u, so great to see you! none of this works. come on in. helps preparey themng right for a healthy future. but up to 90% fall short in getting key nutrients ... ...from food alone. let's do more. add one a day men's ... ...complete multivitamin. with vitamin d and magnesium to help support healthy blood pressure. one a day. a 401(k) is the most sound way to go. let's talk asset allocation. sure. you seem knowledgeable, professional. i'm actually a dj. [ dance music plays ] woman: [laughs] no way! that really is you? if they're not a cfp pro, you just don't know. cfp -- work with the highest standard.

good afternoon, everyone i'm joy reid coming to you live from downtown detroit and we're broadcasting today from the american coney island restaurant home of the world famous coney dog and later this hour i'm going to talk with the owner of this place about just what it has kept detroiters hot for thee dogs for the last century. but, first it's super saturday primary day in america. four states are deciding on a republican nominee and three states are making their choice for the democratic nomination. we could see today's earliest returns coming out of kansas where republicans remember wrapping up their caucuses in just one hour from now. meanwhile the candidates are a step ahead preparing for the primary battles still to come. marco rubio and donald trump are courting voters in florida today. early voting in florida has already gotten under way in advance of the state's march 15th primary and rubio has his

work cut out for him in his home state as he tries to close a double digit polling gap against trump. after addressing cpac earlier today senator rubio is scheduled to appear later in jacksonville with new mexico governor. and he'll fly off to make his final push for voters in puerto rico. and in orlando donald trump supporters and also protesters started showing up at 9:00 a.m. this morning for his rally which will be getting under way moments from now. trump will wrap up the day in west palm beach where he's expected to react to today's primary results and ted cruz will be watching the results roll in from idaho whose republican primary is on tuesday. now, as for the democratic candidates it is all about michigan. hillary clinton and bernie sanders have been here defining their differences in advance of tuesday's primary. earlier today hillary clinton wrapped up a meeting with a group of black ministers in

detroit where she's focused on the water crisis in flint and that's exactly where clinton and sanders will be tomorrow when they go head to head in a debate. now, of course, we've got all your election news covered here at the place for politic, so let's get started with nbc news's jacob rascone, what are we expecting to hear other than a lot of noise at that trump rally today? >> reporter: when you talk to the trump voters they care about different things. some of them tell you that they want the wall that's what they're really excited about. others tell you they are really excited about his trade policy. others are excited about different things, but if there's one theme among the voter for trump is that they're excited that he is an outsider and all of the ganging up on donald trump really invigorates a lot of the trump voters. as you talk to them they're bothered that the establishment would go after trump but they're also -- their support for him is cemented and today what we

expect to hear from donald trump is more of the same with him versus the establishment right before the rally is beginning. now, you had somebody get up and talk about the #nevertrump and how the supporters here in the room, the person wanted them to instead use th the #stoptheestablish. expect to hear donald trump talk about marco rubio. you just heard his name mentioned there. donald trump loves to talk about marco rubio wherever he is, so especially here now that he's in florida about how marco rubio misses votes, about how in donald trump's words he's for amnesty and he has reason to be confident in his support here, donald trump does, because all of the polls have him ahead of marco rubio by double digits so we expect donald trump to be out here several times between now and march 15th. we also, of course, expect to see marco rubio out here and ted cruz who has said he'll be also campaigning hard here making sure that marco rubio loses and is forced to drop out come march 15th. joy?

>> all right, nbc's jacob rascon in a very loud rally in orlando, florida. thank you so much. let's go to gabe gutierrez who has been following mark co-rubio in jacksonville. he spoke to cpac today and got a warm welcome and he'll be susanna martinez, what will we expect to hear from him, is it mostly a case about donald trump? >> reporter: good afternoon, it's interesting the cpac speech he gave there was open frustration from marco rubio and that he gets asked questions about donald trump. i think over the last few days you have seen his campaign large out at the media for focusing too much on donald trump and they are blaming partly the media for that line of attack that marco rubio went after calling trump names personal attacks going after his spray tan and his hair. and he seemed to be moving afrom that a little bit but at the same time they realize they need

to go on donald trump on his substance and policies and they hit him hard on trump university and his bankruptcies and previous businesses as well. here in jacksonville it will be a crucial push for votes from marco rubio. this -- this state, his home state on march 15th, is absolutely critical for his campaign. over the last few day days, yesterday he spent some time in kansas and he hopes to pick up delegates there especially because kansas and some of the other states today are closed caucuses and those caucuses will not have the independent and outsider voters that may have gone for donald trump. only registered republicans can be there. now, here's something that's very interesting, joy, earlier today we were at a polling place and we spoke with a voter. she had actually voted absentee a few weeks ago and this voter in particular which she said is that she had voted already for jeb bush. and even though she was now supporting marco rubio and she

