>> the house is back at 9:00 eastern for general speeches. spendingill work on a bill to fund the government through december 11. at 9:00, georgetown law has a preview of the supreme court term which begins next month. the senate will consider executive nominations for the court of federal claims. c-span3, steven mnuchin and jerome powell testify on the coronavirus response at a house financial hearing followed by a senate subcommittee looking into cyber threats concerned with the pandemic. >> we take your phone calls and have a look at the headlines.

joined by richard mullaney. we will discuss the florida role as a battleground state this year. host: good morning on this tuesday. we are going to begin with republicans only. how should the senate precedent? if you believe they should fill the seat before the election, .ial in at (202) 748-8000 if you think they should wait until after the election, (202) 748-8001 is your number. are) 748-8002 if you undecided. at (202)lso text us

748-8003. tomorrow, we will talk to democrats only. legalould senate majority -- leader mitch mcconnell move forward on the vacancy on the supreme court after justice ginsburg's death this past friday. here is the majority leader. hearing there is not sufficient time to examine and confirm the nominee. we can debunk this myth in about 30 seconds. until novemberys 3 and 104 days until the end of this congress. stevens was confirmed by the senate in 19 days. days from start to finish.

o'connor, was day confirmed in 33 days after the nomination. herself, it was just 42 days. process could've been played out twice between now and november 3 with time to spare. justice ginsburg could have been confirmed twice between now and the end of the year with time to spare. the senate has more than sufficient time to process the nomination. history and precedent make that clear. the 2020days until election.

leader mcconnell says they control the senate and can move forward on this vacancy. we are talking to republicans only. here is the headline in politico. gatherefore republicans behind closed doors this afternoon to talk about how they move forward, they are noncommittal as trump pushes for the vote. politico reports this. it would be the new world record if they did this before november 3.

there is this wrinkle. kelly could be sworn in later in november instead of january because it's a special election. majority,s have a 53-47. they cannot lose three republicans moving forward. minority leader on the floor yesterday, reacting to

what he heard. >> i worry for the future of this chamber if they proceed down this dangerous path. feel to cease using contradictory rationales, how could we expect the other side again it? how can we trust each other when when the stakes of the highest, the other side will doublecross their own standards when it's politically advantageous. tell me how. tell me how this would not spell the end of this supposedly great deliberative body. way for thisone chamber to retain its dignity through this difficult chapter. there's only one way for us to have some hope of coming together again, lowering the

temperature. senate republicans to commit to rejecting any nominee until the next president is installed. ginsburg'sstice dying wish. it may be the senate's last hope. host: republicans only, how should the senate proceed? john is in georgia. you say fill the seat. good morning. why do you believe that? caller: because it's the way the constitution says, if there is a court, on the supreme the president exercises his priority.

it's the advise and consent clause. this divisive nature is arguing over timing. host: did you believe the republicans were right to hold up the nomination of mary garland before the election in 2016? caller: it's the senate's prerogative to hold hearing. to don't tell the senate what it chooses not to do. set their own rules.

the house sets its own rules. going to go to elizabeth in virginia. she agrees with you. caller: good morning. host: tell us your thoughts. caller: i believe the seat needs to be filled. you have a new term. obamacare will go back to a local ruling. seat.eed to fill the that's with the president is supposed to do. was filled in 42 days. --t: you want them senate confirmed her. it host: ok.

said at the top, republicans have a slim majority. they cannot lose more than three republicans. collins of maine and lisa murkowski of alaska have said they will oppose moving forward with the nominee. yesterday, all eyes were on cory reelection is up for and vulnerable in that state. president trump lost colorado in 2016. they are looking to him to see what he would do. he came out with a statement saying he would move forward. people looked to chuck grassley. he had said he would not favor moving forward before the death of justice ginsburg. yesterday, he justified moving forward in the committee.

let's show those tweets from chuck grassley.

that is senator chuck grassley. cory gardner put out this statement yesterday. this is about the way forward. many of you are familiar with the lincoln project. they sent out a tweet yesterday on cory gardner's statement, saying it looks like people talk a lot about mitt romney, what would he do? said that hey has

wants to wait and talk to his colleagues. that meeting will take place this afternoon. politico notes this. this is a quote from rand paul.

we are talking to republicans only this morning. byron is in pennsylvania. good morning. care what thet senators say. they are supposed to do according to the constitution. if president trump wants to nominate somebody now, do it now. that is his choice. he is the one who selects the nominee. let the senators do what they want to do. romney's vote as far as i'm concerned doesn't mean anything.

as cory, he's conceded? host: they put out a statement saying he is going to vote to move forward. sent out a project tweet saying it looks like he has conceded the election to governor hickenlooper. they are saying that. they are saying he is going to lose because of this. caller: that's his problem. that's not my problem. that's not the president's problem. the president can do whatever he can to help gardner when his election. problem to do as he

wishes. if he wants to concede the election, let them do. host: he's not conceding the election. i don't want anyone to be confused by that. caller: you are confusing people by saying that. william, good morning. good morning. louisville, kentucky. caller: i don't know the with whaton, i agree they are doing. the way the democrats did when trump nominee the last supreme court justice. democrats tried to run the man into the ground. think he should do it and see

what the democrats do this time. you are talking about brett kavanaugh? caller: yes. say to vote before the election. caller: my idea is is it a matter of fairness, are we talking about garland and obama? president is doing what he is supposed to do constitutionally, i would say let's do it. we have the senate. we have the presidency.

we are correct if we do so. that is my idea. thank you for taking my call. the wall street journal front page, president will announce his pick over the weekend. she visited the white house yesterday. shewall street journal says is beginning to look like the top pick for the president. we have more to come on that. we will go to susan in arizona. good morning. who do you plan to vote for in the upcoming election in the senate race there? caller: i am -- first of all, good morning. i am planning on voting for someone who will get the job done. i think he should fill the seat. i think the people are tired of waiting on something to happen.

it seems like the republicans are the only ones getting anything done. the democrats keep blocking everything. on at thetill holding beginning. he needs to fill the seat. maybe they will get the hint. let's say president trump loses the election and democrats take back the senate. i want to tell you what conservative columnist george will writes. he says this.

what if democrats pack -- put more members, more justices on the court? about living in the past. our president is not looking very good right now. i don't see any difference that the democratic party. they are the majority right now.

get extraublicans seats, i really don't care. i want to see something done for the people. host: john is in virginia. good morning to you. caller: good morning. host: you say fill the seat after the election. after november 3. they should put out a position. win, it's going to wind up in the supreme court. , why doesask you .verybody assume there are democrats and they could vote for the nominee.

