they said, you know, he's killed reporters. i don't like that. i am totally against that. i would never kill them. i think, no, these people, honestly, i'll be honest. i'll be honest. i would never kill them. i would never do that. let's see, no, i wouldn't.

i would never kill them. but i do hate them. some of them are such lying, disgusting people, it's true. it's true. but i would never kill them and anybody that does, i think, would be despicable. so, i think we may have crossed another line. >> i was worried. >> kind of like that scene in gladiator where you're like, okay. trump's like, okay. >> i'm so happy as a reporter to have his vouching for this. i'm not going to kill reporters. we should have all the candidates do a hands raise question at some debate. >> are you going to kill reporters. >> good morning, everyone. it's tuesday. december, 22nd. >> are you grateful that donald is not going to kill. >> he was joking. but he was very crass last night. >> what do you mean he was crass? what did he say? >> nbc contributor mike --

>> did i miss something last night? >> nicholas. no, we're not going to play some of that. >> no? >> no. >> i think some of the legitimate points that he's making that perhaps should be argued we should play. >> okay then. we're going to play it. national poll of republican race shows donald trump in the lead, but look who's coming up in the close second. ted cruz. he's got that new momentum. >> trump leads a four-point lead that is just inside the margin of error. cruz has gained eight points since last month while trump is up one point. the poll finds a five-point drop for senator marco rubio. and ben carson falling six point to 10%. no other candidates gets above 6%. >> let's look at these numbers first. nick, obviously, we have been talking about it around the table for about a week now. this person starting to move towards a two-person race

between trump and cruz. that battle between rubio and cruz at least right now going into the new year ted cruz wanted in a big way and this poll suggests marco rubio, the big loser. >> also the establishment that we've been talking about for months and months and months. the establishment lane. it is awfully narrow. it is not a very big lane. the anti-establishment lane that cruz and trump is in is huge. over half the party. >> you add ben carson's ten percentage points and up 60%. almost two out of three republican voters now are anti-establishment. this whole idea that we'll cobble together jeb's numbers and kasich and you may get 20 out of that. >> seems pretty weak right now. on the other hand, it is narrowing in that lane. there are fewer candidates and lindsey graham is out and that gives some candidate in that lane. so y could see marco rubio benefiting from that a little bit. you're right, not a lot of

voters right now in that lane. >> not a lot of voters and, willie, you look "new york times" article talking about how ted cruz sort of doing a mind meld with donald trump. he's starting to sound more like donald trump out on the campaign trail. >> using his words. >> getting more aggressive. using his words and using his ideas and what we've talked about over the last debate, a deal between these two to basically shut everybody else out. whether it's direct or indirect, they both know what they're doing and it's both working wonderfully well for them. they are shutting out everybody else. >> i think the debate was the first time everyone noticed how close ted cruz was hugging ted cruz just broadly. he's been doing this for a long time. he's been drafting behind ted cruz behind trump to use a nascar metaphor. refusing to criticize him any significant way. even when trump came out the plan to ban muslims and ted cruz was the one hold out who said i don't agree with the idea, but i understand where it's coming

from from donald trump. steps across the line. >> thinks ted cruz may come out today and also, mike barnicle, against the assassination of journalists. >> he understands where donald is coming from. >> he understands. you may want to actually assassinate a journalist, but, you may refrain at the very last second of it. >> they're horrible people. >> senator cruz performs the best. >> mike had a point to make here about asatinations. >> actually, if you take the three candidates. top tier candidates. you take cruz, you take trump and you take ben carson. you are above 62% of republican primary voters. so, when does the rest of the republican party or the rest of the republican electorate out there in the country begin to think that, fine, the 62% of the vote tied up there, but they don't have the legs to make it all the way through. idelogically. they are so extreme. so far away from the middle of the country. >> are you saying that's going

to happen? >> i think it is. >> with trump? >> i think there is. >> there is no data. there is absolutely no data, no evidence. no nothing. you might as well tell me that climate change is a hoax. >> what is he saying, joe? >> he's saying he doesn't want to buy you your pickup truck? >> that's what he's saying. >> at some point. the voters are going to run away from them. >> they better hurry up. >> based on wide evidence. >> before november. i'm not saying it's going to happen in january. >> yes. >> so, nick, they get crushed. >> this leads actually, naturally, into the next point which is, this is a great segue. as i watched tv last night i realize that hillary clinton's camp understands what mika that more specifically bill clinton and hillary clinton's association with bill clinton through the years.

and everything else that other people and polite political society would not say and it's a real challenge for her. you look at the q poll. do we have a head-to-head here where trump is only three points ahead. >> really interesting embarrassment issue polls that i'm going to get to that really show where we are right now. senator cruz performs the best in the head-to-head matchup with hillary clinton tying clinton at 44%. rubio is down one point and trump trails clinton by seven points. the poll also asked americans if they'd be proud or embarrassed if trump is elected president. 23% said they would be proud. 50% said they would be embarrassed. if hillary clinton is elected president, 33% said they would be proud and 35% said they'd be embarrassed. >> yeah. so, anyway, nick, very excited.

very excited about the frontrunners right now. nick, i saw a poll yesterday and i'll try to dig it up. trump is closer than i thought he would be. three, four, five points. it is the same thing as i said behind hillary. same thing i said about hispanics. he is polling at the same rate that mitt romney did four years ago despite working overtime. >> yeah. >> to say things that would be insulting to hispanics. people that think, i'm going to side with mika here. people that think trump would be a walk in the park for hillary clinton. they should pick up the phone and call jeb bush's camp. >> listen, i think polls are shown for a while now and you see it over and over again. he could actually be he head-to-head contender. with cruz or trump, this could be a real test to the proposition that they never had a candidate who really speaks their language and motivates them and brings out their passion. >> right. >> or has the money to actually

go the distance. you have a candidate who speaks to the base perfectly and speaks their language and has the money to go all the way. >> except i have to say, caveat there. in my opinion, trump could win. it would be a remarkable achievement if he did. i think ted cruz would lose 30 to 35 states because he's more of a traditional conservative nat th that would never win outside. >> you notice hillary clinton is going after trump and i'm completely perplexed as to why she would meet his lie with a lie. does that make sense? are you going to say it wasn't a lie? >> i didn't see the lie. >> i know that probably there will be some people who won't be able to actually say it was a lie. they'll say it was something that wasn't true. they're too scared of hillary clinton. >> you're talking about where -- >> talking about trump talking about the people celebrating. that was a lie. it was not true. and hillary clinton in the

middle of the debate going after trump about isis using video of him. you know, to recruit. >> already recruiting videos. >> which is a lie, not true. even her own team was stumbling and stuttering the next day when she didn't show up. >> nice to see an actual example of this. if it's true. >> what do you mean if it's true? >> if it were true, an actual xaempal of an isis video and there isn't. >> meeting trump's -- >> it's a lie. it's not true. >> thank you. >> no evidence of it. >> and, willie, what is remarkable is, like trump, saying there were those celebrations in jersey city or wherever, hillary clinton's people are sticking by this. they're going, hell no. it is, there's a nice mirror there between trump and clinton. they're digging in. >> she didn't apologize. she played trump ball. am i going to apologize? >> i would say it's almost

impossible to get through a trump speech with finding three or four or five things that aren't true. in any given speech. the rate of lying and misdirection is extraordinarily high especially with hillary clinton. >> she met his lie with a lie. fascinating. why is she doing that? >> because she wants to get some purchase on her own idea, which is that somebody like trump is an advertisement to islamists or radicals. >> we could say that. >> that would be fine. >> that would make sense. i'm very concerned. >> willie said she's not telling the truth. that's true. they're doubling down, which is so fascinating. >> at the risk of jumping back into a month-old story. mj.com a very reputable news organization found a police officer who saw muslim celebrating on rooftops and just weren't thousands of people. let's go back to the here and now. donald trump denied the charge that the videos were being shown

to isis. demanded an apology from hillary clinton and replied for pointing out ow his hateful rhetoric. last night at his rally in michigan, the republican frontrunner let loose on his democratic counterpart remarking on everything from her 2008 loss to barack obama to her late return to the podium after a commercial break in saturday night's democrat debate. >> no. >> donald trump is on video and isis is using him on the video to recruit. and it turned out to be a lie. she's a liar. so it turned out to be a lie. turned out to be a lie. and the last person that she wants to run against is me. believe me. believe me. so, hillary's going to get

beaten but i haven't started with hillary yet. what happened to her? i'm watching the debate and she disappeared. where did she go? where did she go? i thought she quit. i thought she gave up. where did she go? where did hillary go? they had to start the debate without her. phase two. i know where she went. it's disgusting. i don't want to talk about it. no, it's too disgusting. don't say it. it's disgusting. let's not talking about it. we want to be very, very straight up. okay. >> talking about the debate. >> come on. >> you know. trump -- >> no, no, no, no. nope nope. >> we're going to put this out there so people who are thinking about voting should know this. donald trump also said something at that same rally using words that some people find offensive had twitter going crazy. >> i may win, i may not win. hillary, that's not a president.

that's not, she's not taking us. everything that's been involved in hillary is losses. even a race to obama. she was going to beat obama. i don't know who would be worse. i don't know-how does it get worse? but she was going to beat, she was favored to win and she lost. she lost. >> google it. >> you know what, but that's how dirty it could get. he's just not going to hold back. >> do you have a thesorus on you? >> is this an urban dictionary thing. is that yiddish, willie? >> i believe it is. >> i didn't know there was a have verb use of it. >> verb form. in an interview with npr president obama accused donald trump -- >> we're just going to leave that there? >> we're going to leave that there. >> i just wondered --