voted absentee she voted for jeb bush and she feels her vote was wasted. there's no way of telling how many florida voters are in that same exact situation but it goes to show the uphill climb that marco rubio faces here, not only are early voters and absentee voters many, there have been hundreds of thousands them already, he faces this double digit lead by donald trump in the polls. his campaign will say they see much closer numbers. there's another poll that came out that had him down only seven points but it will be crucial, florida will be absolutely critical for marco rubio's campaign and the question will be will perhaps jeb bush his former mentor, will he endorse marco rubio. all those questions are floating around but rubio expected in a half hour or so and then he heads to puerto rico where he's hoping to pick up a few delegates there and michigan on tuesday will be important perhaps, but he's also trailing in the polls there as is ted cruz and ted cruz is also making a push for florida, as jacob mentioned. cruz wants to make some headway

here in order to perhaps knock out marco rubio. have donald trump win florida and if trump wins florida the thinking goes then that will be the end of the rubio campaign. the rubio campaign for its part says it will win florida and they feel very confident that they can close the gap. joy? >> really quickly, gabe, before we wrap up with you, we haven't seen a lot of discussion about immigration reform obviously something marco rubio wants to avoid but he'll be traveling with susanna martinez and stumping for the puerto rico vote. there aren't a lot of hispanics in the republican party, but are you expecting to hear a little bit more nuance from marco rubio or just maybe outright reputation of what he said about getting rid of doca and other things and how does that wind up playing with hispanic republicans crucial in florida as well as puerto rico? >> reporter: well, as you know, joy, you know, the hispanic vote especially in florida does not vote as one bloc. there's cuban-americans in south florida that they may have different views from other

hispanics around the country. marco rubio was expected to use nevada as his western fire wall so to speak and he did not do as well there as some who have hoped. donald trump beat him there. he's going after the hispanic vote in florida, but the problem is a lot of that vote had previously gone after jeb bush and the question is will all of them now transition to marco rubio or will they perhaps give ted cruz a look because as you know ted cruz also cuban-american and will make a play for the hispanic vote. but certainly marco rubio campaign right now is going for all the votes it can get, and, yes, it is trying to make an outreach to the hispanic vote. joy? >> all right. yep, all politics is local. rubio may regret not getting in and organizing in florida earlier. thank you. thank you very much. i want to turn to my guests and joining me from memphis, snz, is elise george and a former senior policy adviser for

the rand paul campaign and robert, i'll start with you because you come from bush world. and let's talk a little bit about all of these conundrum for marco rubio. he, of course, comes out of the jeb bush family the political family of jeb bush which, of course, also part of the cpac family, when you have jeb bush's friend and former mentor for marco rubio used to run the american conservative union. the table was set for marco rubio. what has happened to your party, robert, when sort of the scion has so little traction even in his home state? >> well, truth be told, joy, i don't recognize the party right now. my party right now is going through a major civil war. understandably so. there's a lot of people out there that are so frustrated and so angry, they've been lied to by the supreme court justices, they've been lied to on public policy issues as relates to the

fiscal health of our country. and they have every right to be upset and angry. but they are throwing the baby out with tbathwater here. and if you look at the math with the general election and hillary clinton were the democratic nominee, it's very difficult to conceivably see donald trump winning in ohio and florida in the general election and colorado and virginia and so forth. people have every right to be angry and they have every right to vote for whomever they want to vote for especially the anti-establish candidate but the rationale going behind donald trump doesn't make a lot of sense to me and the reason very quickly when you look at donald trump's record he's not a conservative. when you look at his record when it comes to on the life issue and tort reform and public policy, when you try to nail him down on specifics when it comes to conservatism he can't give you an answer and the reason why he can't give you an answer is he probably simply does not know. rational and cooler heads are trying to prevail here and we're

trying to tell the movement conservatives out there, donald trump is not truly a conservative. we understand that you're angry. we understand that you're frustrated but please go with marco rubio or ted cruz, bona fide conservatism there. >> to that very point, let me play for you, elise, what marco rubio said at cpac specifically speaking to what roberts traynham was talking about and what is conservatism and does donald trump fit the bill. let's listen to marco rubio from earlier today. >> there's agreeing amount of confusion about what conservatism is and it's time for us to understand that conservatism is not built on personalities. conservatism is not simply built on how angry you might seem from time to time. conservatism is built on a set of principles and ideas that our nation desperately needs. >> so, elise, for the last probably 30, 40, maybe even 50 years the principles that marco rubio is talking about conservatism was built on had to do with things like very low

taxes for the rich, very few regulations for businesses including the fossil fuel industry, things that the base of the republican party have decided they don't believe in. who gets to define what conservativetism is? is it the elites like the people at cpac or is it the people who actually vote? >> well, i think this is where the people who actually vote are showing their strength this year. i think that for far too long the republican party has been dominated by a donor class that has pushed a lot of initiatives, you know, big corporate tax breaks that just don't feel the meddle trickle down to the rank-and-file grassroots voters, so saying we're job creators rings hollow if these policies aren't actually creating jobs, so you a of the rhetoric i feel like has to match up and that's what a lot of the rank-and-file grassroots voters are really upset about this year. i also wonder if, you know, maybe some of the priorities of the donor class that maybe it --

