it is super tuesday. i am chris matthews, you're watching special election coverage. the votes are in. we are looking towards november already. can mitch mcconnell be unseated in kentucky. what do the primary defeats mean for the tea party? live reports tonight analysis and key moments from the victory and concession speeches as well. let's get right now to the results. in the marquee race of the night, republican senate primary in kentucky, mitch mcconnell got close to 60% of the votes to defeat matt bevin.

allison lundegan grimes, takes on mitch mcconnell. in the pickup. alison grimes wanted to make it about kentucky. mcconnell wanted to make it about hollywood. >> my opponent is in the race because barack obama and harry reid want her to be in the race. there is a reason, my friends, a reason, every hollywood liberal is sending her a check. there isn't a dime's worth of difference, not a dime's worth of difference between a candidate who puts harry reid in charge and harry reid himself. >> let me set the record straight tonight for our senior senator out of touch with kentucky, president obama is not on kentucky's 2014 election ballot.

nothing about this election will change who is in the white house, but we can change who is in washington, d.c. >> see about that one. the georgia primary, no candidate on the republican side came near to 50% in that seven candidate primary field. which include three sitting u.s. congressmen. right now looks like, kingston will face david perdue in the run-off. in georgia, michelle nunn, daughter of sam nunn, won. and tom cotton will take on mark prioror. businessman, tom wolf, defeated, allison schwartz for the democratic nomination. wolf will take on republican tom corbin in november. lots more about that from me.

let's talk about the senate right now. the kentucky/georgia senate races are so important to democrats. right now democrats have 55 seats in the senate there are 12 states with competitive senate races this november. and 10 of them. see them there on the mark. the map in blue. democrats are playing defense. in other word, democrats in the seats now. they got to hold them. republicans need a again of six seats to take over the senate. to make it 51 for them. already, three states, montana, south dakota, west virginia. look to be easy pickups. nothing is for sure. republicans will need to net another three of the remaining nine states. kentucky/georgia in the red on the map are the only states where democrats have a chance to pick up a republican held seat. joining me is nbc news political director, chuck todd. chuck, i keep thinking this is precarious for the democrats. if they lose, they lose control. they need to lose three more out of, what, nine possibilities. anything is possible. and keeping control of the

senate, after november. >> look, it is tough. because they have expanded the map, colorado, iowa, six months ago. colorado, iowa, and michigan. were sort of ideas that the republicans had of trying to put the senate seats in play. but they really didn't look like they were going to come together. and now, all three of them, seem very competitive. as competitive as those red state democrats. we knew the red state democrats, that quartet of democrats hageni north carolina, and the good news for democrats, all four, three of the four in particular, are in as good as shape today as they have been since they won six years ago arguably. the bad news for democrats is mark udall is more vulnerable. >> yeah.

>> and in, in gary peters has not locked down michigan. so, you know even as democrats have improved those troubled red states in the blue and purple they'll have problems. so that's the thing. the republicans have all sorts of paths to their six seats. even if they lose mcconnell and georgia. >> i watched a bit there. show them the next block in this hour. of allison grimes and her victory statement tonight. whatever we think of her as a candidate. thought it was interesting how well she developed as a candidate she has said. she did separate herself from president obama in the clip. just seems to me, by saying he is not on the ballot, i am. what kind of message is that? why did she separate herself completely from the president. when you see mcconnell tying her to the president, to her father. saying she is against comb, -- against coal, why would she put the word out there, she is not obama.

seems moving away from your party seems stew me? >> part of that was responding to mitch mcconnell's speech. heard mcconnell's speech. part is math. simple math. that is, thisser to on coal, you know before, the last, president obama took office, democarts in kentucky use to do well in coal country. the coal counties in virginia, the coal counties in kentucky, usually voted democrat. and so if you look at the various maps that i have looked at in kentucky when democrats succeed, they usually actually carry some of the coal counties. so i think some of this is a numbers game, number one. but, other part of it, she is trying to, stand out on her own identity. i think what was interesting tonight is what mcconnell went ahead and did you. know what? i know they're going to run against me as part of washington. hoping what he is hoping for, kentucky will reward parochial

power. you and i know, years ago, being a senate minority, majority leader, house minority/manhattan leader. voters like that. that meant you brought pork home. stuff home. lately being part of that. has been a political asset. kentucky is still some what of a small state. and yet we saw for instance, look, south dakota, small state. they threw out their majority leader. i don't think it is the asset it once was. but i thought it was fascinating that mcconnell was willing to embrace it and say, if you elect me, you got a chance to have the majority leader. isn't that a big deal? curious if that is an asset? >> this may not be parallel. remember the way they said, how anita hill was some how a product of liberal white guys. really not, testifying, based upon what she had been through. what the chief justice or justice clarence thomas, somehow she was put up.

