neil: covering these debates in the spin room one thing that i do is i watched crowds gather around. when john mccain shows up the throng rushes to him. he is the surrogate they tried to get the candidate views out there. you could be watching us right now. a presidential candidate is with me. >> twice in one day? and that means nobody else can come on your show. >> is an honor.

i think mitt romney botched a lot. not miserably but 1/2 fined two benghazi? once again disappeared. the drones? the perfect opportunity to say not only do i support them but mr. president a drone was videotaping every single second building up in benghazi you did nothing. iran, al qaeda, what was going on? >> i think he gave a strong performance. the cheap shots it is not presidential to accuse people not to know about the aircraft carriers. neil: they were big in their

day. >> but first who came up with the line of sequestration to have the smallest navy sends 14 and army and air force? the secretary of defense said that. neil: golden moment lost. >> when the president made fun of matte romney. the president said no sequestration? how you do that? we have been begging him to sit down with us. neil: how would he know? >> he is not a dictator. it requires the agreement of congress. >> it will be kicking in the first day january.

why did romney respond? >> i have been traveling with lindsey graham to the places that are affected saying ask the president to sit down with us. what does he say? on iraq. they tried to lead a residual force. we were trying to help thee. what is happening today? it is unraveling. there are training camps in western iraq. what is happening? and the architect of the surge we won the war and we lost the peace. he just tells people believe being.

not one iota of progress. with those irradiance having a nuclear capability. >> you cannot say you will talk with anybody but it to be at the table the israelis are threatened with extinction. neil: i got the feeling mitt romney is not comfortable with the issues. s soon as he would get things back to the economy, jobs, debt, then he is like me at baskin-robbins he knew it. going back to security issues, israel, he seemed

like he was on weak footing. was he just protecting his lead? >> i being the was trying to bring the conversation to what he feels the most important part of national security. neil: he waited at half an hour to do it. >> i don't believe the cheap shots, it is not presidential. i have been on debates you never get personal with anybody. you can be ferocious in your ideas but when you insults somebody like he did, i think americans recoiled. that is not presidential. neil: it shows -- . >> desperation? neil: airfield if your lead

is slipping. but they say he made the ground up. the use see this debate will have a shift? most organizations are giving the president a victory. >> the last one was the same thing. i am not sure even in a narrow vic -- victory a breaks momentum. i am a strong supporter of mitt romney. i am worried about the future. i wanted him to talk more about libya. did it he not present it clearly zero or shibani say this is what you said and this is what you did? a number of openings. this he feel americans are

not into it? >> remember, there was nugget -- negative publicity coming out of the cairo embassy. and then with the second debate he could not get his point* across. they said there is enough publicity and jerks like john mccain out there. neil: john mccain out there. neil: you are passionate and raising good points. >> he came across as a man who is commander in chief. that is the object of a bit romney. i think he achieved ttat. >> the president with the split screen shot. i read too much. he looked angry.

he looked dismisses and sequestration. >> i am no shrink. i believe this president thought this would be a day at the beach. let tora college, the polls, all of a sudden things are upside-down. he has been living for years in a cocoon surrounded by the adoring media. it was a shock to his system and that is why he is so angry as if something unfair has been inflicted on him. i have never seen a debate turn like this. had to do with destroying the image they had built up and also a failure to defend his record. not just debate points. maybe tonight. but with the first debate they saw mill whole image of

mitt romney blown away, the negative image. >> that is the one you thought might be more of the president. >> now equally confident. >> how can the president defend his economic record? americans care about national security but they really care when the unmanned sits in his mother's basement smoking cigarettes and is not have a job. then it is tough. >> 50% of the young people graduating from college in not getting ahead job that dampens the enthusiasm of 2008. for the first time we may handoffs a generation that is worse than we were.

that is why i feel romney is in good shape. although very tight. neil: really close? >> i think so. don't you? >> you are the expert. >> i will be back. [laughter] mocked me all you want. neil: i hear what you are considering. >> they will ump on it. they should have a camera. kind i'd like me walking into ponderous up. and rich edson, in the spin room how is that played?