it's not automatic that they have to vote just because tromp -- trump nominated them. host: some looking at doug jones in alabama and possibly he could side with the republicans. i just cannot imagine what this country is going to go through. the election will be close. it's going to go to the supreme court. everybody knows it. we don't need that. they need to get an odd number on the supreme court. that's their job. host: that's the argument being made in the washington journal. they write:

we are asking republicans only, how do you think the senate should receive. john is in arlington, virginia. caller: good morning. even ruth bader ginsburg said the president is elected for four years. it was 20162015, there was a

video addressing it. is, the president constitutionally can do it. the congress can do it. that was the case with obama. could, they didn't. there is nothing illegal about it. it's perfectly legal. that's the way our system is run. if the democrats want to pack the republicans compact five more on top of that. this guy from nevada -- host: harry reid. the rulesen he dumped the filibuster rule, the republicans said fine, we will

up the escalation. the democrats have done stuff in the past that is caused more difficulty. if they packed the court, republicans will just add more on. it's up to these guys to play by the rules, whether you like it or not. some critics are pointing to lindsey graham, who is the chair of the judiciary committee and will set those hearings and what he said in 2016. have seen the tape of him saying that he would not support moving forward with him a nominee. yesterday, he was on sean hannity. here is what he had to say about changing his mind. enough to sayumb

that. i've seen this movie before. for hert to vote replacement for the election. we are going to move forward in the committee. we can vote before the election. that's the constitutional process. everything changed with me. they are not going to intimidate me. if you want to help me fight back, go to lindsey graham.com. have a process that you will be proud of, the nominee is going to be supported by every republican in the committee. we've got the votes to confirm the judge before the election. that's what's coming. yesterday morning, he was

greeted by protesters outside his home in washington dc. they said it was his wake-up call. .rotesters tweeted out video the lincoln project is republicans who have come together to oppose the president , they have put together an ad against lindsey graham and his reelection efforts. here it is. >> i want conservative judges on the court. i really don't care. comes in the last year of president trump's term, if the processes have started, we will wait until the next election. i want you to use my words against me.

hold the tape. >> the lincoln project is responsible for the content of this ad. host: the hill newspaper has this headline about the race. graham and harrison are winning -- running in the. harold is in little rock, arkansas. you say fill the seat after the election. because people are going to do what they want to do. i'm not against it.

every republican i know, when -- they go behind closed doors. [no audio] jean who isl go to in michigan. caller: good morning. if it was on the other foot, you know the republicans would be against it in the democrats would be for it. see joe scarborough when they do it. theynd the guy from

have their hair on fire on everything. overhyped. it's dividing the united states. it's about time somebody said to heck with it. -- look what they hearings about what happened on the impeachment. trust democrats anymore. host: are you still there? theme ask you about washington post editorial this morning. we talk about divisiveness. they writethey write that, in r, democrats find themselves caught

between appealing to republicans' moral credibility and threatening something akin to mutual destruction. the were they may pack court back. there is an alternative way, they write. for republicans troubled by the hypocrisy their leaders urge them to embrace and democrats who are reluctant to pack the court, the key would be to lower the stakes of any one's up in court pick, so the parties are not tempted to resort to an all-out war every time a justice retires or dies. the best way to do that is to impose term limits of, say, 18 years on supreme court justices. what do you think about that idea? --ler: let them go ahead republicans will be back in someday, and they can do the same thing, and they can even do it more. it is getting to be where it is -- host: what about the compromise?

what about the compromise proposed? caller: go ahead and fill the seat, and then, when the democrats get back in, they can do the same thing, for crying out loud. the do not have to appoint justices, if there is an opening, they have a right to do it. they do not have a right to tell everybody else in the country it is either my way or the highway. host: we go to karen next in new york, who agrees with you. she says fill before the election. caller: good morning. how are you? president, i would have filled the seat yesterday, if i could have. it is disgusting that a president can't do what he is supposed to do because the democrats do not like it. and what is this blinken project i've been hearing on this sure? --y are as much rep. gooden: they are as much republican as i

am an alien. to go after lindsey graham, go to anyone's house because you do not agree with them, that is criminal. they should be arrested for that. and all the democrats, all they know about is divide people, to be divisive. they are dishonest, bunch of liars. i hope to god they never, never get in. i hope the president could last another 10 years as president, because that is how scary and undermined it those democrats are. host: and purchasers are also going to mitch mcconnell's home in kentucky, according to the newspaper there. mitch mcconnell's home hit by protesters as he vows to put through supreme court vote. protesters holding signs up. they say "ditch mitch "and "ruth sent me."

this in kentucky yesterday. you say council bluffs, phil before the election. caller: good morning. how are you? asay just fill that seat soon as you can we got to stop all of these peaceful protesters from burning the country down, and if we do not do something real quick, something really bad is going to happen, i am afraid. george is a turncoat. we know where his loyalties are at. not know pelosi, i do why she is even getting involved in this. she better take care of that house, let mitch mcconnell take care of the senate. host: ok. caller: nancy seems like she is the only one to get her hair done, only one who can go to church on sundays. to go to12 people

church -- he ought to go play the lottery. pelosiouse speaker nancy announcing yesterday that justice ginsburg will light in state at th -- lie in state at the capitol, a rare honor. and justice ginsburg will lie in repose at the supreme court wednesday and thursday. her coffin will be at the building's front steps. justices lay in repose, but for a pioneering --ocate of for the extra was to honor her.le the formal ceremony at the capitol will be for invited guests only, because of the pandemic.

dean, fresno california. fill the sea before the election. caller: good morning. fill the seat. i want to say this -- this morning, i am watching this show. it is supposed to be for republicans only, so you would think, at one point in time, for the whole show -- i've been watching -- you would have one positive story. every is politico, it's negative -- what do you think about that? processing mitch mcconnell, they are protesting -- i do not understand this negativity. you want an opinion from just the people who know the constitution or you want an emotional opinion? we do not like the burning of the world of the country. taxpayer dollars are going to rebuild. and have you had an insurance

adjuster on your show at all to talk about all the damage of what is -- who is paying for it? these small businesses, they do not have riot insurance. i am so shocked. but i say fill the seat. i'm sorry for her death. a lot of people love her. i do not have anything against her, but she was very liberal, and a lot of people do not agree. let it happen. quit doing the distraction of america, please. host: all right, we heard that point. let's go to jeff in kansas. you are undecided. caller: it does not matter whether or not it is decided before or after the election. the supreme court lost their article three power in 1870 one under the constitution act anyway. lawwe became a corporatist

society. we live under a corporation. and since when our presidents install, as ginsburg said, and not elected? that tells me our votes mean nothing. jeff in kansas. one of the top leading candidates is amy coney barrett. here is the shortlist from the washington times. along with her is judge barbara judge joan larsen. writearrett's bio, they her career highlights -- 48 years old, catholic. homestay is indiana. on the seventh circuit court. .onfirmed by the senate

scalia.ked for justice she taught at notre dame law school. her face became a sticking point during a confirmation hearing in 2017. and she made mr. trump's nomination short list in 2018 after the retirement of justice kennedy. here she is, judge barrett, during her 2017 circuit court of appeals nomination hearing. she is asked about roe v. wade. [video clip] waso you think roe v. wade correctly decided? >> senator, i feel like i cannot come as a nominee, offer an opinion on the rightness or wrongness of any precedent, because i do not want to give the impression that i'd treat precedent more or less binding than any others. >> do you believe there is a right to privacy under the constitution? >> the court has clearly held that there is. >> do you agree with the court? >> senator blumenthal, i would

