wonkblog.com or twitter or the facebook. that is "hardball" for now. thank you for being with us. "politicsnation" with al sharpton begins right now. thanks for tuning in. tonight's lead, governor romney's birther humor. he has been subtle and not so subtle in his appeals to the far right of the republican party. and today speaking at a rally in his home state of michigan, he ventured into the ugly fringe territory of this onry right. >> i love being home in this place ann and i were raised and born. ann was born at henry ford hospital, i was born at harper hospital. no one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. they know this is the place we were born and raised. >> no one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. the republican nominee lending

his voice in jest or not to questioning if the president of the united states is an american. attempting to dance out of it, mr. romney's senior adviser kevin madden said in a statement quote, the governor has always said he has repeatedly said he believes the president was born here in the united states. he was only referencing that michigan where he is campaigning today is the state where he himself was born and raised. but that's simply not true, mr. madden. mr. romney was not only referencing michigan. nor has he been reluctant to paint the president other on numerous other occasions. >> i just don't think the president by his comments suggests an understanding of what it is that makes america such a unique nation. it's a very strange and in some respects foreign to the american experience type of philosophy. >> our president doesn't have

the same feeling about american exceptionism as we do. that's he right course for this country. his course is foreign. i don't think he understands why our economy is the most successful in the world. i don't think he understands america. >> i don't think he understands america. his course is foreign. these are not so subtle nods to the fringe and it's been building for awhile. it's a page straight out of donald trump's playbook. just look at what he's been saying about welfare. >> going out and taking he's going to take the work requirement out of welfare. how in the world could he not understand the power of work, the dignity of work? the president is taking the work requirement out of welfare. yeah. i mean, we value work. we're a society which celebrates hard work. we do not look for a government that tries to find ways to provide for people who are not willing to work. >> this president doesn't

understand the dignity of work? he doesn't understand the power of work? what's mr. romney getting at? and today he got closer to the ugly voices of the far right. >> all we want to do is see this birth certificate. >> not with the piece of garbage obama provided in the 2008 election. >> i don't know whether barack obama was born in the united states or not. >> i cannot in good faith report to you that these documents are authentic. >> you are not allowed to be president if you're not born inside country. he may not have been born in this country. >> all the president has to do is show it. >> all i can tell you that the general consensus is he had produced a birth certificate. the question is is it legitimate? >> perhaps it's going to say

hawaii. perhaps it's goin to say kenya. president obama's camp responded today. liz smith tweeted mitt romney keeping it substantive and classy a la donald trump. says that no one has ever asked to see his birth certificate. ben labolt shot back quote, it's one thing to give the stage in tampa to donald trump, sheriff joe arpaio, and kris kobach but governor romney's decision to directly enlist himself in the birther movement should give pause to any rational voter across america. song of the day, born in the usa with a link to bruce springsteen's anthem. so here it is, august 24th, 2012, 74 days to the election and a moment that will stay with mr. romney until november. >> no one's ever asked to see my birth certificate.

they know that this is the place that we were born and raised. >> this is the gop nominee. this is the face of the republican party. joining me now is melissa harris-perry. host here on msnbc. and dana milbank, columnist for the washington post. thank you both for being here tonight. >> absolutely. >> happy birther day. >> thank you. i would say the same to you, but i don't celebrate it, dana. >> okay. >> melissa, it's not so subtle or is it subtle? what do you make of what romney said today and what he's been saying all along. >> couple of things. the first is we should just take that fact, no one's asked to see my birth certificate and pause on that. i think he's telling the truth. no one has ever asked to see his birth certificate. this is a man who has been running for about eight years. the vakt no one asked to see his

should make us pause and say why then the constant unabated calls to see president obama's even after he's -- >> if you really want to go back there. >> exactly. and i think that's precisely where -- first we want to pause and say romney has told us an awful lot about the birther movement itself simply by making that statement. i think the other thing we want to remember here is this wasn't a scripted moment. we talk a lot about dog whistles and playing to the base and that sort of thing. in an unscripted moment, a so-called making a joke, that's not so much about a ploy or play, that is a revelation about what the candidate themselves is actually thinking. so i think both -- it reveals something to us more insidious about romney's belief. it's not just he's playing to the right. it's that he, too, finds it kind of funny and amusing to realize we have taken the legitimate president of the united states and spent four years questioning his american citizenship.