you know, they've overestimated how big social issues are. i think it really comes down to the economy and republican grassroots voters want to see a candidate that they think is going to step up to corruption within the party and corruption in washington. they're sick and tired of having promises made by politicians only to have those promises ignored once the politician's in office because of promises to lobbyists and donor class. >> and, robert, you know, going back to this question of what conservatism is and to elise's point the donor class wanting things like lots of wars in the middle east that the common man essentially has to fight on their behalf. all of these things that the basic blue collar voters in the republican party are saying no to, isn't it also true that going back to the founding of the american conservative union by william f. buckley jr. has been wisking and nodding at racial prejudice and that, too, is coming back to haunt your party? >> i don't accept the premise of

the question. let me go back to what you said a few moments ago. the republican party is not for what you said a few moments ago in terms of lower taxes for the rich it's lower taxes for all americans out there. when you look at the policies of ronald reagan and george w. bush and george h.w. bush it's a fiscal conservatism for all americans. >> isn't that bushism that whole panoply of ideas that is being soundly rejected by at least 40% of the voters in your party. >> i don't deny that. and what's also very interesting is that when you take a look at conservatism the supreme court has always j the ultimate litmus test and we had the death of justice scalia and you would think that a lot of conservatives would say, hmm, we probably want a true and trusted conservative that's going to be elected to the presidency that's going to nominate someone in the mode of scalia. to your second point about racism, look, donald trump is

not representative of the republican party. now, there are certain people out there that are clearly voting for him and are clearly very, very supportive of him. but let me be very clear and donald trump and whistling by the graveyard as relates to the kkk and david duke i stand by paul ryan the speaker of the house when he said in front of the press conference for all the people to say, hopefully you have that tape, where he said he does not speak for the party. there's a very small strain, that's vocal, they are very vocal, but they do not speak for the whole entire republican party. >> all right, we're going to come back and talk to our guests later in the program so please stay right there, both of you, elise and robert. bernie sanders and hillary clinton are facing off tomorrow night in flint, michigan, so we'll have a preview of the democratic showdown, next. ♪ every auto insurance policy has a number. but not every insurance company understands the life behind it. ♪ those who have served our nation

have earned the very best service in return. ♪ usaa. we know what it means to serve. get an auto insurance quote and see why 92% of our members plan to stay for life. (two text tones) now? (text tone) excuse me. (phone tone) again? be right back. always running to the bathroom because your bladder is calling the shots? (text tone) you may have oab. enough of this. we're going to the doctor. take charge and ask your doctor about myrbetriq. that's myr-be-triq, the first and only treatment... ...in its class for oab symptoms of urgency... ...frequency, and leakage. myrbetriq (mirabegron) may increase blood pressure. tell your doctor right away if you have trouble emptying your bladder, or have a weak urine stream. myrbetriq may cause serious allergic reactions. if you experience... ...swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue or difficulty breathing, stop taking myrbetriq and tell your doctor right away. myrbetriq may affect or be affected by other medications.

before taking myrbetriq... ...tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney problems. common side effects include increased blood pressure... ...common cold symptoms, urinary tract infection... ...and headache. it's time for you to make the calls, so call your doctor to see if ...myrbetriq may be right for you. visit myrbetriq.com to learn more. when your symptoms start... distracting you? doctors recommend taking ...non-drowsy claritin every day of your allergy season. claritin provides powerful, non-drowsy 24 hour relief... for fewer interruptions from the amazing things you do every day. live claritin clear. we're always looking for ways to speed up your car insurance search. here's the latest. problem is, we haven't figured out how to reverse it.

for now, just log on to compare.com... plug in some simple info and get up to 50 free quotes. choose the lowest and hit purchase. now...if you'll excuse me, i'm late for an important function. compare.com. saving humanity from high insurance rates. let's turn now to the race for the democratic nomination for president, tomorrow night hillary clinton and bernie

sanders will face off in a debate in flint, michigan, a city thrust into the national spotlight after revelations over contamination and high levels of lead in its drinking water surfaced several months a ago. they are addressing rallies in michigan ahead of tuesday's primary here in this state. a new poll shows clinton leading in michigan with 61% of the vote followed by sanders at 33%. joining me now to discuss jason johnson politics editor at the root.com and mildred gattis from radio one in detroit, my fellow former radio one mate because we used to be in the same radio family. >> it's good to be with you. >> i'll start with ladies, first, jason, you'll understand. >> of course. >> let's talk about the black vote here in michigan. this is a state that is tailor-made for bernie sanders in a lot of ways, obviously what happened in detroit, what happened to the auto industry, what happened in flint in terms of the economy even before the water crisis, he can make that

economic argument probably here better than anyone else. why is hillary clinton up 61-33 over that candidate, over bernie sanders, in michigan? >> you are absolutely right when you talk about the characteristics of a bernie sanders and how michigans will feel about that kind of candidate. a lot have decided that he can't win in november, however, i talk to people who are telling me that they're going to vote for bernie sanders tuesday and vote for hillary clinton in november. >> why do they say they're going to do that? >> they like him. they like him. they believe as the economy has done its dance and how corporate america has rebounded, the average american is not doing well. people are still under water with their mortgages and bernie sanders speaks to that kind of american. >> let's talk a little bit about the specifics that the candidates have discussed. we know hillary clinton has a good relationship with the mayor of flint, a quite close relationship, when we were down there she was calling her, they're on the phone.

