bee happy. bee healthy. >> this is "the chris matthews show." >> ask not what your country can do for you. >> tear down this wall. >> i can hear you. >> a time for change has come! chris: 2/3 of americans especially women worried that their children won't have the lives that they have. will these kids have a better chance in the man from maine is in charge? the winning formula to send your sons and daughters on the road to success. right to change your mind. does karl rove think that women who voted for obama last time may be ready to abandon him this time? from the looks of his $10 million ad campaign, he figures females are morphicle than men. is that a smart bettor more of an insult. out of uniform, memorial weekend, the first since world

war ii when both presidential candidates avoided military service. with the cold war behind us, the threat from the soviets, is this the look from the future. hi, i'm chris matthews. welcome to the show. with us today, joe klein, kasie hunt, helene cooper and major garrett. first up, the country is worried about the future, jobs aren't on the swup swing. europe is risking our retirement savings. big majority say we're on the wrong track. that story has been brewing for a while. what is new this week is that president obama and mitt romney are going at it over who is best qualified to deal with it. >> if your main argument is i know how to grow the economy is i know how to make a lot of money for investors, then you're missing what this job is about. >> the president's experience has been exclusively in politics and as a community organizer. both of those are fine areas of

endeavor. right now we have an economy in trouble. chris: a new poll shows the country fears the problems are greater than the usual ups and downs of the business cycle. 2/3 say their children will not live as well as they have. looking inside those numbers. 72% of white women, a group that many believe is the most crucial swing group out there think their kids won't live as well. here is a romney ad by karl rove's superp.a. c. >> i always loved watching the kids play basketball. i still do, even though things have changed. it's funny, they can't find jobs to get their career started and i can't afford to retire and now we're all living together again. i supported president obama because he spoke so beautifully. obama added almost $16,000 in debt for every american. how will my kids pay that off when they can't even find jobs. chris: it's getting pretty hot

right now. why are they raising it's stakes and going at it head-to-head this week so hard when we're so many weeks ahead of the election? >> the obama campaign knows that the economic news is not to be great before the election. it's mediocre. they need to attempt to disqualify romney now on the is central basis of his campaign, economic mr. fix it. if they don't and the economic news worsens for the president, then romney who is already close on the president in the polls has a structural advantage. go after romney now on a central qualification. if you can do that, then you follow up and say, if you think he is a harvard businessman, look what he would do with the budget and other cuts. you intensify that line of attack. if the obama campaign doesn't do do that, they miss an opportunity and allow the framing of the campaign to escape their grasp. >> you have been covering this week in chicago. suspect he saying i'm the only guy you got, the other guy is not qualified? that's a tough argument to tell the people they have no choice. >> yeah, it is a tough argument.

that's one that he definitely is going to be making in the next few months. president obama during that press conference in chicago was clear from the moment the press conference started. he knew he was going to get asked about booker's comments and he was definitely ready. he had his talking points laid out. he is said, look, private equity is all well and good, but the job of a president is not to maximize process, it is create jobs. the campaign feels that there is their best bet. they're not going to let up off of that. they think that is their best bet right now going forward is to paint mitt romney as this heartless private equity specialist who is coming in, tearing companies apart taking the money and running. that's in the view of president obama is not the way. chris: he threw a monkey wench into it? >> totally. the hostage video taking it all back. chris: let's go back to what the president is trying to sell here

and women, this white women thing. the pollsters see that minorities are with the president. liberals will be with the president. men are basically, white men are over to the other side, but white women become sort of the swing crowd there. and the fact that 72% are worried about their kids' future right now. >> sure. that's exactly what romney is looking at when he makes these appeals to women. he is trying to sell himself as competent. he is a guy you can trust as his ads say on day one and start to turn things around so their children have a better outlook on life. now whether or not romney can sell himself as that is part of the reason why we're seeing obama go after his record the way they are. they are trying to turn his greatest strength into a weakness. chris: interesting, joe, they picked a white woman, they're targeting who voted for obama the last time around. >> it would have been a really terrific ad if they hadn't done that hair more -- chris: what kind of hair was that? >> i was scared she would be

morphing into an alien or something. they have her concerned about the deficit, which is what white republican men are concerned about, not apparently -- she is a singlele mother. there is no dad there. she is concerned about jobs. chris: what did you make of mitt romney going with your colleague talking about how this guy is just a politician, sort of a political hack if you will and a community organizer. they love going back to that one? >> community organizer is a code word for organizing poor people to rise up against, march on the gated communities. here is the thing. it's true that it's kind of cheesy to go after romney because some of these companies that he tried to change failed and jobs were lost. the real argument against romney and that form of capitalism is that it was all about short term. it was all about maximizing shareholder value. and what the president's

