>> msnbc will have complete coverage of the primaries all night long tonight. coming up now, "the ed show" with ed schultz. good evening americans, welcome to special election coverage of the republican primary elections in mississippi and alabama here on "the ed show" tonight. polls are closed in both states, at this hour, mississippi is too close to call, too early to call. and alabama the same situation. both states, too close to call. these contests are critical for rick santorum and also newt gingrich. both candidates are still trying to prove they have what it takes to compete for the long haul. gingrich says he won't drop out of the race, win, lose or draw. >> we stayed in the race for two reasons. i don't believe the other two candidates can beat obama and i believe this is the most

important race of our life time and i will not leave the field. >> meanwhile, rick santorum has taken a different southern strategy, campaign sent out a mailer to alabama voters highlighting praise for conservatives, including the quote from rush limbaugh. who says "i know that if rick santorum were elected president i wouldn't have one doubt any day what he would be fighting for, not one. and it would be great if he could get there." mitt romney is still trying to win any southern state besides florida. he's been trying to find his way in the hearts of southern voters. >> morning, y'all. good to be with you. i got started right with a biscuit and cheesey grit, i tell you, delicious. >> i'm joined by the host of politicsnation, reverend al sharpton here on msnbc and also the host of "hardball" chris

matthews. chris, who has the most at stake tonight as you see it? it would seem to me that newt gingrich is kind of in one of those proverbial must-win situations. >> he will never be the nominee of any party again. he's a yesterday politician. may be freddy krueger but this is close to his last life. if he comes in third, nobody knows what will happen. early polling don't tell us, we don't have information in america right now who will win tonight and among all the expert, so my question is, it's your answer, i think he has the chance to be eliminate and as i said on my show to join build dee -- buddy roemer country. >> at the doesn't win tonight, either mississippi or alabama it's ego from here on out. >> yeah, he has a strong cluster of states he has one in the panhandle of florida because of his racial commentary.

in georgia because of the home state advantage and in south carolina because he took on the media. he hasn't broke out of the contiguous mass in the southeast, at the can't extend it to alabama, he can't get any further out of there, so my bet is if he can't get in alabama his best chance in the universe, he has no where else to go. this is where santorum is correct, this guy can't travel. whereas, santorum, whatever you think about him, whatever anybody thinks about him, he has the ability to do very well across the midwest. i'm trying to figure it out what is his strength based on. all across that heartland. i think it may be the business you have been in, ed, radio. i think he has been able to reach people out there on the radio, that explains this extraordinary reach for a guy with no money, who is very far right on social issues. so we're looking to see why he's still in the race but i think he will be in the race after tonight, he can win next week in illinois, with good old cardinal george out there, even to the

right of him. you never know in terms of that catholic population, who listen to the cardinal. newt is nothing worth watching anymore, he had his ego trip. we on the center, left, on the center right, on the right, every portion of america deserves to see a good struggle between santorum and mitt romney. it's a good race for the country, the longer it last i believe the better. three people in a boxing ring don't make sense. >> reverend al sharpton, great to have you with us tonight. reference, how important is it for mitt romney to get a win? it's very important. i think if romney loses both it's devastating, if he loses one, it certainly is not helpful. he has got to try and make a case he can win the south. >> win somewhere in the south. >> anywhere in the south. and tonight is his opportunity

to take one or both. if he doesn't, it will be a hard argument that he cannot win the base of the republican party. >> if he wins either alabama or mississippi tonight, the breakdown of the vote will be very interesting. where did he win, you know, did he win in vicksburg, hattiesburg, jackson, mississippi, is the rural vote going to go to rick santorum what we've seen in all the other states? >> absolutely. the break down will tell the story, if there is a victory anywhere. what is very interesting is that he and santorum both left, so not only are we saying it's too close to call, i don't think they feel it's something comfortable, otherwise they would be down there ready to give their spin and rah, rah, rah. he's on his way to missouri and new york, he's not confident he will win. >> i tell you what, i think if mitt romney wins the southern state tonight, he will land the