>> and dana, the evidence of that that there is something my mother used to say. there's something inside of him that would think that was funny is that when we've heard people on the campaign trail say some pretty outrageous things, romney rarely if ever has corrected them. let me show you some examples. >> because of what this monster has done to this country. we have to have you as president. >> that's not a term i would use. >> we have a president right now that is operating outside the structure of our constitution. he should be tried for treason. but i want to know what you're going to be able to do to help restore balance between the three branches of government. >> as i'm sure you do, i happen to believe that the constitution was not just brilliant but probably inspired. i don't agree with all the people who support me. my guess is they don't agree

with everything i believe in. i need to get 50.1% or more. i'm appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people. >> but i need to get 50.1%. which in many ways is i'll accept whatever they want to say, whatever they want to do. and even implicitly go along with the president not being american because i have to get my 50.1%. >> this has been a constant problem for mitt romney. sort of it's his weakness that he feels like he can't stand up to the right wing of his party. that's why he's constantly playing the donald trump card and standing with that man. i think this is something slightly different. i don't know if this makes it better or not, but it seems purely that this was an accident that he didn't mean to say. there are many instances of this man's mouth working without coordination with his brain. if you look at it as a political matter, it does him no good. if he wanted to be a birther, he

should have done it during the primary. somebody who doesn't think barack obama wasn't born in the united states, they've made up their mind in this election anyway. you see his campaign running away from this quickly. this is definitely many the gaffe category. now, as you guys were saying, that doesn't necessarily make it a better thing. clearly not permitted. >> it could be worse. it could say this is how he really feels. it could, in fact make it in even more problematic thing. coupled with the fact, melissa, that he has surrounded himself with advisers that are closely aligned with him would allow his voices in the birther movement. donald trump, kris kobach, joe arpaio. so he's not just saying something or letting things go, he has put some of the most

birthers around him. >> it's about changing the rules. the rule in a presidential election is in the primaries you pander. you pick up, shore up your base. then in the general election you pivot. we are a few days from the start of the republican national convention in tampa. this should be pivot time, coming back to the middling with moderate time. this should be about getting the independent voters. they instead decided go all in on pander. the next four days are going to be pander. they have put forth a platform that is mean spirited, that is small. that attacks women's rights. you've got showing up today saying i'm staying in. going all in on birtherism. they decided they're going all in. >> but dana, whether he wanted to do this or not, is there a political point here to be made?

will this rile up his base or play to some of his far right base that will be in tampa with him? >> it may bring out some of them in number. they were there with him after the paul ryan choice. he has sacrificed any chance at having the high ground between now and election day. his campaign has been good saying obama has been unfair and distorting and reaching new lows. he's now questioned obama's legitimacy to hold public of president. you can't get lower than that. so he's lost the ability to take the high ground going forward. >> but in this campaign and i'm running out of time but i have to ask this. in this campaign, with birtherism such a high profile issue, what else could he have possibly been referring to when he said that other than president obama's issue of a birth certificate? i mean, there is no other -- it wouldn't even have been a joke

if we're going to call it a joke if we had not been dealing with this birther issue. why would he even bring it up? >> clearly that's what he was referring to, i'm just saying his brain wasn't working while doing it. there are birthers who claim if he's legitimate because his father was born in mexico. >> well, i'll leave it there. thanks for your time tonight. and don't forget to tune in to melissa harris-perry saturday and sunday at 10:00 a.m. here on msnbc. coming up, the secret billionaires boys club getting together for their own convention. secret money, secret meetings, and buy-in power. plus a tea party group is training operatives to intimidate you at the polls. the reporter who went inside their training session joins us exclusively. and all of that plus

spider-man is hanging out in your summer break. you're watching "politicsnation" only on msnbc. i am going to become facebook friends with our babysitter. no. these work, right? no. all right. mom! look what i found in the shed! no! no! no! ♪ ew! were you guys just making out in here? what? no! is it okay if i quit my job and start a blog? no. really? cold cuts from a package? yes. [ male announcer ] in a world filled with "no," it's nice to finally say "yes." new oscar mayer selects deli meat. the tastes you love and no artificial preservatives. it's yes food. throughout our entire lives.