>> this place has cleared out in the last half-hour to give you an idea, 30 minutes ago democrats, republicans, hund reds of reporters but now democrats are staying. governor romney needed to prove he was commander in chief but from republicans said that he did. you talked about it took 30 minutes to get to that deficit but by she first said let me get back to foreign policy. that is what republicans wanted to hit. we did not hear one mention of the european debt crisis crisis, even though the moderator did not bring it up the republicans word disappointed mitt romney did not. neil: i noticed also with

the state of the world the governor immediately pivoted to latin america more than tae now. cynically i thought was stater we and the? florida. how better to make an overture to latinos to say i love westamerica. that is what i will focus on with the aggressive defense of israel and the jewish population this huge may have been a strategy that seems to be consistent. >> absolutely. what about shipbuilding in virginia? mitt romney wanted to spend the money that obama criticized with wheat size

going back to bayonet this an industry but it is the key issue in virginia. neil: you can argue the facts and john kerry was considered the winner of all three debates the issue was more likable who would you rather have the beer? mitt romney does not drink but house subliminal they affect you and you are driven to think is this guy presidential? likable? he can be in the white house? it is more got but maybe the first debate set the stage

where both candidates deemed equally capable m. both likable the edge obama had going in is not so much. it is a quick reaction but from romney was the two casual? or just the right balance and was the president trying to make up ground? and presidential? your call. mccain is working his way through the crowd. said is the way it is when you are a surrogate. they bring out the big guns. he is one of the biggest. more after this. 0t[h7 i'm a conservative investor.

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really good. yes! [ jack ] ...and alicia. ♪ this girl is on fire [ male announcer ] use any citi® card to get the benefits of private pass. more concerts. more events. morperiences. [ jack ] hey, who's boring now? [ male announcer ] get more access with a citi card. [ crowd cheering, mouse clicks ] >> icahn balance the budget. talk about military spending our navy is smaller now than at any time since 1917. they said they needed 313 ships to carry out their mission. we are headed down to the loo baseload 200 swiss sequestration embargo airforce is older and smaller since anytime since its founding 1947.

but it is the highest responsibility of the president to maintain the safety of the american people per car will not cut our military budget by $1 trillion which is a combination of budget cuts from the president as well as the sequestration cuts. that makes our future less certain and secure. >> first of all, it is not something i proposed but congress proposed. it will not happen. the budget is not reducing military spending but maintaining it. mud governor romney has not look how the military works. mentioning the navy. we have fewer ships and 1916. will also have fewer horses and bayonets. the nature of the military has changed. we have aircraft carriers were airplanes land on them. ships that go under water, nuclear submarines. neil: that got a good laugh.

one of the issues that leon panetta raises rating that is back not a good situation in. fact is that the 1 trillion of defense cuts the president calls for is beyond the sequestration. mrs. over 10 years. 100 billion per year. you still have a large defense department but what caught my eight year was sequestration it will not have been. that is not his call. that was a bold and unexpected statement. i want to get reaction from the former reagan defense secretary. what did you make of that?

the president cannot wave a want to make it go way. >> i think it was a desperate effort to avoid having to explain the impact of cuts as leon panetta said the devastating. he had no a immediate response so it made no sense at all. it all have been in the absence of the agreement he cannot create by himself. >> day you wonder why the the end result was a timid response and the governor was only comfortable when it came to the economy?

is that a fair rap? he is just not comfortable on foreign policy. >> i think he makes a decision oing into the debate this will be settled on what americans they where the economy will go. if he is president if the last four years will look like the next. he did not want to see a major issue demerged. he passed up a number of opportunities. neil: that was a deliberate strategy? >> yes. -here was plenty of ammunition where the important point* is this a administrations and does not understand the threat to

we're facing. because it don't understand the larger world obama has never said the problem with al qaeda it is they have addition and ideology is to force the world to submit to their millennials view. that is what drives al qaeda if you don't understand that to you understand how to deal with syria and libya and elsewhere. neil: that it is the spin i did not hear before. have thank you very much. that must be the seminal

might. i did not know the president could waive the sequestration away. that is what caught my attention. people are focused on bayonets but mine is sequestration. that is the big faux pas. the president does not have the power with a wave of his hand kiss the federal law goodbye. not yet. we will have more. everyone has goals.