this is the same kind of language. [ indiscernible ] she is in the race not because she wants to run, barack obama and harry reid want her to be in the race. she is their pawn. he talks about, stuff, coal, he is putting her in the pawn position. then he has her talking as a child saying -- she's been practicing party politics since she learned to talk. in other word, sort of a mini-me of all the people that mitch doesn't like. that's going to hurt him? or is that just smart, old school politics, minimize the woman's independence, say she is not the right person, and that will work with men. >> if you were running against a male candidate, that were 37 years old. he would say the same thing. mitch mcconnell would be doing it. candidate x is a pawn of obama and reid. you are seeing similar message points with other democrats,

incumbents or not. you bring up an important point. i do think he has got to be more careful here. she is, you saw she was, she was very feisty about this. my opponents are calling me somebody in an empty dress. almost kind of saying, i dare you. i want to have that conversation. i want to create a gender gap. i want you to have that fight. i want women to look at me and see it as an attack on women. if that is what it looks like that will hurt mcconnell. >> to mcconnell headquarters where reporter casey hunt is standing by. you have been listening to the conversation. weren't you struck as a reporter watching the personal nature -- mitch mcconnell's assault on his challenger. >> the assault itself was very personal. his own speech was very personal. very rarely hear senator mcconnell talk at all about

personal stories. i will say when it comes to women they are very, very, cognizant of the potential for a gender gap here. very cognizant of the challenges of running against a woman canned day. the way everything was set up here tonight. was really focused on how senator mcconnell connect with women. he had his wife introduce him. she was introduced as one of the most accomplished women in america. he told personal stories a. but her. he told personal stories about his own mother. and, and the time that he caught polio. it is pretty clear he is trying to find his own ways to reach out to women. even as grimes is as chuck was saying out on the campaign trail really talking about how she is the person that can identify with kentucky women not mcconnell. >> is he going to make her pay for every dollar she gets from hollywood. i have seen this before in politics. nice to got money from left coast. if in kentucky is money from the left coast a good thing for the voter?

>> certainly a challenge. i think what might be more difficult its this idea that if she is taking money from people who are -- taking acttion against the coal interests in kentucky, you guys are talking extensively about coal country as well. that has come up also for many of these environmentalist campaign donors who are getting -- giving heavily to democrats this cycle. one interesting thing. mcconnell's team watching coal country. a nothing democratic primary going on tonight. but they're noticing that some of the other people on the ballot aside from grimes in coal country may have done better out there than they did in other places they see that is a a sign of her weakness in the area. what chuck said, different from what people said in the past. grimes talked extensively about unions in her, in her, in her campaign speeches. in her last dave on the trail. she talked about how right to work is the equivalent. >> that will hurt her. her coming out the right to work laws, and concern of state, a desperate move.

let's talk about, grimes now. is there any body in the state, younger people, people that root for the challenger. a young woman. clean as hell. good starter. put her in. a lot of power. 20, 30 years. the other guy, old coot. been around. he has his "sell by" date. she is a young woman scum paired -- she is a young woman compared to him. how much is that going to matter in that state? >> a young woman, fresh face in a place. senator mcconnell is unpopular, as unpopular as the the president. we talked to some voters in mcconnell's polling place. one said i am a republican voted in the republican primary. might be time for a change. that's where the bevin voters might come in. not as though all of the libertarian, tea party, republicans are going to be rushing to vote for grimes. even some of the polling shows there is a segment of younger voters who might be looking for

something new. that will be a challenge for mcconnell at this point to unite what was a very fractured, you know, primary, and, matt bevin spoke to that in his speech. saying it is time to sort of, put, push, the -- the water under the rug so to speak. if you want few listen to what he has to say. >> thank you so much. an editorial for action. young people in kentucky should vote this november, not watch television like this. though i love you watching. go right now. thank you, casey hunt at mcconnell headquarters. to the senate race in georgia where no one on the republican side got anywhere close to the magic 50% threshold you need in the primary system down there. looks like jack kingston. david perdue, headed to a run-off. winner faces democrat michelle nunn. a famous legacy running for the senate. a great prospect. nbc news's ron allen joins us from perdue headquarters in atlanta. really close one there, between jack kingston.