>> leave it right there. >> the bush family as they watch this. what do you think george herbert walker bush and barbara bush are thinking? >> i'll tell you what. i can't believe i'm losing to that. that's what they're thinking. >> the "snl" skit from '88. i can't believe we're losing to this guy. this is what they're thinking. i'm guessing they're in the embarrassed crowd and it really is somebody said, i guess it was on twitter i read there said there's so much information out there. like the producers. like they are purposely trying. trump's purposely trying to fail. he's working overtime. this is his springtime for hitler. and he's purposely trying to fail. and the more he tries to fail, the more successful he gets. >> stop. >> this is like, you see, you see the mel brooks thing when larry david was on and they

said, we've got to kill. we've got to kill this thing. and larry david goes out and is it so bad that people are absolutely fascinated by it. this is the political equivalent of springtime for hitler. this is the producers. well, no, that's not a reference -- that -- >> he's owe going to be on talking about his documentary and looks at every angle of why this is working and why this is frightening and why this is touching a cord that has been created by washington itself. we'll talk to him a little later about that. a little bit more than him trying to lose. but i know what you're saying. it looks like it. >> he says things that are so outrageous. disqualify anyone else. >> that's why hillary clinton is probably attacking him now probably trying to get rid of him because no way she should want to run against him. that "saturday night live"

episode was good until they started celebrating at the end because that way way wrong. no celebration. >> creed's manager knew and william f buckley said you debate an amateur, you lose every time. and in this case, though, sam stein did something fascinating where he took something that trump said and then i think he read it to obama supporters as something that obama would say. and they supported it. then, he read it and said something trump supported and then opposed it. you look on so many issues and she came on to attack trump, and then at the end she and trump, she will never admit it, were on the same side. >> yeah. >> as far as russia goes. as far as syria goes. as far as intervention goes. and, so, that's why idelogically

and then he goes off and says some crazy things that, who knows, maybe that will appeal. >> extended cab, flat bed. >> william f. buckley in the same sentence. that was impressive. >> little known fact. >> our buddy bill simmons coined a term called the tyson zone where nothing tyson did or said surprised you. mike tyson gets a face tattoo, yeah, that makes sense. it's mike tyson. we're in the trump zone where anything he says or does does not surprise you. hillary clinton going to the ba bathroom does not surprise you. barack obama defeated her. doesn't surprised you. doesn't mean you like it or endorse it and now you can understand he can say and do anything and not only not hurt him, but in many cases helps him. >> never been a candidacy with so many stop and gaffes moments in the candidacy itself.

never been a candidacy where media people hear what he does and says it's over for him. he continues on and continues on to grow in popularity. on and on he goes. marco rubio early state strategy is called into question. one tracker has him with as many appearances in new hampshire as jim gilmore. wait a minute. we'll be joined by governor chris christie and former governor howard dean. they'll join oslittle later, as well. plus -- >> ted. getting with iran and russia to save assad is inconceivably. >> princess buttercup would not like this. >> one of the most quotable candidates in the race suspends his bid. we'll look back at the candor of lindsey graham. but, first, bill karins with a check on the forecast. >> it's summer and winter, man. >> it's amazing.

how many times have you had to wear the hats and the gloves so far this winter. >> none. >> exactly. it's amazing. we'll break record highs and maybe all-time december record highs in the next couple of days. a lot of wet weather, a sprung-like pattern. shouldn't be any surprise. we'll have some severe weather maybe even tornadoes over the next couple of days. this morning a soaking, heavy rain moving through southern portions of georgia and updated south carolina. for today's forecast, we are going to watch warm temperatures and this is the beginning of our little mini heat wave coming up here into texas. spread northward and thunderstorms through the southeast. as we start to go towards tomorrow that we'll have that severe weather. like 35 million people that are at risk of severe storms tomorrow and goes all the way almost to chicago southwards down to new orleans and mobile. isolated tornados are possible and tupelo to nashville and over to memphis. let's talk about how crazy it is going to be on christmas eve. the warmest temperature ever recorded in central park is 75 degrees and new york city is going to be around 73 and d.c.

has a chance of getting up almost to 80 degrees and some of the warmth will continue into christmas, but not quite as extreme. only going to be 71 in d.c. it's amazing. even through new year's doesn't look like it is going to be that chilly across the east. more "morning joe" when we come back. beautiful shot there from 30 rock. just about anywhere you use sugar, you can use splenda®... ...no calorie sweetener. splenda® lets you experience... ...the joy of sugar... ...without all the calories. think sugar, say splenda® redid you say 97?97! yes. you know, that reminds me of geico's 97% customer satisfaction rating. 97%? helped by geico's fast and friendly claims service.

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all right. anyway. so, marco rubio could be seen in new hampshire yesterday campaigning very multiple stops, shaking hand after hand in a diner and talking at town halls. his family also joined him on the run. >> rubio has made 42 stops in new hampshire, according to a tracker. as the that's the same number as jim gilmore. lindsey graham made 176 and chris christie 131 and a weekend town hall governor chris

christie reportedly said, "this is not like marco rubio thing where you get three questions and we stay here and we answer questions for a while." meanwhile -- >> that's actually, so, mike, i guess the question is, does it return to form? does new hampshire return to form ear people who drop into the state, give a speech and live? >> i don't think it's going to be like that either. marco rubio reminds me about the story of someone asking years ago, how about you like candidates for president and then new hampshire residents say, i don't know, i only met him once. there is that in the body politic in new hampshire. they expect to see these candidates and they expect to be able to talk with him. i don't think new hampshire has changed at all. i think rubio missed an opportunity up there. >> his campaign has said out loud, listen, we get more pop from sitting in a studio and megan kelly and whoever it is from being on the ground and

that may be wrong. it may doom them eventually, but they believe they can go more broad with their media. >> the contrast with chris christie. if they're a new hampshire voter and you see chris christie in the state all the time spending every last second of every town hall and he has really, to his credit, he has turned himself upside down which is the hardest thing to do in politics. and the contrast of marco rubio, if you're the voter. i want to vote for the rubio guy who is never here. if i have chris christie here saying, i'm here all the time. >> he's our guest just ahead. >> it leads to the question, at least in my mind, what is the strategy here. looking towards the middle of march when you have a bunch of states going off and in two weeks, march 8th. >> waiting for people to leave. >> here's the problem. you have to pick a state. chris christie did that and he picked new hampshire. other people have picked new hampshire, as well. but candidates need to pick a state because you can be everything to everybody or

nobody to nobody. and maybe lightning strikes, maybe things go wonderfully for marco. if they do, this is the first time that you don't. again, you know, we talked about this yesterday. i didn't even put up a poll of registered republicans because it doesn't matter because you get red shirt republicans and then you have people who vote in primaries, which is about a third of the registered republicans. and you have people who vote in these presidential contests which may be 30%, 28%. you have to i.d. a very small group of these people. call them, knock on their doors, drag them to the polls. this is what barack obama did. it's why barack obama knew he was going to win. why david axelrod. and from what the "washington post," "new york times" and everybody else says, marco isn't doing that. >> what happens to his money and his support. if he's like 0 for 5 in the middle of february. >> i think the problem is right now, he's starting to hear about it.

and we've had other people report on this. nick, you know this better than anybody else, he's starting to hear about it from his donors. and when you start and his donors are starting to leak to the paper that they want him to choose a state. and once that starts happening, that's when things start to getilatal desperate, right? >> his whole premise here was to avoid going dry like scott walker. they've told me a month ago that they have enough money in the bank right now to fund our campaign and our media through march, i believe it was. so, their strategy to your point, mike, is to get to that point. you know, time and time again we see the candidates who say, no, wait, we can hold out and get some later win and jump start then. >> but giuliani -- >> it never happens. it never works out that way. >> it's interesting, marco rubio is fund-raising off those criticizing recent campaign ad he did. take a look at the ad first. >> this selection is about the essence of america. about all of us who feel out of place in our oown country.

a government incredibly out of touch and millions with traditional values, branded bigots and haters. this is about wages growing slower than the cost of living. a generation drowning in debt and a president humiliated by putin, iran and islamic jihadists. i'm marco rubio, i approve this message because this is about the greatest country in the world. and acting like it. >> these people who feel out of place in their own country. >> so, joe, you tweeted. i could tell that struck a chord with you. you treated pretty clintonical. says he feels out of place in his own country. it's such a crass play, it's offensive. plus, you also said to marco and movie stars promising to move to canada if a republican is elected. if that's how you feel about america, just leave now. this morning, joe -- >> yeah. >> here's a recent rubio fund-raising e-mail. >> oh, good. >> i just think you might recognize someone's name in it. his campaign claims his message is catching on. and that democrats, the media

and the political establishment on both sides know it and they're absolutely terrified. >> you can actually see it in the poll we saw this morning. he's down 5 percentage point. >> elitist. >> mike:s members of the media are claiming he's trying to pander. >> so, you know -- >> i don't think you were just saying it. i think trying. >> we said earlier this week that they were the most thin skinned group of people i've ever seen in politics. >> the rubio campaign, you're saying. >> the rubio campaign. i'm at home watching with my 7-year-old boy and somebody sends me this and sends me a link to a pollster saying the top thing and i don't feel like i belong even my own country. now, here's a guy that flies around in private jets every day. and he has for years. here's a guy that sits in luxury suites at miami dolphins

football games and other football games around america. here's a guy that got paid $800,000 by a massive, powerful, manhattan publishing company to write a book. $800,000. more than most of the people he's shaking hands with would make in ten years. he makes up for writing a book and he's got the guts to go on and lift a line out of this nativest playbook. i don't belong. i feel like i don't belong in my own country. because he wants to appeal to donald trump's crowd. this is a guy that does belong in this country. because this is a guy whose father came over here, not the way marco told us he came over here. but his father came over here. his family embodies the american dream. and he's doing this nativeist bs to try to appeal. again, this is what a student government president does when he wants to get elected. >> nick --

>> i was going to say, i think he is saying the establishment is finally waking up to my candidacy. he is the establishment and candidate. they love him. >> he is. >> yeah. >> that's his crowd now. >> they're waiting for him. >> you know what this is all about, willie. the elites, the people who fund his campaign and every other campaign watch this show. i remember in 2008 somebody came up to him that worked for barack obama and said nothing makes barack obama than senator obama angrier than when somebody goes up to him and says, you guys really need to start saying what they're saying on "morning joe." >> just drove him crazy. that's what's happening with marco. all we're doing is reading "washington post" articles. all we're doing is reporting on the news. all we're doing is what marco, what marco -- >> or calling it out. >> mark and i have been saying from the very beginning. well over a year. what state does he win? what's his natural base?