plane fast and want to talk about it. no doubt about that. these states, mississippi and alabama had the largest percentage of evan yell i cal voters so far. 81% in mississippi, 73% in alabama. it would seem to me there is also a higher percentage of evangelicals in all states than 2008. 48% this year, compared to 37% in 2008. is this going to be rough terrain for mitt romney? it would seem to me, chris, if mitt romney were to get one of these two states tonight, this would be a big win with these high number of evangelicals. >> i think religion matters. reverend al, ed, you and i know the way the people say they think the president is a muslim. the majority thinks he is, the other 30 some percent don't know, they don't know whether he's lie about his religion, so they are out to lunch for the president of the they won't vote

for president obama. who will they get to beat him. they are weilling do outsource t to a mormon. like calling up india in the third world to get your computer fixed. you don't care who is fixing it, fix the damm computer. they are willing to vote for a guy they don't like or trust his religion. they have two roman catholics running and a mormon so the three cultists running, i have to pick one of the three cultists, to pick a guy they think is the other, the heretic, the muslim, what a strange stew of religious prejudice is at work here, they pick the guy they don't like to pick a guy they hate worse. >> you were talking about talk radio, i think that is exactly where they get it from. another thing is that 442% of voters in mississippi said defeating president obama was the most important thing to them.

and of these voters, 52% said romney was the best candidate. reverend al, what do you make of it? >> i think if romney pulled one or both out tonight it will be because of the electability question and i think chris hit it right on the head. they are voting against president obama, and they are voting for who they think can beat him. the question is is it enough for romney and can romney pull it out with just that? >> reverend, respond to what chris was talking about the number of people in these two states that think president obama is a muslim. >> it's radio. i think you were right and chris is right. they have heard this drum beat over and over again that he is a muslim. clearly that is not true. there is nothing wrong with being a muslim but they painted that picture there. here is a man when he ran for president the controversy was over his christian pastor. in a white denomination, by the way, the united church of christ, reverend wright is in, is not a black denomination.

so he is a main stream white denomination that was a controversy in '08 they've gone to a muslim. every day talk radio all day could paint such a lie in the minds of so many. >> in the 30s, they are not saying what he is. >> he may be lying. >> republicans in congress have done a great job keeping the president from advancing his agenda and improving the economy. here is a chart showing the difference in government spending between president reagan and president obama. chris, i want your thoughts on this. does this have an impact in the southern areas? if you look at mississippi, mississippi has some pretty tough numbers. $36,000 median income. 21% the poverty rate. if mitt romney scores well in mississippi, what a screwed up part of the current when it comes to voting for their self-interest. >> yeah, i'd like to ask a lot of these people what taxes has

president obama raised. >> cigarettes. >> just answer the question, please. the level to which the pr has gotten beyond the reality in the campaign. here is a guy they say he's a muslim, he killed bin laden. he doubled our troop complement. the guy that seemed to have the support of the service people around the world like you couldn't believe for a guy who didn't serve in the military himself, has achieved the goal of the war on terrorism, which is to get the bad guys, not to win wars in countries we would be better off out of but get the bad guy ts. he kept his eye on the target, been a good commander in chief, didn't he push consistent for a cut in the payroll tax, overcoming republican opposition, achieving that. he has been consistent about not raising taxes, in the reasonable percentage of the country under $250,000 a year. he hasn't hurt anybody but trying to go after the rich. it's always he ever tried do is raise taxes on the rich and that

he hasn't succeeded that. how can you blame him for the economy not recovering? >> he hasn't been a damper. we're still basically living under the bush economic doctrine of tax breaks for the rich. >> certainly we are. >> that is the regime we're under. it doesn't work and has been tr. >> you can make president obama has given the republicans damn near everything they have asked for. >> including giving them health care plan. the one they always wanted, they wanted the heritage foundation plan and he delivered it for them. so this is a re volt development he's blamed for doing what they said was the smart policy. cut payroll taxes, make people pay for health care, create individual responsibility in the country for health care, and i know it doesn't sound good to the left but should sound better to the right.