follow all court precedent. whether i agree or disagree would be beside the point to the discharge of my duties -- >> so you have no personal views of whether there is a right to privacy in the constitution? >> i think the question is whether i have personal views that would be appropriate to share in this context, given the give --ession it would >> is there a first exposed -- a first amendment -- >> the first amendment clearly protect the right to free speech. >> is there a free expression right in the constitution? >> yes. i assumed you asking me about the right to privacy and the due process clause, but of course the constitution expressly protects privacy and their freedom of association and the fourth amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. >> and what about the right of a woman to determine when and whether she becomes pregnant? >> the court has found that

while that right does not expect in the due process clause, it is implied, and the court has reiterated that. griswald was the foundation of roe, and the court has adhered to that for many years. >> and you would adhere to that? >> i absolutely would. >> and you have no personal beliefs as to whether roe was correctly decided? >> senator, it is not that i would not have personal beliefs. i am sure every nominee before you has beliefs about that precedent and many others, but all nominees are united in their belief that what i think about a precedent should not bear and how they decide cases. >> we hear that from a lot of nominees. in all frankness, inevitably, personal beliefs enter into judicial decisions. anybody who has practiced law -- and i've done it 40 years -- , with the bestes of intentions, are often --

>> senator, i want you to know that you do not have to just take my assurance for it. i have gotten bipartisan support in ways i've found moving. all the law clerks i have been for nine different justices, all the different views, more than 70 members of my academic colleagues, hundreds of notre dame alumni -- people across the spectrum. if these people, especially people who disagree with me on policy matters, thought i was about the business of imposing my policy beliefs, i would not receive as much bipartisan support. i've conducted myself as a professional my whole career and would continue to do so if confirmed. host: judge barrett at her confirmation hearing in 2017 for the seventh circuit court. if you want to hear more from her, you can find in our archives if you go to c-span.org . another woman on the president's shortlist is judge barbara lagoa. columbia law

school. nominated by the president, confirmed by the senate, now serves on the florida supreme court. here she is from her nomination hearing in 2019. she is asterix lane a case that defines her. [video clip] >> can you tell us about a case either that have seen and handled on the supreme court floor or during your time on the lower state court that you believe example 50 own traditional philosophy? overnator, i've written 400 opinions -- >> just a few. >> it is like choosing your child. i love them all. just a it is clear. but i think that if there is a j lagoa lagoa or judge

opinions, i hope that first of all they are written and are there that anyone can understand it well. i tried to give residual history and factual background, so that when a trial lawyer has to use a case, they can actually talk to the trial court judge about what the facts of this case are and what it is applicable. where you can distinct a case if you need to distinguish it case. i think a case that would be instructive is a case that dealt with a statutory construction case. that is my approach to statutory construction. host: barbara lagoa at her confirmation hearing for the seventh circuit court. she is now a state supreme court justice in florida. the president says he could meet with her in the coming days. the president expected to make his announcement known to the public this weekend. maryland, whats, do you think republican should do on the vacancy in the court? caller: thank you.

first of all, i had also sent in a text message, so make sure i do not get doubletime. [indiscernible] -- [laughter] host: that is very honest of you. caller: i have a strongly ambivalent opinion. i am against the confirmation, only because i think, as a i am out of the republican party in spirit, still registered -- what bothers me here is what happened with merrick garland, judge garland, in 2016. that was wrong. he should have been approved, and president trump should be able to get an approval here. the issue is that do two wrongs make a right or do we start to heal and live together again and say, ok, we did this in 2016, we will do it again in 2020, but that is it. the reason why i think we should

do that as a country is because we are really debasing the constitution by all these kinds of maneuvers and all this hairsplitting. we sound like a bunch of jesuits arguing in the medieval times. we really need to respect the constitution more. we are an empire of laws, not men. rules of, there are the road underlying the constitution. how do people who live in an empire of laws, not people, i should say, or persons, how do we get along? how do we work together? and i believe the republicans will. i do not think this will come to the floor. i believe the republicans should, and i think they will come in today's meeting, say, this.we really can't do trump.t like president

i want him out. trump part of me says push it to the floor, the cents thatle there it is severely violated and trump is out and the senate flips. that is not a solution. i think of people like gerald ford. these people would -- he was not in th-- he was in the house. but these were people who really elevated country and constitution over immediate partisan considerations. i think that is really important. if we are going to heal as a country, this is the place to start it. that is my story, and i am sticking to it. host: jeremy in california. you say fill the seat before the election. caller: absolutely.

you got to fill the sea before the election. and president trump needs to fill the sea with lagoa. -- seat with lagoa. the will basically cement law, because -- host: we are listening. caller: because that will basically cement law and order, because he would have a lot of prosecutors whether it is -- you would have a lot of prosecutors whether in portland or wherever else, they will not prosecute people who have smashed and rioted and everything else and are given a free pass. so we got to have law and order, and it will also cement the order for the reelection of president trump you and what will the democratic party do? star bad mouthing a qualified mouthing atart bad qualified latina woman? it is the american dream.

works hard in school, graduates cum laude, the diligence and hard work has paid off, good family, everything is perfect. if the democrats go after her, it will awaken a giant in the united states of america, and it theeally going to kick off independent and moderate latinos, and i think they will move towards president trump or they will abstain and not vote for biden. it is time everybody says they want change, they want a revolution -- here is a revolution at the doorstep. vote and put lagoa in. you don't have to like trump if you are a republican senator, but you were put there by your constituents and voters and you have to do the right. host: all right. germany -- jeremy saying move forward for law and order. washington times this morning -- three cities declared anarchists

at the risk of losing funds. portland -- the funding.ps to revoking you can read more in the washington times. daniel in michigan. you are undecided on how the republicans should move forward. why is that? caller: i called on the undecided line simply because i believe in having an open mind. hear valide to arguments of why we would want the third ranch of our government to not be fully offfed -- the third branch our government to not be fully staffed. federaltand all appointed judges have a duty to not be political. mind, the debate over this, in general in society,

ofnts to maybe a lack american citizens not understanding the full scope of civics and how our government works. i would think that, if we accept political judges at the federal , sort of legislating from the bench, that we are kind of demoting what we have set up. and if that is the accepted view, that, to me, points to maybe a larger problem in our political system. but i do not know. maybe there is some stuff about this that i do not quite understand. host: yesterday, mitch mcconnell, the republican leader, addressed the critics about filling this vacancy when he opposed to doing so before the 2016 election. here's what he has to say on the floor. [video clip] >> others want to claim this

situation is exactly the same as justice scalia's passing in 2016, so we should not proceed until january. this is also completely false. here's what i said on the senate floor the very first session, the day after justice scalia passed. fill thete has not vacancy arising in an election year when there was a divided 1888, almostnce 130 years ago." here is what i said the next day, when i spoke to the press for the first time on the subject. you have to go back to 1888, when grover cleveland was president, to find the last time a vacancy in a presidential election year to find the first time -- as of then, only six prior times in american history has a supreme court vacancy arisen in