that's all we've been saying. >> i don't know the answer to that question. >> we're still a year later don't. >> the clue there is that what south carolina is what they're looking at. clue going for the trump rhetoric and strongest in south carolina. >> i heard a lot of descriptions apply to your name. i've never heard you called an eliteist, though. >> university of alabama. roll tide. red neck riviera. and by the way, also, 95% lifetime conservative rate. seems to me, he could probably attack isis first and maybe hillary clinton, barack obama, the iran deal. he's trying to fund-raise over republican over a 95% lifetime conservative rating. lots of luck there, fellow. it's not going to work. >> is marco rubio the cloak room candidate? is he the senator cloak room candidate? >> i think he's that guy. he's the person that gets that. >> what he's the native

and marco rubio is borrowing it because he sees it is working for donald trump. >> very badly. >> what i thought was so humorous about the timing of it. again, so ham handed. it was so calculated. it was so from a political machine that said, okay, look, this is what the pollsters say is the number one way that you appeal to nativests in america. you say, i don't feel like i belong in my own country. >> i'm with you. >> and he read, he read that line. and that's not his story. >> with paul singer who is also funding the reform weighing on the go. this is one of his biggest guys and he's out there with this rhetoric at the same time. coming up, xwugovernor howa dean joins us with the must-read opinion pages. to support an important cause that can change the way you live for years to come. how can you help? by giving a little more, to yourself. i am running for my future.

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can also be catch-up-on-my-shows time. here i come! can't find you anywhere! don't settle for u-verse. x1 from xfinity will change the way you experience tv. >> you know what, he wasn't an honest broker. no, he goes, well, she doesn't tell the truth. that's not really lying. what is that? what is wrong with people? it's a nervous tick. >> mika gets this nervous tick where she wants people to call hillary clinton a dirty, rotten liar. >> no, i don't. i want them to tell the truth. >> look at him, he's twitching. you know what nick told me at the break? nick told me he doesn't even feel like he belongs at the morning joe table any more. >> willie, we've all been there.

>> okay, you all have been putting me in a bad position. >> fund-raising letter on it now. >> yeah. that's good. concerns over his home state helped force lindsey graham out of the 2016 race. how his campaign impacted the race and we'll go through some of his most memorable moments from the trail and our set ahead. here's a little healthy advice.

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party. where do we want to go and where do we take the country? the republican presidential primary is now a 13-person race after senator lindsey graham announced yesterday that he is suspending his campaign for the white house. graham struggled to break through in the crowded republican field and barely registered in most polls. his announcement came on the same poll as the deadline to remove his name from the south carolina ballot. and, now, a look back at some of the best of lindsey graham's presidential campaign. we've decided you're the conscious of the republican party. >> yeah. i send money. i'm not a scientist. i've got the grades to prove it. >> we're not going to deport 11 million people here illegally. if you're not willing to do that, we better come up with a new legal immigration system.

as to the rest, you can stay. but you have to learn our language. i don't speak it very well. look how far i've come. >> if you're president of the united states and you're thinking about joining al qaeda or isil, i'm not going to call a judge, i'll call a drone and i'm not afraid of a guy riding around on a horse. >> call me three or four years ago, lindsey graham. i didn't know who he was. i found the card. let's try it. >> how am i losing to these people? >> if you're looking for good beer policy, i'm your best bet. we're going to drink more. >> i blame obama for isil, not bush. i'm tired of beating on bush. i miss george w. bush. i wish you were president right now. >> people are very interested in about what i would do, not just how much i think obama sucks. >> got a big laugh with the we're going to drink more.

>> and how am i losing to those people. >> that last debate, very pow powerful. >> we had rick santorum on yesterday saying some things and we went back and showed a clip and lindsay's face looking up and, seriously. >> i kind of connected with his facial communication. i do that often. yes. >> let's bring in the former governor of vermont and former chairman of the democratic national committee. howard dean. howard, good to have you onboard this morning. >> thanks. happy to call from sunny vermont. >> oh, yeah. weather is weird, isn't it? >> it's terrible there. it's in the 60s here. it wouldn't be any warmer than 52, 53 degrees. >> that's about exactly what it is, joe. that's unusual christmas. >> that's amazing. hower wit er witard yo howard, you always surprise us with your insights on presidential race and about trump. you know, we're trying to get a

grasp on this guy who, unlike ted cruz, sort of is all over the map idelogically and say shocking things to get you or any other politician bumped out of the race in 15 minutes. here we are at the end of the year, what is your take on donald trump? his chances for winning the primary and his chances for giving hillary or bernie a run for their money in the general election. >> i am, of course, amazed that he is up in the polls which is an enormous lead in a 13-person race. i have said before and so have you all that comes down to his organization in iowa. if he doesn't have the organization, which it's not clear that he does, ted cruz could win iowa. the earlier segment about christie was really interesting. he made a huge comeback in new hampshire and your point about rubio, joe, which i thought i

watched with bated breath. >> what is so weird about marco's nativest attack is it goes for everything he stood against in politics. america is a land of opportunity. but here in the age of trump, instead of being marco, he's trying to channel trump. >> well, here's the problem for him. he's probably not going to win in either state. iowa or new hampshire. then what happens to him? christie will end up as the establishment candidate. cruz is going to probably win iowa, i would guess because he has the religious right and that is a built-in organization for him. then you get south and i think it's going to be between trump, cruz and some establishment candidate. that doesn't look to me like marco rubio. >> willie, you look at south

carolina vote. the latest south carolina poll. >> we were talking about marco rubio maybe putting his eggs in the south carolina or nevada and nevada may be too late by the time they get there. donald trump is still up huge and then ted cruz is behind him and ben carson and marco rubio. as we said many times, you go state by state and it starts to get too late if you go past iowa and south carolina and if you're waiting in nevada, that is too late. >> we said it around this set for a very long time. if you go south, i don't know where trump will be after new hampshire. but you head south and you head straight into the heart of trump's most powerful support. he's always been ahead by more in south carolina than new hampshire and iowa. you go to georgia and he's in the high 40s. way ahead in alabama and mississippi and ahead in florida. >> so, howard, i'm curious about the clinton campaign's defense of the allegations that she made in the debate about donald trump's words and video of him

being used by isis. >> it's pretty obvious. i mean, it's all over twitter. al jazeera and all over the muslim world. i mean, it's better not to say things like what donald trump said because it does inflame the people who needs to help us. my view -- >> that video of donald trump is being used by isis to recruit. that's not true. >> no, the video of donald trump is all over the air. all over the arab world. >> the video of donald trump is all over the world. but it's not being used by isis to recruit as far as anyone can confirm. are you saying that she was saying something that was truthful? >> yeah. i think so. i mean, i think it's on -- if you look at twitter, you'll see isis supporters saying this is what americans believe about muslims. we ought to get going and do some more damage, basically.

>> that just, what's going on? >> what do you mean? >> anybody want tahelp me out. >> mika, an interpretation of the remark which i can understand how people would make. saying there was a real video. i don't think isis itself has made a video and all over the arab world and isis is using the video of donald trump trashing muslims to recruit. that is true. >> do we have evidence of that? >> i'm sorry, where are you getting this? >> sure. just look on twitter. >> twitter. >> well, most of the fact-check organizations, howard, have not been able to find a specific video that isis is using right now of trump. the broader point that they are using his ideas, his language on social media. but the video, look, if we're going to slam carly fiorina on the planned parenthood and donald trump on new jersey, this is the same thing. isn't it? >> i think i'd respectfully

disagree. >> well, there you have it. >> on what basis, though? >> what is your basis, howard? >> because. >> because. >> there is video. there is video of donald trump all over the arab world available on twitter where lots and lots of people are presumably isis supporters are saying this is what americans think of us. we ought to do something more about it. >> all right. howard. what are you doing for christmas? what are you doing for the holidays? wait, do you have a follow up? >> let's go back and get the actual quote of what hillary clinton said. >> that's been proven to be false. i mean, every fact-checking organization has said that false. howard is actually expanding it out to a more general point where if hillary clinton's team has expanded it out to a more general point, that could have been true. >> look, it was a few degrees off from a statement that would have been true. instead of just saying, you know, we were a bit off. this is what we meant that

they're digging in and saying we're not going to apologize or back down. >> donald trump all the time. the critics. >> so, the quote a alex, is exactly what? read it to us. >> isis is -- >> well, i buy that. >> well, you're on the wrong side of about four or five fact checkers. >> but that is so vague. >> so, where are you howard going? you going to woodstock for christmas? >> yeah, the two of us. >> i'm talking woodstock, vermont. >> woodstock, vermont. sit around the big fire in the front. >> yeah, okay. >> little eggnog. >> too warm for a fire, joe. >> that's depressing. >> but both of these can be true. hillary clinton could not have been telling the truth but howard's point is, obviously, true. >> they're showing clips of donald trump. >> they are showing clips of donald trump. >> you say that as if it is a

fact. what basis do you base that on? >> they have the internet at their hands. >> what isis member and what recruit do you have? >> oddly enough, a long conversation with someone who is very knowledgeable, what isis is doing overseas video wise. >> not going to tell you who it is? >> comparing the isis videos to our attempts to counteract isis, which are pathetic. sending out high school videos against very professionally done. >> but, look, the broader point has to be true. that trump is a god send to the isis propagandists. >> we shall see. i mean, you would certainly think so. i'm concerned about muslim americans and the fact he can't get a republican candidate on this other than mike huckabee to come on and say nice things about muslim americans. >> and lindsey graham.