establishment guy. 11 terms in congress. interesting race. >> against the classic outsider. david perdue. businessman. first run for office. spent a lot on ads early on. got his name out there. got out in the lead in the polls. stayed out there. you are right, chris. numbers here have been around 29% for perdue. for kingston, with, karen hendel, a little bit back, 19%. former secretary of state. the only woman in the race. perhaps within striking distance. sticking to the parameters. fulton county. metro area i am in now. historically, traditionally comes in late here. so that's what everybody is waiting for here. the vote early that camen was for kingston.

from the southern part of state. no surprise he got out from early. in front early. that's what everyone is waiting here for now. the expectation is that it is going to be a late night here. go on for a little while. before there is a decision. and we are definitely headed to a run-off. july 22nd. this is going to go on for a little while. people are dissecting what michelle nunn said in her acceptance speech. emphasis on family. she is from a famous family. emphasis on history as well. and her closing remarks. to her supporters. what she focused on. no secret where she is going with her campaign. who ever she goes against in november. >> was another woman breaking the glass ceiling, hopefully. thank you, ron allen. coming up, allison lundegran grimes wasted no time taking on mitch mcconnell's record in her acceptance speech. mitch mcconnell didn't men hergs name. more on both of them. a marquee match up in november. this one is getting personal. wait till you hear some of the things mitch throws out. results from democratic primary

for governor in pennsylvania. big surprise. looks like this guy won really big. tom wolf. watching a primary night special. at the place for politics. what i'm we arin i tell them aveeno®. because beautiful skin goes with everything. [ female announcer ] aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion has active naturals® oat with five vital nutrients naturally found in healthy skin. where do i wear aveeno®? everywhere. aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion.. and try the body wash too. aveeno®. naturally beautiful results™. nc wt nc ]o#2evaan®.t fl ies arat ou kouy yo

what is this place? where are we? this is where we bring together reliably fast internet and the best in entertainment. we call it the x1 entertainment operating system. it looks like the future! we must have encountered a temporal vortex. further analytics are necessary. beam us up.

♪ that's my phone. hey. [ female announcer ] the x1 entertainment operating system. only from xfinity. tv and internet together like never before. >> the kentucky senate race kicked into high gear tonight with fire from both senator mitch mcconnell and opponent alison lundegran grimes. the speech are next. alison lundegran grimes.

>> alison lundegran grimes told her supporters the race is not

about president obama but her in kentucky. >> mitch mcconnell would have you believe that president obama is on kentucky's 2014 election ballot. we all know that senator mcconnell has been in washington a little bit too long. [ cheers and applause ] so out of touch he can't tell the difference between a duke jersey and university of kentucky. let me set the record straight tonight for our senior senator who is out of touch with the commonwealth of kentucky. president obama is not on kentucky's 2014 election ballot. nothing about this election will change who is in the white house

but we can change who is in washington, d.c. and finally put someone in the commonwealth of kentucky. [ applause ] senator mcconnell, this race is between you and me. that's the name that appears on the ballot. and as you said -- as you said so many years ago -- it is my number one priority to make sure mitch mcconnell doesn't see another term. >> now, mitch mcconnell, he wants to tell you who i am and he said, he claims that kentucky will be lost if we trade in his seat for a kentucky woman who he believes will sit on the back

bench. well i'm here to tell you tonight my fellow kentuckians, i am not an empty dress, i am not a rubberstamp and i am not a cheerleader. i am a strong kentucky woman who is an independent thinker, who when i am kentucky's next united states senator, the decisionize will make will be best for the people of the commonwealth of kentucky. not partisan interests. [ applause ] as kentucky, kentucky's next united states senator, i'll answer to the people of this state. i won't answer to the president, no matter who he or she might be. as a proud kentucky woman, i