>> reverend al, if by some chance mitt romney wins mississippi tonight, if that happens, it will be the strangest thing, the state with the least voting for the candidate who has the most. >> well that shows you where hate and inciting hate defies all reason. as poor as mississippi and alabama, for them to vote for the richest guy who endorses the policies that reinforces their economic problems is absolutely throwing reason out the window, but if you are are driven by hate and bias and that is peppered by the talk radio hate radio guys, then you don't even think about the fact that you're suffering under these policies, you vote for the policies that cause your suffering. >> and both in alabama and in mississippi, the polls have closed but we certainly are not prepared to make a call on those races as of yet. reverend al sharpton, chris matthews, great to have you with us. thanks so much.

chuck todd is here with a look at the exit polls out of alabama and mississippi, and a look at delegate math, howard fineman on where the campaigns go from here. today, sarah palin challenged president obama to a debate. can you believe it? i'll ask stephanie cutter of the obama campaign to see if the president would give thaws kind of entertainment. rush limbaugh said sandra fluke was part of a white house conspiracy to take him down. columnist connie schultz is here to react. all that plus richard wolffe, e.j. dionne and terry sewell of alabama if the republicans believe the president is a muslim you're watching "the ed show" special coverage here on msnbc of mississippi and alabama we're right back. , minnesota. in here, the landscaping business grows with snow. to keep big winter jobs on track, at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone

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polls are closed in alabama and mississippi, and alabama the race is too early to call.

in mississippi, that race is also too early to call. more special election coverage coming up on "the ed show" tonight. chuck todd joins me next with the delegate math and later e.j. dionne and richard wolffe will join me for more analysis, stay tuned. hy you still feel the same. but your erectile dysfunction -- that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives,

swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. welcome back do special republican primary election coverage on the "the ed show." polls are closed in mississippi and alabama. in mississippi the race is too early to call, and in alabama, the race there is too early to call as well. of course it's all about delegates. and mitt romney has a big lead

in that category. but will any of the candidates have enough to win the nomination outright by the time the convention in tampa, florida rolls around? i watch this man every morning at 9:00, let's turn to political director chuck todd. i never go anywhere without checking out todd, i get the political base then. chuck, great to have you with us. looking at the exit polls in mississippi, you think the satisfaction with the candidates looked interesting, did it tell us anything different from what we have seen in the other states? >> no, it showed once again, you see where romney is actually the third choice, if you will. 58%, is not bad. but there would be more enthusiasm from base primary voters with either gingrich or santorum, i know in the updated polls, 65% for gingrich, 63% for santorum. it's up to 66% for santorum and

down to 58% for romney, but what that tells us is the same thing in ohio, if you recall, in other state there is more satisfaction with santorum as the nominee with the electorate than romney, even in states where romney can win that that happens. even in some of the states where that happens. it sort of just tells you romney is trying to -- it's not quite a square peg in a round hole but a recomme rectangle in an oval. alabama and mississippi more of the evangelical southern base of the party which of course is always more difficult for mitt romney. >> prior to tonight, romney had trouble getting more than 28% in southern states. >> that's right. >> can he get above 30% tonight? >> my guess would be mims over al -- mississippi over alabama.

one thing to remember about southern republican political parties, they are very new, in general. used to be for years there was most of these conservative voters stayed registered as democrats, and then voted republican in general elections, but stayed in -- recently and haley barbour led the charge in mississippi, mississippi is more of a machine state, if you will, old fashioned, there is a republican party machine and establishment, businessmen candidates can win there. the alabama republican party, i saw it last year in 2010, the new governor there was not the choice of the establishment, was not the choice of the businessmen chamber of commerce community, but he was the choice of the christian conservative, the religious community and he won in a landslide in that republican primary kwhen it got narrowed down to two. alabama is harder for the establishment to do as well there it looks like to me than in mississippi. so when you have the two --

what's funny, ed, you brought up delegates, the reason romney spent extra time in alabama than mississippi was because second place in alabama gets you more delegates than third place does where there isn't that same penalty for third place in mississippi. >> he's playing the numbers game. >> absolutely. >> playing percentages, the numbers game we see the delegate numbers on the board already. brings me to santorum, is there any way for santorum or gingrich to close the gap tonight? it's down to the math but the way it looks right now. >> at best i could envision a scenario santorum doing a little bit better, if he could net a few more delegates and close the gap a little bit. but i tell you, if romney does as well in hawaii as he has been doing in the other non-contiguous territories and states and areas, virgin eisla s