>> lindsey graham, mike huckabee right now. howard dean, thank you so much. we hope it cools down for you and you get some snow up there. coming up, governor chris christie joins us from the campaign trail in new hampshire and chris matthews will join us to talk about his new documentary, citizen trump. that premieres tonight right here on msnbc. you're watching "morning joe." just about anywhere you use sugar,

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coming up at the top of the hour, donald trump's attacks on hillary clinton get nasty as a new poll shows him trailing the democratic funtrunner in a hypothetical matchup. ronald reagan was the last entertainer turned politician to win the white house. so, is there anything reagan's e ecension can teach us about the trump campaign? john meacham joins ahead for that. chris matthews joins us and the "washington post" with the ten biggest political lessons he learned this year and the latest on miss universe. there is a follow up. there was a prompter issue. and someone did not show up for the rehearsal that would have helped him learn how to read the chard and not ruin miss colombia's life. i mean, seriously, the crown taken off her head in front of thousands of people. it is time to go to a break.

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>> the fact that wages and incomes have been flatlining for some time and that particularly blue collar men have had a lot of trouble in this new economy where they're no longer getting the same bargain that they got when they were going to a factory and able to support their families on a single paycheck. you combine those things and it means that there's going to be potenti potential anger, frustration, fear. some of it justified, but just misdirected. and i think somebody like mr. trump has taken advantage of

that. i mean, that's what he's exploiting during the course of his campaign. >> ladies and gentlemen, welcome back. we knew it would take a while. it's been seven years, but that is barack obama's follow up to his famous 2007 -- was it 2007 or 2008? >> spring of '08 in san francisco. so, this year we are barack obama seven years in. working class white men still misdirected fear and that's why they claim that god and guns and what was the third? >> i think just those two. >> okay. >> the guns was hillary clinton in 2007. >> no, i think it was barack obama talking about white people in the south. >> msnbc contributor mike barnicle political writer for "new york times" and joining the conversation in washington, the host of msnbc's "hardball."

it looks really good, chris. >> well, i hope so. >> did you go deep under cover into trump tower to do this? so, talk about -- you've had a fascinating relationship with donald trump. you've been very critical with him at times and also that paul in you also gets why he's connecting on a visceral level and talk about trumpism and what you found when you explored this? >> he is popular in the neighborhood in south jersey. he is the kind of guy that they like. he's tough. he takes on the establishment. he's not hillary. he's a guy that doesn't paint by numbers. so many politicians paint by numbers. they do what you're supposed to do. they do what the pressure groups tell them to do and everybody can see it. they're sick of it. they're sick of watching

politicians dance to the tune of the pressure groups and never get anything done. and they're sick of the loss of jobs in the big city and the factories that used to be along the river, they're all gone. they don't like the immigration the way it's been handled because they know it hasn't been handled. there isn't an immigration policy in effect. they don't like trade and it's not right wingism he's selling. that's a mistake. he's no neocon this guy. he thinks we fought wars we shouldn't have. he's tough. look, i go back to this guy. joe, you know, i was a capital cop, like mike was. >> of course. >> and you meet guys and you meet west virginia guys, double dippers. guys that were mps in the war and it came back and during the vietnam war when there is the same sort of, same debate of clash of attitudes, if you will. a country boy from west virginia pulled me aside. leroy and he ended up making sergeant and he said, you know, i was a college kid.

he said you know what, chris. you know why a little man loves his country? because it's all he's got. nationalism at the heart of this trump thing. feeling of lost american identity. one thing to say undocumented workers. what does that make the guy? a documented worker? no, he's an american. they're angry about that. they're not being treated right and you can call it blue collar workers, white workers. you can use all the tags you want, but i think it's an american thing that a lot of people are feeling that they're not being respected and you touched -- >> you touched on two issues. two issues that neither republicans nor democrats have understood through the years have impacted those people that you still work in factories along the river. whether it was in manchester, new hampshire, whether it was in philly or a mills down in south carolina. and that's immigration and it's also trade. >> yeah. >> there has been this belief, this sort of almost religious

belief that three unfedered trade is great for everybody. that, that free unfedered immigration is great for everybody. because it lowers the wages. it allows people to, corporations to make more money and a lot of great economic arguments for it, but neither party has been there going, wait a second, this is going to crush the middle class. and all these factories are going to shut down. and all those people that warned about that in unions, they were right. >> i know. well, one thing you don't hear from the republicans. democrats like the democrats. they want the vote of the hispanics, of course, and the church wants new members, of course. the republicans like the cheap labor and the fact is you'll never hear a republican candidate talk about everify. stop illegal hiring because nobody works harder in this country than the guy or woman who just got here illegally. they'll kill them selves to keep working and provide for their families. we know how it works. everybody knows this, except, you know, trump exploits it.

>> right. >> he knows it and he lives off the land. every ten minutes he's got something new. he's not going to kill reporters like putin does, if putin does. he lives off the land. i mean, jack used to use that term, live off the land. and it's almost like in boy scouts they teach you, which leaves can you eat? when you're stuck in the forest or you're lost or follow the creek down hill to get back to civilization. donald trump knows that stuff. every minute he's finding a way to live. >> by the way, it's a brilliant analogy and it's brilliant because there is reason why jeb bush spent $50 million and trump spent a couple hundred thousand because trump knows how to live off the land politically. >> he's not listening to anyone. >> he also has his own plane so high can fly around. >> you can give jeb a plane. you can give jeb a plane and still be where he's at. >> so, we're going to show a clip, chris. >> here's a clip from what you'll see tonight. >> closer to home, actually across the street from his home,

the skating rink in central park had been closed for years. it's 1986 -- >> they had spent over $20 million over a seven-year period. and then, finally, i said this is ridiculous. this thing shouldn't take years to build. and i was able to convince everybody to let me build it. donald is the gifted self-promoter went out and pitched this. i got the project done and new york city government couldn't get done. >> i think you see the same instinct coming out now that you did with the walman rink with trump being frustrated with how inapt and useless government is and jumping in and saying, i'm going to fix this. >> all right. we'll see a lot more tonight. let's go right now to a new national poll of republicans in the race and shows donald trump still in the lead, but ted cruz getting closer with momentum. >> trump leads cruz 28% to 24%. a four-point lead that is just inside the margin of error.

cruz has gained eight points since last month while trump is up one point. the poll finds that five-point drop for senator marco rubio. >> this is exactly why marco rubio says the establishment is scared of him, willie. he's losing five points in the national poll and in most polls. >> you afraid of him, you elitist. >> i'm also afraid of ben carson who is down six points in the same poll. >> falling six points to 10%. no other candidate gets above 6%. senator cruz performs the best in a head-to-head matchup tying clinton at 44%. rubio is down 1 point to her 43 to 44% and trump trails clinton by seven points. the poll also asked americans if they'd be proud or embarrassed if trump is elected president. 23% said they would be proud. 50% said they would be embarrassed. if hillary clinton is elected president, 33% say they would be proud. 35% say they'd be embarrassed.

>> happy days are here, again, willie. >> everybody is embarrassed of everything. >> okay, chris matthews, i'm interested in your eye on this whole race. the way it shaped out. we were talking earlier about how ted cruz is sort of drafted behind donald trump for the last few months and won't criticize him and looks like it is paying off. as we get up now to iowa and south carolina, and nevada. how do you see it shaking out? >> i think it is smart. everyone had it pretty much correct. i think cruz will get the home schoolers, the real religious people in iowa and i have always been an outliar there. look at santorum winning there and huckabee winning there and robinson doing well. that won't surprise anybody. and then, of course, the great test. the great test of the establishment. can it win new hampshire or can trump win it? i think if trump wins it, he's on the way. if he loses two in a row, then he has to go to south carolina and pick up that victory. he has to pick it up there and he can still do it. especially against somebody from new jersey.

you know, christie, i think he can beat the northern guy there. but i always wondered about the big question, willie, the money factor. trump has a story to tell. he's not just a debater like cruz. he's a builder. why does he get in the trenches and just try to be a debater and talker when he has a history of having constructive stuff and doing things. if i were him i would spend the money, show what he's done in history. all the buildings he would put up and fighting with the unions and the mob and democrats in the big city. the council privilege and all the crap you have to put up and he gets the buildings done. he gets it done. and all those years of fighting it out in the trenches of american economics and the big cities. look what he's done. he doesn't talk about that. i would put an ad campaign out in new hampshire. i'd do it in south carolina and all across the south. i'd spend $100 million or whatever. get the message out. but if he doesn't do that, he just debates a debater, cruz, he can lose. i don't know why he's not putting the money into the race

because cruz doesn't have it and he does. >> mike, that is the thing about trump that is interesting. biography has been noticeably absent from trump's, you know, he'll talk about his poll from last night or last week, but this is a guy that did. you know, the whole frank sinatra line if i can make it here, i'll make it anywhere. he came in from queens and took over manhattan real estate. did extraordinarily well. we looked that rink. everybody has a story about something trump's done. he's fought the unions in the city. he's fought city hall. which is extraordinarily hard to do. the bureaucracy of new york city. most people won't even open up a business here. he's fought the mob. figured out a way to work through all of this and be successful. i'm surprised he hasn't used biography more. >> why would he need you? if you're donald trump who is a genius marketer. why would you want to spend your own money and put ads on tv, bigraphical ads on tv when he

has the media. >> everyone knows this story. >> the accessibility is extraordinary at the inception of his campaign. you could call him and get right on the phone with you. the. >> even now. >> you could see him at a rally, no filters. no staff guys on him. nobody telling him what to think or who not to speak with. you could approach him. he still is very approachable. why would he need to do this? people know who he is and sort of have a sense. >> that is one of the great ironies. he says he hates the press. i don't think anybody has ever known anybody that is more open and accessible to the press than donald trump. >> you call -- >> you call trump and he will pick up and talk. >> the article about him has had him quoted directly in an interview. the bad ones that he hates, he always gets on the phone and i have to say i wish the other candidates do the same thing. >> chris, i want to hear what you think of this. the war of words between the republican frontrunners donald trump and hillary clinton escalated yesterday after the clinton campaign stood by a

claim that she made during saturday's democratic debate about trump's rhetoric being used in isis propaganda videos. clinton said, isis is "going to people. showing videos of donald trump. insulting islam and muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists. "it's a charge that trump denied and demanded an apology. >> just stop right there, i'm wondering, chris matthews, what is your interpretation of hillary clinton's quote? a lie or -- >> i don't like that word. but i tell you what i think trump did here. he listens with his tongue. he is very good at listening this guy. like a lot of people are. joe, you guys are good. you end up hearing those little weird things that don't quite click. now, was there a video specifically was there a video being passed around by isis? he heard that specific within all the general charge. of course, he's not good news for the fighting against terrorism trump. he makes the wrong message about anti-islamic and keep them out of the country. was there a specific video that

was passed around. and then yesterday brian came on msnbc in the afternoon and said trump wouldn't let servicewomen back in the country when they were on tour when they were on duty. they were finishing their tours and their deployments. that's not his position. he made that very clear. why are they piling on with these specifics when they had a pretty good general argument this wasn't good for it. watching when howard dean made that statement and you gave him the look, mika. i thought that was a great moment. a rare moment of importance silence on this program. where is this guy coming from ini? has he been briefed? i think howard was a little behind the news story there, but i don't know because maybe there is a video somewhere that he has found. but i don't think the clinton people have found that video. >> are you talking about maybe a video of muslim -- i mean, come on. you don't match a stupid statement with another statement that is damaging, as well.