she tweeted this today, hillary clinton did, flint families have waited long enough for the help they need, no more skews. the senate should pass the bipartisan aid before it, meaning money to try to start addressing some of the pipe issues. hillary clinton's relationship with the african-american community in this state, was it pre-existing? did she establish it after the water crisis? where did this come from? >> i think it's long-term work. it starts with, like, the congressional black caucus. it starts with her having a lot of different surrogates in the state. but i have some family here, the people who i talk to they consistently say i love what bernie has to say. i just don't think he'll be able to do it. that's what it really boils down to, so i think clinton has been able to sort of project this image that, yeah, you may not like me. you may not trust me. you may remember some of the things i said about obama in 2008 but i'm going to get things done and that i think has really helped her even with cynical voters. >> you may not like me vote, that's a lot. that's pretty pa jejorative andy

like her because she got the blessing from the barack obama presidency. and does the barack obama help her to be more than acceptable but to be favored by black voters here? >> in michigan keep in mind there are black americans who will love the clintons forever that despite this is another clinton. but there are people in this state who are upset about the game that the high-level democrats played the first time -- >> nafta. >> well, no, no, no. >> they tried to change -- former governor jennifer granholm and some other higher-ups in the democratic party played nasty game -- >> do tell. >> -- in an effort to deliver michigan to hillary clinton. >> okay. >> but they did not succeed and obama won michigan anyway, a lot of black americans are still upset about that. >> you're talking about trying to game and move michigan earlier in 2008 they vote earlier hoping she would win, she won, and they tried to get the delegates seated.

that's what you're talking about. >> absolutely. and obama took the state. >> took the state. >> so, i think that right now -- and it's amazing hillary clinton still has this high unfavorability rating, but yet the polls are showing her -- she's still ahead. bernie sanders speak to the core of the average american. now, what this ultraconservative congress no matter who wins we know that even bernie sanders' greatest dreams about what he would like to see happen in this country for all americans is just not going to happen. >> yeah. >> so, they believe that hillary clinton will win in november. and they believe she's going to win and she'll get bruised and battered a little bit but she'll get there. >> it's basically an inevitability argument. let's talk about bernie sanders, let's talk about flint, 57% black and 37% white and 4% hispanic and 4% other. flint is a very black city, and

detroit is where the auto industry was and nafta which bill clinton did hurt their families, it's interesting that bernie sanders wouldn't have a stronger play for the black voters specifically in a state like michigan. >> i think he does, i think he has an argument. he won't get blown out as badly as south carolina. but i think it has a lot to do with history. people want to see that you can actually get something done. the thing about sanders what i think he's had trouble selling he's had trouble selling his legislative accomplishments. he has had trouble saying i brought this to vermont and i did this for vermont and that's what people come into question. gosh, i like what you have to say. clinton can say, we did nafta, but we had the '90s economy, i said superpredators but we've been talking about this in new york. she has different ways to balance out the holes in her policies and sanders hasn't been able to make the strong yesterday. >> the bulk of the candidates are obviously here tomorrow night. what are you listening for and what do you want to hear the candidates say? >> i've been listening to the hillary clinton radio commercials.

>> because you're on the radio so you are probably hearing them. >> yes, yes. and heshe's really attacked the white privilege in america as it relates to the flint crisis. when she talks about the richest suburban communities, the fact that the day after it was -- it was -- the problem was diagnosed, there would have been a remedy the next morning. >> right. >> and she's gone after the grosse pointes and the bloomfield hills quite aggressively to my surprise. it gets to a point where some of that begins to sound like pandering. so, i think that tomorrow people are going to be looking for specifics, what are the specifics. and we have not heard a lot about specifics. >> if you polled your listeners, bernie sanders, hillary clinton, where would they be? you're getting the calls, tell me what you're hearing on the radio. >> my listeners are loving bernie sanders, but however, they are saying realistically they'll hold their noses and vote for hillary clinton in november. >> is that what your family is saying? >> that's what i always hear. whether it's here in michigan or

people back in ohio, that's what people are saying. and i'll also say this just to be perfectly candidate because he's making a play for the state as well, they only think hillary can beat trump and that's the other thing i'm hearing. >> thank you, jason johnson and mildred gattis. we're standing by for, guess what, a donald trump rally in orlando. and is mitt romney's message resonating at all with trump supporters? we'll discuss that one next. we're live in detroit, michigan, at the historic american coney island. what does it look like? is it becoming a better professor by being a more adventurous student? is it one day giving your daughter the opportunity she deserves? is it finally witnessing all the artistic wonders of the natural world? whatever your finition of success is, helping you pursue it, is ours.