islands, guam, romney could end up with the most delegates, he could lose two states and have the most delegates at the finishes second in both. we talked about mitt romney must win a southern state, there is truth to that. rick santorum has to beat romney somewhere not in the south, right? he has to beat him somewhere in a primary where there is not a dominating evangelical base, he has to beat him in illinois in order to keep this viable and going. >> i want your take on this, where does the gingrich camp go from here tonight if they are 0-for-2? >> what it's 0-for-2, third place in both, a trickle of delegates. it's the glen gary, glen ross rule in alabama. first place you get the cadillac. second place the steak knives, third place you're fired. in alabama the way the delegate math works, congressional districts he would get maybe a few for state-wide vote and possibly none for any congressional districts he finished third in.

that would be a problem for him and i think it becomes do illinois conservatives consider him a viable candidate that will be the question i think less for us and more for those illinois conservatives next tuesday will they consider him, certainly he's helped mitt romney tonight, i think that is for sure. >> chuck todd, always a pleasure, great to have you with us. >> thanks, ed. up next, howard fineman on the latest from the campaigns. and republicans are hammering the president on gas prices. will this matter in november? i'll ask stephanie cutter of the obama campaign you're watching "the ed show" special coverage of the alabama and mississippi primaries, we're back. copd makes it hard to breathe,

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welcome back to special republican primary election coverage on "the ed show." polls in mississippi and alabama are closed. in mississippi it's too early to call. mitt romney hoping to win one of these southern states tonight. in alabama, it's also still too early to call. rick santorum obviously wants to stay in the hunt. a victory in one of these primaries tonight could be crucial for the santorum campaign. for more on all that, let's turn to howard fineman, nbc political analyst and editorial director of the huffington post. have you checked in with the campaigns, what are you hearing? >> i have checked in with them. here is my sense of it, the romney campaign is weary but relieved because they think they

will do pretty well especially in mississippi. i think the -- i know the santorum campaign is defiant and fef feisty, they think they will do well in alabama. the gingrich campaign is a little bit desperate and one might say self-delusional. they put out a big memo how newt can win the whole thing, they put it out in advance of what they were expecting to be less favorable results than they originally anticipated. >> how would newt gingrich move forward if he does not score well tonight? let's say he finishes third in both mississippi and alabama. how does he move forward? >> chuck raised that possibility i think it's a real one, and i think what the gingrich campaign is saying is they looked at the math, they believe they can pick up delegates elsewhere, they believe it's a long process, they believe somehow or other newt gingrich will gain momentum

as time goes on but it's difficult to see how that would be the case. he needed to argue that victories in these deep south states which after all in a way is the home of the modern republican party that ronald reagan built, meant that he was the kwiquintessential republica candidate. if he can't prove it tonight, he doesn't have much money in his campaign, he still has support from sheldon adelson, the ad everlson family he can get independent pac support going forward. i think people will begin to question exactly what his motives are, if he does poorly tonight. >> that would be just throwing good money at bad outcomes if he doesn't do well tonight. >> by the way, ed, sheldon adelson said if newt were to drop out he's perfectly, he, adelson is willing and eager to support mitt romney. >> so the question will be to newt gingrich tonight if he doesn't fare well, what is your

mission now? why would the romney camp not position itself to give a speech tonight, you said they are feeling pretty good about what is happening. why wouldn't they want to talk about even scoring well in a southern state? >> well, because they don't want another round -- every time they do that, everybody says yeah, but. everybody says well, you did this, but. this would be i think this will turn in another yes, but evening. >> sure. >> now, originally people are saying mitt romney can't do anything in the south, look he hasn't won the northern part of florida not getting evangelicals, has a hole in the donut, what will he do? he might win one of these two states. he might well win but it will be a yes, but situation because it's possible santorum will win the other. big victory lap speeches haven't done it for mitt romney. he'll wait to give a big victory speech in one of these events when he's pretty sure that