♪ one a day men's 50+ is a complete multi-vitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. ♪ it has more of seven antioxidants to support cell health. that's one a day men's 50+ healthy advantage.

today we learned there's a group of madmen working to rebrand governor romney. well birther jugs just made their hard jobs already more difficult. oops. that's next. sorry, my liege. honestly. our sales have increased by 20%. what is this mystical device i see before me? it's an ultrabook.

he signed the purchase order. vo: with an ultrabook, everything else seems old fashioned. introducing the ultra sleek, ultra responsive ultrabook. a whole new class of computers powered by intel. [ "human" by the human league playing ] humans. we mean well, but we're imperfect creatures living in a beautifully imperfect world. it's amazing we've made it this far. maybe it's because when one of us messes up, someone else comes along to help out. that's the thing about humans. when things are at their worst, we're at our best. see how at libertymutual.com. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy?

♪ i so in love with you >> no one is happier or prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than the donald. that's because he can get back to focusing on the issues that matter. like did we fake the moon landing? jimmy, poda stands for president of the united states. >> he's the poda with the most-a. president obama's always been able to connect with voters. 54% of americans say he's likable. but governor romney, well, just 31% say the same thing about him. that's a 23% margin. that's a problem.

and team romney knows it. we're now learning of the plans -- the secret plans to pull out all the stops to help america meet mr. romney, the real romney. to really get to know him. because even though he's been running for president for five years, i guess we don't really know him. we don't have a sense of who he is. reports that the romney campaign is a symbol, a team of madmen. advertising hot shots to create ads that will sell him to the nation. and the gop convention will be used to quote, sell the mitt romney story in prime time. how about that? but here's something i bet won't get mentioned. the big money that will be behind the scenes in tampa. politico reports that the real action will be with the republican mega donors gathered in arena sky boxes, closed hotel

ballrooms and pricey restaurants around town. somehow i don't think that will get brought up by the romney folks. joining me now is eugene robinson columnist for the washington post. and an msnbc political analyst. eugene, thanks for being here tonight. >> great to be here, al. >> we'll get back to the big money at the convention in a moment. can the romney team sell a candidate who hasn't been able to connect with voters so far and he's been running five years. >> that would seem to be a tall order. and that's, i think, an objective analysis given where romney's likability numbers are now given the fact that the history of the primaries campaign tends to indicate that the more voters get to know him, that number doesn't necessarily go up. and in fact, there was another

piece in the wall street journal today in which romney essentially said all but acknowledged he's not going to win on likability. i think they perhaps would have a better chance of selling his program should he ever decide to come out with a program. or should he clarify those ideas? >> let me put you on that a bit. isn't that a real dilemma for them? he won't come out with specific programs. in fact, he's even say he's not going to specify. and he and some of his key supporters have conceded he's not the most likable guy. so what are they going to package in tampa this week to sell us? >> that's why you get your advertising hot shots. that's why you get the cream of the crop to try to figure out how they're going to package and sell a guy who has said basically that he doesn't want to be sold like a product.

he doesn't buy into the likability thing. he sees himself as a fix it, turn around guy. and that's what he is. and that's what people ought to vote for. yet he won't come out with the specific proposals that people can evaluate beyond old fashioned trickle down economic theory that never works. and that's not very popular. so how do you sell all of that? i frankly don't know. but maybe there's genius on madison avenue who's got a better idea than i do. >> one thing he does seem stuck on is the big money. there's a consistency there. and the big money guys will be in tampa. they will be given vip access to bundlers who have raised $250,000 or more. there's an outside pac party honored billionaire david koch. there'll be another lobbyist featuring billionaire sheldon

adelson. and meetings for mega donors by karl rove super pac and romney super pac. it seems like the big rich guys are clearly going to have a convention and an environment of their own. >> right. i guess they say that the best parties are always in the vip rooms. and that seems to be the place to be at this convention. but the republican national convention, let's face it, is never a display of populism and of kind of ordinary folk. i do believe from these reports that this convention is going to be exceptionally weighted in the other direction. i don't know how much of that we'll get to see, but we'll be looking for it. >> now, when you look at the fact just average people that we have heard throughout this campaign, just seeing them

constantly say he's out of touch with everyday americans. and certainly this perception of the big money events feed into that. listen to ordinary americans, eugene. >> corporations are people, my friend. we can raise taxes -- of course they are. every big corporation goes to people. well, maybe i should tell my story. i'm also unemployed. i'm running for office for pete's sake. rick, i'll tell you what. 10,000 bucks? $10,000 bet? i'm not concerned about the very poor. we have a safety net there. >> so i mean as clear people have said governor romney is out of touch. i've given a few examples of things he said that just reinforced their feeling with average americans. >> actually, we missed one of the greatest hits. i like being able to fire people. that's the problem.