will speak for myself and no kentucky woman, mitch mcconnell, will sit on the back bench. we all know washington is broken, it's not working for kentucky. and after 30 years, it is mitch mcconnell at the center of the gridlock, obstruction and extreme partisanship that we see. kentucky is tired of a senator who proudly calls himself the doctor of no, the guardian of gridlock. i am running because kentucky deserves better. we deserve a senator for the people of this state. [ applause ] this election, it is not about party control, it is about two very different visions for the common wealth of kentucky. one, that wants to take us

forward where we should and deserve to be. and another that wants to continue to hold us back as he has for the past three decades. mitch mcconnell, he stands on the wrong side of every issue that is out there for kentuckians. when it comes to increasing the minimum wage, he has voted against it 15 times. never gone without a pay raise for himself. quadrupled his net worth on the backs of hard working kentuckyians that can't afford it. he says it's the last thing he'll put his name to. when i'm in the united states senate, my fellow citizens of kentucky, it's the first thing we'll put our name to. it is not a minimum wage. it is a living wage. and each and every citizen of kentucky deserves the opportunity to live the american dream and be a part of the shared prosperity. when it comes to the women of

the commonwealth of kentucky, while mitch mcconnell likewise is on the wrong side of every issue. voting against the violence against women act, the paycheck fairness act and lily ledbetter act. senator mcconnell, if you stand up to vote to protect kentucky's women against violence, you don't deserve off to be a united states senator! >> how would you like to go to bed at night know you are facing that person. so good. she is younger than him. may develop better. senator mitch mcconnell, and tied alison lundegran grimes to president obama. big surprise here it is. >> every day i fight against policies that make it harder for the people of kentucky. then there is my opponent. my opponent is in this race

because the barack obama and harry reid want her to be in this race. there is a reason, my friend. a reason every hollywood liberal is sending her a check. it's not because they care about kentucky, i assure you that. it's because they know as we do that there isn't a dime's worth of difference. not a dime's worth of difference between a candidate who puts harry reid in charge and harry reid himself. a vote for my opponent is a vote for a guy who says coal makes you sick. a vote for my opponent is a vote for a guy who thinks nothing of this state if he thinks about it at all.

a vote for my opponent is a vote for obamacare. and the president who sold it to us. >> mitch mcconnell went after his opponent's father. catch this. this is very personal for mitch here, mitch mcconnell. >> she is a partisan, partisan. who has been practicing party politics since she learned to talk. i mean, let's be honest. anybody who learned politics at the school of jerry lundegran will not be a model of bipartisanship. barack obama's candidates preach independence but practice loyalty above all else. and tonight i'm confident of this. those in kentucky will not be deceived. alison lundegran grimes is barack obama's candidate. they know it. and they'll issue the same verdict on this candidate that they have issued twice before on him. kentucky cannot afford to

empower the people who have been waging a war on jobs in the state for 5 1/2 years. so tonight, i ask every voter in the state off to help us win this race. and put kentucky first. >> well that was mr. coal right there. heard the references, jobs, coal, everything else making it scary to us. that's what it was bought. he will run against comb. and obama not necessarily his democratic, brand new opponent. we will talk what we saw tonight there. pretty personal stuff. going up to her when she was a toddler even. later, i will be joined in a few minutes in fact. by senator bob casey with the latest on pennsylvania's results. they're fascinating. you are watching the place for politics on this super tuesday primary night.

this is going to be a doosie. mitch mcconnell, remind me of the guy who will lose, against alison lundegran grimes which promises to be the hottest senate race of the year. already gotten personal out there in kentucky. we saw that tonight. joining me, david coyne, the washington bureau chief, and the national political reporter for "the washington post," and steve schmidt, so great to see you, steve. couldn't get woody haralson tonight.