especially when we're talking about isis. a clinton campaign spokesman replied, "hell no. hillary clinton will not apologize to donald trump for pointing out how hateful his rhetoric helps isis recruit more terrorists." chris, take a look at this. here's what a top campaign aide said sunday morning right after the debate. >> what secretary clinton was saying last night one of the many dangerous things about donald trump is that his rhetoric, we should allow muslim refugees into the country is being used and this is something that the international group has who monitors social media and on isis has said. >> there have been no videos. >> what they said is that they're using him. he's being used in social media by isis as propaganda. should have a particular video in mind, but he's being used in social media. >> chris, i mean, this should be so easy. like you said, again, they came on yesterday and doubled down on

msnb saying he wouldn't let troops back in when he's already said he would. i mean, they get such a compelling story. is this, is this a mistake hillary makes time and time again where every time she gets ahead and gets comfortable she sort of resorts to worst form? >> i don't know. that's psychological. i do think that trump is good at his game, which is listening very carefully for the opportunity and jumping when he sees the chance to exploit. he's really good at at this. i don't think hillary clinton is as good. it will be a great debate. we all wish we could have that debate now. i mean, it would be so good. because hillary is very well briefed. has her story but i'm not sure she's as good in the crazy moments as trump is. trump flours in the crazy moments. this thing aboutputen and i don't kill reporters. where does that come from? he lives off the attacks off him. i don't kill reporters. in other words, i'm too good a

guy to kill reporters. >> i had to think about it. >> last night he was like, no. >> am i going to kill them? >> but i go back to this. he's a builder. and when he gets into those southern primaries where you have to win six states at a time. money matters and real good ad campaign could take him over the top. over cruz. cruz is not likable. trump is entertaining at least. cruz isn't entertaining, he's just angry. >> he'll win four fewer states than if trump wins the nomination. >> i'm with you on that one. >> because he is a traditional republican, southern, whatever. where trump i just think trump scrambles. willie, breaking news. interesting cbs this morning just bleeped trump saying. what are the other networks doing? >> the tiffany network has taken a stand.

>> with his vocabulary. he bleeped that. >> i guess it depends on your interpretation of what that word means in that case. >> i thought it was a kind of fruit cake. >> what do you think it is? >> not a holiday expression. >> chris matthews, we'll leave you out of this and i'm sure you'll be relieved. >> i can't wait to hear trump's reaction. probably at 8:01 he'll have a reaction. >> he'll be tweeting in the middle of it. it looks amazing. can't wait. love "hardball." i love it. it is what i watch every night. we'll be watching your documentary. "citizen trump" tonight at 7:00 eastern time. in our next hour, governor chris christie joins us. plus, everyone was convinced that reagan would make an effortless transition to president. when it comes to donald trump.

presidential historian john meacham joins us for that conversation ahead. plus, our "morning joe" i-team is asking the tough questions and getting to the bottom of just what happened at the miss universe pageant. it's willie. so, he was and then it turns out he didn't go to the rehearsal, where you could have learned how to read the card. >> it wasn't that hard of a card to read. >> now he used miss colombia's life. >> i think she's going to be okay. here's a little healthy advice. eat well, live well, and take of what makes you, you. right down to your skin with aveeno® aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion with the goodness of active naturals® oat and 5 vital nutrients for healthier looking skin in just one day. healthy skin equals beautiful skin.

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you are back. the x1 voice remote is here. with us now managing editor of bloomberg politics. mark halprin. we've been talking a good bit about the polls that have been out. marco rubio out, new campaign fund-raiser saying the establishment is scared of him because he is the establishment. new polls out this morning, quinnipiac and rubio down five. is it starting to become a

two-person race? has cruz bankuished rubio for now and now it is a cruz/trump two-person race. >> it is currently and could end up being cruz versus trump. it could be if you look at the top two finishers in iowa and south carolina, it could be cruz and trump. one and two. the four establishment guys are dividing the vote in new hampshire which is the best place for one of the establishing guys to break through. i think there is going to be a moment when kasich, bush, rubio will have a chance to make it a three-person race. >> what we've been saying for a year now is actually the last three or four days everybody has caught on to. that rubio doesn't have a natural constituency. he doesn't have a state he could win, seemingly, with a month to go. but it is still, you said, too early to write this guy off. >> what he has is the best chance. if you take the assets and liabilities of the four establishment candidates. today you'd have to say rubio

has the best chance to make it a three-man race, even without winning an early state. let's see what his fund-raising is like and let's see if he has the strength. just the ability to be a titan to cruz and trump. it is not going to be for the week. it is going to be a strong person. christie is not just rising in new hampshire, but rising in the minds of people in the establishment. he is the titan. i think january he will increasingly do it and not back down and rubio has just never been through something like that. i'll say, again, rubio, bush, christie and kasich. today you would have to say rubio has the best chance to become. >> why? >> because it the establishment wants the best chance of someone to win a general election and take them on with an opmystic message. he's highest in the polls in the three. >> why do you think that way of chris christie? why are they thinking that of a

first-term senator who hasn't shown up? >> they worry about christie for all the reasons that trump and others talk about. they worry about bridgegate and i'm surprised that they haven't started turning more to christie. i'm surprised. >> watching him on the campaign trail. are they seeing what they're seeing versus marco rubio. >> basing on rubio being a more familiar figure. >> but these are the thinkers that many of them like, for example, went off to run super pacs and get behind jeb bush. things don't work the way they do any more. is anyone clued in on today's reality? >> they're not. that's why january is going to be so fascinating. even for these so-called smart people in washington and the donors, i think they're still living a little bit in the past and in shock. do not write off bush or kasich. this is the problem, this is where bush and trump are so strong besides their poll standing. all four of those guys think they're going to be the story

coming out of new hampshire. so, none of them are going to give up and they're going to divide the vote. cruz could finish second in new hampshire. >> people keep asking why don't people drop out of the race. headlines on politico. if you're jeb bush and you see this headline right here. jeb bush showing signs of life in new hampshire. you're not going to get out of the race. >> no. >> marco is not getting out of the race. cruz won't get out of the race. kasich is at 8%. he's not going to get out of the race. still a long way to go. >> rubio is higher in the national polls than the other three, but he's not far ahead of them and he's well behind cruz and trump. i still believe that rubio is going to have to show a lot more strength than he's had to win over some people in the establishment. i talked to two of the leading republicans in the country yesterday, elected officials who are looking for a candidate and that's what they said. they want to see rubio. they want to be able to see rubio do things that would allow him standing toe to toe with cruz. >> any pocket for another candidate coming out?

a possibility of if trump wins iowa and new hampshire. mitt romney deciding to jump in the race. is that -- >> if coming out of new hampshire cruz and trump are the only stories, no one else has shown any strength, then there is going to be a moment of huge gut check where they're going to say, even though no -- can we rally around the strongest of the weak or do we have to figure out how to get somebody and even though they've missed a lot of filing deadlines. still more likely going to be rally around the strongest of the weak. coming up, what's past. skepticism about reagan becoming president. also ahead, we'll reveal the top ten news stories of the year as voted by the people at the associated press. we'll be right back. ideas are scary. they come into this world ugly and messy.

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>> i've been accused of trying to frighten the people. if so, that's only because i'm frightened myself. >> you could almost hear a sigh of relief in europe over the news that president ford had won the republican nomination. far more to the point that ronald reagan had not. europe's image or impression of reagan is that of an ex-hollywood actor with a permanent smile and simplistic views of foreign policy. >> i just can't imagine him being president. it's too complex a job. >> i hate tasee him involved in a near east peace discussion and come up with one of these ill

informed shoot from the hip comments. >> carter certainly has. >> i think it's a big risk to have reagan as president. reagan scares me. he really scares me. >> going to be one of the major electoral sweeps of recent history. >> ronald reagan used the debate to convince voters that he was not this mad hollywood bomber from the west. that he was presidential. >> mad hollywood bomber. >> from the west. >> that was a look back at some of the skepticism. >> people forget how mocked and ridiculed reagan was. >> as he made his climb from hollywood actor to presidency. author of "destiny and power" john meacham. i've made that a christmas gift for my democratic and republican family members. >> they all love it. >> they don't know they're getting it yet. >> john meacham, history does seem to be repeating itself a

bit. i said yesterday people forget how much reagan was mocked and general ford even in 1976 had a campaign saying governor reagan cannot get you into war. but president reagan can. >> you know, one of the reasons he put bush on the ticket and whether he tried to get ford on the ticket in 1980 and ended up with 41 was he said i'm seen as a combination of eber neeznezer scrooge meets the mad bomber. he was aware of the caricature. one thing about reagan that is different from the current climate is he did always project a serenity. there was a confidence, not an anger. and i think that one of his secrets, actually, was the people felt his sure and certain confidence in them. in the idea of american greatness. but he was not an angry candidate. >> that's true. i think serenity is a really

