do, we understand that we are on tv, we are not running against other candidates but against other advertisements, by gatorade and other companies.

is your creativity going to be able to match that? they cannot, nobody will be watching that. you cannot, nobody will be watching that. >> here is an ad from a gubernatorial candidate in texas. greg abbott, running for governor. >> after my accident, i had to rebuild my strength. i would roll up an eight story parking garage, spending hours going up the ramps. with each floor, it got harder and harder, but i would not quit. just one more, i would tell myself. it is how i will govern texas. to get to the top, we must push ourselves to do just one more. >> that is an effective ad. it shows a genuineness that tells the story, telling people who he is in a broad way.

i mean, i think that is what the both trying to do too introduces him and connects voters with him. >> could you imagine 70 years ago frank d roosevelt doing an ad like that? >> no. i think times have changed. voters want to know who they are voting for. i think that is why is is an effective ad. this is a struggle that this candidate overcame and it is a challenge that he faces every day. and i think that this is why he was able to come across to viewers as somebody who gets it. he has gone through struggles and overcome them. >> we have a new set of phone numbers the sunday morning. the numbers are on the screen.

we will keep them on the bottom of the screen so you can take note and begin to dial in. as we look at the best and worst of the campaign ads are it in response to that ad, this from wendy davis. >> we should point out that wendy davis stood by that ad at a news conference. -- >> we should point out that wendy davis stood by that ad at -- with a news conference. >> listen, that is a tough at in a tough race. i think that what they were trying to do with that ad is speak to his hypocrisy.

i think that, tactically, folks can argue which visual you would lead with. but i think in responding to his opening of the campaign, he wanted to push back and say, he is a hypocrite and here is why. >> joe brought up trying to speak to a certain point of view, but i think it is tone deaf. you start out with a wheelchair and the last image is one of great debit. -- greg abbott. i think it could have been more effective. it did not need to start with the wheelchair. from a strategic standpoint the showed gothat you a lot of attention. you come back a few weeks later and talk about that wheelchair. it seems so off the mark.

and i think that she is getting a lot of backlash for that, rightfully so. >> good morning. welcome to the conversation. >> good morning. i personally i think that i learn more about the candidates from a one-on-one interview with a member of the press, or with the channel the interview is taking place on, then from small soundbites and video bites on --ery candidates throw various candidates throw on the tv screen for two seconds. >> are you watching the debates? do not give the candidates enough time to respond to the questions put to them. the last interview i was very impressed by -- i also happen to like the person being

interviewed -- was dr. ben carson, a one-hour interview on another network and it was one-on-one, just the person asking the questions and dr. carson gave his answers and expanded on them. i learned more about the man that way then from sound bites. from various commercials on tv. >> do you know the man who did the interview? >> i do not recall his name. >> i think we featured him on c-span2 afterwards. on "book tv" it was a one-hour conversation. but thank you for your call. >> i would disagree. it would be great if every candidate had the opportunity to have a detailed conversation with the press but that usually does not happen.

there's just not -- there are just so many campaigns out there and campaigns really have to work to get their message out on their own. and so coming up with creative and connected advertising is what they have to do. >> this is an ad that was put together by an alaskan democrat going after his republican opponent. let's watch. >> i am mark, and i approve this message. >> i want to show you a crime scene. i was on the anchorage police force for 20 years. i do not know how long ad sullivan lived in alaska, but i do know what he did as attorney general. he let a lot of people out of prison. then sullivan should not be a u.s. senator. >> are you familiar with this ad?

it got a lot of attention and was later pulled down by the campaign. >> it was quickly pulled down. and i think for good reason. it was off the mark. ironically enough there were many stories written abouthow he had been running one of the better campaigns. in the country in the senate race. some of his other stuff has been tremendous such as his mention of his father who had passed away in a plane accident. so i think this one stretched, and sometimes when you stretch and go over the top you get slapped back. the other thing to point out are some of the factual errors in the ad. if you do and add like this dish -- an ad like this you want to make sure it is buttoned up. >> i have one question. is the premise that wendy davis lied?