i'm sure the democrats are going to play those clips over and over and over again. to counteract that he's got to go one way or the other. either really work on the likability thing or come out with proposals that are likable and specific. >> well, respectfully i don't know if they're going to play them over and over again if today's any indication. he keeps giving them new material. >> that's true. >> eugene robinson, thank you for your time tonight. have a great weekend. >> you, too, al. coming up, first lady michelle obama stepping up her role in the campaign but her top priority is in the white house. a look at the life of the first lady. but first a tea party group training operatives to intimidate voters at the polls. stay with us.

tex

here's my morning routine. gotta start the day off right. wardrobe. cute. then new activia breakfast blend.

a great way to help start the day. mmm... creamy lowfat yogurt with grains in yummy breakfast flavors, like apple cinnamon. its hearty, with twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt and helps regulate your digestive system. our morning routines are important, aren't they? new activia breakfast blend.

. folks, have you checked us out on facebook? the "politicsnation" conversation is going all day long. today our facebook family couldn't get enough of the first lady michelle obama. marla says she's a great campaigner because she's genuine and what you see is what you get. pamela chocks those skills up to her beauty and brains. liz likes her because quote, she's real, relatable, and has

been where most of us are. we've got a special behind the scenes interview with the first lady coming up later in the show. but first, we want to hear what you think. please head over to facebook and search "politicsnation" and like us to join the conversation that keeps going long after the show ends. this is rudy. his morning starts with arthritis pain. and two pills. afternoon's overhaul starts with more pain. more pills. triple checking hydraulics. the evening brings more pain. so, back to more pills. almost done, when... hang on. stan's doctor recommended aleve. it can keep pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is rudy. who switched to aleve. and two pills for a day free of pain. ♪ [ female announcer ] and try aleve for relief from tough headaches.

[ female announcer ] and try aleve ari'm fine.y, babe? ♪ ♪

♪ with a subaru you can always find a way. announcer: love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. we've been reporting on the right wing voter suppression effort for months now. everything from voter i.d. laws to voter purges. but now we're learning about a new effort to keep down the vote. a new report chronicles the rise of something called true the vote. a tea party backed effort to create a poll watcher network. during the 2010 election, the officials at houston received at least 12 complaints describing

over zealous poll watchers. the justice department began investigating claims that true the vote volunteers were quote, hovering over voters, getting into election workers' faces, and blocking or disrupting lines of voters. this isn't protecting voter integrity, it's the exact opposite. there's no integrity in suppression. now the effort is spreading. this texas-backed organization is holding special training sessions for poll watchers in 17 states. and boasting they have trained poll watchers in some 35 states. poll watchers? maybe. but there's no doubt that we must keep our eye on them. and what they're really doing at the polls. we must protect the integrity of the vote. joining me now is brendon mark, the investigative reporting for color lines.com who went inside

true the vote events in his latest report. and joyce beaty in ohio. thank you both for joining me. >> thanks for having me on. >> thank you so much. >> brenton let me start with you. you were where they train the poll watchers. tell us what you found out. >> at a lot of these sessions were a lot of far right wing speakers talking about the right wednesday agenda, a lot of obama bashing. the main thing they talked about is monitoring and watching. according to true the vote, people on both sides of the voting booth are up to no good. the people working the polls are subject to corruption and fraud. and the people going up to vote are also subject to corruption and fraud.