everybody, including the establishment of the republican party, and the media, are going to give him credit for it. >> or who knows, maybe he doesn't want to comment on away games after they are over. let's talk about rick santorum for a moment. >> yes. >> this guy has won in rural america. if you look at every single state that santorum has been in, he has fared extremely well, that carried him over the top in all his victories. turnout in rural area it would seem to me would be very important for rick santorum, in alabama and mississippi, and how does he spin the results at the happens to get one of these states tonight? >> i think he will -- i know from talking to his people, they will say this is a two-person race. we wish newt gingrich would get out, but if he doesn't get out, so what, this is a two-person race. and even though we were outspent, the santorum people say, four or five-to-one in

mississippi and alabama, people took us in their hearts, especially in alabama we're in it for the long haul. they have enough money, they're up in television advertising, they run a lean operation, they're in it for the long haul. the mathematics is still difficult for mitt romney. i think what will happen tonight if he wins one of these states is you will hear a lot of establishment types such as they are, saying let's end it, but rick santorum will have none of it. >> howard fineman, great to have you with us, thanks so much. thank you, ed. rush limbaugh says sandra fluke is part of a white house conspiracy to take him down. columnist connie schultz is here with reaction. terry sewell of alabama will tell us what is happening with the voters in her state. this is special election coverage of the alabama-mississippi mississippi primaries on msnbc. we're right back.

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welcome back to special republican primary election coverage here on "the ed show" tonight. polls are closed in mississippi and alabama. in mississippi, it remains too early to call. mitt romney looking for a win in the deep south, in alabama it's also still too early to call. rick santorum probably hoping newt gingrich will finally drop his bid for the nomination. so he can have a real contest with mitt romney. i'm joined tonight for the discussion by congress woman terry sewell of alabama and connie schultz, columnist for the cleveland plain dealer, great to have you with us tonight. congress woman, what is most important to alabama voters, whether they are republican or democrat? what do alabama folks, what are they concerned i about?

>> ed, thank you for inviting me. i voted early this morning in alabama and flew to dc, and i have to tell you that what alabamans are concerned about and that is bread and butter issues. we want jobs and opportunities and get the economy back on track. and so i really think that what we will see tonight is people are going to be voting from their pockets, frankly. i know that the alabama has a bunch of evan yegelical republicans, may be concerned about ideological issues, i think all alabamans are concerned with what the rest of the country is. >> connie, if romney is able to win one of these southern states, what does it tell us about his campaign? this would be his first win in the south. >> ed, i was in alabama last week, i was -- i'm with a creator syndicate, i'm in the

dothan eagle, i was talking to students at jacksonville state university, people showed up for a big lecture, most of them you can't argue, it was a very civil audience, very friendly, i did not hear any of this stuff that this supposed poll is saying about alabamans thinking the president -- questioning his religion, what they were saying is they are unhappy with mitt romney but if they want to beat president obama that is probably who they will go for. the candidates are making fools for themselves. i talk to two editors, bill perkins with the eagle, and then bob davis, with the other paper and they said romney is not connecting with voters down there because it's not talking like them. newt gingrich showed up at an event and said to several hundred people when he greeted them enthusiastic initially

audience looked like everybody was all the shoppers were out of walmart showed up for his event. that is a stunning insult to people in an audience. i don't know what they are thinking. >> thhe can't even get the facte have cheese grits, not cheesey grits. >> let's talk about rick santorum, if he winds up doing well with women voters in alabama. congress woman will that surprise you? >> well, in some ways yes. because i know that ultimately we as alabamans care about what the nation cares about is jobs. i can't speak for our state republican-led legislature which is hell bent on having ideological debates and not getting bread and butter issues, they have a first time in the 137 years the state legislature is controlled by the republicans, they have a great opportunity to really forge on bread and butter issues of the

economy and instead they are doing ideological issues and i -- they are farther from the truth about that. >> as far as santorum is concerned as we reported earlier in the broadcast tonight, santorum had a comment from rush limbaugh put out in one of his mailers. limbaugh thinks the sandra fluke part of this controversy that has taken place is part of a white house conspiracy. here it is. >> anita dunn, obama's former advisor is the pr firm for "game change" and sandra fluke. all part of a plan. it's not accidental. none of this stuff just happened, whoa, look over there what happened. it's all orchestrated. >> well, maybe tonight's contests are not a true indication but how will this controversy play out through the rest of the election connie, what do you think? >> what an insulting thing to say to that young woman and