argument could be and should be is i'm not about short term. i'm about long term. it's going to take us a while to get out of this mess. >> there is a theme that it's predatory. when people are anxious about being abnormal, do you want a predator as your president? chris: isn't it a fair shot, let the big auto industries die and brument, very libertytarian. let the market crush people. break a few eggs to get scrambled eggs -- >> reconstruction, a free market economist would put it. the other thing about the ad, the woman, a generic person. the ads are specific people with real stories who will put their names and their stories behind their tale against mitt romney. that's a striking contrast and i have talked to a lot of republicans who believe either you come up with real people or you yourself, mitt romney, explain what you were, why you were, and why does that qualify you as the president. chris: let me ask you about

women, the group of women, going after white women, most of them out there. the fickleness, you'll reform last time but you'll switch this time. there is no man in the house here. what is about this what they're putting together in that ad? >> what it's about is that mitt romney is really worried about how he is doing with women. that's the bigger issue. he has had a big women issue and that's what this ad is about. i dispute the idea that women is fickle, what is up with that? chris: they're saying you'll switch, you voted for him last time and this time it's up for grabs. health care and education, women and kids, women have a sharper focus than male voters. the issues of contraception have come retro, and the question of choice again, romney is on the wrong side of most of those issues. >> you are seeing him looking for ways to target women. he is on the wrong side of the

issues targeting women. >> the gender gap in the last month, but it's getting smaller. it was 19 or 20 a month ago. chris: he talks about the gender gap and romney is playing the economic piece of the jeppeder gap. >> that's where he wins on this, the idea of economic security. that's part of why the male figure was missing from that ad. he is trying to portray somebody who is inherently figure insecure about where her family is in the country and romney has to play to that. chris: i got to say that this obtain stuff must be pretty powerful with focus groups. it must really be working. once cory booker and the others came out, even steve radner who had attacked, even steve radner who had been obama's auto czar who attacked this backed down in a column in the "new york times" several days later. the obama campaign staff thinks this stuff is dynamite.

>> the focus group is incredibly powerful in swing states. they have tested it. chris: it works. >> absolutely. chris: we asked 12 of our regulars what is the most effective ads out there this season, the ones that are a referendum on president obama's record the last four years or present the election as a choice between two candidates. nine says presented as a referendum of the last four years, three say the choice between the two will be the better adment joe, you're with the minority here. you start. you think the choice ads will be the strongest? >> the main reasons is i don't think -- i have done 10 presidential elections, god help me, i have never seen a referendum election for the presidency. it's a chose. we're electing someone to live in our houses for four years. i have seen congressional elections like 2010 that were a referendum, but those are more diffuse. here you got two guys standing

up and people have to choose. chris: let's talk about that, last question of this segment. they're going to meet in debate. three hour and a half debates. will the president look at mitt romney in the face and say you're not qualified to be a candidate because you ran a chop shop whose purpose is to make money for the wealthy behind it? >> he will. the evidence in chicago, nato backdrop, dealing with afghanistan, g8 and the roaro, the president was presented a political question. he could have said no, it's not the time. he gave an answer. i'm going after him and will not be afraid. chris: head-to-head? >> there is no reason not to. chris: he says you ain't got it. >> we haven't seen romney go aggressively on defense. he is backing away from his claims that he created jobs. chris: winning the debate so far? >> that was a great point, major point. for obama to go straight at this at the nato summit where he is

announcing the end of the war in afghanistan, it means that he really feels strongly about it. chris: barack obama wasn't the first to hit romney on his history. newt gingrich paved the way during the primaries with ads that laid out the case with romney's company as a job killer. it's not unusual, notorious prison furlough attacks, the first bush people used against michael dukakis back in 1988 and picked up where fellow democrat al gore left off in the primaries. >> gore was trailing badly in the polls. he went on the attack during the debate. he accused him of being soft on crime. he let murderers out of prison on weekend passes. >> two of them committed other murderers while they were on their passes. if you were elected president, would you advocate a similar program for federal pen ten showers? >> al, the difference between you and me is that i have to run a criminal justice system you never had.

chris: needless to say that led to the infamous willie horton ads that demolished dukakis. "saturday night live" had him conceding it was so hopeless for him, he didn't want to waste any more money on any more ads. >> have i 30 minutes of prepaid none refundable network time. i could sit here and give you the same old song and dance about good jobs, good wages and the best america is yet to come. blah, blah, blah beings blah. but you have haven't bought it by now, why bother. so instead of speeches, i decided to throw a party. hey, my main man! >> willie horton. give me five. come on, give me five. >> hey, man, this party is great!

thanks for the furlough! >> it's no problem, home boy! i'm just sorry i won't be able to give you that presidential pardon. >> oh, that's all right, man, you tried. say, do you know donna wright? chris: wow, was that bad. when we come back, this is the first memorial day since world war ii with neither presidential candidate ever having worn the uniform. the old missile requirement for the presidency and "scoops and the old missile requirement for the presidency and "scoops and predictions," be right back.