in the wheelchair. is that your premise? >> we will get a response. >> i think i'm talking more about the tone. i thing it was off the mark. again, if you look at the ads -- we put the ads together. you start with the still image of the wheelchair. there is no other way to look around that. she finished the ad with a picture of greg at the end i . i think she is getting backlash. in this case, it does stretch, tries to make abbott seem like he does not care about people. and i think that it missed the mark. and that wendy davis trying to defend an ad like this in the last few weeks is not where you want to be. >> this ad from the mitch mcconnell campaign. the watch it and get a response. -- we will watch it and get a response. >> you do not know how important

experiences until your child's life is on the line. in 2011, my marriage ended. my ex-husband adopted -- abducted my daughter and took her to mali. i did not know if she was alive or dead. senator mcconnell took up my cause personally. he cared about me and my children when other people did not. he let it be known that this little kentuckian needed to come home. senator mcconnell worked with the state department and the mali government to hold them accountable. and then he met us at the airport. with faith and hard work, we turn to spare into joy. -- the spare into joy. joy.sopair into >> how to humanize a candidate running for reelection? >> it is an ad that tells a story. you try to connect to people,

and you try to connect with a broad based audience. is try what the ad does to reach out and show that mitch mcconnell is trying to work for everyone in kentucky. i think it is a good ad. >> yet in that race there is a slight edge for mitch mcconnell but still very much a margin of error. >> everybody knew it would be a close race. i agree with joe. i think that was a fantastic ad. one thing to point out is that it was somebody else telling a story. a personalwas connection, a personal story to tell. -- that has a personal connection, a personal story to tell. >> billy is joining us from california. we are here with two consultants, one republican and democratic. a caller from california.

go ahead, please. looking at these ads and listening to this stuff very carefully. and the point i am bringing up is with the ebola scare and -- scare, or the reality of the sickness coming over here, and about people getting their heads cut off overseas. in different countries they are losing their heads and dying and everything. what are we planning to do? >> thank you very much for the call read the issues that are shaping this race. joe. >> i think every campaign is different, and the issues are local races. they are health care and local issues. i think what you will see are different ads that are very specific to each campaign, and some international issues.

it depends on if you're running in a senate race or the governor's race, what voters are thinking about. campaigns are trying to hone in on issues that voters are making decisions on. >> you are currently consulting how many campaigns? >> several. at least 10. >> what about you question mark next we're doing about a campaigns -- you? >> were doing about 80 campaigns. about eighting campaigns. >> back in 2012 according to time magazine, about 426 million dollars spent in early october, in total. in the senate races, three to $37 million, and in the house races, $154 million. million.

$355,000 in the race for the house of representatives. this past week the washington senator sat down with two former dickrs, including the gephardt. and he said that when he ran he spent $70,000. >> times have changed. there are more channels and more ways people are getting information. if you look at the corporate world and the political world, they seem to feed off each other. people are learning things in different ways. .nline, on tv they are getting it in different ways. i think the campaigns are matching that. obviously, it is costing more. today editorial from "usa " called this the worst in 2014. >> 820,000 of our tax dollars how monkeystudying

respond to unfairness and how they act well on cocaine. that is how outrageously spending in washington has gotten. happy time, we do not even notice. our country is being bankrupted, and john barrow is voting with barack obama to do it. it is time to pay attention. >> national republican congressional committee is responsible for the content. >> you agree or disagree russian ?ar >> it is a bad area i do not think it connects with the voters. i would tell you, i begins a really bad ad. -- i think it is a really bad ad. they are trying to stretch and be creative, you can have a creative added have it work, but this one does not. from dallas, texas, robbie is on the line, a republican.

>> good morning. i was questioning the amenity wheelchair, if he got in trouble -- men in the wheelchair, if he got in trouble, i think he is running for governor or something. house down there caught fire and everyone could get out and get dressed. what if something happened like that and he is in that office and he cannot get out and help anybody else. what you have, do you have a plan, is one question. another is why they degrade each other. i turned the channel, i turn the tv off because it hurts to hear them coming out with all those bad things about each other to make themselves look good. how does this help them win elections? >> thank you for the call. let us take up that point about the degrading commentary.

>> i think that over time campaigns have gotten more and more negative. working with campaigns, we struggle to make sure that we can get our message out. with more and more outside groups coming in and thing starting early, i think you have to plan ahead to make sure that you can get a message out and name your ideas. i would like to make one comment about that monkey ad. i thought it was great. i thought it was an ad that you see a couple of times and want to see it again. you have a monkey on somebody's shoulder. they are talking about spending , which drives people nuts, spending in washington and tying it to people's votes. , iisagree with the editorial am not sure what they picked apart on that, but i think they are dead wrong. >> you are shaking your head. >> again, i think you have to be really careful with creative ads. in having it work and connect

emotive lead to voters -- emotively to voters. when you try to do creative, showy ads, there are times when you hit a home run and other times when you strike out. this one struck out. >> is this next add a home run or strike out? it was criticized in some circles. let's watch. >> michelle nunn's own plan shows she funded organizations linked to terrorists or it she is for amnesty, where experts say that the border breakdown could provide a next -- an entrance for isis. >> the answer is clear, secure the borders and enforce existing laws. and forget amnesty. i am david purdue, and i approve this message. >> home run or strike out?