about young women across the country. as if she couldn't have had a mind of her own and stepped up and decided she needed to speak out. and that santorum i thought had a great line he said he feels like he's running a marathon while breathing through a sizzle stick. there is not enough oxygen getting to his head. in alabama i had young women want to talk to me out outraged they were over rush limbaugh's comments. you know what his problem is? he's seeing the end. he's seeing the end and it's scaring him and not having the defenders he once had but i'm waiting for all the candidates to act like fathers and denounce what he was saying. >> i have to ask you, congress woman, will the women's vote in alabama have a good chance going to president obama, will this issue make a difference in your state? >> i do believe the issue makes a difference for women voters, whether democrats or republicans. at the end of the day it's quite offensive that they would think there is some sort of left wing

conspiracy with respect to this issue when it's a settled issue that the right to privacy, constitutional rights of women, we should not as a government be interfering with women's health. that is a battle we've already fought and frankly won, and to be harkened back to those days is unacceptable. >> terry sewell of alabama and connie schultz, thank you for joining us tonight. appreciate it so much. coming up, today the president got tough on china, in the rose garden. sarah palin challenged him to a debate. stephanie cutter of the obama campaign will give us her thoughts. you're watching special election coverage of the primaries in alabama and mississippi on "the ed show." stay tuned. [ beeping, ticks ] and when their devices are powered by a battery, there are athletes everywhere who trust duracell

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thanks for joining us tonight on msnbc, welcome back to special election coverage of the republican primary elections in alabama and mississippi. here on "the ed show." polls are closed in both states, and both states it is still too earl throw call -- early to call. >> i'm joined by stephanie cutter, welcome. >> thanks for having me. >> out of entertainment and curiosity i'm stunned sarah palin wants to debate the president of the united states. now if that wouldn't be good entertainment, i don't know what would be. >> yeah. >> obviously the president isn't going to debate sarah palin, maybe this is her opportunity to

probably get street credibility back with people after such a devastating display in "game change" but what is the reaction from the obama campaign from that request? >> well, to be honest, ed, until you told me, we didn't know it had happened. so i appreciate her wanting to debate the president. i think he has a couple other things on his plate. call steve schmidt and see if he thinks it's a good idea. i did enjoy "game change" thank you for informing me of that request. >> the latest new york times poll shows that the majority of americans believe that the president can do something about gas prices. now, how does this change the approach whether you see some erosion in the polls and popularity and you see the american people that the president can do something, where does that leave you? >> it means we have to continue doing all we can to reduce this country's dependence on foreign oil. that what is the president is doing out there every single day, we have some real

accomplishments under our belt. reducing our imports to the lowest point in 16 years. doubling our renewables, since the president took office. doubling fuel efficiency standards in cars. these are things the american people know have happened, they know the president is fighting to protect consumers at the pump. if you look at that compared to what is happening on the other side where at most it's drill, drill, drill. and at best it's really just blaming the president. where were they four years ago when gas prices were over $4? it wasn't george bush's fault. >> do you feel you're making strong enough case to the american people that wall street has a lot to do with the price? >> well, the president has put out a task force on oil speculators, it's something that the white house does watch. you know, it's something that we need to keep an eye on. it's something in fact dodd-frank does a lot about to insure that we're keeping in

speaki respect -- inspectors on the ground. those that want to repeal it, they are not doing anything about it. >> the united states is bringing a new trade case against china. this of course is big with the labor and middle class, and this is all about over the reported hoarding of rare earth materials. >> right. >> this is about i think certainly creating a level playing field in industries like hybrid vehicles and advanced technology and battery development. the president spoke about this earlier today, here it is. >> we want our companies building those products right here in america. but to do that american manufacturers need to have access to rare earth materials which d which china supplies. if they would let the market work on their own we would have no objections. their policies are preventing that from happening. they go against the rules they agreed to follow. >> this is where mitt romney has really hit the white house