>> welcome back. it's memorial day weekend, of course, the first one in any presidential year since world war ii when neither of the two big candidates ever wore the uniform of our country. beginning with ike and all the way through the first george bush, every president had been

in uniform during world war ii. with the fall of the soviet union in 1991, bill clinton beat george h.w. bush. when bob dole ran against clinton, he made the argument that vets make better presidents. >> there is something about serving your country that i think makes us better americans if that's possible. i think we're better. we understand, we appreciate what liberty and freedom is all about. chris: do you think that carries an edge, if you served, if you were a hero in war? >> i don't know. when i looked backs the guys in the last few elections have lost. >> george herbert walker. >> and mccain. >> a couple times chane. >> i think it matters in how you command. i don't think voters care about it as much. >> we're not under a threat -- >> it's still a calling card and those involved in war who run for office generally are successfully at the gubetorle

level. we feel that we're in a global war of economics, not militaryism. that overshadows some of this. and our military culture is smaller and volunteer. it's not universal an american experience as it was earlier. chris: mitt romney was on the defensive about his five sons' decision not to serve in the armed services. >> my sons are all adults and they made decisions about their careers and they have chosen not to the serve in the military and active duty. my sons are showing support for our nation is helping to get me elected because they think i would be a great president. chris: he was defensive, he weren't in uniform period, not throwing in the active duty thing. >> if president obama had served in uniform, it would be a much easier thing for him to be able to criticize romney. like major said, the number of people who have served in our military, the proportion of the electorate that have some connection, any connection at all to the military, whether they're serving themselves or they know someone who served is shrinking dra mat clip. the burden of these wars over the last now 10 years have been

carried by a very small percentage of the population of younger folks who are still coming into the electorate. i think there has been this gap since vietnam that with the end of the draft and now you're going to see more and more of these folks starting to enter the process and run for office. >> kasie is right. this next generation of iraq and afghanistan vets are not only going to have the military foreign policy credential, but they served governing small towns in iraq and afternoon, they know how to get things done. they're going to have a domestic credential as well. chris: well, when we come back, "scoops and predictions" right chris: well, when we come back, "scoops and predictions" right from the notebooks of these top

[ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories, america's beverage companies are delivering.

chris: welcome back, tell me something i don't know, joe. >> i'm about to head out on my third annual road trip through battleground states and so if viewers who live in virginia, pennsylvania, ohio, michigan, indiana, wisconsin want to put together a group of their friends or neighbors or co-workers, they can reach me at joe klein at "time magazine".com and i approve this message. chris: thank you, focus groups. kasie. >> i think obama is in bigger trouble in iowa than folks have recognized and we'll be paying a lot of attention to it in the general election. gay marriage is an issue. i think you're going to get a chance to see whether or not romney's economic message resonates in a place like that.

chris: they never voted for same-sex marriage. >> it was a huge stir. >> something totally superficial. i know why president obama does not like camp david. he hates it. we were up there for the g8 last weekend and i have never been able to understand why obama doesn't like going there. it's beautiful. the cabins -- chris: did you get to see it? >> yes. it was fantastic. everybody is going why doesn't he spend more time up there. no golf. chris: a putting green? >> it's all about the golf. chris: it's got skeet shooting and bowling -- >> wildlife. chris: that shows a limitation. i think it would be great out there. >> the super p.a.c. party u.s.a. that has put together the ads has done interviews by those who have lost their jobs. i'm told that the interviews that they have given are so incendiary, suicides, they are

too emotionally powerful to be used in television ads if they did them, they're afraid that there is a backlash. chris: we'll see by october how desperate. >> they're in the can. chris: when we come back who did ted kennedy and manageson rockefeller have in common. it's a several point that republicans are thinking about. be right back.

chris: welcome back, right now some big represents are deciding whether they would accept the request for mitt romney to run for president on their ticket. if they have ambitions for president this day, they may recall this fact. no losing vice presidential candidate since f.d.r. has been elected president. nelson rockefeller turned downnismson and so on which brings us to this week's big question. is this a historical coincidence or a real deterrent this time, joe klein? >> these guys think they're

immortals. any political role that exists out there they can break. >> i think it depends on who you talk to. i think there is concerns around marco rubio that hitching himself to the mitt romney ticket is the reason. >> they all want to be vice president. are you kidding? >> it was a concern six weeks ago. romney has tightened up. republicans believe he can win now. it's much less of a concern now. >> thanks to a great roundtable. joe klein, helene cooper, major major, torii hunter. thanks -- casey hunt. major, torii hunter. thanks -- casey hunt. we'll see you back next week.

okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours?