in the final weeks too sharply, because the voters who are drifting from republicans are republican, college-educated republican, independent voters who might lean republican. if you partisanize the race too sharply, you may drive some of those voters back. so she has to be careful about how she makes her appeal in the final weeks, trying to get people out, trying to get people to vote, but talking more broadly about how she's goings to bring the country together rather than turning it into a >> dickerson: we've talked over the course of this election about message at the center of the clinton campaign, one of those hacked e-mails that came out this week is a conversation inside the clinton campaign back in february, her pollster who you know well, writes in one of those e-mails, "do we have any sense from her, her meaning the candidate, what she believes or wants her core message to be?" is that still a challenge for her campaign? what that core message is?

challenge for them, but it's completely overridden by the things that frank luntz just talked about. donald trump has become the issue in this campaign. he has made himself that. he has made himself the center of discussion. and that has overwhelmed every other issue. so even though she's going into this election with historically high liability in comparison to donald trump, she is doing quite well. >> dickerson: oprah winfrey tried to make the case for don't have to like her." that's not a... what do you make of that? >> well, i think the people... this is a binary choice. one of these people is going to be president of the united states. what people have concluded, and you see it in every poll, is that hillary clinton has the competence and then she has the temperament to be president. they have questions about donald trump on both those things and that's what's making it impossible for him to make progress. >> dickerson: david axelrod from chicago, thank you so much for being with us.

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go to boldpercent.com to join the bold percent for the chance to win a trip of a lifetime. >> thank you for bringing up my e-mail, chris, and i'm very clarify to happen what's in some of them. sorry. what, carol? i'm sorry. i thought i heard my friend carol. anyway, back to your question about the way that donald treats

[laughter] and that is how you pivot. >> dickerson: that was kate mckinnon playing hillary clinton from last night's "saturday night live." for some analysis on the real-life moments in the debate and more, we're here with "wall street journal" column fist and cbs news contributor peggy noonan jamelle bouie is here, jeffrey goldberg is here, we congratulate him on his new role he was just named editor-in-chief of the magazine. and ed o'keefe covers politics for the "washington post." we'll kick our conversation off from kate mckinnon. we'll run a clip of hillary clinton answering a question or not answering a question from a debate. >> well, everything i did as secretary of state was in furtherance of our country's interest and our values. the state department has said that. i think that's been proven. but i am happy, in fact, i am thrilled the talk about the

i am so proud of the work that it does. >> dickerson: that was a question, peggy, about allegations and proof in e-mails both hacked and also found through freedom of information requests of a closeness between the clinton foundation and the state department. she was asked about that closeness and her pledge to make sure there was no appearance of closeness, and she went and just talked about the great things the foundation was doing and didn't answer the question at all. in politics, explaining, you're losing. she decided just not to explain. >> that's one way to look at it. you might say that was avowing to the fact that she has no argument to make here that is going the really make you think, oh, there was no pay for play, and if those allegations are wrong. i did think it took a special maybe gumption is the word to say, and we know i have only

after all, that is what my state department said. that is like, you tell me you did something wrong and i say, oh, no, i didn't, and i know i didn't because me said i didn't. it was her state department. so what can she do but pivot away from something that i think is a serious charge that even people in your focus group were talking about. it's just out there. everybody knows what they think. >> dickerson: it's out come through the three debates in a much stronger position, so maybe she hasn't paid... people don't penalize her for not answering a question and donald trump helps her by taking the bait and going off and doing his own thing. >> right. i think part of the problem for donald trump in trying to capitalize on allegations of pay for play are really is with the scandals around clinton, you can find a similar problem around

out that trump also has a foundation, and at least our foundation helps people, his just seems to purchase portraits of himself and that dynamic exists for so many allegations against clinton or scandals against clinton that she can just avoid the question by turning it become on trump. and that's given her i think a real rhetorical advantage, even as voters still have a lot of questions about her honesty, her trustworthiness, et cetera, et cetera. >> dickerson: ot when she pivoted from a question asked about open borders, she went back and said, these wikileaks e-mails are coming from the russians and the intelligence agencies have said the russians are responsible and donald trump called her out for pivoting and then answered the russian question. what did you make of... he had first half right but the second half went to embrace russia. what do you make, jeffrey, of donald trump's... the safe space he creates for russia when he talks about russia and the fact

attack but donald trump is kinder to him than others? >> speaking of safe space, nothing triggers donald trump like a criticism of vladimir putin. it's quite remarkable to watch. we saw it the other night. this is historic and it represents a seismic shift in the way american politicians talk about russia. and large authoritarian countries in general. i mean, it's not entirely explicable to me, but generally the pattern in american politics side with small, besieged democracies over authoritarian superpowers. donald trump's sympathies seem to lie in a completely different direction. sometimes we do that well. sometimes we this that not well. sometimes presidents are criticized for not doing enough, ukraine and obama is an example, but this is not entirely explicable but it's revolutionary. >> we've had three debates. after the three of them, what's the final conclusion?

she did nothing to answer those questions about e-mails, about the state department, about transparency, and she seems perfectly fine with that. i think they have gambled that they're ahead by enough comfortably that that's something that can be dealt with when she's president or she'll have to demonstrate through her actions that she can win back the trust of the american people. but look, if she had faith and if she faces a stronger republican candidate four years from now, should she win, it's going to be very hard for her because i think a lot of the othe very well prepared to just prosecute her day after day after day. and it would have been a very different race. she got lucky this time frankly. >> dickerson: let's talk about the homestretch, peggy. the debates are over. the finish line is within sight and some states are already voting. where do you see the race right now? is it over? people are behaving like it's over? how do you feel? >> i feel like the surprises can happen. but i think we all agree that the trendlines suggest it will

you never know. and you've got to keep an open mind, and you have two weeks here. but i think it looks rather difficult for him, and i think for the reasons that frank luntz really laid out. he has at the end of the day done a poor campaign. he has not talked enough about the perceived problems, the problems as they perceive them by the american people. he has talked impressively and more engagingly about his own issues with women, with the rigged media, with the rigged risk. and, you know, it's... it doesn't make a good impression or leave a good taste. it should have been bigger than that. >> he goes the gettysburg to deliver a policy speech and the headlines that come out are "complaining about the rigged election." talking about suing women who

people are left with bad taste. he's not been able to ever stop being donald trump in that sense. that's the fatal flaw. >> what's striking about this is this is clear from the beginning. if you observe trump closely from 2015 or summer 2015 to the present, you would have predicted this exact course, but something like it. >> this is weirder than the exact course. >> but the general fact that trump has never been particularly interested in policy, never been particularly interested in talking about always is about the idea that he wasq unique force that through himself could make everything better, and the limits of that are maybe much more apparent than we would have thought they were. but that's always been there in the trump meth message. >> but he's had more than a year to learn how to be a passable candidate, not a really great one with a political gift, but an adequate one, and that hasn't happened, and i wasn't sure that

in that i think he has some political talent, because he isolated important issues to the republican base that electrified this political year, and we'll we'll -- they will have to be worked out by the republican party in coming years. >> i'm just saying that he doesn't have any of the discipline you would need to become president of the united states. even your relatively inexperienced candidates like eisenhower have 20 years of political experience in one way, sh a trump has none of them. >> except for writing checks, perhaps. >> dickerson: in our focus room, there was a lot of talk during the debate when donald trump wouldn't embrace the idea of an election outcome. in the know cuss group, we talk the people who are not necessarily trump fans. this is not a big deal to me. >> i picked up on a lot of that, too. i think everyone there who covers this saw it as a galling and really historic moment for a candidate to say that. but i am reminded over and over

supporters and people who don't like trump that voters across this country, a lot of them don't take him seriously. they understand that a lot of this is in their view designed to catch attention, which this obviously did. >> dickerson: i think ed who was part of your focus group said ultimately he's going to come around and he's just teasing it out a little bit. that's what a lot of people i think have thought. others like jeffrey think it's astounding and it's horrifying. and i would agree, it's unprecedented and really irresponsible probably of a presidential nominee to say it. voters that that they just don't take it seriously. >> dickerson: one other thing, trump supporters also say they want to blow up the system. they think the system has failed them some who cares if donald trump doesn't pay attention to the niceties of this system that fails me. >> new york i think this is an interesting debate about whether 70-year-old people can change anyway and whether this particular 70-year-old person can change. but i thought one of the truest moments of this last phase was

and donald trump could have gone anywhere with with that question, and instead he pivoted to making the assertion that ruth bader ginsburg, one of the justices was mean to him. it all comes down... this is the essence of who he is. it's all about... there's nothing else but him in this. he relates to the supreme court through the fact that ruth bader ginsburg said something mean. that was his answer. and there's nothing that looks beyond his base in that kind of answer. >> dickerson: peggy, 70% of the only way donald trump is going the lose if there is voter fraud. >> yeah. >> dickerson: what do you make of that statistic? they think the election is being stolen? >> i think a most interestingly, they actually do think that if trump loses it will only be because of voter fraud. look, the integrity of the ballot and of the voting booth as we used to say is extremely important if we ever really lose it as a country, we'll be losing so much it will be a dreadful trauma.

worry about. hacking is one of them. who might be behind a hacking of an american election. it's actually possible. so that is a problem. on top of that, look, america is a very great democracy with a long history of political mischief. you know people sometimes do things that they shouldn't be doing. have elections ever been stoleen? my gosh, of course. but one of the things republicans should be thinking about is that each state gos its own voting reality. most of the battleground states are governed by republican governors. most polling places are looked over by both republican and democratic stewards who are making sure everything is okay. i think this rigged thing maybe is a larger metaphor in certain areas, i understand that, but if you're saying this election is going to be stolen, boy, you better put up the evidence and put it up now. >> dickerson: and there is no

life, but not that it's going to swing the entire election. >> the most comprehensive study of in-person voter found that in one billion ballots cost between 2000 and 2013, there were 31 suspected incidents of in-person voter fraud. i think it's important to see so many republican voters have been suspectable to this belief because mainstream republican politicians have been arguing in support of very restrictive voter laws in places like income and wisconsin that there is persistent voter fraud that influences election. when you have republican elites argue this or never challenge it, for 15 years, you can't be shocked when the presidential candidate says things like the election is rigged, that people we again the believe it. >> dickerson: jamelle, you have the last word there. sorry, peggy. hold that for next time. thanks to all of you for being

>> dickerson: we turn now to the iraqi effort to retake the city of most federal isis. the terror group has had control of the city for two years. the iraqis are being assisted by american troops.

the region. defense secretary ash carter visited the area this weekend to get a progress report. the fight for mosul is expected to continue for weeks if not months. and it has already spread into neighboring cities. cbs news foreign correspondent holly williams is on the front line of the offensive and filed this reporter's notebook for us. >> watch out, watch out! >> reporter: reporting from the "frontline" in the fight against isis is sometimes us on friday as we witnessed a gunfight in the city of kirkuk between isis militants and a local swat team. [gunfire] you can see our cameraman and producer trying to capture the reality of this conflict without getting themselves hurt. the battle for mosul pits america and its allies against a

ships against suicide bombers. and the front line north of mosul on thursday, these kurdish fighters spotted a small drone overhead. causing panic and drawing a hail of bullets. it's not surprising they're nervous. an isis drone loaded with explosives killed two kurdish soldiers hire earlier this month. the u.s. military insists its role here is only to advise and assist the iraqi, but the line between advising and combat sometimes seems a fine distinction. members of the u.s. military are operating in this area, although we're not allowed to film them. we've also seen troops from the coalition, from the european countries, firing on isis. but even with america's help, this battle against barbaric extremists will come down to

land and control of their country. >> dickerson: that was cbs news correspondent holly news correspondent holly williams. and we'll be right back. and on this side it's tennessee. no matter which state in the country you live in, you could save hundreds on car insurance by switching to geico. look, i'm in virginia... i'm in tennessee... virginia... tennessee... and now i'm in virginessee. or am i in tennaginia?