t-i-a-a. ... 83% try to eat healthy. yet up 90% fall short in getting key nutrients from food alone. let's do more. add one a day women's gummies. complete with key nutrients we may need... ...plus it supports bone health with calcium and vitamin d. one a day vitacraves gummies. thisever since i hadw me. a pretty bad accident. the medical bills all piled up. so i signed up for experian. they helped educate me on how debt affected my fico score. now my credit and i - are both healing nicely. go to experian.com and start your credit tracker trial membership today. then your eyes may see it, differently.ave allergies. only flonase is approved to relieve both your itchy, watery eyes and congestion. no other nasal allergy spray can say that. complete allergy relief or incomplete. let your eyes decide. flonase changes everything. ♪ everything kids touch during cold and flu season sticks with them. make sure the germs they bring home don't stick around. use clorox disinfecting products. because no one kills germs

better than clorox. and i quit smoking with i'm chantix. i decided to take chantix to shut everybody else up about me quitting smoking. i was going to give it a try, but i didn't really think it was going to really happen. after one week of chantix, i knew i could quit. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix definitely helped reduce my urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have heart or blood vessel problems, or develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. decrease alcohol use while taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. most common side-affect is nausea. being a non-smoker feels great. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you.

when mitt romney announced that he'd be making a speech thursday about the 2016 race all eyes were on the spectacle of the last presidential republican nominee to denounce the current front-runner and while he didn't endorse one of donald trump's rivals or announce he'd seek the nomination himself as some in the gop establishment hoped he would he did lay out his opposition to trump in 68th isc detail. >> he's not of the temperament

of the stable, thoughtful leader. his imagination must not be married to real power. think of donald trump's personal qualities. the bullying. the greed. the showing off. the misogyny. the absurd third grade theatrics. donald trump is a phony, a fraud. his promises are as worthless as a degree from trump university. >> and while that may seem unprecedented, mitt is not the first political luminary or even the first romney to challenge a republican presidential candidate considered too extreme by the party establishment. in 1964, mitt's father, then michigan governor george romney, walked out on his own party's convention because it nominated the ultraconservative civil acts act opponent barry goldwater. romney a former auto executive supported things other republicans did like private initiative and the free market but he also believed that government could play a role in

improving people's lives. he supported housing integration and the aforementioned civil rights act of 1964 and rejected the divisive language of goldwater. >> certainly i'm conducting our michigan campaign we're going to avoid any spreading of hate or creation of fear. and i'm hopeful that the national campaign will proceed on the same basis. >> now, george romney warned that goldwater would be disastrous for republicans and he turned out to be right. goldwater was soundly defeated by lyndon johnson, but goldwater's brand of politics was already taking a firm hold on the gop. making moderates like george romney the exception rather than the rule. now, in an effort to turn the tide romney decided to run for president himself in 1968. but he dropped out of the race before the new hampshire primary. the race eventually came down to democrat hubert humphrey versus republican richard nixon versus third party candidate alabama

governor george wallace. and, of course, nixon who adopted many of wallace's populous themes and became a champion of the social revolution sweeping the country was elected president. now 50 years later the republican party is at a crossroads and once again a prominent republican named romney is asking which way the party will go. back with me elise jordan msnbc political analyst and former adviser for senator rand paul's campaign and robert traynham former bush-cheney adviser and mvp of communications for the bipartisan policy center. i did the long sort of traipse through history, elise, and the question really is, i guess, will the republican party as it is constituted today, if they won't listen to the new breed of republicans like marco rubio and they won't listen to the movement conservatives like ted cruz, why would they listen to mitt romney? >> well, i think what mitt romney did was start a conversation really jump-start the attacks on donald trump and

his conartist record, and so i think that it's a trickle-down effect from what you're going to see mitt romney doing. he's really just starting the basis of what is going to become a protracted attack on donald trump and what donald trump's business legacy and record actually is. what i find so interesting, though, about the timing of when romney chose to attack is that it was reported he was really upset over donald trump's refusal to disavow david duke and the kkk and that's interesting because george -- because of what george romney stood for and what george romney did as governor of michigan, he was very pro-civil rights. he did a lot to try to integrate the suburbs and downtown detroit. he really had for the time a positive legacy on civil rights. you know, when barry goldwater was standing in another direction. so, i find it interesting that, you know, the elder romney warned about the dangers of goldwater losing the election, and perhaps mitt romney knows

this same thing's going to happen too. >> and if he knows that, though, robert, why doesn't he just do what his father did and run? let's listen to mitt romney talking to nbc's the "today" show talking to matt lauer asking that same question. listen. >> under any circumstances would you be a part of this presidential race as a candidate? >> there are no circumstances i can foresee where that would possibly happen. >> i can foresee. >> no reasonable scenario i can imagine. >> just slam the door on it. close the door. unambiggious. you will not run for president. >> i'm not running for president and i won't run for president. >> robert, it begs the question if the elites of the republican party think that donald trump is so bad that he's so toxic, that he's so devastating to the future of their party, why not just go ahead and do it? seize the day. have mitt romney run. why isn't that happening? >> well, i think a couple of reasons why. first and foremost let's remind ourselves that mitt romney has run twice before in 2008 and 2012.