we got you. a republican strategist at msnbc, political analyst, the guy who played you. i want to start with, let's start with you, steve. don't get much from you. why is mitch being such an s.o.b., so fast, going after her as a toddler, calling her basically a puppet tune of the president, then i see her strong performance, wait doesn't look like a puppet looks like a strong person running for office. your thoughts? >> look, this is a state that mitt romney won 60% to the president's 37%. mitch mcconnell is the fixed variable in the race, chris. people made up their mind about him a long time ago. he is not particularly popular. but barack obama is a lot less popular in the state. so he wants to make this race a referendum on barack obama. he doesn't want to allow her to establish herself as a -- independent, kentuckian who can define the race on her own political skills which are formidable along her own issues

say he wants to tie her off to the president. he wants to make this race entirely about the president. not dissimilar to what a democrats successfully did in 2006 when george w. bush was very unpopular in the sixth year of his second term. >> i want to go to david, do you think the old guy, this age thing, 30 years. basically running against his age. she is flipping this thing? >> you know, he, he, put himself. >> do you know the word? >> and he put himself in the position, losing the primary. a lot of conservatives in the state. thought he had been in the senate too long. >> hitting him on that. >> hitting him on that. i think this is going to be the nastiest race of the year. why? mitch mcconnell is so disliked. his favorable rating in his own state is 29%. >> i saw it. i saw it. >> you go nasty. >> first, he attacked her as

being a child, basically a puppet, somebody put in the race by harry reid, obama, going to come get rid of the coal industry. etc. then, she goes back at him like she keeps hitting the age numbers. 30 years. old. old. senior senator. >> senior senator. >> senior senator. this guy has been. does remind me of the movie with robert redford "the candidate" he runs against the big-time establishment senator, crocker jarmin with a ridiculous name. basically saying "move over, old man. your time is up." >> that's right. here i am, alison lundegran grimes, essentially saying, i'm here. i am a woman. i am something fresh and new. does feel very fresh and new. we don't often see women politicians particularly southern women politicians not since ann richards speak in that sort of frank way. i mean there was this preacherly cadence also. that she had. southern swagger.

a woman who knows how to shoot a gun. when she ran for secretary of state. she had ad. she had two grandmothers talking about her life and, and sort of, a casting her background as, as a person who grew up around strong women. you are going to see her in this race. tomorrow they will release a directed camera. 60 second. she is not going to let mitch mcconnell get out there early. really try to define her as an other. right? that's what he is trying to do. you know. sort of hollywood. >> hollywood clone. >> we saw that campaign before. with her it does feel fresh and new and my goodness she has improved quite a bit from her early days on the campaign trail. >> steve, everyone said reagan was too crazy, right-wing, stood up against my old boss, jimmy carter, looked sane as hell. everybody said "you know what he looks like a president." >> what happens when she shows up in september, october. and mitch has been calling her a

puppet. a child. somebody else's person. she comes in like she came in. bombastic, powerful. on the stump, physicallien his face. against the puppet he has been selling? >> well, chris, u.s. senate debates in a state like kentucky don't have the reach that a presidential debate does. which is bad news for alison lundegran grimes. because she is very formidable. i think the problem she has in this race is one, she articulated in the speech. she said, there is nothing you can do to change the person who is in the white house in this election. the kentucky voters understand that. barack obama is not on the ballot. but she is. are they going to replace the senator who disagrees with

barack obama with one who will largely be in agreement. that is a structural flaw in a state that is one of the most problematic for obama. this is a state that bill clinton won twice. just one county in eastern kentucky. not county, chris, bill clinton carried the county with 73% of the vote. mitt romney carried it with 73% of the vote. this is a very, very tough state for barack obama. >> let's go to the absence of personality, i love the personality fighter. coal. if you have a state where coal is a key job creator. and somebody comes in says i am an environmentalist, i have questions. no such thing as clean coal. i don't know her exact position. the way he positioned her. the enemy of the guy who thinks, a friend of a guy now, and the president says it makes you sick. he is going to talk cola again -- coal again and again and again. >> guns. >> won't get her on guns. she can shoot better than he can. on obamacare, 400,000 kentuckians who have signed up. he can make that case. she can counter. coal may become one of the most dividing issues in this campaign. again though i think, what steve

says, obama's not popular. neither is mitch mcconnell. his numbers are lower than obama's numbers. he wants to make the race about obama. she wants to make the race about mitch mcconnell. mcconnell is closer to kentucky than obama is. so may be a wash a bit. >> got to hope that people, in the voting booth vote about the future. not holding on to something they didn't thing is going to last much longer. we will see. thank you. great panel. going to stay with us. thank you for staying with us, nia, steve, david. great panel. coming up next. what's tonight's results mean for control of the u.s. senate? that's of course the back drop to everything this year. is president obama going to find himself without a congress. nothing. just war with both houses of congress. or hold his battle position. hold his strength position in the senate. that's what the fights are about. you are watching the place for politics. memorial day weekend?

