the president in the state? >> no. i think if you think about the big swing states, the president's people are less confident about florida than some of the other ones, much more confident about virginia and ohio now because the economy in those states is growing and the dem graphic composition of virginia favors the president. florida is going to be a close race. the economy there just is still really not great and the housing situation, the foreclosure crisis there is still great. any state where the crisis is really bad, there's still a perception that the administration has not done enough to fix that problem. that state is going to be harder among the swing states, going to be one of the harder ones for the president to win. >> if we're talking flipping, maggie, more news from the poll, romney's business background seems to be helping him on economic issues. americans seeing in terms of improving the economy, romney's winning them 59% dealing with foreign trade, 58%. what's interesting to me was the bain stuff which i talked about

at the beginning of the show. it's not quite seeming to stick yet. 9% of americans have a positive view. 19% have a negative view. 72% are neutral or not sure. so, what happens? what's the next step there if those are the numbers we're looking at? >> i do think this is an effective line of attack. this can't be the only attack that obama does, but this is a good way to fit a frame they're doing. this worked in past races against him. he was probably not going to beat kennedy but he may not have had to lose as much as he did. in the senate race with dan malloy, this is an attack that works. whether it is breaking through all this noise right now without a ton of paid media is the big question. i think the priorities usa aid, the pro-obama super pac was a super punch. it was here's a worker, i lost my job. mitt romney is the reason why.

>> mitt romney made me sick i believe is the verbiage. >> it is very difficult for chicago to sustain a negative message for five months. there's part of why you're not seeing a huge media blitz. they're trying to hope it works and we'll see. >> when you mentioned 1994, that was 18 years ago that people first started using these bain attacks. we're talking about his gubernatorial run. this was an arrow thrown at him. why the hasn't romney -- team romney been more effective in its response? >> that's the big question. at a certain point, you hear two things from republicans. mitt romney has not proven particularly able at delivering his own message at times. there is a concern he will not sound great as ehe's trying to sell this. number two, they have talked about trying to find workers to tell positive stories. they have yet to sort of do that in a real way snoopy got laid off but i like my new job much better. >> there are companies that they

helped. staples it worked out well. there is a positive way to flesh this out. you have to address it head-on. private equity remains something sort of unpopular for voters. he has to either own this or not own it. but not owning it means it is going to get defined as a negative. >> when we're talking about his response and finding borkers who have positive things to say about romney, this is a new ad from the romney camp called stories from the obama economy. let's take a look at it. >> i just lost my job recently. >> when it's all said and done, i'm making $200. >> i had to file my own personal bankruptcy, had to close my business. >> i expected great things from the president when he was elected. and now, it's just a feeling of disappointment. >> it's basically a contest to outheart break one another, is it not? >> yeah, well and the romney team has the advantage there are more people to pull from who have had broken hearts over the last four, six, eight years

because of this economy. for the obama team, they have to get their opposition research guys out there to go talk to kennedy's team and look for the needles in the haystack, are they still alive, will they stay talk. the other guys they can talk to anybody in florida, in georgia. >> that's a web ad. i apologize. that's not on tv. that's not. >> that's on tv. we are on tv right now. i'm told by my sources we're on tv. >> if an ad is just on the web, it's not an ad. it's going to be how they put money behind it. there's a message crossroads started introducing, they did a little of it in that ad you just showed. the is message was disappointment. that is one that can sell. the problem is, you have to then fill the other side of the page which is here's what i'm going to do. >> that's exactly what you were saying before too, the point is the negative message is not going to sustain itself over months. ultimately, both campaigns have to have something positive to say about what they're going to

do about the economy that's going to have the emotional impact that people crying about their lost jobs is having. >> i would just say though that the obama people think that this is the message is going -- they have a lot of cards in their hands. and the cards in their hand, you people are asking this question. it's been frustrating the last couple days, why aren't they attacking romney's record in massachusetts? wait, the sequence is, we're going to attack every example of a company that he's weak on on the bain record. and then we're going to set up the fact that he made a promise in massachusetts, which was my private sector experience will help the state of mass. then they'll move systematically to the massachusetts record. >> then the olympics record. i don't know if they're going to go for that. >> seriously, they look at it like they're sitting with a handful of cards and have an order to lay the cards down. that might not last for five months, but this isn't going to be over in a week or two. >> ultimately, where is the card ta says here's my record on the economy and here's where we go

forward from here? where is that card? >> under the table. >> that's the hold card. >> but to patricia's point, the private equity thing is complicated for the president. we've seen not just sore gatts like book ser fumbling with it, deval patrick. everybody has to go out and say private equity isn't bad but actually it's kind of terrible. which is a very counterintuitive thing. the washington post editorial board says we're left with a president who seems content to the present an even handed view of private equity while propounding one in his campaign advertising pointing out that a business career hasn't fully prepared mr. romney to be president, in other words, is a long way from suggesting that he's a vampire. >> the principle doesn't carry the knife. that's -- >> i think today in the times, steve ratner has the editorial that tried to explain what the

right line is for the obama administration, which is not that private equity is blanketly bad, but that in fact the record of working in private equity that romney has is not a good preparation 0 run the whole country. >> not about the job creation. >> they have to be able to go after bain, not private equity, not capitalism and not business. they have to be very careful in the way they're attacking this and boil it down to this is all because of mitt romney as a person, not because of all these other pieces that fall into play. >> paraphrasing game of thrones, the nights is dark and full of terrors. >> is mitt romney better suited to sar in the west wing or our town? we'll ask the legendary james lipton when he joins the panel next on "now."