secondly, you know, this is a bit of a contradiction or a conundrum if you will the republican voterate is speaking very loudly about who they want their republican nominee to be. and i'm not exactly sure it's about the elites, if you will, it's about the folks out there that are longing at the long haul here. they're looking at the party not necessarily for the next four or eight or 12 years but for the next generation or so. i study this getting my ph.d. and it's just a slight clarification here, obviously barry goldwater got defeated in 1964. he was a very, very strong conservative, but richard nixon was a moderate in 1968 who ran again in 1972 and then h.w. burbush was a moderate that ran in 1998. this is very similar or deja vu within the republican party. richard nixon started the epa. richard nixon was one who put more teeth into housing and urban development. he really wasn't a conservative when you take a look at the definition if you will today.

in many ways gerald ford, george h.w. bush and to some degree george w. bush were moderates as well and we have to be very clear about our republican facts here. >> the definition of moderate has been sliding, it's been a sliding scale for a long time. >> it has been. my guests will stick around for more but when we come back we're awaiting live events from donald trump and marco rubio. quite a contrast. stay with us. the orders were rushing in. i could feel our deadlines racing towards us. we didn't need a loan. we needed short-term funding fast. building 18 homes in 4 ½ months? that was a leap. but i knew i could rely on american express to help me buy those building materials. amex helped me buy the inventory i needed. our amex helped us fill the orders. just like that. another step on the journey. will you be ready when growth presents itself? realize your buying power at open.com when your allergy symptoms start... i've been claritin clear for 14 days. ...doctors recommend taking one claritin

every day of your allergy season... ...for continuous relief. with powerful, 24 hour... ...non-drowsy claritin, live claritin clear. every day. ...one of many pieces in my life. so when my asthma symptoms kept coming back on my long-term control medicine, i talked to my doctor and found a missing piece in my asthma treatment. once-daily breo prevents asthma symptoms. breo is for adults with asthma not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. breo won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. breo opens up airways to help improve breathing for a full 24 hours. breo contains a type of medicine that increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. breo is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on a

long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop breo and prescribe a different asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. do not take breo more than prescribed. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. ask your doctor if 24-hour breo could be a missing piece for you. see if you're eligible for 12 months free at mybreo.com.

moments from now we're expecting donald trump to speak in orlando about 125 miles from jacksonville, florida, where marco rubio was supposed to go head to head with trump in a concurrent rally as republican voters cast ballots in kansas, kentucky,i inlouisiana and main today, but hours ago the florida senator was in maryland speaking at the annual conservative action conference about what it means to be a conservative. >> the theme of this gathering,

that our time is now, forces us to answer a second question and that is what does it mean to be a conservative in the 21st century. i can tell you what it can never mean, being a conservative can never be about simply an attitude. being a conservative cannot simply be about how long you're willing to scream, how angry you're willing to be or how many names you are willing to call people. that is not conservatism. meanwhile the other gop candidates are also holding rallies across the nation today after making appearances a at cpac yesterday. with the exception of donald trump. who held a rally in kansas earlier today after skipping the cpac speech he had previously scheduled for this morning. joining me now from national harbor maryland is nbc's jane tim. what can you tell be about rubio's speech and the reaction to trump's absence? >> reporter: i can tell you marco rubio will not be regretting his decision to show up here today, he had the best

response of any candidate all weekend the cheers were so loud sometimes they made my ears hurt. i don't say it lightly. we come to a lot of these events, a lot of happy supporters. he came out with an optimistic message about the future and the next generation resounded well with the young voters cpac seems to draw out. there's one moment that seemed to peak for him. we have some sound. take a look. >> the young americans have a chance to fulfill an incredible potential and destiny, but we have to give them a chance. and they won't have a chance if a hillary clinton or a bernie sanders is elected. and they won't have a chance -- and they won't have a chance if the conservative movement is hijacked by someone who is not a conservative. >> reporter: that not so subtle dig at donald trump did very

well here. people are a little disappointed that he didn't show up. to be sure this is not donald trump's usual crowd. these are republicans who have been republicans long before donald trump came around. they're establishment or libertarian or sometimes younger voters and many of them find themselves more conservative than donald trump on some of his more liberal issues. but they like the digging at donald trump and they liked someone coming out and saying i'm a true conservative and that's why i'm here and i came to speak to you because you are also true conservatives. >> all right. thank you very much. nbc's jane timm. as voters weigh in today, kansas, kentucky, louisiana, alaska and maine the gop candidates have scattered around the country to make last-minute pitches to supporters. john kasich had a campaign event in traverse city, michigan. michigan which holds its primary a tuesday is vital for kasich and other candidates who hope to pick up momentum ahead of the big march 15th primaries in

ohio, florida, illinois, missouri and north carolina. and back with me right now in memphis tennessee is elise jordan and from d.c. robert traynham. let's talk about michigan and what it could mean for some of the candidates. elise, kasich needs to do well here. the midwestern primaries are built in a sense for kasich if he's ever going to make a move. is there any chance he has traction in here or kansas or any of the other midwestern states? >> i think there's definitely a chance that kasich has a strong showing in michigan. his campaign has pointed out and rightfully so the states that kasich are going to do best in are the states that are following, you know, last week's super tuesday. kasich really is hopeful that he's going to pick up some momentum going forward. he really does need to have a strong showing, though, in michigan. just to show that he is still in the game. >> and let's take a look at the delegate count right now, robert. we have donald trump with 3 25