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neil: en in the seem right

now in spin alley. the blue signs are obama the mayhem of 30 bet heavily represented on both sides each trying to present both sides. of quick reaction from you. this debate is made up of sound bites. >> mitt romney needs to be more aggressive to go after a bomb on his record. bob schieffer is not letting romney speak and allowing obama speech is. >> that is me. john sununu and early backer of mitt romney.

that was helpful in the state called the hampshire. governor be your chatting how it seemed governor romney did not want to engage on foreign policy details or could not. your thoughts? >> he engaged on the details. maybe people wanted more aggressiveness but that was not appropriate. to not only understand the title but. >> but to benghazi what happened? >> to say you have been all over the map. >> she did but was not just the attacks but to demonstrate his capacity as commander-in-chief. that was his strategy to be informative to define

himself and tie the pieces together then showed the obama four years have been a disaster and what he would do as commander in chief. the governor underscore if you have the responsibility of the last superpower you have to be a superpower economically and defense capacity. if you want the defining difference is the governor recognizes we have to spend money on defense we cannot shortchange that if a fellow responsibility. neil: what about the put down of the horse and buggy? >> i thought it would is condescending and trite. neil: through many campaigns yourself style does count. on that have you think the night went? >> i think it will bite the

president in the but to. the important thing but maybe is declining. republican and democrat understand the defense structure one of our principal needs is to rebuild the navy. neil: the president keeps saying mitt romney was to give trillions more to defense. they have asked for his own secretary of defense say that the shortchanging of defense would be disastrous. >> leon panetta came up with world war i. >> he knows if ago to sequestration and it is a disaster. >> we are hearing from the white house. our people who cover the white house. [laughter]

face-saving white house it is walking back the sequestration statement he is not have the power to waive the want to buy it i thought that was her again to or clueless. >> it was both. >> why am i shocked? >> governor? two weeks? >> now will be the period where the numbers will go up four romney and down for the president. it will be a much easier when than people think. neil: you said that after the last debate. >> he actually lost. >> i should have lost. >> always a pleasure. thank you very much. if you want someone in your corner you do not want to be

in the opposite corner. we know him. the governor got comfortable to equate the economy iridescent how it imperils national security. but why did he wait 30 minutes to do that? >> i encourage you to express concern ago and was not tough enough to go after the president. >> i thought that was a wise policy. frankly that female vote is important and they would not appreciate that to be aggressive. it was of very effective way to come across as very

authoritative, presidential, calm, cool that was the right image for him to present but this this to be not too aggressive but sitting on believe. with foreign policy to know what do have the sharp attack against the president of the united states. he handled it just right to present himself as authoritative, knowledgeable authoritative, knowledgeable , lucid on foreign policy. he looked presidential and it will serve him well when we see the results and the public opinion polls. neil: when men romney's said

in boca raton florida was that by accident? >> no. it should not have been. he has a good political wedge. there is a strong feeling obama is a views are different from every previous president. neil: but maybe seven out of 10 jewish voters support the president? >> that is possible. not everybody votes on that issue. the jewish community is liberal with its social attitudes that is predominant. we will see what the final vote.

neil: will the numbers go down? >> yes. with the country at large. neil: by the way "newsweek" all digital? >> i am not surprised. virtually every print publication and is then trouble. advertising was the core business model deserted brent. but there is another unique advantage because we have a huge online audience and now the magazine is in the black to my amazement. neil: you do? they could be playing catch up. >> we had the weakest division. we had to come up with a different business model. we sold all subscriptions to

years ago and have been audience based on the reduced. best colleges, at best hospitals. is better online you can get 1200 instead of the magazine that makes a difference with advertising. neil: you found a home. >> we are free at last. neil: mort zuckerman. it is a pleasure. a lot came up on but although bail-out how that helped national security to buy more american cars. china has the ability to buy cars from us. but there read from the top union official and that was effective to bring in the

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>> we can position ourselves

to rebuild america. making sure we brain manufacturing back to our shores. as we have done with the auto industry not shipping them overseas. neil: the uaw president is here with me. that mitt romney was against it but he wanted bankruptcy but the difference being we spend tens of billions of dollars. >> there was not private money. neil: credit was rosenberg and no financial institution above monday at that time. neil: that was not sold how it went down. it could not result in

people losing their jobs then we found out lightbulb bankruptcy that is what would have been. if we knew the real truth the pain that comes? that is what the romney is saying? >> i think the president would have had 1 million more out of four. what the great recession into another deep depression both the president and the governor said you cannot have a strong foreign policy without a strong economy. the president is the right person and to be commander-in-chief because he has a plan to bring manufacturing back to the united states. neil: he bailed them out.

