can, then you've really got a special person. palin gives iowa a try. let's play "hardball." good evening. i am chris matthews down in washington. leading off tonight, the prominence of o'donnell this week tells you how much the republican party changed, at least for now. this week's primary voting in delaware changed the calculous. less for this november than for november 2012. if you are a classic lineup, the

endorsement is big money establishment republican like mitt romney, you had a bad week. who had a good week? sarah palin. this is her party now. the only question is what she wants to do herself, run or stand back at the sidelines, and get out of the field and play quarterback or grab the mega phone as the party's number one cheerleader. today's summit was o'donnell. he may win or not, in delaware, but progressives are fools to underestimate her or the voter attitude. and that's what led to her nomination. o'donnell was on "hardball" as far back as 2002, and we will show you that later. and then rally to restore sanity.

well, let's talk about the hard feelings. three decades after ted kennedy challenged carter for the democratic nomination, carter said we could have had comprehensive health care reform in the 1970s, but kennedy wanted to deny carter success. and then palin. answer the question, please, let's start with the brave new republican party. let's go to our analysts. here is mitt romney trying to talk like a tea partier in today's value voter's summit. >> if only he had been in fact transparent and uniting as he pledged in his campaign, then perhaps he could have delivered

in his promise of yes, we can. instead we know all too well that no, he didn't. >> oh, my god. richard wolf? >> well, it's so sad. >> he is a smart guy. business guy. a good family man. trying to act like somebody he clearly is not. he is not a raging rebel against the system. >> if he has a new persona, he will be in trouble again. he has to stick to who he really is. economic issues, and that's his number one thing. >> he said he was multiple choice. you cannot keep track of this guy. what do you make -- talk about this fellow, mitt romney trying to act like a crazy, a right-winger, which he is not?

>> i think you are right, he needs to stick to the economic issues. i think he could be pretty successful if he does that, if he goes after the president on the economy, and really paints himself as who he is, and somebody who has a great background in finance. >> the republican right right now, i don't know. >> here is christine owe donald last night. >> again, you bet ya. thank you governor palin for your endorsement, because she got behind us war-weary folks and gave us a boost of encouragement when we needed it,

and she was a vote against the politics of personal destruction. >> let's look at the national map to get a sense of how wide the power is, i think, of sarah palin. look at the greens. those are the pray mary picks she picked across the country, and numerically, she had 25 wins and 11 losses and seven no contest. that adds up to almost 50 candidates. when they lose, they can be better help to you next time around because they have nothing to do but help you win the next presidential election. it's sometimes smarter. we will talk about jimmy carter. >> in the new world she can help raise money, and the shocking thing is how much the establishment party has failed to get republicans out to vote.

the republican base is turning out with these insurgents now. who established the best turnout model for the republicans, george bush? they had a tremendous ability. >> they were church people too, as well. >> they are not speaking to them. whatever her success rate is, she is make a difference. >> give me the report. who are the palin people? who are the palin people that can become o'donnell people and etc., etc.? how do you build the multip multiplecatoin process. >> it's men and women and they

are all overt country, and they are plugged into anger at the president. and what is also interesting is they are so incredible loyal to her. they can do no wrong. on monday when she is with bristol on "dancing with the stars" or endorsing o'donnell, whatever she does they are supportive. >> are they prolife? >> yes, i think so. >> and middle class? >> i think so too. and the tea party people that are supporting her, and people that identify themselves as tea partiers, and it's more than that. i do believe that she is running for president. when she starts that, and when she goes to iowa and starts to shake hands and kissing babies, as they say, and we will see how

she does the hand to hand politicking. i think a lot are middle of the road people. i think they find themselves to be social conservatives -- >> on the right? >> that's clear, definitely. >> it's your sense she will drive the left into huh stair s stairics. >> they will send out mailers and put her face on ads, and i think they could be more successful if they do do that, because i agree she does drive people on the left, but is it enough to get them out? i don't know. in order for them to stop the

bleeding, they will have to do that. >> speaking of news, i have somebody not afraid of sarah palin. we learned the republican senator, from alaska, he will announce she is running a writing campaign against miller, the guy that beat her in the primary, and the democratic candidate. could they split the vote? >> if she was running as an independent -- >> especially if that's your name, they have to figure out -- >> well, they should be able to go that way. >> it has to be the way it appears with the hand writing. >> they have to pass out stickers. >> well, she has shown you can run a writing campaign in a

small place like alaska. you have to teach people how to write the name the way they want it to appear. if they recognize the intent -- we have another hanging chad thing coming here. can a right-in candidate beat sarah palin's candidate in her hometown? >> she has a shot. it will be difficult, but you can do it anywhere and you can do it in alaska, and she has 100% name recognition and she has wide support, even though those people -- i was out there in alaska, and it was a gorgeous day, and her supporters did not come out that way. i think they would come out in november for her. if there is anybody that can do it, and do it in alaska, it's her. >> by the way, it may not be

miller time in november. thank you for joining us. and christine o'donnell has much of the appeal of sarah palin, and as was the case, a palin progressive should not underestimate that person there. it's going to be closer than you think this november. you are watching "hardball" only on msnbc. dancing there? flying there? how about eating soup to get there? delicious campbell's soups fill you with good nutrition, energy, farm-grown ingredients, and can help you keep a healthy weight. helping you get to a happier place. have a nice trip. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. rheumatoid arthritis going? they're discovering the first self-injectable ra medicine you take just once a month. it's simponi™, and taken with methotrexate,

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it's no secret there is a unplattering portrait of me these days. i am not asking the media to vote for me, but i am asking you to vote for me. >> that was her thursday.