>> i do not know of a hit the mark. -- if it hit the mark. i think david purdue is very effective on camera. when you are making an assertion against a candidate, you have to make sure it is credible. and you are look at it from a viewer standpoint. -- you have to look at it from a viewer standpoint you have to dig in, and i do not know if i would do it in a way like that. i think that he was effective in what he was talking about. i am not sure that the top hit the mark that they were looking at. >> if you compare it with the other one, is michelle nunn culpable for what dave purdue claims she is? >> i do not think she is. henk it goes back to what brought up, which is making sure that your research is right on and that you have the facts to back it up. all of these ads, for that to

work well, have to back it up with facts. alaska, besides the family -- and they are the one that called on the team to call it down. the other thing is that the assertion that they were making was that dan sullivan was responsible, and he was not the attorney general when that was decided. that really was stretching beyond the truth. >> martin from california, welcome to the program. >> you are the man when it comes to c-span. >> there is a whole team here. >> sort of. i have done political ads for both democrats and republicans, produced them. say, i could be doing a lot of voiceovers. but, in my 30 years of doing it, you know who gets the funding question mark it is the

television stations and radio stations that get the funding, but they have to give the candidates the lowest rate. so, needless to say, even though the broadcast outlet makes a load of money from little advertising, the ratings go down because people are tired of seeing them. i did one for a democrat that was running against congressman john shaddok in arizona. and the person that was running on the democratic ticket came out of lyndon la rouche land but he was calling him congressman value jet shaddock due to the fact that he had not -- not backed -- we will put it this way. he helped loosen or lower the funding for the f.a.a. and i finally got a c and d on it like anybody that does commercials is a badge of honor, a cease and desist order but

nevertheless, it realized that the money is going to the broadcast stations. >> just to be clear, you did the voiceovers for some of these spots? >> yeah. before i got my dentures, yeah. [laughter] >> a little too much information, but we get the idea. we do not need to know about the dentures, but i am curious about -- >> oh, yeah. you can do anything. from using creative music. i used music for "hang 'em high," an old clint eastwood movie. >> and the key is to get the candidates not sound like idiots. that's the key, but it's really tough sometimes. >> stay with us for a moment. ok. don't hang up. we will show an ad from the michigan senate race and we will come back to you and get your assessment. let's watch: >> i am jeremy, congressman gary peters and his buddies want you to believe i am waging a war on women.

really? think about that for a moment. i approve this message because as a woman, i might know a little bit more about women than gary peters. >> ok. martin. what do you think? >> right. real light. not -- it doesn't really hit the mark. it seems -- it seems conciliatory. i am not seeing the message, and i am not seeing -- i don't see it. i don't get it. host: thank you for calling in. we appreciate it. caller: thank you. host: light, ineffective. >> terrible ad. >> as a republican, you are saying that?

>> that was an ad, maybe 15 seconds, it might have been a good ad but one of those things where you get in a room, put something down on paper and nobody stopped the process, but that's not an effective ad. i will go back to what martin --d the sides the fact that said. besides the fact he has a tremendous voice, would be a great voiceover person. >> with or without? >> he made an important point on the amount of money t.v. stations are making. there are some stations across the country right now that are putting more commercial breaks into their hour programming or their news programming so they can get more money. the lowest rate per candidates pay well but a lot of candidates are paying double or triple the cost of what it would have been three or four months ago. and then you have the outside groups coming in and spending more. not to say anybody should feel sorry for candidates, campaigns or the outside groups. it's just there are millions upon millions of dollars being

made by t.v. stations right now. they are making their money. during the season. >> we will go to tampa florida -- cap, florida. -- >> next, q&a with a documentary film maker. then dave cameron takes questions -- there are 200 cash prizes for students and teachers, totaling $100,000. for the list of rules, go to studentcam.org.

>> next "q&a" with documentary-maker rory kennedy. then the house of commons. after that dennis hastert and former house minority leader richard gephardt talk about congress, the elections and bipartisan. >> this week on "q&a" our guest , film-maker rory kennedy "last days in vietnam."