>> he gave them loans. general motors is in the process. neil: you don't think romney set a dangerous precedent? >> every country supports their manufacturing. 51 day strong economy you have to have a strong manufacturing base. neil: and why does of president do better with bailout? ohio, wisconsin, michigan, b ut all tight race is. >> a think the president will win because working families no who was the candidate to best protect working families?

whether he is working dealerships are on the assembly plants. all of the ancillary jobs. neil: you are not upset he is getting more bang for the buck? >> he is doing extremely well. people will say obama will make us the arsenal democracy. he has not treated any manufacturing jobs. all this criticism who benefited personally? they made at least $50 million from investments to buy the hedge fund group to buy delphi that made the resurrection end of general motors more expensive than it would have been. neil: it was pre-rescue

money. >> it was t.a.r.p. money. neil: you think he is a hypocrite? >> >> john browne joins us now. everyone looks at what is going on in. like those who have seen progress this tribute to maurer government. is that what it comes down to? >> i think very definitely. under obama we had a boost of government spending and jobs. but he just refinanced by

the private sector. of course, that trade union was given $10 billion a taxpayer money. all of the donors were cheated out of their wealth. neil: you are worried about how long this last? no offense to europe but that is all they do. >> you are right. neil: don't think britain is better. i have seen the royal family >> margaret thatcher we got rid of government. neil: you have gone the other way. >> the pact was with the

liberals. we have gone downhill. neil: who do think one could debate tonight? >> strategically mitt romney had a major victory. that aim of obama no longer trusted wanted to reduce it and was a bruiser with interruptions, condescending interruptions, condescending , interrupting and insinuating mitt romney was wrong trying to keep it small time and rough. mitt romney stayed out of bet better. big picture. i saw a restorer of america but america every distributor with the obama. when i look it is a record

america deserve something better. it is meant romney. neil: i will put you down as of may before the president. [laughter] john browne. thank you. when we come back for pat buchanan the historian closing now the debate because two weeks from tomorrow we go to vote. summing up the debate no point* either barack obama and the white house for another four years or kick him out.

neil: what to make of this? we have pat buchanan, ed des was brinklee and david asman the various read of tonight to give the president the victory by varying margins but not off the chart are you worried? >> not at all. think maybe the president won in the debate but mitt romney did what he had to do he showed himself as

commander in chief, knowledgeable, dignif ied, and he did not stepped into the trap the democrats want to put him and as reckless from a moving too rapidly to war or intervention like george bush. he sold all of his problems in the debates. neil: douglas brinkley? historical a we are told there is not a correlation if that's was the case we would have president carry. will this move the needle? >> i i agree. they both did well. each did with they had to do president obama had to claim a slight victory simply because he has a a commanded details.

mitt romney came in and to dial back and scored points and they explained his comment on russia and did a good job on the middle east. it is awash tonight. this will not be the memorable debate. the bomb in denver and the showdown with candy crowley with the put down over libya will be remembered. not tonight. neil: by design governor romney tried to bring things back to the economy. was that the good strategy? did he botched that? >> first of all, i disagree with everything douglas and

pat just said. i am kidding. [laughter] allot of what the president said mitt romney directly disputed. that you can check the record. people are already sending me copies of the 2008 article how to deal with seattle company. people are sending me notes the president said we're not buying cars from china but we are buying i italian cars made the -- by the italian car company given 40 percent of chrysler. fiat. it knows when a to present now. if you claim credit for saving car companies now on by italians. the sequester issue the white house is already backing off.

we have seen spin but it will be hard for the fact checker to have a bias to spin what was said but was wrong. >> in the yen debates are about impressions if they got back to the comfort level. if you are mitt romney judged to be a not likable with the same approval rating you are not better than the president now deemed to be just as confident doesn't that go along way to fill the goal? >> you nailed it. jack kennedy showed himself not own the personable but on par with nixon who was considered superior.

>> there were four debates. everybody said they were equal but the first impression and. ronald reagan first impression completely contradicted the caricature of a cowboy who doesn't know what he is talking about. mitt romney walked into that first debate. that game was about over because from the primary had him down and syncing. people said that is not the same guy i was hearing about >> maybe you don't get the second chance to make a first impression. was that a defining moment? >> yes. obama's of bombing been better verbal be the biggest

in debate history. getting down to tonight is the lingering problems obama has the big problem marker at 5% when it is at 8%. that shows the failure meeting he even disappointed himself. mitt romney herself bailing out of the trait but what detroit go bankrupt does not play well and ohio. republicans have to win ohio >> but the race is close. >> the "washington post" at al the article where there

is said gm plant references that with the street signs it looks like it is leaning towards the romney. even an ohio there is doubt to beginning to creep been of the car company itself. >> final thoughts? >> it has been obama's strongest issue it is starting to soften. >> if he comes back for that bailout of gm he would be president of the united states. he would carry ohio. neil: we are done. we have covered them all. market reaction. insight. tweets. your money. your broke. all on the line until the big finish. two weeks. 0t[h7

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