they believe it's their job to watch both sides to make sure nothing happens. >> at these sessions there's a lot of obama bashing. so this is not a non-partisan objective group. >> absolutely not. and it's not been since their inception. they helped set the republican party's agenda in texas and helped pass the photo voter i.d. law. now they're working to pass the law nationally, get it spread out nationally. >> now, miss beaty, the report on what true the vote about how poll watchers should do his job. he said bill ouren declared that his recruits' chief job is to make voters feel like they're driving and seeing the police following you. he aims to enlist one million poll watchers around the

country. how do you feel about people being trained to do this? >> thank you, al. we are obviously upset about this because this is clearly voter suppression. they're trying to intimidate voters. many of those folks out there helps us are african-american, elderly, students, and they're trying to intimidate them. one of the things we have to do is make sure that we educate all of our voters as we get them registered. and elected officials and democrats need to stand up. because we're faced with a lot. we have a franklin county election chairperson who is saying we must not accommodate urban african-american voter turnout machine. and that's because they are afraid that in ohio we make presidents. they are afraid that we will come out, we will turn out the vote, and we will re-elect president obama. so we have to do a better job of making sure we get all of our folks to the polls.

we remind them of how hard we have fought to be able to have this right and that's what it is. and true the vote is rob the vote. and we have to let them know this is a very mean spirited, partisan machine that's working against us. >> well, they're going to be in ohio this weekend. in fact, they are hosting a summit to train poll watchers outside of columbus. here's how they describe the event. the time is now to gain the skills necessary to protect election integrity in 2012 and beyond. join true the vote for a full day of training, networking, and inspiration from liberty minded front line leaders. what happens at these sessions, brentin? >> well, again, they talk about how to train their volunteers to do monitoring and watching of voters. and there's nothing wrong with that. poll watching is not illegal, but we also know that watching

and monitoring are not race-neutral verbs especially with our country's racial history. george zimmerman was merely watching and following in the neighborhood before that ended tragically. i'm not saying what true the vote is up to is going to lead to being killed, but we can see how this watching can lead to avoidable con franations. >> we're not expecting violence, but -- go ahead. >> but they're killing the vote. if you use that analogy of trayvon, they're trying to kill the vote. i think through what you're doing, al sharpton, and getting people on facebook. we have to send out the message and let our folks know what as they are meeting, we need to also meet to let our folks not be intimidated by what they're doing. >> now, i understand that the present secretary of state mr.

ustead in terms of voting in ohio, he's going to be there. and the former ohio secretary of state ken black well is going to be there. how do you feel about their involvement in this kind of summit, miss beaty. >> i am appalled our former secretary of state and current secretary of state would engage in such things as intimidation. they are elected officials. elected to serve all people. and just by the virtue of the past history of true to vote, it is unacceptable. we are angered by it. and we will go to facebook. we will go to the other elected officials and we will get the information out because we're going to do more than just be upset about it. we are not going to let them

stop us. we have been organizing with churches in this community. we have been organizing with our mayor and other elected officials. and the most important thing is not to allow them to do what they think they can do. and that's intimidate us. that's to keep us at home. we're going to register. we're going to egd. and we're going to turn out the vote. >> brentin mock, joyce beaty, thank you both for your time tonight. >> thank you. coming up, she's the president's secret weapon on the campaign trail, but michelle obama says her top priority is being a mom. ivillage's kelly wallace brings us an exclusive look at a day in the life of the first lady. look at those toys. insurance must be expensive. nah. [ dennis' voice ] i bet he's got an allstate agent. they can save you up to 30% more by bundling your policies.

well, his dog's stupid. [ dennis' voice ] poodles are one of the world's smartest breeds. are you in good hands? atct wi cme zoomseyo. chase scene netflix coming soon extra butter tickets swoon penguin journey junior mints movie phone

evil prince bollywood 3d shark attack ned the head 5% cashback signup for 5% cashback on movies through september. it pays to discover. we're back with a pause from fre political battles of the day. a time to rest, relax, and recharge. that's right. it's time for the "politicsnation" summer break. and we start with the heated roller skating race. the head of the pack has opened a big league and he's already celebrating. he thinks he has it, but wait. the race isn't over. it's a photo finish. we need our summer break super

slow mo replay. the skater in the white jersey comes from behind to win. kids, never show boat. you see what happens. all those running for office, take note. and we end the night with spider-man hanging out in poland. those subway riders aren't so amused. spidey goofs around on the escalator and sends webs flying at a local officer. he's having some fun, but not everyone's a fan. look at this guy on the train. he's not amused. he doesn't approve of just hanging around. and that's today's summer break.