delegates today. ted cruise in second place having won four contests with 237 and marco rubio down 117 and kasich at 27. how does the party make the argument that ted cruz rather than marco rubio is not the real non-trump, the real anti-trump? >> it's really hard, joy. the reality is the math is cruel and the math is true and the math looks like donald trump will become the presumptive republican nominee. michigan mirrors ohio in terms of its huge manufacturing base with respect to its huge midwestern values and obviously the blue collar kind of reagan democrat or if that exists anymore or this blue collar republican if you will. so, if john kasich cannot pull out in michigan, then the math looks really hard for him or for rubio to move on to the nomination and that's where the question really becomes with the party elders.

i call them elders, these are the gray beards and the wise men if you will that will say are we willing to lose the battle here because we want to win the war. because it's not just about the presidency, although that's the most important thing, it is also about the senate map. it is also about the integrity of the party. it is also about future generations here. it also about not looking xenophobic and about not being racist. it's much, much bigger than donald trump here and this is where the party elders are probably going to sit around a table and probably help try to figure it out. >> elise, it's also about holding on to the senate, because at the same time we have a presidential race coming along you have a lot of vulnerable republicans running in the senate and, of course, kentucky is coming up on the list of places where there will be a primary. mitch mcconnell has signaled if we're to believe the reports that he would drop trump like a hot rock and try to save the senate. are you hearing from republicans that if donald trump is inevitable that what they might start to do is to ignore the presidential race and try to hold on to these senate seats?

>> well, i think that the impact that no one -- the question that no one knows right now is just what impact is trump going to have on these down-ballot races. and so looking at that, do you risk alienating trump voters by taking a big stand against him or do you still try to get those voters to vote for your candidate. will they go with your candidate. you know, how does that play out in november. so, i think that it's a very tricky calculus and path that these party leaders have to navigate just to not alienate the huge turnout that trump has been able to draw. >> hey, joy -- >> go on, robert. >> just very quickly, i will tell you just i guess it's not confidential if i'm telling it on national television, i've been part of conversations where senate republicans are very, very concerned about a trump nomination because they, in fact, have done some polling and it looks disastrous for the republican party with respect to trump being at the top of the ticket. >> yeah, if you are, you know,

ron johnson in wisconsin, if you are mark kirk in illinois, elise, you've got to be really nervous about this, because, yes, there might be some blue collar down-ballot, you know, success for you, right? you might energize more blue collar voters who might vote for your senate candidate but you will energize those who will come out and vote for the senate opponents for the vulnerable purple state republicans. >> exactly. >> that's for you, elise. >> just because this -- hi. no, this has been just a crazy primary process and it's just figuring out how is trump really going to shift the dynamic. more harmful than helpful and i personally think probably more harmful. there's just a huge risk not only could they lose the white house in the fall to hillary clinton and lose the house and the senate any chance they have at it. >> and very quickly, robert, we haven't heard flint mentioned very much by republicans. there was one question that marco rubio took at the most recent debate. how does disaster in michigan

and flint with the republican governor trying to save money and winding up poisoning people of flint with lead in the water, how does that wind up playing in the fall at all? >> i think it's going to be a big picture in the fall. the reality is the people of flint deserve much, much better not only from republicans but from all americans. it is an absolute disaster for the people in flint, not only to pay more money for their water bill but obviously to be duped and tricked in my opinion when it comes to the whole water fiasco. this is not a republican issue. it's not a democratic issue. it's an american issue and all americans should be outraged about this including donald trump and hillary clinton and including bernie sanders and others. >> well, i'll tell you, robert, creating those emergency managers, that was a republican issue. it was done by a republican governor, so i think it's going to be a bit of a partisan issue more than you think. but we'll have to leave it there, elise jordan and robert traynham, thank you very much. up next more live coverage from detroit, michigan, on the eve of the debate in flint.

♪ (flourish spray noise) ♪ ♪ (flourish spray noises) ♪ (school bell) ♪ ♪ (sigh) ♪ (flourish spray noise) ♪ share the joy of real cream... share the joy of real cream... (flourish spray noise) ...with reddi-wip. ♪ when your symptoms start... distracting you? doctors recommend taking ...non-drowsy claritin every day of your allergy season. claritin provides powerful, non-drowsy 24 hour relief... for fewer interruptions from the amazing things you do every day. live claritin clear.

at ally bank, no branches equals great rates. it's a fact. kind of like bill splitting equals nitpicking. but i only had a salad. it was a buffalo chicken salad. salad. for crash survival, subaru has developed ours most revolutionary feature yet. a car that can see trouble and stop itself to avoid it. when the insurance institute for highway safety tested front crash prevention nobody beat subaru models with eyesight. not toyota. not ford or any other brand. subaru eyesight. an extra set of eyes, every time you drive.