looks like fun. but what about this? if you're looking to buy a car, now is the time and truecar is the way. just go to truecar.com to lock in guaranteed savings... without negotiation. thank you! happy memorial day weekend! some other results. businessman, david perdue would be one of two candidates in jute -- the july run-off. the second too close to call. the winner will face democrat,

michelle nunn daughter of sam nunn. in pennsylvania, democrats have chosen businessman, tom wolf to take on unpopular, vulnerable incumbent governor, tom corbett. more on that race as soon as we get back.

tonight, i consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. well that is the famous baseball line. lou gehrig. tom wolf using lou gehrig's line. won the nomination for governor of pennsylvania. wolf beat a field of four democrats tonight. the front-runner.

ran with the backing of the organization in philly. and spoke to bob brady the congressman. they're going to regroup now. they face tom corbett. a big opportunity against a very unpopular republican governor. joining me right now is u.s. senator, democratic senator bob casey. thank you. the democratic party faces a lot of challenges. they may lose the senate. in your state. my god. people can't stand that governor. nobody defeated a governor. looks like the public, wants to get rid of this guy. >> tom wolf has the a great chance, chris. the victory tonight was not only big, the overall number. when you look at it county by county. he is going to win most. some people think by the time the vote is counted. in large measure, a reflection of dissatisfaction. people want a fresh start. on public education. they want change. tom ran a great campaign.

unify and win in november. >> how can you get a guy, seems like a college professor. looks like one. a business guy. worked in government. finance secretary for the state. public service background. clean. and he is not tied to any big city machine or anything like that. just out there. looks like a good candidate. >> he is a good man. >> home county? >> york county. >> should know that one. >> what you saw in the ad, chris, was the same person that i know. the people that know him. it was an ad that was authentic. series of ads that was authentic. about who he is. what he had to offer the state. and people really responded. >> why is corbett despised? >> why don't people like him? >> unpopular for a lot of reasons. one of them is public education. people -- people are tired of, of harrisburg saying we can't help you. we are going to reduce spending. or cut, cut, substantially cult the growth.

the other thing. people make a direct connection some times between, when you have -- no, no tax on, on the drilling companies. and they connect that to education spending. tom had an ad that highlighted that. so i think, when you get down to it. it is a race that, that can be won. and a race that we normally don't win. even when we have tough primaries. you know the history of our state. we have pretty rough primaries. but we unify. >> yes, the challenge is this summer. the summer goes on. because i saw, ed rendell down by ten. the race, governor candidate on the republican side. reversed it all around in the summer. he has the a majority of over 10. he will win. that's wolf. if he doesn't have a lead of ten. he will lose. does that sound right? coming out of this thing? >> i think he has got. i think he has a deep reservoir of support. a close race in the end. i think tom is going to win. don't think it will be easy. >> i think he will win. thank you. >> thank you, chris.

>> governor of pennsylvania at some point. thank you, your father was. coming up now -- more with our panel after this.! you tell them how much you want to pay, and they help you find a policy that fits your budget. i told you to wear something comfortable! this is a polyester blend! whoa! uh...little help? i got you! unh! it's so beautiful! man: should we call security? no, this is just getting good. the name your price tool, still only from progressive. and here. but what about here? [ female announcer ] neutrogena® visibly even daily moisturizer with a clinically proven soy complex. it diminishes the look of dark spots in 4 short weeks. and just like that your skin will look radiant and more even. even from here.