>> dickerson: that's it for us today. thanks for watching. until next week for "face the nation," i'm john dickerson. captioning sponsored by cbs

>> announcer: this is the cbs "overnight news." welcome to the "overnight news." i'm elaine quijano. with the presidential election over two weeks away, the question of whether there will be a peaceful transition of power is dominating the campaign talk. republican nominee donald trump shocked many at the final debate, by saying he would wait until election day to see if he would accept the result. trump continues to insist the vote could be rigged against him and says he could challenge a questionable outcome. gop chairman, defending trump's position. he spoke to john dickerson on "face the nation." >> welcome, mr. chairman. is donald trump going to win? >> i think he will win because people in the country have had

he is the change agent. when it comes done to risk in the country. hillary has been tested, she has failed. she is the risky candidate. look at russia, uranium deal giving them control of 20% of the world's uranium. her pocketing hundreds of thousand on speech sz, libya, iraq, the mess she left there the what i am saying is she was she failed. she is too risky for this country. that's why she is going to lose. >> rnc 100% behind donald trump? >> he is the nominee, of course we are behind donald trump. this is ridiculous. like we wouldn't be behind the nominee. >> is the election in danger of being stolen? >> i don't.

missing here, but to ask a candidate three weeks before the election if, if they've laws are they going to concede? asking for a concession speech, no one does that. i think if it is a close election, if you lose by 200 votes in florida are you going to concede on election night. if you are at 260 electoral votes. >> he's not saying if it is a squeaker. he says it is being this moment. the only way i will lose. >> that's not quite what he is saying. what he is saying, he wants to reserve all options. if there is ground for a recount, i will exercise my options. i know where is head is at. he is not willing to not concede, if he loses and there is no fraud. >> his mouth is in a different place than where you think his head. if he loses pennsylvania, a state republicans haven't won since 19 -- >> if losing by 100 votes. losing by 100,000 is a different

>> here is why i ask, not just the media. south carolina governor says, this election is not rigged. it is irresponsible to say that it is. so is nikki haley right or donald trump right? >> there are two people saying two different things. if you are donald trump and you see the barrage and media implosion on every single thing this guy does, no matter what it is. he heats corn flakes in the morning, cnn or another cable show, msnbc is talking about it ou if you look at hillary clinton. what she got away with on the e-mail scandal. when you have general cartwright going potentially to prison for doing 1/10. i am trying to put you in the mind of a person running for president. sees this unbelievable world around him. then you do ear about fraud at the ballot box. you say, you know what, i'm going to reserve all options. that's what he is saying. >> reserving options different than saying. >> than saying it is going to be stolen. >> difference.

where he is at. >> would you advise him as republican party chair, make the distinction clear, otherwise you incite followers to think this election is being stolen from them, that's dangerous. >> he did. do that. he did do that. >> he is still talking about the election being stolen. >> i don't mean his response to the debate. in general when he says the election is rigged. >> i think he is also trying to tell his folks to, watch out for this fraud that might occur. but look, it's not, i'm telling you, we know this is not millions of people. but what we are talking about are things like, if you look at the milwaukee police report that came out about six years ago. milwaukee police department put out a 70 page report on elect, fraud in milwaukee. this wasn't the republican party. what i am telling you this is real. let's not, let's not. >> absolutely. >> lot's not go down the road like this is a figment of people's imagination. >> the milwaukee police report, they found fraud, not enough to

>> but if you lose by 100 votes it might be. >> right. >> anyway, let's move on, mr. chairman. because i, i want to ask you last time you were here you said republicans who didn't the support donald trump, who want to run for president in the future, might face some sanctions, some punishment from the party is that still the case? >> i think these are things we are going to look at after the election. we expect to win. i think unifying the party is something that is always the job of a chairman of a party. and all the people that are ed that for another time. >> but they're not under. >> they shouldn't worry about -- >> the point is given the choice between someone tried, tested, failed, can't be trusted like hillary clinton. some one that wants to change the system. all republicans should support the nominee. >> what if they don't? is paul ryan a good republican? >> one of the brightest stars in the party. great friend. smart, one of the most pure heart people i have known in politics.