you're looking at live pictures of bernie sanders speaking at institutional baptist church in cleveland, ohio, he's telling a personal story about his family's journey from poland to the u.s. let's listen in. >> -- economic lesson i have ever learned is growing up in a family that did not have a lot of money. so, i think have a sense -- and that's a lesson, by the way, i have never forgotten. i know that there are millions of families out there today, black and white and latino, who are wondering how they're going to feed their kids this week, how they're going to pay their rent, how they're going to keep the lights on, how they're going to keep gas in the gar car to w

who can't find decent affordable child care who have struggled their whole lives with maybe the dream of sending their kids to college but now don't know if they're going to be able to do that. i know about that. that's in my heart. that's what i believed and understood for my whole life and that's why i am running for president. >> that is bernie sanders speaking at institutional baptist church in cleveland that's what he has to do because that's where the voters are. all day i've been coming to you live from detroit's coney island restaurant, if you have a hankering of a hot dog, some will point you to this place because american coney island is an institution in this town. the family has been serving up the coney island hot dogs for the last century and joining me is the current owner of coney island hot dogs. >> welcome to detroit. >> i had one earlier, it was delicious. >> it's a life-changing experience. >> my life is changed. changed for the better. >> you'll never be able to eat

hot dog anywhere else. >> tell me about this place. >> my grandpa came over from greece and needed a job and came to detroit and started at this same corner red, white and blue like a piece of american pie and started a pushcart and from a pushcart here we are 99 years later. my grandpa inconvenievented the hot dog. >> that's the secret. it pops in your mouth when you bite into it. >> you are a small business owner you are here in detroit all of these issues when it comes to the economy and jobs this all happens and takes place in a small business. does this election, do you feel like the issues that are most important to you as a small business owner are actually coming to the forethis time? >> it's a crazy mess is what i know and i'm going to look at what's going on in my hometown, detroit, schools are a mess. the city's booming.

i mean, i love detroit, good, bad or not. but i mean, there's issue, topically everything looks great. but there's internal issues and the schools and there's more than the heart of downtown. we need what's best for us and everybody, of course. it's just mixed up. >> detroit is on the comeback. this is a great business, you managed to survive it. >> absolutely. >> is detroit in a position where you can see it coming back to what it was if? >> it's getting there but there's a lot of work that needs to be done. they need to focus on other things. >> you're getting a lot of attention and hopefully it will help people come here. >> they'll always come here. >> you are open 24 hours. >> 24 hours. we never close. >> we'll be here tomorrow morning and if you want a hot dog. >> breakfast of champions. come on down. >> absolutely. all right, grace, of the american coney island diner who has been so good today and feeding us. we really appreciate it. hot dog and root beer. that wraps up this year from detroit, michigan, and we'll be live here tomorrow 9:00 a.m.

eastern and come on by they're open 24 hours a day. you can have a hot dog for breakfast, too, on sunday morning. and thomas roberts picks up our coverage from florida and he's coming up next. stay with msnbc, the place for politics. but not every insurance company understands the life behind it. for those who've served and the families that have supported them, we offer our best service in return. usaa. we know what it means to serve. get an insurance quote and see why 92% of our members plan to stay for life. ... 83% try to eat healthy. yet up 90% fall short in getting key nutrients from food alone. let's do more. add one a day women's gummies. complete with key nutrients we may need... ...plus it supports bone health with calcium and vitamin d. one a day vitacraves gummies. when you think what does it look like?

is it becoming a better professor by being a more adventurous student? is it one day giving your daughter the opportunity she deserves? is it finally witnessing all the artistic wonders of the natural world? whatever your definition of success is, helping you pursue it, is ours. t-i-a-a. thwith aches, chills,g. and fever, there's no such thing as a little flu. and it needs a big solution: an antiviral. so when the flu hits, call your doctor right away and up the ante with antiviral tamiflu. prescription tamiflu is an antiviral that attacks the flu virus at its source and helps stop it from spreading in the body. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people two weeks of age and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu,

tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion, or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. anti-flu? go antiviral with tamiflu. a 401(k) is the most sound way to go. let's talk asset allocation. sure. you seem knowledgeable, professional. i'm actually a dj. [ dance music plays ] woman: [laughs] no way! that really is you? if they're not a cfp pro, you just don't know. cfp -- work with the highest standard. to folks out there whose diabetic nerve pain... shoots and burns its way into your day, i hear you. to everyone with this pain that makes ordinary tasks extraordinarily painful, i hear you. make sure your doctor hears you too! i hear you because i was there when my dad suffered with diabetic nerve pain.

if you have diabetes and burning, shooting pain in your feet or hands, don't suffer in silence! step on up and ask your doctor about diabetic nerve pain. tell 'em cedric sent you. hi, everybody, today is super saturday, 155 delegates up for grabs on the republican side. can marco rubio or ted cruz chip away at donald trump's lead and 126 delegates are up for the democrats. bernie sanders hoping to notch at least a win in one of the three states where voting is taking place today. some caucus locations they've already closed. in kansas for republicans, for example, and then democrats began caucusing just a short time ago at 4:00 p.m. eastern just one hour from now caucus doors will close in kenck