a presidential election year, and the president signs a nomination to the center of the opposite party. times, they, those outcome is exact with what happened in 2016. no confirmation. the historically normal outcome, when you have divided government. president obama was asking senate republicans an unusual grantedat had last been nearly 130 years before that. explicitlyhad elected our majority to check and balance the end of his presidency. so we stuck with the basic norm. of thehe leader republicans mitch mcconnell on the floor yesterday. we are talking only with republicans this first hour until 8:00 a.m. eastern time on your thoughts on how the center should move forward on this vacancy. tomorrow, we will talk with

democrats only. and for democrats only, for tomorrow, you can respond to articles like this in the paper this morning, the washington post. on trailestraint contrasts with party anger. he never mentioned the vacancy on the supreme court on the fight in the senate yesterday. there's also this in the washington post. democrats largely powerless in court clash, proud of the gop. for democrats tomorrow, do you agree with that or not? and there is also this in usa today. could democrats expand the supreme court? would you want democrats, democratic leaders, to do that tomorrow? so we can talk about all of that tomorrow when we talk with democrats only. we have got less than eight minutes with republicans. wayne in new jersey, you say fill the seat before the election. caller: how are you doing?

they should go right ahead. they have the right, in the constitution. was in thecase democrats, schumer would be doing the exact same thing. they would lie and try to say everyone is lying -- the other side lies. they are all lies. go ahead and do it. people voted for trump to put the judges in. put them in. host: martin in d.c. you are undecided. why? caller: thank you for taking michael, c-span. i heard a comment that c-span should really look into the viewership. i think that is a little skewed towards the older population. there should be a line for the

younger generation, because otherwise, it is difficult to really understand what the sampling size is. now for the supreme court, i think that even though the republicans really did manipulate the democrats during the obama years, i do not think that is illegal or judicious for them to pay it back in the same manner. and should just go ahead confirm or reject the judge. i think if the republicans did what they did, and it is very unfair, it is not the place of the democrats to pay them back in the same currency. so i would be voting for biden, but what the republicans did was

really wrong, and the democrats should not return the favor to them. host: margaret in florida, you say fill the seat before the election. caller: thank you for taking my call. i think there is probably not a personal life that things that if the shoe was on the other foot the democrats would not do the exact same thing. if they had the presidency and the senate, they would appoint. i think they should go ahead and do it. and i am hoping that it will get confirmed. thank you for taking my call. host: all right. as the country nears 200 thousand deaths from covid-19, we wanted to show this image from the national mall, the covid-19 memorial project. volunteers placed 20,000 american flags to memorialize the 200,000 deaths. this on the national mall in d.c. let's go to yvonne in maine. you also say fill the seat for

-- before. caller: they should. nailed it.all, she because if the shoe was on the other foot, it would definitely -- they would definitely rush through. and for schumer to ask four republicans to vote their conscience, what about those democratic senators? one, with a any conscience who would vote for a qualified candidate? is there one democratic senator that has no conscience, to vote for a qualified candidate? when the republicans have always democratic to a president, whenever he appointed anyone. garland notrrick

having been brought up, it was true. the senate was held by the republicans, and the president was a democrat, and it was left to the election. host: randy, oklahoma, you say fill the seat after the election. that the president could wait until after the election to fill the seat. however, i think if he did go ahead and fill the seat and the senate remains in the hands of the republicans after the election, that trump should expand the court and appoint three more conservative justices on the supreme court. if the democrats think that because the president is doing his constitutional duty, that gives them the right to pack the court, then the republicans should have the guts to do the

same thing. host: ok. we will take a break. when we come back, continue with our battleground series, and today, focus on florida. we will talk with rick mullaney avenue jacksonville university right after the short break. ♪ >> with the ongoing global pandemic and many school shifting to online learning, c-span's studentcam competition provide students with a platform to engage in the national conversation. we are asking middle and high school students to produce a five to 10 minute documentary exporting the issues they want the president and congress to address in 2021. founders of the constitution were invested in giving american citizens

justice, as shown in the eighth amendment. today it means reform. >> the opportunity and skills to engaged citizens they vote. forrom decade-long waits legal documents to a tomorrow choice a pathway for children born here, the immigration system fails many people. 100,000e awarding dollars in total cash prizes, including a grand prize of $5,000. moreompetition rules and information on how to get started, go to our website, studentcam.org. president donald trump and former vice president joe biden are set to debate on tuesday

september 29 >> just last week sleepy joe proudly had the endorsement of the pro-criminal anti-police portland district attorney, who has a policy of releasing rioters, vandals, and violent extremists without charge. >> he lied to the american people. he knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it imposed for months. he knewhe information, how dangerous it was. while the deadly disease ripped throughout a nation, he failed to do his job on purpose. it was a life-and-death betrayal of the american people. >> watch live coverage tuesday, 29, and watch all of c-span's debate coverage live or on-demand at c-span.org /debates. and all past presidential

vice presidential debates from c-span's video library and a link to our campaign 2020 website with campaign videos, candidate information, and election results. go to c-span.org/debates or listen live on the free c-span radio app. c-span, your unfiltered view of politics. "washington journal" continues. the washingtonue journal series on battleground states this election year with political reporters and analysts on the ground to examine what has changed since 2016 and what issues are motivating voters this year and look at political trends to give us a clue on how the state may vote in november. today, florida. pennsylvania on wednesday. on thursday we will take a look at north carolina. and onay at michigan,

saturday at arizona. today we are focused on florida, aney.oining me is rick mull must begin with what makes florida a battleground state. aest: not only is it battleground state, it's the big prize. the path to the white house is through the state of florida. first of all, the electoral college. it is 29 electoral votes. we already know california comprises 55 and will go to joe biden. texas, 38, will go to donald trump. will go to joe biden. the 29 in florida is a big prize. florida is a purple state. it can go either way. twice it voted for barack obama, twice george bush, bill clinton, and last time by a narrow margin, donald trump.

the history of florida is one that is close, hard to predict, consequential. thedonald trump it is in must win category. if he wants to be president he must win florida. for joe biden there are other possibilities. joe biden would love to win florida. if you does he is most likely the next president. host: why does president trump have to win florida, and where does he have to win florida? guest: it is the electoral map, really. in part because of the big states. california going to joe biden. if we look at the battleground states, it is mathematically possible for president trump to but hehe loses florida, has to sweep pennsylvania, wisconsin, michigan, and pick up new hampshire or another state along the way. it would be challenging for him to do that. if you look at the real clear politics averages, one .7%

favoring joe biden, it is a dead heat in florida. it will come out to turnout. president trump knows he has to win florida, so he is designating resources here. you will see an all-out effort. he will have to maintain a support frome in the hispanic community, especially cuban-americans in south florida. i would draw a distinction between the hispanic community, cuban, versus the -- president trump is doing well with the hispanic vote, not so well in the suburbs. florida reflects much of the rest of the country when you look at how the urban areas tend to favor joe biden. the suburban areas are battleground area in which donald trump did extraordinarily well last time in florida with areas favoring donald trump. this time he is making inroads withburban areas

college-educated white voters. for him to do well in the suburban area he will have to maintain the hispanic vote. joe biden is making inroads into seniors and trump is fighting back. look for this to be close. host: the president eked out a victory in 2016. where did he win in the state of florida, and can he repeat in those areas? guest: if donald trump wins this time, i believe it will look a little different than last time. last time hillary clinton went by the playbook and did really well in urban areas such as miami-dade and broward, orlando, tampa. she should have done well and maybe take in the state. donald trump did extraordinarily well in the suburbs and rural areas. florida is made up of 67 counties, very big state. over 21 million people in

florida. just because you take the five or six biggest markets, it is still a big state. last time donald trump was dominant in the suburban counties and rural areas. where i from, while duvall thety is close, two of surrounding counties, st. john's and clay county, 93 thousand votes plus margins for donald trump in those suburban counties alone. this time around, i believe it will be a little different. he has an increasing support from the hispanic vote with a little challenging suburban areas. joe biden is making a little inroad into seniors. this is a dead heat in florida, very hard-fought, it will be very close. viewers are showing map of florida as you are talking. where are the counties? guest: duvall county is in the

northern part of the state. when you look at florida, generally speaking people feel the north is more conservative. there is truth to that. the center of the state, the i-4 corridor from orlando to tampa is more of a battleground area. miami-dade,a, with broward, and southeastern florida is more liberal. if you look at it more closely, in north florida it is the panhandle, the western part that is the most conservative. if you look at those counties, like your pensacola is and out west, you will see strong support for donald trump. northeast florida, there is duvall county. we are talking about to fall county. it is a big urban city. the last time donald trump took duvall county high 6000 votes. that was a surprise to many people, that republicans here can have such a narrow margin.

keep this in mind. in 2018 when ron desantis was running for governor against andrew gillum, andrew gillum took the majority in devol county. rick scott running for senator against bill nelson, bill nelson had the majority in duvall county. don't be surprised 42 days from now if joe biden carries duvall county. be shocked and don't expect him to carry the surrounding counties. adjacent to st. john's county, baker county, all of those will go to donald trump in big numbers. as you move more to the center of the state, orange county, orlando, tampa, that has become a shifting battleground. that is hard-fought in that area. you have seen a great deal of immigration in the puerto rican community that is more liberal and democratic. the nellis county is -- pinellas

county is one that donald trump surprise people by carrying last time. if donald trump is to win the nellis county this time that would be a good sign for his campaign. it is unlikely he will, but it would be a good sign. on the southeast side with miami-dade and broward, those are big population centers, heavily democratic, but also a hispanicionate community, particularly cuban americans who are more conservative. this state rakes down state,hically, very big the northern end is more conservative. the further south you go, the further north you get in terms of ideology.the center of the state is the battleground state and the south is more liberal. demographically, very diverse, too, obviously. host: we invite our viewers to

call in about the battleground state of florida. if you are supporting the biden-harris ticket file in at (202) 748-8000. if you are supporting the president and vice president, (202) 748-8001. a line for florida residents this morning, (202) 748-8002. , on electionney duvallif joe biden wins county, do you think he wins florida? guest: not necessarily. there is a good chance he carries florida -- that he --duvall fall county county, but florida is too close to call. watch what happens in panola county. look at the margin of joe biden's victory in miami-dade

and hillsboro county. it is so close in florida it is hard to come up with these lines. to give you an example of how close it can be, two years ago in the governor's race of ron desantis and andrew gillum, the polling showed that andrew gillum would win the day before the election. went to ans automatic machine recount. rick scott was in a battle with bill nelson, a popular democratic senator. the day before the election bill win.n was going to instead, rick scott one by 10,000 votes over 8 million cast that went to a mandatory manual recount. in florida it is hard to come up with one litmus test, because it is such a big state, is so diverse, and tends to be so close. host: on election night will we know who won the state of

florida? guest: i think so. there is a lot of discussion in the country about, will we know who the president is going to be on election night? part of that conversation is because of mail in ballots. a lot of absentee and mail-in ballots in the state of florida, too. i will talk about why it is different in florida. because of that counting, there is concern we won't know on election night and it could go on for a long time. in florida, i believe you will know the results by midnight. there is a well-developed system here as part of the result of happened in 2000 and reforms that took place. in florida, you can begin processing and counting the votes as soon as you receive them, unlike other states where you cannot start until election day. flora has developed a better system since 2000 -- florida has developed a better system since

2000. as a result you will know the results hopefully by midnight. if joe biden wins election night in florida, he will most likely be the next president of the united states. gamenald trump wins, it is on. we will have to see what happens in the other states and it will be very close. host: rene in michigan, supporting the president. caller: how are you? guest: good morning, renee. host: go ahead with your question or comments. caller: i just want to say that i support president trump wholly , and i think that florida is very important. i am from michigan, and just like michigan we have different demographics in the larger generally,e they like the inner cities that

generally vote democratic and are starting to switch because of all of the good president trump has done in the last four years. caller makes a good point. in michigan, which is an incredibly important state with electoral votes, and less time 10,000 votes decided state. one thing about michigan and florida that is very important is the black vote. can joe biden turn out that vote, particularly in michigan? there were historic numbers in michigan and florida for barack obama who did not turn out as much for hillary clinton. the turnout of the african-american community in florida and michigan. host: what about the demographics of the state of florida and the other populations and how they tend to vote. guest: as i was mentioning, the african-american community is

very strongly democratic, but make no mistake there were inroads by ron desantis. a little subtle what happened, but worth mentioning, republicans at the rnc, the republican convention, on all four nights you heard speakers bringing up education policy and particularly support for choice and charter schools. in part, that plays well with the black community in florida, and some believe it helped ron desantis become elected the governor. while the black community in florida will heavily go for joe biden, donald trump wants to make some inroads into that community. what joe biden wants to do is to turn out that vote. in the hispanic community, hillary clinton took it by wide margin, but do not expect the same margin for joe biden. donald trump is doing well, particularly in south florida with cuban americans, venezuela, nicaragua.

concerns over socialism, they are very concerned. that vote is appearing to trend towards donald trump. it is not monolithic in the hispanic community, so the puerto rican community with increasing numbers in central florida, you are seeing that go heavily to joe biden. which is one of the reasons last week joe biden made his first trip to florida and went to tampa. that is an area he was courting the puerto rican community in central florida. seniors are big part of the florida vote, maybe 20%. they show up and they vote. their mind is social security, medicare, and covid-19. that is a big part with donald four taking the handle years ago and joe biden making inroads this year. among college-educated whites, joe biden is doing well and

among non-educated whites donald trump is doing well. joe biden in the urban areas and donald trump in the rural areas. an edge to donald trump in the suburban areas, but a battle is going on. host: supporting the former vice president, hello, maria. caller: i am very hopeful that biden will win. we fear that the republicans and the supreme court nominee will cause mayhem and turn it around as they did in the bush-gore. i find republicans are ruthless and relentless. we see new jersey unfortunately coming into -- turning into a ghetto. tto. people are losing their homes. democrats are not evil people. republicans are not thinking straight. all they care about is their money. we fear there will be a wrong

turn, as they did with bush and gore. , but theyn, overturned the winning to their favor. we saw in the economic collapse came and they blamed it on president obama. people have to get out and vote. vote as if your life depends on it. ?ost: richard mullaney concerns aa raises lot of people have in the country. i say this as a biased floridian i was ongh a charter the campus board in 2000 and was legal counsel in representing the supervisor of elections at that time. it is 36 days i will never forget.

there were a number of reforms that took place. it is kind of stunning for those who don't remember, but at the end of election night president bush was up i 1700 votes. we did a mandatory recount because it was in the .5% arjun of error. a couple hundred votes in duval county, bush was still in the lead. it had decreased some. over the next 36 days there were manual recounts, litigation on the floor of the supreme court, and bush maintained a lead. ofthe end he won by a margin 537 votes, which proves every vote counts. in two thousand one reforms were instituted in florida and investments were made in technology. we came up with a 10-point plan to improve the system.

florida has come along way in 20 years. the reason i say that is because i want the country to have confidence in the results in florida. i have confidence it will go well. we had a test run two years ago when we had a mandatory recount with governor desantis, and a manual recount with senator scott. it is a big state. over 5 million absentees, historic numbers. last time over 9 million people voted, this time it could go 11 million or 12 million.the volume will be a norm is and it will be contentious, but i want the country to have confidence in the outcome. i know the supervisor of elections personally in jacksonville, and he is a person of integrity. the supervisors are working hard for a result that has integrity that you can count on. i want people, regardless of who

wins, to have confidence in that outcome. florida has come along way since 2000. but it's hard. we have 11 million or 12 million happenast, and that can when it comes down to less than 1%. i am hopeful and somewhat optimistic you will see a result in florida you should have confidence in. strategists are saying that if the president barbara lagoa y that could help him win florida. is this vacancy and his pick that big of a deal in the state? answer thate directly. i don't know. [laughter] from what i hear the president has narrowed it down to two. barrett.dge amy coney

she has an outstanding background and was number one in her class at notre dame and clerked for justice scalia. she certainly wooed the crowd at jackson university. she conducted herself. when it comes to judge lagoa, she is a rising star. she went to undergraduate school in florida and then to columbia law school, and was practicing here before governor bush appointed her to the district court of appeal. she is the daughter of cuban exiles. that is why your question is important, does this appeal to the cuban americans in florida? she served on the bench for over a decade before ron desantis year and half ago appointed her to the florida supreme court.

at the end of that year president trump appointed her to the 11th circuit. there is a school of thought that suggests politically it would be a popular choice. both judges are conservative with strong resumes and backgrounds, and that could appeal to the cuban-american community. i'm not sure people will cast their vote on that basis. i do think what's going on in terms of moving forward with the nomination and the passing of judge ginsburg and moving on with this process that this will change the conversation. in the first presidential debate, i expect this will be a big topic will stop i think the country will engage in this debate. i think it will have a big impact on the presidential election in terms of the issues and how people are looking at race, but i'm not sure picking one candidate or the other will have a big impact in florida. host: ed in jacksonville,

florida. your turn. caller: i would like to know if the military plays any role in the election. i know that florida has the military complex in jacksonville, if that has anything -- yes, it does. in jacksonville. in 2000 is a good example of that. overseas absentee votes were coming from the military overseas. at that time it was a few hundred votes difference. 25% came from duval county because of the air station. the military vote typically is very conservative. donald trump did well within last time. i think you can see at the rnc one of their focuses was the military. when vice president pence was

giving his speech, one of the things he talked about was the hollowed out military, which he claimed was under obama-biden. language comes from believing the sequestration was both wrong, and under donald trump you have seen an increase in military spending. donald trump and the republican party have courted the military vote. it is important in florida, though not as big as other constituencies. you can expect that to go to donald trump, but you are seeing inroads with joe biden. the article in the atlantic did not help the president. in the end, the caller makes a good point that the military vote is important. host: apollo beach, florida. caller: richard, you are right on. the vote will be not about the man but the mission. what trump is going to do with the supreme court nominee is

going to change the heart and mind of floridians. i have family of the new york background and do not want new york in florida. we are hoping that this debate on the 29th will open the eyes and the supreme court will again become the primary issue. your comment? guest: i do believe what is happening with the supreme court has significant consequences. it has consequences for the presidential debate. it has consequences for the u.s. senate. it will change the dynamic over the last 42 days. looking to the debate next week, it will be a big topic. for donald trump, this is helpful, i believe. there is a conventional school of thought that i think is fairly accurate is that the election is a referendum on covid-19, that is an advantage

to joe biden. if it's a referendum on donald trump's behavior, that is favorable to joe biden. to the extent that you shift it to a binary choice based on the policies and what the future looks like, it becomes a more competitive race, and i think there's a lot to that school of thought. this helps to accomplish that. it changes the topic, shifting from covid-19 to things that donald trump wants to talk about, like the supreme court and issues such as law and order. the caller makes a good point that how much you'll affect things is hard for me to predict. there is an opportunity -- i can remind our viewers of marco rubio -- [laughter] there is an opportunity for joe biden and democrats to seize this moment to their advantage, and they've done that with fundraising and turning out the

vote. there's opportunity for the trump campaign to recast the debate. i had a partner in the law firm say something that stayed with me forever. let me define the issue, and i will win the argument. both campaigns are trying to define the issue. if they are successful at defining the issue, they will win the argument. donald trump wants to recast the discussion, so does joe biden, and the supreme court will be a part of that. host: let me show you joe biden trying to frame the issue with its personal. this is what he had to say on social security. [video clip] i was sworn into the united states senate in a hospital. my wife and daughter had been killed in an automobile crash. lying in the bed were my two little boys. i couldn't imagine what it would have been like if i didn't have insurance to cover them immediately and fully. 40 years later, one of those little boys, my son beau, was

diagnosed with terminal cancer, given months to live. i can't fathom what would have happened if the insurance companies had the power say, thw months you are on your own. the fact of the matter is healthcare is personal to me. obamacare is personal to me. when i see the president try to eliminate healthcare in the minute -- middle of a public health crisis, that is personal. every american deserves affordable healthcare. i am joe biden and i approve this message. >> joe biden tried to cut social security and medicare for decades. >> when i argued we should freeze federal spending, i meant social security as well. i meant medicare and medicaid. i tried it twice, a third and a fourth time. >> now biting is promising her benefits to illegal immigrants.

president trump is protecting social security and healthcare, lowering costs, expanding access and keeping his word. pres. trump: i am donald trump and i approve this message. host: our viewers have probably seen those ads of what the two campaigns are doing to try to win over voters in this battleground state. guest: we are seeing lots of ads in florida. let me talk about the first one if i could. biden campaign tries to do two things that are very helpful to his campaign. one is joe biden's story. the dnc did a really good job in an unconventional convention. extraordinary job of telling the story. whether you are republican or democrat, it is an extraordinary story. the loss of his wife in a car accident, later on the loss of his son.