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>> republicans need to gain six

seats in the u.s. senate to take over the body. but democrats are banking on two women now who won tonight. alison lundegran grimes, and georgia's michelle nunn as their best chance, to pick up, pick off senate seats held by republicans. let's go now to our panel, and i want to start with you. the quality of the candidate tonight seem to be very strong. alison lundegran grimes looked look a person who would be the perfect candidate to run against a guy who may have reached his sell-by date. >> that's one way, one way to put it. i will say, i interviewed both of the women candidates. i think they're both strong in certain ways. they both have weaknesses they're working on. i talked to michelle nunn at some length. had trouble. wouldn't say how she would have voted on the affordable care act. she did say that she, that she did thing it should be repealed. that said, she has put up very strong fund-raising numbers.

she has sort of quick on the stump. very personally engaging. alison lundegran grimes has grown as a candidate over the last eight, nine months. saw her first in august when she gave a speech at fancy farm. then again this winter in the past week or so she has been on this 50 state tour of kentucky. given her a lot of opportunity to practice her skills on the stump which she sort of was criticized for in the beginning. i think that the democratic party on the whole is excited about the fact that these two women are sort of, their banner carriers. in the south. where it seemed unlikely. seems unlikely that democrats would be able to make any gains. >> steve schmidt for analysis. seems hard to run with a party. at the same time you separate from its leader. i remember, george bush sr., being elected on a campaign of promise of kinder and gentler. it didn't mean kinder and gentler than dukakis, he went reagan. the two women they'll be testing the ground for how you run as

democrats, without being tied to the president. that's what hillary clinton will have to do. >> no question, chris, georgia demographically. look at the state. looking at the population gains in the state. there is good underlying, long-term trends for the democratic party in the state. but one of the dominant political stories over the last two election cycles is the fact that republicans have given up six u.s. senate seats with bad candidates. democrats to the contrary in these two states where i think there is a strong republican wind that will be blowing against the democratic candidates they have put superb candidates into the race. in the minimum thing you have to does to have any shot at all, in these states, is to have great candidates in the race. they have done that. they have gotten good candidates in the race. you have capability to go out. fight, win. i do think they have a very, very steep hill to climb in the states. >> david, you know, joe biden, a whole career based on winning

back in '72. running against a two-term senator incumbent. former governor. former congressman. just the kind of establishment guy that grimes is up against now. mcconnell. >> it's possible. you have to give, you know, mcconnell an edge in kentucky. and if david perdue wins the georgia senate primary, establishment, businessman. be in good position too. both the guys are also capable of harming themselves. a businessman who has never run before. michelle nunn grew up. casey says, getting smoother, better. in kentucky, mitch mcconnell, a great back room political guy. can do the scheming and calculating. cut the deals, the rand paul crowd. do all of that. put him up front on the stage. and people don't like him as much. so, there, you know again, it could boil down to how the two personalities, as politicians

come together. if allison grimes keeps getting better and doesn't make any mistakes herself. being on this -- high profile stage for the first time. >> i thought that was well said. not suppose to see the seams in a politician. bill clinton is smooth the way he puts things together. mitch mcconnell is a politician looks and acts like one. >> it has worked so far for him. has never seen a candidate like alison lundegran grimes. kentucky is a state that has a history of electing female candidates. they, they have elected the first only, woman governor. martha lane collins out on the stump with alison lundegran grimes. imagine she will stay out there. with her. and really trying to tap into almost like a grassroots feminist, feminism, kind of populist feminism you saw alison lundegran grimes articulate tonight. michelle nunn in georgia. different.

low key in georgia. a different state. of course. i do think both of these states speak to the fact that in many ways if the democratic party is, wants to grow, they have got to look towards this. they have got to look toward the african-american population. that hasn't been tapped in many ways. in terms of the statewide races. and a growing population as well that has the also remained untapped in a lot of these races. >> well, can you have a feminism in this case? a youthful femme nitz m encourages male voters to get excited about the prospect of a black president, can you get women to get excite add but this woman. >> that's the challenge ahead. can you get blue-collar, white women to come out and vote for candidates. for michelle nunn and alison lundegran grimes in kentucky. >> thank you. our panel. it is great to have you on. casy you, are great.

casey hunt from louisville. join me tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m., for hardball. right on this. good wednesday morning, everybody. nfl under fire from the bears jim mcman to hundreds of former players, america's most powerful professional sport is under pressure for painkillers and narcotics. pet danger. dog and cat treats that can hurt or even kill your family members are being taken off store shelves. voter nation. tuesday's results are in and we have the winners and losers. plus, 20 million bees on the loose in one place. this season's winner of "the voice" and a $60 million mistake. thank you for joining us, everybody. the votes in and several states are looking to