she took center stage for the value voters summit. now, on into november. we are joined by christina who is the senior reporter for talking points. look at this again. here is o'donnell today. and just look at this political phenomenal and see if it's real or not. here is christine o'donnell today. let's listen. >> this is america. and the ruling class elites may try but will never have the last word on liberty. there is something about our national dna that insisted you are not the boss of me. the small elite don't get us, they call us whacky, wing nuts,

and we call us, we the people. >> you know, jonathan, i have to tell you, i am not unimpressed. your thoughts. >> yeah, a natural stage presence. she makes a very good sell. she has a palinesque feel for how to drive in the class wedge and try to sort of frame the election. it's us versus them, those people. she definitely has some talent. >> who is the bad guy when she is talking. who is the devil? with palin, you know who it is? >> liberal ae laets and the media and etc. here is the challenge, chris. she is not running in alaska. she is running in a state, where except for the southern tier is mostly a northeastern style, suburban, urban place, where they are center or center left. it will be tough for her to win

in the state in the election, nen a good year because of the underlying demagraphicdemagraph. >> where are you from? >> the commonwealth of virginia. >> let me bring in somebody that might be here. there is a lot of people that name around wilmington, and they will say she is not a whacky evangelist from way out west somewhere or from colorado springs or something, and she is not a family values type from out there but seems like somebody that i grew up with. >> she is campaigning to catholic voters as well.

let's take a look. here is o'donnell on thursday. very conservative culturally. let's listen. >> i think we are heading in the wrong direction. we are increasing the size of government and out of the needs of the average delaware voter. i am an average citizen that understands what it's like to fall on hard economic times, so as i go into washington, d.c. i will keep the perspective with everything that comes across my desk. >> she is not from the country

club. she is talking about a recession and living it. >> chris, i hear what you are saying about her appeal in some of the old neighborhoods. governor jack march kel, and center tom harper, and these are not bob brady style corner politicians in the clubhouse. this is more of a suburbanized state now. >> i could give you the facts and say they had their chance. is this the old politics or new politics going on here. i think women, by the way, no matter what any guy thinks, men are looking at gender with some sort of appeal. >> yeah, she could love hillary clinton's endorsement, and she uses the same words, and she was a theater major in college.

she was palin-like today. she learned some of the palin's successful straits. >> yeah, and here she was. friday night, okay. let's look at her back in 2002 on "hardball." remember the judge had the ten commandments, the big block in the courthouse, and obviously she was for the ten commandments. let's listen. >> what do you make of the constitutional provision that says the state shall pass no law establishing a religion? what does that mean to you, the constitution in >> that the nation will never say everybody has to be proud stun. when the founders crafted the constitution they were rebelling from a nation that did mandate a

religion. and it's freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. and by the judge having this statue, it's not saying everybody that comes into his courtroom has to bow down to the ten commandments. >> there is a lot of natural talent there in communication. >> yeah, she has been doing it a long time. >> i think that she has shown in the past few days that she has really natural chops when it comes to speaking and she raised a lot of money, $1.5 million since she won on tuesday. this is not somebody that can you write off. >> are the big shots going to get in there and help her like carl rove? >> well, are they going to go in there and spend money on philly tv, chris, which is very expensive, as you know -- >> it's enormous. >> i don't know. >> thank you, jonathan martin, and thank you christina. up next, senator jim demint

has a goal for the next year in congress. total gridlock. he says what he will do is destroy the u.s. government. you are watching "hardball" only on msnbc. ish music strumming ] ♪ ♪ it ain't pretty... but brenda likes it. that's the power of gain. gain apple mango tango. in detergent, fabric softener and now in dish soap, too. sniff sniff...hooray! and now in dish soap, too. ♪♪ check the news online weather, check the time ♪ ♪heck the wife, eck the kids ♪ ♪ check your email messages ♪ check the money in the bank ♪ check the gas in the tank ♪ check the flava from your shirt ♪ ♪ make sure your pits don't stank ♪ ♪ check the new hairdo, check the mic one two ♪ ♪ 'cause i'm about to drop some knowledge right on top of you ♪ ♪ you check a lot of things already why not add one more ♪ ♪ that can help your situation for sure ♪ ♪ check your credit score ♪ free-credit-score-dot-com

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back to "hardball." now on "the sideshow." on last night's "the daily show," bill clinton talked up his most high-profile role, father of the bride. >> it's one of those passages in life, it makes you feel like you know your child is finally -- really grown. >> right. >> i love my son-in-law and i admire him. and i wanted to do this wedding, just the way she wanted it. and it's my contribution to the economic stimulus. i really -- >> thank you.

that's very kind. >> i was surely surprised when the unemployment rate didn't drop after the wedding. >> that's great dead pan. anyway the former president's been making rounds ahead of next week's big clinton global initiative. in new york, something we'll be sure to be covering next. fox news protects its own. the network's just filed a copyright infringement believe it or not. carnahan put out an ad of a 2006 clip of her republican opponent, roy blunt, getting hammered by chris wallace on fox. take a look. >> you just said a moment ago that you have to show that you're the party of reform. but some question whether you are the man to do that. in 2002, you tried to insert language into the homeland security act to help phillip morris tobacco. and your campaign committee's paid $485,000 to a firm linked to lobbyists, jack abramoff. are you the one to clean up the house? >> roy blunt the very worst of washington. >> wow.

i don't think chris wallace had that music playing when he was doing that interview. anyway fox says that the ad trying to make it looks like wall sis endorsing carnahan. carnahan campaign says they believe that the ad complies on the law and continue to air on tv. that's "hardball" for now. thank you for being with us. up next "your business."

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