he is not only a sympathetic figure, he is a figure of resilience. you don't want to overplay that. it ties it to healthcare. when you are talking healthcare, generally speaking that is advantage to joe biden and democrats. whether you are in the democrats debate, there was risk of squandering that advantage. a big fracture in the party of whether it would be medicare for all, affordable care act or none of the above. here it is pre-existing conditions, universal coverage and other healthcare issues, it is an advantage to the democratic party. for donald trump, the second ad is more targeted. it is directed at seniors in florida. they care about social security. they care about medicare. one suggests it would be at jeopardy with joe biden and the other reinforced the president's message that he has their back, that he is going to support them.

he brings up another message that they are giving the money to illegal immigrants. illegal immigrants in florida will play well the notion of illegal immigrants as opposed to illegal immigration -- legal immigration. both of the ads are strategic. we are seeing lots of them in florida. orangeburg, south carolina, shirley is watching supporting the biden harris today. good morning to you. i'm a supportive joe biden because when he comes on my television screen, i see a man. there,llow-head comes on i see a bag of scum. have a nice day. those are some strong feelings. i certainly think that when it comes to president trump that some of his support -- some

people believe it is all about his base and his base is critical to him winning. they are energized and as donald trump said, he could choose someone on medicine attitude -- madison avenue and they would be with him. his tweetssay that and behavior is not something they would necessarily approve of. like his policies and they are concerned about the policies of joe biden. the other comment she made was positive about joe biden. thatpeople would tell you joe biden is a likable person. i don't think the republicans other than at the republican convention, going after his son and what happened in ukraine, most people have not gone after joe biden in that way. instead it has been more the argument that he is a trojan horse. the color highlights that there are strong feelings -- the

caller. inas a very young teenager 1968 for the convention in chicago. i remember those black-and-white images and the violence back then. of course there was the vietnam war and racial strife. i think today the divide is very strong. the other side become the enemy. it is very unhealthy for our country. i wish we could start with the notion that we all love the country and we may disagree as to whether we want to raise corporate tax rates to 21% to 28% or not. there is still patriots on the other side. i hope there is a solution. optimistic that the partisan divide -- this is bad to see in my lifetime. host: this is steve in north carolina supporting biden. good morning too. caller: hello. and re you doing, greta

ick. there is a general concern in america that within the democratic party they are swinging toward socialism. i want to talk about florida. you guys make it interesting. predict that whoever winds florida is going to win. , we can put upna a map and pick all of the states. we are going through a constant state of change. people are fleeing the northeast and coming here. i am guessing they are doing the same in florida. the problem is when they come blue whichare voting may turn it into something. it is a confusing phenomenon. the same thing is happening in arizona.

people are jumping across the border from california to aaron zona and they are going through a change like this -- arizona. a merry-go-round except somebody has to win your on a merry-go-round, nobody ever does. given your feelings on the democratic exchanges down there. thank you. guest: you make some good comments. it is interesting in florida. for a number of years in broad strokes that i-75 corridor from the midwest. a little bit more of a conservative. the i-95 interstate on the east coast and landing in miami-dade and broward reflecting more a liberal vote. i don't have the numbers because i don't know the changing demographics of where people have moved.

those trends have been around. florida is very diverse. you do have a lot of seniors coming to florida because of the weather and it is a very appealing state. 42020, 42 days from now -- for 2020, i think you're going to see what we have described. i am not sure what the future holds because there are shifting demographics in the country and shifting demographics in florida. host: we will go to greg in florida. how do you pronounce your city? lochaway.e local say foreignere -- tell a lochawa. it is an indian term for a base which is a sinkhole famous in this area. host: how are you going to vote? kind of funny.

the older you get, the more you successfule more you you become because your children grow up. you tend to become more conservative. i grew up as a liberal hippie, gung-ho for the peanut man in 1976. i was in a ceremony in 1956 when 'i likely was in an ike' tour. family.republican in my they were pretty democratic except for eisenhower. the localding newspaper. it is a college newspaper outside of gainesville. because of the lean in all the

stories tends to be democratic. we are all confused by this .ivision they claim sadly i do not see it except in newspapers and in watching the local news on tv or watching the national news. i try to watch all three or four different media outlets just to try to get a balanced view and that is my fear. a lot of people do not watch the different media outlets to get a full picture. how many democrats know what happened last week when we signed a very famous peace agreement which people are trying to downplay and say it was just a business deal. sure it is. what it is leading to is a future. i would like your opinion on how you feel media will influence the election. thank you. guest: did you go to the university of florida? caller: yes.

university in mexico. i lived in mexico for three years. guest: i spent seven years in the county, that is home to university of florida. i appreciate your call. said, i of things you take a little bit of issue with when you talk about division and the divide on television on what you -- or what you read. that division is very real. you can see it at your thanksgiving dinner tail or maybe this year it is smaller because of covid-19. the division in the country is passionate, it is real, i believe. do i think the media contributes? yes. do i think it is the cause of it? not necessarily. i think it is a cause of great concern. i believe it is. attainly if you are looking

-- other than here on c-span, you will get a pointed view when you look at other cable networks and news networks. as you said earlier i would encourage people to hear different points of view to try to be open to them. this notion that this is contrived or that it is the media or something you are reading in the paper. i think it is deeper than that. it is very real and i think it is something a country has to address and the first step is recognizing it. that with your inner dealings with other people you have seen this divide raise its head whenever politics comes up. thank you for your call. host: florida is next. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i live in lee county in fort myers. i grew up in ohio. i am an old lady, world war ii. i feel left out. there are millions of us who

feel left out. i did not vote for trump. i do not intend to vote for trump from the start of his campaigning. i did not like his language. i thought he was demeaning to everyone, not just women. i just did not care for that. i am not a conservative, i am a moderate. on the flipside i feel left out. all white people are bad, well when i wentained health campaigning for president obama. both are campaigns. none of us are perfect but that was not an issue for me. thatpeople are forgetting he is biracial and it does not

matter. it was his message and what his thoughts were that led our country. i did not agree with everything, but i would say 80% of the time, i did. so what is the answer for people like me? es.don't get freebe i have been paying into social security for 62 years now. medicare is so crummy that i cannot even use it because i don't have the money to come up with the deductible. i don't get any assistance whatsoever. there has got a buddy -- got to be a different answer to this. host: richard mullaney? guest: i think what susan raised is not that uncommon. while the far right is very vocal and while the far-left is very vocal, there are a lot of people like susan who feel

alone. that is true of republicans and democrats. i think there are center-right and center-left people in this country who feel alone. they don't feel that the fractures in the parties leaves them in a place in which they don't know where to turn. some people like to say you either love donald trump or you hate him. in fact certainly there is a group in his space that is fully supportive and passionate about him. but there are others who are more moderate. there are those on the left to a very passionate. there are others who are less passionate. what she said with her comments about feeling alone and not connected, i think there was a large number of people in this country who share that. that is also part of this divide. this intimate she is expressing is why -- one that a number of people would express. texas, supporting