claiming that he would be tougher on china. does this have any real answers to our trade imbalance, would this make a big difference? >> the trade enforcement? i think everything matters, which is why the president brought the cases. at twice the rate that george bush did. i find it we were talking what is entertaining at the beginning of the interview, i find it entertaining mitt romney is hitting the president on trade enforcement against china. was that before mitt romney difficult vested million dollars in china or after he divested a million dollars in china. he did that before he flip-flopped on the trade enforcement policy. i find it entertaining. >> the media has not given a lot of attention to the trade deficit with china, and the obama administration you have hit them on tires. >> absolutely. >> this has been a big deal. >> absolutely. in a record enforcement case, against china, let's remember what mitt romney wrote about in

his book, that he said that the president's trade enforcement on tires against china was bad for american business. he's singing a different tune now. that was a significant enforcement action that had real ramifications. we're glad mitt romney agrees with us on holding china accountable, we wish he was there a few years ago. >> stephanie cutter, great to have you with us tonight. >> thanks, ed. we have a change in characterization in both race. in alabama and mississippi, nbc says it's too close to call and still a three-way race between romney, santorum and gingrich. in both alabama and mississippi. next, mitt romney had trouble courting middle class voters in the past. how did he fare in tonight's primaries? i'll ask e.j. dionne and richard wolffe you're watching special election coverage here on msnbc. stay tuned. [ ringing ]

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up next, richard wolffe and e.j. dionne join me for analysis of the alabama and mississippi pr primaries. you're watching msnbc. we're right back. [ male announcer ] that. right there -- reminds you why you fell in love with her in the first place. and why you still feel the same. but your erectile dysfunction -- that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach,

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that is a story. let's turn to political analyst richard wolffe and contributor e.j. dionne. great to have both of you with us tonight. >> good to be with you. >> richard, it's a horse race in both states. >> yeah, look, obviously too close at this stage. the danger for mitt romney it becomes too close even at the end of the night. even with a win i know people are saying if he wins one it will be great for him. the problem for him moving forward he constantly has to prove that he's really truly conservative enough and a squeaker here at this point for him doesn't lay any of that to rest. so a president romney would still obvious a very short leash. he has to make promises now to get the nomination that people will keep him to. that is not what you want moving forward when you want to attack back to the center. >> if mitt romney wins one of these two states tonight, wouldn't it give some hutspah to his fund-raiser, saying if you

support our guy we can win more southern states. what about that? >> i think it would be pretty big if he won one of these states but why is he in contention at all? he shouldn't even be in contention in alabama and mississippi, these are two of the most conservative states in the union. the answer is because -- because newt gingrich and rick santorum are splitting the very conservative vote even. if you look at the exit polls, more than 40% of mississippi voters call themselves very conservative. romney is getting a quarter of their votes. santorum and gingrich running dead even that should be the base for one of them. the same exact thing happening among white evangelicals. if newt gingrich loses both these tonight, santorum will have a case to say look, if gingrich stays in, he's an ak agent of the romney campaign because all he's doing now is splitting the conservative vote. so i think the most important thing for the santorum campaign

is that gingrich not win either one of these things so he can have a clean shot at romney in illinois. >> richard, what would be the best play for newt gingrich if he did not win either one of these states and possibly finish third in both of them? there is many options left. >> best play is to be the king maker and possibly, possibly just have a shot at being a vp nominee, because in the end, he can actually vouch for some conservative credentials. he can add gravitasse to a rick santorum figure. more likely if there is a slim chance of a convention where mitt romney doesn't quite make it to the magic number that is where the leave age comes in, that will work if he bows out with dignity. if he loses both tonight that will be his challenge. >> e.j., what about the vote, very white, very conservative, also exit polling show they want to beat president obama to the tune of some 40% of the voters that were polled down there.

what does that say about them possibly getting behind a candidate? it would sound to me like whoever gets the nomination they will get a full push from the south. >> i think that's right. in other words, romney has been weak in the south other than the most non-southern states, virginia which shouldn't have a real race and florida. it won't matter in november in most of these states. if obama carried mississippi and alabama he's carrying the entire united states of america. but where it might matter a little bit is in virginia and north carolina, and the panhandle of florida in the general election. if romney has a bit of a turnout problem among the conservative base, that could help the president. but on the whole, the conservatives will line up against president obama. i don't think there is much doubt about that. >> i just think if richard, if mitt romney gets a victory in the south, it's real estate he didn't have and it takes away bullet points