what makes a sleep number store different? you walk into a conventional mattress store, it's really not about you. they say, "well, if you wanted a firm bed you can lie on one of those. if you want a soft bed you can lie on one of those." we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. welcome to the sleep number store's biggest sale of the year. not just ordinary beds on sale, but the bed that can change your life on sale. the sleep number bed. never tried this before. this is your body there. you can see a little more pressure in the hips. take it up one notch. oh gosh, yes. when you're playing around with that remote, you get that moment where you go, "oh yeah" oh, yeah! ... and it's perfect. right now, every sleep number bed is on sale. queen mattresses now start at just $599. and save an incredible 40% on our silver limited edition bed - but only while supplies last. once you experience it, there's no going back.

wow. don't miss the biggest sale of the year on the bed that can change your life. the sleep number bed. sale ends soon! only at one place: one of our 400 sleep number stores. ♪ atmix of energies.ve the world needs a broader that's why we're supplying natural gas to generate cleaner electricity... that has around 50% fewer co2 emissions than coal. and it's also why, with our partner in brazil, shell is producing ethanol - a biofuel made from renewable sugarcane. >>a minute, mom! let's broaden the world's energy mix. let's go. we're back on "politicsnation." by all accounts, this is going to be a close election. and both campaigns are looking for any advantage they can use to make their candidate more appealing and likable to voters.

governor mitt romney's wife ann will be prominently featured at the republican national convention. they're hoping mrs. romney will have the same impact the first lady has. her presence is a big boost for her husband. because of her enormous popularity. more than 2/3 of americans view her favorably. she gave a personal look inside her life as first lady in an exclusive interview with ivillage's kelly wallace. >> in interviews you've talked about this and everywhere about making sure the girls has as normal a life as possible here. do you feel like you've been able to do that? i mean, have you seen any signs where you think would they be better off in chicago? >> yeah. they have handled themselves. we are so proud of them. they are so poised and normal and decent and loving and all that. but we're their parents so i think we think that anyways. so we're always checking with

people. i'll check in with the teacher, how are things going? anything we need to know? any signs that you see? i just try to keep an open window of communication with teachers so if they see something we might miss at school. so we definitely know what happens at school is really critical. but, you know, i think it's working. i'm always knocking on wood. you know, i won't know until -- you know, until it's over. whether this was good. but they seem like they're okay. >> do you think women can have it all? have we gotten better about having it all? is it what you define all to be? >> i think it may be the latter. my experience has been i haven't been able to have it all at the same time. we create these false goals for ourself that are not based on

what we need but what we think others think we should need and we've got to get off of that pendulum, that little guinea pig wheel. i think what we fought for and succeeded in getting are choices. but if we don't exercise the full breadth of that, we're not getting it. and if we're not supporting each other in those choices we make. sometimes part of our problem is we're judging each other. we should be supporting and embracing all of those choices however they come, because what i do know is that life is really complicated. >> did you have any conflicts at all about that balance when you came to the white house about whether you were going to try to keep some type of full-time in our profession that you were in and still try to -- >> well, i knew it would be difficult as first lady. we just haven't had that

experience yet with a spouse, with a full-time. and it's just difficult. there are too many potential conflicts. i knew i wasn't going to have an outside career, so to speak. but i knew there was issues i cared about. i wanted to make the most out of this position as first lady above yaen beyond being first mom which is my first priority. but i knew this was a rare platform. i sort of have a responsibility to use it to the best of its ability. so that i knew. but i also knew that i -- like i'd learned before coming here, that i have to create boundaries around even those goals so that i protect myself, my kids, my personal development. that hasn't changed. it's just this venue has changed. it's still like work. i still have to protect that time. i have to carve it out. i'm still juggling a bunch of different things. there are still times i feel conflicted. that doesn't go away.

but i have learned and continue to learn that i've got to carve out the stuff that's important for me first. you know? so my message to women is be open. you know? give yourself a break, you know. stop thinking that there is an answer to that question, can women have it all. stop trying to answer it. you know? just live your life and try to figure out what's in your heart. and that will change every year. and you've got to be okay with that. >> joining me now is allison a.m. yu samuels from news week and daily beast and author of the book "what would michelle do?" . thank you for being here. you wrote part of her appeal is her authenticity. how has that changed people's perception of the first lady? >> i think they can feel that she's genuine.