good word that shows a little bit of a difference. here's more, though, when reagan was running for president in 1976, a column in the "atlantic constituti constitution" says the truly remarkable thing is that ronald reagan is regarded by anybody as serious president by the united states. he should be regarded as a serious candidate for president "harper" magazine wrote. the "new york times" report that the carter campaign's 1980 strategy no easy questions come to the oval office, mr. carter says. the implication is that a former hollywood actor lacks the basic equipment for the job. an editorial in "chicago daily news" says the trouble with reagan, of course, his positions on the major issues are phrased nonsense, irrationality, conceived and hair raising in

their potential mischief. here comes barry goldwater, again, only more so and at this stage another such debacle could sink the gop so deep it might never recover. even seven weeks after he was elected, david broeder of "the washington post" wrote the first phase of the presidency is becoming clear. to what extent is reagan running the show and to what extent are preparing to govern in his name? >> a guy who was considered ill-equipped to be president of the united states and "chicago sun-times" said would destroy the republican party for a generation. in fact, provide, we just don't know what the voters are going to say. >> no, absolutely. you wrote whole book about this. james restin wrote the day after the '64 election that the goldwater loss buried conservatism for a generation. four years later you have richard nixon winning and reagan

as a possible candidate in that year. you know, ronald reagan defied political gravity for entire career. what couple of interesting things. he didn't come to politics until his 50s, but he had spent the 1950s working out a coherent political philosophy. he didn't like flying. so, when he was on the road for general electric, he would ride the train. he gave him an enormous amount of time to read and he read human events. he read lots of books. in fact, one of the reasons he was prone to gaffes about factoids that might not actually be true is he had a photographic memory. he would read something and it would get stuck on the hard drive up there. and it was very hard to dislodge something once it was in his brain. >> drove advisors crazy because sometimes they were giving top briefings and then if he had read "reader's digest" at times quote the "reader's digest"

comments. suggested that actually trumpism is less like reaganism and more like a guy that you studied a very long time. andrew jackson. a complete and total disruption to the political class. >> it's true. i mean, trump has more in common with jackson than not. although i don't think he's challenged anybody to a duel yet, but it's only 7:30. >> exactly. >> so, you know, watch out chris matthews. there is a sense that he's going to come in, sweep out the old order. jackson felt there was an anger about the jack sewnian movement in part because there was a feeling that elites had rigged the system against the people. beginning with the 1824 election, which had gone to the house of representatives and that elected john quincy adams.

the current regime which trump heavily hints about. there is a force, there's a force, a populous force to trump that i don't think is quite reagan escand i would agree with craig and newt that it's more jack sonnian than than reaganesque. >> wrm i'm reminded in the clips we have been showing. he approached the public and approached nearly every day with a smile on his face and concentrated in his rhetoric largely on optimism about the country and about an individual's effort in this country. and it seems to be missing this year, among a lot of the candidates. but very little anger in reagan and i always thought it was a huge, huge part of his popularity. >> totally agree. totally agree. tomorrow is always going to be better than today. our best days lie ahead. there was a fundamental optimism and sunniness to reagan. he produced a kind of sunny

goldwaterism in many ways. goldwater reagan smiled. and let's also realize, you know, that candidate reagan and president reagan were not entirely the same person. this is a man who was able to say about the cold war, we win, you lose. but he played a long negotiating game. a man of substance and a man of depth. >> john meacham, thank you very much. up next, it's been a huge year in the news from the 2016 election to the supreme court decision on same-sex marriage. the mass shootings across the country took terror attacks across the globe. we'll reveal the ap's number one story of 2015, next on "morning joe."

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joining us now david prairie is here to break down the ap top ten stories of 2015 based in the associated press annual poll of u.s. editors and news directors. so, let's do ten through five. europe's migrant crisis the charleston church shooting and climate change. the u.s. election campaign, terrorism worries. and i have to say, the list, if it's possible, gets grimmer as it goes. it's a grim year. >> it is a very grim year. seemed that between the mass shootings, which kept happening over and over again and terrorism related islamic state stuff, it was a tough, tough year and it never seemed to ease up. >> a theme in this top five of violence. number five, you have, you callcall called black deaths and encounters with police. you can talk about chicago, tulsa. why did you rank that as high as you did? >> each one of those stories would be a big substory.

chicago, baltimore, it would have diluted all the power of those things happening and people all around the country to start thinking about those issues. >> as you pointed out, rise to the black lives matter campaign. >> the mass shooting, chattanooga and the planned parenthood clinic in colorado. >> same thing. any one of those by itself. the community college, that was so tragic and, yet, it gets overshadowed as the shootings that happen. >> it's a daily event, as we learned. if you look at the data. >> number three, mass shooting of sorts in paris. something that just shook the world to its core. >> well, it made me think back to january when that charlie hebdo shooting happened in paris. all of us were shocked. how could this happen in paris, the city of light. this wonderful city. 10, 11 months later even a worse attack, same place.

like daw sheja vu in the worst possible way. >> rise of the islamic state and europe's migrant crisis the global altering, world altering events. those three put together. >> one of our voters said, you know, we should have combined the islamic state story and the migrant crisis because it's true. yet the migrant crisis in europe for them so overwhelming we felt it had to be an entry of its own. >> number two stunning how quickly politics moved. only 15 years after vermont pioneered civil unions. the supreme court, the united states supreme court said that people had a constitutional right to be married, if they were gay. >> stunning. i talked to some of the gay activists who were involved in this whole 15-year campaign. back in 2000, 2004, they did not believe it would happen this quickly. they really didn't. so, i think it's stunning to them. now they have a lot of work still on their plate. they're not sure how quick it will be to get nondiscrimination

laws nationwide. still most states don't have those statewide. congress is not going to pass it. still some work to do. >> the number one story of 2015, the islamic state. that is, i would say, maybe perhaps next year's, as well. >> you know, i was thinking that. i think a lot of people would hope it won't be next year's. but how do we get there and knock that down? it's a long way to go. >> david, thank you so much. always look forward to this list. >> we hope a happier list next year. >> we'll try. >> good to see you all. still ahead on "morning joe," governor chris christie joins us live. fir, the fallout continues for steve harvey after his miss universe mix up. chief investigative correspondent willie geist has an in-depth look at napchat video. really, we're on it. ♪ come on, wake up!!! come on,why ya sleepin'?

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perhaps had been in the teleprompter that miss clum be colombia and a new piece of snapchat with steve harvey suggesting just that. >> i have to apologize. >> this morning the fallout over the miss universe debacle still unfolding. he misread the ballot card. but a snapchat video recorded moments after the flub may tell a different story. the audio is difficult to hear, but the caption on the snapchat reads, teleprompter said miss universe colombia. a claim gaining some traction online. with even miss america contestant describing the video on twitter. in the official statement, the miss universe pageant says human error came into play with harvey maintaining it was his mistake. >> it was my mistake. >> facing mounting criticism

online, the comedian and talk show host is finding support from celebrities urging critics to ease up. i love steve harvey and both contestants now, too. steve hafry declared her the winner. >> colombia. >> for a full two minutes she was on stage alone, harvey declared her the minutes. for a full two minutes she was on stage alone basking in the glory. >> i have to apologize. >> the crown was removed by last year's miss universe and placed on the head of miss philippines.

despite the mistake, viewers in the philippines were thrilled, turning into a strange and thrilling moment for viewers. don't you feel bad for steve harvey now? >> i do but he should have gone to rehearsal. >> always say for every hour i'm on air, i have to prepare for three hours. >> i guess we shouldn't be so hard on him but, gosh, go to reverse al. >> i like what miss philippines said afterwards. she said "that was so 2015." >> i'm with mindy kailing.

>> polimiss colombia is more fa than she's ever going to be. >> you know her better than the other one. >> two winners. >> that's what donald trump would say. >> this is trump's plan, partition it into two winners. >> that was one of the most cringe-worthy moments on television. and we've had a lot here. >> can we have a quick check of traffic and weather. >> we sure can. >> nice job, willie. >> weather on the 7s. >> quack quack. >> quack quack. >> local news or morning zoo. what is this? >> donald trump increases his national lead among republicans. >> quack quack. >> even though american say they would be embarrassed if he wins. and the moment he turns crude --

i don't want to show that. >> cbs is showing it so we have to. >> we flew to iowa and we're off the 24th and 25th and then next week we're in iowa and we come back after. as long as i get enough sleep and decent food, i can do it. >> marco rubio says he's slogging through. we'll be right back. ♪ i can be your long last pal (friends gasp) the app where you put fruit hats on animals? i love that! guys, i'll be writing code that helps machines communicate. (interrupting) i just zazzied you. (phone vibrates) look at it! (friends giggle) i can do dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs... you name it. i'm going to transform the way the world works. (proudly) i programmed that hat. and i can do casaba melons. i'll be helping turbines power cities. i put a turbine on a cat. (friends ooh and ahh) i can make hospitals run more efficiently... this isn't a competition!

they said, you know, he's

killed reporters. and i don't like that. i'm totally against that. bip the way, i hate some of these people but i'd never kill them. no, honestly, i'll be honest. i would never kill them. i would never do that. ah, let's see -- no, i wouldn't. i would never kill them. but do i hate them and some of them are such lying, disgusting people. it's true. it's true. but i would never kill them and anybody that does i think would be despicable. >> so i think we may have crossed another line. >> whoo, i'm relieved. >> it was like that scene in "gladiator" where like, okay -- trump's like, i'm not going to

kill them. >> we should have all the candidates do a hand raising event at a debate. >> it's tuesday, december 22nd. >> are you grateful? >> he was joking. but he was very crass last night. >> what do you mean he was crass? >> we have veteran couplumnist mike barnicle -- >> no, we're not going to play some of that. i think some of the legitimate points that he's making that perhaps should be argued we should play. but not that. not that bathroom stuff. >> the latest quinnipiac poll shows donald trump in the lead. but look who's coming up, ted cruz. >> a 4% lead that's just inside the margin of error.

the poll finds a 5-point drop for senator marco rubio and ben carson falling 6 points to 10%. >> so let's look at these numbers first. nick obviously, and we've been talking about it around the table for about a week now, this race starting to move to a two-person race. that battle between trump and cruz, looks like ted cruz won in a big way and this poll suggests marco rubio the big loser. >> the establishment lane we've been talking about for months and months and months. it is awkwardly narrow. it is not a big lane. the anti-establishment lane that cruz and trump are in, it's huge. it's over half of the party. >> it's over half of the party. you add ben carson's and almost

half the candidates are anti-establishment. >> it seems pretty weak right now. on the other hand it is narrowing in that lane the extent there are few candidates, lindsey graham is out. i can see marco rubio benefitting from that a little bit. but there are no a lot of voters in that lean. >> as a "new york times" article this morning talking about how ted cruz sort of doing a mind meld with donald trump. he's starting to sound more like donald trump out on the campaign trail -- >> using his words, ideas. >> getting more aggressive, using his ideas. wa we talked about over the last debate, a deal between these two to basically shut everybody else out, wlp it's direct or indirect, they both nome whatter that doing and it's both working wonderfully well for them. at the are shutting out everybody else.