the president. good morning. caller: good morning. i have a few comments and a question. consistentced that a raite of donald trump -- t of donald trump. traitidered it a strange that i cannot consider whether it helps. it is a distinct characteristic. how does it help president donald trump to take questions from the press whether positive or negative questions are given. i appreciate it. guest: my suspicion is that he is doing it to contrast himself with joe biden. one of the attacks of the trump campaign is that joe biden for long time was hiding out in his basement in delaware. he did that through the time of the convention. they believe they got momentum out of the convention and they

were trying to flush them out of the basement and get him out speaking. part of their argument is is when they have him speaking, he is getting, according to the president, softball questions. he is not subjected to digital -- difficult questions. if he has difficult question, he struggling or he makes omission when he was questioned about nafta and about the agreement with canada and mexico which biden made concessions that the new agreement was better. i think the color makes a good point. i am not sure it is helpful to the president when he subjects himself to difficult questions and some of the answers he struggles with. my suspicion is he is trying to draw a sharp contrast and he is trying to get his supporters to look at this and say, the president is willing to answer anything, to be transparent, to take anything on. look at joe biden who is not subjecting himself to those types of questions which is one of the reasons why the debate we

are going to have will get bigger than in the past and could be more significant. host: nate in milwaukee. morning. who are you supporting and why? caller: i am supporting joe biden. i think he would be a better president and i think his policies are better. one of the things that does worry me and i'm trying to keep an eye on is a possibility that dirty tricks for rigging the election would happen so you don't get a -- what the people really want. in case anyone questions this, a june5, 2012ut compares a 2000 attempt where in 2000 well over

1000 people were improperly purged from florida's voter rules and the election was supposed to be stunted by hundreds of people. -- extended by hundreds of people. we don't know if george bush or al gore was really the choice of the majority of people in florida. and he got a senate seat with thousands of ballots not being buted for u.s. senate race supporting a democratic candidate for state agriculture. worry if reasons to the popular vote he's really being shone through on a state-by-state basis and there are people out there who do things that are sneaky to read the election. i am from wisconsin. gerrymander like florida. it is union certification elections which assign

republicans at the state level. numbersly more union vote to keep their union than to get rid of it and yet the republicans get rid of the union anyway because they are undermining people's ability to choose for themselves and nobody called my former governor out on that when he went before congress. article, in 2011, majority of education unions fought to certify in the milwaukee journal sentinel had an article that mentions more people voted to keep their union than get rid of it. host: we are running short on time. ?r. mullaney guest: you are certainly hearing from the republican side that they are concerned about the integrity of the election. a lot of times you hear the

allegations but you don't hear the story behind it. he mentioned one about the ballots in south florida in which it appears to be an irregularity. it turns out that was a democratic supervisor election. there were issues as to how it was designed. it had nothing to do with dirty tricks or trying to disenfranchise voters. sometimes things happen that should not. for the election ahead in florida i am very hopeful and optimistic that it will be with integrity. supervisors in florida and around the country are gearing up to do the best of their ability to make it fair and accurate. will accrue a lot of scrutiny. the margins are wide. nobody really cares. when the margins are narrow, it can be difficult and you can begin to question everything. the caller is expressing a view that many in the country have on both sides of the aisle,

republicans and democrats. i think there was a strong effort in florida to make sure that this election is one that is done with integrity and reveals account that can be trusted. host: amy is in orange park, florida. good morning. caller: good morning. i am actually from clay county, a conservative county. i am right outside of jacksonville in duval. my concern is just how president trump is dividing the country. divided. are very be votinglly going to for biden this time. for jill spine because i could not bring myself to vote for hillary. i used to be republican. the last time i voted republican was in 2012.

i have to admit when trump beat hillary, there was a small sliver of me that was really pleased that he beat her. since he has become president, i really am very concerned for the country. i feel like we are being torn apart. most of my friends -- my best friend is a trump voter. all of my friends on facebook are trump supporters. it has got to the point if i post something about something very factual about what the instance,did, for stopping the payroll tax which the funds social security, i have all my old friends that i went to school and church with, they come out attacking me, calling me a communist and a socialist. i want healthcare for everyone.

i feel like our healthcare we don't broken and if do something about healthcare even in the midst of this justmic, people are suffering and i feel like it is just going to tear our country apart. host: is healthcare your number one issue? caller: it is, it is my number one issue. host: and that is why you favor joe biden and democrats? anler: it is really antitrust vote. i do not support joe biden. i campaigned in clay county for bernie sanders. i support bernie sanders. i am not a communist or a socialist. i just want people to have healthcare. host: understood. mr. mullaney? the biden campaign

targets healthcare. i do believe that trump's is an issue for many voters. someone wheret -- the truck and biden campaign would like to have her vote. she is an example of someone on right, but she would tell you that is not the case. there are number of people like amy who are going back and forth. there is a view that everyone has decided in a vast majority have, that there are those alone that felt they were or amy who says this is really challenging for her and it is really an antitrust vote. i will say this, during the convention there were a lot of very impressive speakers of women and black speakers and were eloquent and in the support of character and accomplishment of the president. many people believed that is because he needs to increase

support among women, and that is true. in the black humidity, that is true, he does. -- black community. those speakers also gave comfort to people potentially like amy and others to begin to feel like maybe it is ok to vote for the president. i do like some of his policies. i am concerned about the alternative. maybe he is better than he is coming across because sometimes his behavior causes a pause among many who are more moderate and independent. i am not sure either camp is going to get her vote. host: do you remember an election where you had that dynamic where voters would say, and we have heard them call say i docall up, they not like what he does or tweets, but i don't have to like him. i like what he is doing. guest: i don't recall it ever being this way.

i was wrong in 2016 in predicting it. stunning fashion and the politics today is unlike anything i have seen. it is nothing new to have contentious politics. that goes back to jefferson and adams. it has been that way for a long time. today it is different and i do not recall one with this dynamic in which you are hesitant but not necessarily embracing the character or the personality of the person you are voting for, but you do believe he represents a better path forward than the other side. of course the other side passionately disagrees and does not understand it because how could you vote for such a person. in 2020 a very different dynamic than what we have seen in past races. how that plays out remains to be seen. for the next 42 days, it could take some turns. we will have to see. in answer to your question, i think it is unlike what we have seen in the past. erst: we will go to warn

robins, georgia. good morning to you. caller: good morning. host: question or comment? caller: question and a comment. ,irst of all, the elderly lady i'm not in favor of labels especially on myself. is silly donald trump about comorbidities and whether or not someone can be covered by their insurance and that would prevent people like my father hisis 78 but has retained private insurance. he got medicare and medicaid. host: i apologize for jumping in but i'm going to stop there because the house is about to gavel in for the morning session. aney, tell us what we

need to watch for on election night before we say goodbye. guest: look for turnout. the total will come in quickly because they are counting the absentees already. in four you can vote three ways. absentee, early or on election day. i think you will have a result by midnight in florida and i am hopeful it will be a result that has integrity and that you can trust. host: richard mullaney is of the public policy institute director at jacksonville university, also a political analyst in jacksonville. we thank you for your time. guest: thank you. host: we continue this week with our battleground series. tomorrow we will take a look at the state of michigan and we will continue through saturday as well. now the house gaveling in early today for legislative business. we bring you there now, live coverage here on c-span.