they see her, they know she's sincerely interested in their lives and issues and problems. they know that's not something she learned along the way. that's who she is as a person. when people sort of see that in her, they understand this ask someone who can rilt to. they see her sincerity. >> she's also trying to be a mom to two young ladies. how hard is it to strike the balance? >> i think it's hard, but i think she said you can't have it all at one time. and that's true. she's very honest, straightforward. i think she tells everyone that her children are her first priority. she makes sure they're together and okay. then she goes out and supports president obama. i think they've done a great job with the girls according to all the people who know the ladies.

she laid that foundation for them early on. >> obviously she's very popular. how will her presence on the campaign trail shape people's perception of her husband, the president? >> well, i think as the first lady as his wife, she humanizes him. you see the kind of person that she is. you see her kindness, her sincerity. this is who he chose to marry. something about her in her quality resonated with him. you get an idea of who he is by the person he's married to. you feel like that's the person who brings that home. when he gets home, he hears her concern. he hears the issues that she's interested in. that has to shape in many ways the type of president he is. you get the idea of who the person is from who they're married to. >> you said she hears his concerns when he comes home.

things she has stood for is children obesity and helping veterans and military families. are these issues that play into the election as well? >> i think so. i think whenever you talk about veterans and their families and their well being, i think whenever you talk about the children of this country, their well being, i think those are issues that resonate across political lines. i think that's why she is such a smart lady. she understood what issues do i need to focus on that everyone can relate to and that everyone has a stake in. and i think we all want our veterans to survive and do well. and we want our children to thrive and do well. those are issues, that's why she chose them. long-term everybody cares about these particular things. she's been great at getting support for them. >> allison samuels, thank you for your time tonight. have a great weekend. >> thank you. you too. >> we'll be right back. i am going to become facebook friends

with our babysitter. no. these work, right? no. all right. mom! look what i found in the shed! no! no! no! ♪ ew! were you guys just making out in here? what? no! is it okay if i quit my job and start a blog? no. really? cold cuts from a package? yes. [ male announcer ] in a world filled with "no," it's nice to finally say "yes." new oscar mayer selects deli meat. the tastes you love and no artificial preservatives. it's yes food.

♪ home of the brave. ♪ it's where fear goes unwelcomed... ♪ and certain men... find a way to rise above. this is the land of giants. ♪ guts. glory. ram.

six months ago this sunday, a 17-year-old child is left headed home from a 7-eleven where he bought some skittles and an iced tea. minutes later trayvon martin was dead. and it wasn't long before everyone knew of trayvon's death. with reverberations across our culture. >> if i had a son, he'd look like trayvon. >> white people, brown people, yellow people, all over this country and the world is saying the same thing. it's a tragedy and it's a shame. and justice needs to be served. >> it could really happen to our sons. >> at the b.e.t. awards this summer, jamie foxx sparked headlines when he arrived wearing a t-shirt with a picture of trayvon martin. i asked him about it in a recent interview. >> you wore a t-shirt of trayvon

martin. >> of course. >> why did you do that? >> because i think what we should not forget is our children. trayvon martin was a child. trayvon martin was 17 years old. he bought skittles and iced tea and was on his way home. trayvon martin should have been allowed to go home. whether trayvon martin was black, white, green, red, brown, he is our child. >> and right is right and wrong is wrong. >> and i feel like that sometimes a big story will be -- it's a good story for awhile then we lose it. i just wanted to keep it on people's minds that trayvon martin is our child. because i think what's happening is we're starting to -- the fabric of our country is tearing loose. then they took the trayvon martin story and made it political and black and white issues. it's not. it's about -- it is what the

situation is. he is an african-american kid and of course he was targeted because of that, but at the end of the day, let's not make it political. let's think about our children. >> i remember like it was just yesterday when i first got a call from his parents and attorney ben crump. i had not heard of the case. when i sat with them and found that it had been decided in the police station in sanford, florida, there was no reason to bring this case in front of a jury. we had one goal. that was let a jury decide whether there was guilt or innocence what happened. you cannot have a policeman or group of policemen become the judge and jury of a case that has not been litigated. we called for the first rally. there was all of us rallying, probably the largest gathering to this day to h