>> i think the debate was the first time everyone noticed how ted cruz was hugging trud. he was been drafting behind trump, refusing to criticize him. trud said i don't agree with the idea but i understand where it's coming from. >> which makes me think today ted cruz may also connell out today also, mike barnicle, against the assassination of journalists, but he understands you may want to actually assassinate a journalist, but you may -- >> that's a dishonest way of disagreeing. >> they're horrible people. >> senator cruz wants the best. >> no, mike had a point to make about assassinations. >> actually, if you take the top-three candidates, take cruz, trump and carson, you are about

62% of republican primary voters. so when does the rest of the republican party or the rest of the republican electorate out there in the country begin to think, fine, there's 62% of the vote tied up there but they don't have the legs to make it all the way through ideologically. >> are you saying that's going to happen? >> i this it is. >> with trump? >> i think it is. >> there's no data to suggest -- there's absolutely no data, no evidence, no nothing. you might as well tell me climate change is a hoax. >> what is he saying, joe? >> he's saying he doesn't want to biep you your pickup. >> the voters are going to run away from them. >> they better hurry up, basically. >> no, no, before november. i'm not saying it's going to happen in january. >> so you're saying he could win the nomination. >> >> yes.

>> and then get crushed because as i watched tv last night, i realized that hillary clinton's camp understands what mika revealed a couple days ago, that donald trump is not walk in the park, that donald trump will say things about hillary clinton's and bill clinton and hillary clinton's association with bill clinton through the years and everything else that other people in polite political society will not say and it's a real challenge for her. >> there's some really interesting embarrassment polish use. senator cruz performs the best in a head-to-head matchup with hillary clinton, tying clinton at 44%. rubio is down one point to her, 43-44 and trump trails clinton by 7 points.

the poll asked americans if they'd be proud or embarrassed if trump was elected president. >> 23% they would. >> 35% said they'd be embarrassed. >> very excited about the front-runners right now. nick, i saw a poll yesterday, i'll try to dig it up. >> anyway, trump is a lot closer than i thought he'd be. it the same thing i said about hispanics. he's polling at about the same rate that mitt romney did, four years ago, despite working overtime to say things that would be insulting to his pan. people that think that trump would be a walk in the park for hillary clinton, they should pick up the phone and call jb

bush's camp. >> polls have i think with cruz or trump, this could be a real test of the proposition. they've never had a candidate who speaks their language and has their passion or has the money to go the distance. with trump and cruz, you have it both, a candidate who speaks the language and, in my opinion, trump could way. it would be a remarkable because he's more of a traditional conservative that would never went outside. >> you in the hillary clinton is going after trump. i'm completely perplexed as to why she would meet his lie with a lie. does that make sense? are you going to say it wasn't a

lie? >> i didn't see the lie. which lie? >> because there are probably some people who will say it wasn't a lie, they'll say it's something that wasn't true. go get off of mark hall principle. >>. >> i'm talking about trump saying prsh which is her own team was stumbling and stuttering the next day. >> it would be o nice to see an actual example of this. >> well that, would mean it true. >> i'm saying it's not true. it's a lie. it not true. >> thank you. >> if there's no evidence of it.

>> hillary clinton's people are sticking by this. they're going "hell, no." there's a nice mirror there between trump and clinton. >> she didn't apologize. see played trump ball. am i going to apologize? hell no. >> i will say, it's almost impossible to get through a trump speech without finding three, four, five things he said that weren't true. like in any given speech, the rate of lying and misdirection is extraordinarily high. >> my question is hillary clinton melt his lie with a lie. fascinating. why is she doing that? >> because she wants to get some purchase on her own idea, which is someone like trump is rat cl

clis. >> and risk of -- there wasn't just thousands of people. that was the report yesterday. let go back to the here and now. drl denied the charge that the videos were being showed to -- but a clinton representative said, hell no. last night the republican frun are let's p less loose on his democratic counterpark remarking on everything to her lay return to the. >> donald trump is on video and isis is using him on the video

to recruit a pb. >> it under out to be a lie. turned out to be a lie. >> and last prn that she want to run against is me. blow me. so hillary' go she disappeared. where did she go? where did she go? i thought she quit. i thought she gave up. where did hillary go? they had to start the debate without her. phase two. i know where she went. it disgusting. i don't want to talk about it. no, it's too disgusting. don't say it. it's disgusting. we want to be very, very straight up, okay? >> so talking about --

>> come on. no, no, no, no. no, no, no, no. >> we're going to people this out there. people thinking about voting should know this. donald trump said something at that same rally using word some people find offensive and had twitter going crazy. >> i may win, i may not win. hillary, that's not a president. that's not -- she's not tacking been involved with hillary' she was going to beat o'bam a.m. >> what do you think george herbert walker bush and barbara brush are at thissing psh it goes back to the snh skid in

'8 pennsylvania someone said there's so much information out there. it's like trump is purposely trying to fail. >> chris christie has decided to take it easy on the president. >> listen, this president is a joke on these law enforcement issues. he's a joke. >> all right, maybe not. the governor new jersey joins us live in just a few minutes. and later, republicans run congress and a majority of the statehouses. but is america in the middle of an unstoppable shift to the left? the editor of "atlantic" magazine joins us with that message. but first bill?

frchl and some of the snoch did make it's a way into california, much needed. tahoe got some snow, the ski resorts are living this. and we're trying to build up that snow pack. now the story is going to be the heavy rain on the east coast, we're going to get a couple rounds of it and either severe, too. it's just a light, soaking rain now. moving toward philadelphia and new york into evening. today's forecast, seasonably cool. let's talk about what's going to happen in the future as we go toward christmas and christmas eve. wednesday's a very warm day. we're going to have a collision of of air masses and we may see 35 million people with the threat of severe weather in the

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so marco rubio could be seen in new hampshire yesterday campaigning during multiple stops, shaking hand after hand at a diner and talking at town halls. his family also joined him on the run. >> rubio has made 42 stops in new hampshire, according to

necn's track, that's the same number at james gilmore. chris christie 131, at a weekend town hall, chris christie reportedly said "this is not like a marco rubio thing where you get three questions and then he leaves, we actually stay here. >> do you think is it like that? >> i don't think it's like that. marco rubio reminds me of the story of are you a candidate for president and the candidate says, i don't know. i've only met him once. there is that in the body politic up in new hampshire. they expect to see these candidates, they expect to be able to talk with them. i don't think new hampshire's changed at all.

i think rubio missed an opportunity up there. >> his campaign has said we get more pop doing a fox interview than weep do from on the ground. that may be wrong but they believe they can go more broad with the media. >> the contrast with chris christie, if you're a new hampshire voter and you see chris christie in the state constantly, fighting so hard, spend being every last second into a town hall. he's turned himself upside down to have a low approval to a high one, which is thard to do. >> it leads to the question, at least in my mind, what is the strategy here? is he looking toward the middle of march?

>> waiting for people to leave? >> here's the problem. up have to pick a state. kris krids did that and he picked new hampshire. candidates need to pick a state. maybe lightning strikes and maybe things go wonderfulably for marco but if they do, this is the first time. again, we talked about this yesterday. i didn't even put up a poll of registered republicans because it doesn't matter because you got registered republicans and you have people who vote in primaries, which is about a third of the registered republicans and then you have people who will vote in the race for president. so you have to i.d. a small group of these people, call them, knock on doors, drag them to the polls. this is what barack obama did. it's why barack obama knew he was going to win. and from what "the washington post," the "new york times,"

everybody else says, marco is just not doing this. >> what what happens to his money and support if he's 0 for 5 in february. >>. >> i think now he's starting to hear about it from his donors. and when you start -- and his donors are starting to leak to the paper that they want him to choose a state. once that start happening, that's when things that is right to get -- >> his whole premise was to avoid going dry like scott walker. they told me a month ago we have enough money in our campaign. their strategy was to get to that point. but time and time again we see these candidates who say, no, we can hold out and get some later win and jump start then. it never happens. it never works out that way. >> so it's interesting.

marco rubio is supposedly fund-raising with the ad he did. >> this is about the essence of mrk, about a government incredibly out of touch and millions would tradition values branded bigots and hatersers. this is about a generation drowning in debt, humiliated by putin, islam and jihadists. >> i off prove this message. >> people who feel out of place in their own country. >> so you tweeted pretty critical, marco goes full-on nativist. it's a crass play. it's a phones this morning,

joe -- >> yeah. >> here's a recent rubio fund-raising detail. you might recognize someone's name. his campaign claims that his name is catching on and that both sides know it and they're absolutely terrified. >> you can see it in the poll this morning. >> shushy. elitist members of the media like msnbc's joe scarborough are saying that he's trying to pander. >> i don't think you were just saying it. >> he said earlier this week they were the most thin skinned group of people i've ever seen in politics. >> the rubio campaign you're saying. >> so rear i am at and somebody seasoned me this and sends me a link to a poster, it says "i

don't feel i belong, even my own country." here's a guy that good paid -- got paid $800,000 to right a book. more than most people make in tn years and he's got the guts to go on and lift a line out of this nativist playbook, i feel like i don't belong in my own country? because he wants to appeal to donald trump's crowd. this is a guy who does belong in this country because this is a guy whose father came over here, not i way marco told us he came over here but his father came over here. his family embodies the american

dream and he's doing this nativist b.s. it is such a crass -- again, this is what a student government president does when he want to get elected. >> it's even more underhanded that the establishment is finally waking up. they love him. that's his crowd now. >> few have covered as much of new hampshire as chris christie. he joins us live from the trail when "morning joe" continues. ♪

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you. i do not believe that america evokes radical jihadism in the world. i think it's a provocation all of its own, born of a portion of that religion that believes that their religion is not only right but is superior to other religions in the world. welcome back to "morning joe." that was republican presidential candidate and new jersey governor chris christie. he's with us now from portsmouth, new hampshire, where

he's on a statewide bus tour. >> he's literally on the bus. >> we do have to ask you at the very beginning because of course donald trump frames the shape of this presidential debate, we have to start by asking you if given the opportunity, would you assassinate any journalists that cover you? it took donald a couple seconds to figure out but what you consider assassinating journalists you don't like. >> is mika there? >> oh! >> i definitely wouldn't, no. hi, mika. >> that was awful. >> merry christmas. >> merry christmas to you, too. >> it's like "home alone." >> right now you're in portsmouth. if you look out the window, any sightings of marco rubio anywhere there? >> no. we've been looking for marco, we can't find him.

we understand he did a very quick town hall here and then left to go back to madison avenue in new york. >> he sounds like an elitist. so you've been there 131 times, kasich 176, you look at the polls, the numbers are going higher. i guess the question to ask is let's say you have a good showing in new hampshire. does that plead over to south carolina -- bleed over to south carolina and other places where you're still in single digits. >> sure it does. iowa and new hampshire set the tone. we're going to have to go out there and work, too. but i've heard a conversation a

lot this morning. i think it's absolutely true. you can't wait to do well. you have to do well as soon as you possibly can. and especially in a race of 13 people. you cannot wait to do well because momentum will run over people who wait to do well. so we're hoping to create momentum in iowa and new hampshire and then be able to work that momentum and do what we do, which is to give two-hour town hall meetings where people get to ask whatever questions they want whenever they want and to be stunned that a politician actually answers their question. >> and you stay there. >> mm-hmm. >> and stay there for a half an hour afterward and take pictures. from beginning to end our town halls are about two and a half hours because we usually stay about a half hour after and take pictures and make sure everyone there who wants to shake a hand or ask a question gets do it. >> governor, i've seen you at

those town halls and toward the top of the agenda in their concern is the immigration crisis. you indicated that you did not want the state of new jersey to participate in taking any syrian refugees and you indicated that you were going to issue a directive to the state of new jersey to follow that policy. have you issued that directive? >> yeah, mike, listen, what we've discovered through us going through our lawyers is that i could issue a directive and it would have no effect because in the end the federal government controls immigration policy and will override any directive that we put out. so we're doing the very best we can to try to talk the people who come into the state of intelligent and let us know when they're bringing refugees into our state. they told us we have to deal through the national governor's association. it is the most ridiculous

policy, but it's run by a guy who is a community organizer and has never organized or done anything. ecan't be surprised he's messing this up, too. >> what do you think. >> he doesn't seem to me to be the greatest guy in the world, from everything i've seen and read. as a leader, he's trying to assert himself at a very difficult time for his country. his economy's in the tank, oil prices are way down and his military's in decline. he's doing what most dictators do, which is use foreign adventurism to keep his numbers up at home. he's a lilder i don't think we'll have a president of the united states who will push back on him. obviously we don't?

she come us crimea, ukraine and. >> you've highlighted differences between you and marco rubio in terms of leadership experience and some of the way he's conducted himself. what are two issue differences you would like voters to know about? >> it all flows from the way you get things done. let's look at the spending bill that just got passed in the congress. senator rubio said he was opposed to it yet he did not show up to speak on the floor. he didn't show up to cast his vote. when you're governor of new jersey, you ever don't like spending, you use the line-item veto and you line it utility and you show up -- >> i understand there's a difference there in terms of your posture and experience. i'm asking about position

difficulties you think are difficult between you rather than process things. >> mark, this is -- you say you oppose spending but you know nothing about it. he should have spoken shown up on the floor and made his case to his colorado eegs. he didn't. that is a huge substantive difference between of the pack, donald j. trump, he's interesting, he's never had his name on the ballot. he said some very -- you have had to make an appeal to the consistency of muslims in new jersey. so where are deferences between what you think about the muslim religion and about islam and

what dnld j trump. we have the second largest muslim-american population. i have a great relationship with the muslim-american community in my estate. i've worked with them, hosted them as our guests as governor. the fact is we can't core gorize people just by their religion. they're a wonderful, hard working, peace loving american. in fact, the overwhelming people in category has had a -- i know from seven years as a federal prosecutor there's a big difference between someone who is a peaceful, hard working muslim american and swuns who

focuses on the iz ram. and we don't need to interfere in the, and if we work hard, they will help to give us intelligent and information on that. i have seen that happen in my office. when i was in nung, we broke one of the biggest cases we broke on terrorism and we need to keep them as an asseth both in our state in general and the war against terror. >> are you driving that but p bus? >> thank good for the frj. >> are you a little worried, mika? >> mika, you are charming as always. >> thank you so much, both of you. >> you're in the clear through

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>> 45 past. let's bring in cnbc sara eisen at the new york stock exchange. what are you looking at? >> the top of the list is the price of oil. it's rebounding a bit today from what was an 11-year low. the latest trigger for the selling, just more concerns about global supply, more supply

from the world, whether it's coming back from iran or the u.s. finally lifting its restrictions on the exporting of crude oil. the recovery is helping world stocks today. also a report from yahoo! auto says google and ford are teaming up to build a self-driving car. the report says we could expect an announcement later in early next year at the consumer electronics show in las vegas and the former ceo of google is on the board and a former board, tiff is now the ceo of the google self-driving cars company. it could be interesting to see a major automaker getting together with a big internet company to see what they produce and especially how apple would compete with that. we only know rumors and speculation that apple is working on a car of its own.

>> up next, the atlantic is all about the 2016 election with two very interesting visions. that is ahead on "morning joe." . i kind of love it. look at those reindeer. jeffrey, you're awfully quiet back there. i was just thinking... maybe it's time we finish this test drive and head back to the dealership? that is so jeffrey... soooo jeffrey... so jeffrey... oh. elves.. it's practically yours. but we still need your signature. the volkswagen sign then drive event. zero due at signing, zero down, zero deposit, and zero first months payment on a new passat and other select models.

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joining us now, editor in chief of "the atlantic" magazine.

where do we begin, joe? >> let's start with the more provocative one. it's suggested american is moving left every branch of government except the president. what's peter's argument? >> good morning. peter isn't arguing that they won't win the presidency next time around. he's arguing esingsly the 50-yard line of our national poll titics has shifted to the left. so the next president will wind up governing to the left of george w. bush, if it's a democrat, they'll govern to the

left of president obama. cruz, if he's elected, may well want to govern to the right of george bush, but the reality is, you know, he's not going to have the same kind of democratic help in the senate that george w. bush was able to count on. when reagan won twice in a row, democrats took a look at his record and said actually this president had a real point on regulation, on taxes, we need to give this republican argument its due. the experience of the democrats under george w. bush was it's a disaster to give the republicans their due on those issues and the result first the backlash to george w. bush and obama has pushed the democrats substantially to the left. so ted cruz is not going to get

help from the senate. this is a big argument that david frum is making in in piece. basically the republicans used to accuse the republicans of fomenting class warfare but right now there's a class war breaking out within the republican party. there's a more muted edition in the democratic party. but it's the donor class, which is funding donald trump's campaign. >> he's looking at demographics and indicating over the next few years voting booths are going to look like the wait line at starbucks the more than it does now? >> yeah, a lot of it has to do with the millennials. >> republican and democrat

millennials. >> two-thirds call themselves liberal or mixed and only a third of them call themselves conservative. they are substantially to the left of the rest of the population. i thought it been always thus, people start out more liberal when they're young and they become more conservative as they age. that's not the historical pattern at all. >> thank you very much. up next, what in anything did we learn today? what? wow... yeah! okay... guys, i'll be writing a new language for machines so planes, trains, even hospitals can work better. oh! sorry, i was trying to put it away... got it on the cake. so you're going to work on a train? not on a train...on "trains"! you're not gonna develop stuff anymore? no i am... do you know what ge is?

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if given the opportunity, would you assassinate any journalist you don't like? >> is mika there? >> oh! >> oh! >> that's cold. >> the christmas spirit. >> he said he would not assassinate you during the christmas season. >> that's sweet. thank you. >> what did you learn today, joe? >> you may need some security starting january 2nd. >> what did you learn? >> that people have lynch rules. >> to each his own on the bleep. >> you should not have run it. i thought it was crude. >> maybe a warning. i don't even know what it means.

>> what would howard stearn do? >> mike, what did you learn? >> i learned once again how important show prep is. >> rehearsals matter. >> and who was your best example of show prep? >> oh, please, this guy. >> mr. show prep. >> can you tell? at 2 a.m. in the morning. what am i doing? >> flash cards. >> 1:30, quarter of 2 in the morning, i'll get a message check this, check that. >> i'm obsessed. >> he actually -- steve harvey did kind of blow it, didn't he? >> kind of. >> he wasn't prepared, he didn't go to rehearsal. he tried to go to commercial. >> he didn't blame the women. >> and then he can't spell colombia or phil piece. >> show prep. rehearsals matter.

so don't miss rehearsal. >> as i always like to say, kid, practice makes purpose. >> joe, if it's way to early, what time is it? get this right. z >> it's time for me to start preparing for tomorrow morning's "morning joe." here we go. right now on msnbc, ramped up rhetoric, drpd uonald trump language about the male anatoat referring to hillary clinton. >> meanwhile, the war of words is escalating between trump and democratic front-runner hillary clinton. last night