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i love this state. it seems right here, the trees are the right height. i like seeing the lakes. i love the lakes. there's a lot of high schoolers here. i'm just -- this does bring back memories. any old girlfriends here? oh. are to be careful. ann's not here today. don't tell. >> those were some highlights of mitt romney's attempt at personality. but is he trying just a bit too hard to be human? here's some acting advice from master thespian, gyms lipton host of bravo's "inside the actor's studio." >> stick with the type casting. go with what you've got and who you are.

it's not your best option. i think it's your only option. >> and james lipton joins us here on the panel today. mr. lipton, a pleasure to have you on set. >> very nice to be here, thank you. >> so do you think mitt romney, i know you had quite a bit of sage advice for him, but is he trying these days too hard to be, quote unquote, likable? >> there's an expression in my profession called flop sweat. it's that the vaudeville yian tapping so hard he's in trouble. he's try too hard to be something he's not as i just said. ronald reagan was always himself. he was what he was. whatever his legacy, whatever his politics, he was precisely and always himself. he was very comfortable in himself. unfortunately, romney is not. >> one would think to be ones

self or to communicate an empathetic message which seems important in this day and age, i mean americans are suffering. we're going through a sort of economic crisis or coming out of one. to connect with voters, roxny does feed to channel a certain amount of empathy. in order to do that, one would think you'd have to draw from personal experience. is this not part of sort of acting 101, that you draw from your own stories of suffering or sadness or emotion to then convey that on the stage. >> franklin roosevelt was called a traitor to his class. he drew on his own experience, which was a very fortunate life, right? and yet, he was able to em pa si thighes with the american people. i'm from michigan, the land of lakes. >> and trees at the right height. >> and trees at the right height. >> and trees at the right height. and he went to cranbrook which i wanted to do but couldn't. the point is one can be from an upper class background, of

course, and still empathize with people. the kennedys were. that doesn't preclude your being able to understand the apply the of the common ma , plooit of the coupon man. the problem is mr. romney is pretending to be a common man, the way kids pretend when they say bang you're dead. that's not good acting. it fails. he doesn't even want to sample their cupcakes. >> if they're not homemade, he doesn't want to try them. >> that's not saying anything against him. it's saying to him, for heaven's sake, admit, you keep saying it's okay to be rich. fine we agree with you. you grew up rich. you were born with a silver spoon flur mouth. we don't envoy that. we admire it. but leave the rest of alone. you can't pretend to be what you're not. the carefully creased jeans and the bespoke jacket up top, it's a bad -- >> is it acting pretending to be

what you're not? you have to play your role. >> no, no, no, acting is not pretending. look, i was dean emeritus of the actor drama studio school at pace university. it's a master's agreeing program. the masters degree program has been teaching very great people to act. what we do when we teach them is a variety of things. we don't teach them to pretend. we teach them to access themselves in a way other people can't. >> they have to be something they're not. >> i wasn't meaning to imply that mitt romney can't be empathetic because he had a printed life. i think when he was a mormon missionary, he was in touch with people struggling, people who are poor. he doesn't seem to call on those experiences talking to folks out of work. >> because he's not -- look, i'm not making this up. he's not giving a good performance. and you was called upon by this

comic strip in the "new york times" sunday review to you -- there was a panel on which he was advised to come to my show and give acting advice. the advice i give him is the one that you heard earlier. look, ronald reagan was an actor. a s.a.g. card-carrying member. and he nevertheless, he stuck to what he was. he stuck to who he was. he didn't try to pretend to be otherwise. and never tried a dual role. romney is trying something very difficult. he's playing a dual role. you see it when he laughs. the laughter is hollow, empty. i've advised freezing the bottom of his face when he's laughing and look at the eyes. there's nothing there. he wants us to be amused but he is definitely not amused. >> should he not laugh? >> don't laugh unless you are amused. we teach that to our students. don't pretend. people think that crying is the test of the actor. it isn't. laughing is the test of a good actor. it's very hard to do genuinely.

>> he should start crying. >> that might work with him. crying might be better. >> there's a political consultant's thing in this. which is really funny. i know strategists who tell you you should watch presidential debates with the sound off. you can tell who wins the debate by just watching them because if you think back to the obama/mccain events, republican consultants would say i know obama won because mccain looked angry, never looked optimistic. they're projecting things even if you can't hear their words. there's something i think that rhymes with that in what you're saying. >> there have been so many comments on this piece in new york mag.com that i wrote. and one of them said, mitt romney should totally hire james lipton. >> totally. don't just half hire him. hire him completely. >> probably a young person writing they say totally. >> i think a couple other candidates would like to hire you, as well. >> and some hosts. >> in any event, all i'm saying is that in recent years, because

of what's happening here, for example, in this room, the line between politics and performance has virtual livan issued. so politicians have become performers. they're on television. there's -- they are being called upon to perform in a sense some of them do it well, some of them do it poorly. mitt romney, again no criticism of his politics. that's not my job, but he doesn't perform well. i don't believe him. i wonder if you believe him most of the time. >> isn't that borne out in the polls around like be the and trust in mitt romney? he's losing overwhelmingly to the president although on the economic polls, he's doing much better. the question is, how much of that actually matters when you go into the voting booth and pull the lever? >> alex, the point you were making edging around earlier which is totally right, you think about the things that is animate mitt romney as a human being. you know, he's incredibly successful at making money and

incredibly devoted to the mormon church. >> and his wife. >> and his family. every politician is devoted to their family. >> i wouldn't denigrate that. >> on that point, may i just say that leaving everything else aside, i think the obama family in the is one of the great families in the history of the united states in the white house. they are really em em player. the way they behave with their children tore me is admiral. there's a great family. and romney probably has a great family. but family is not -- >> all i meant to say, there are two things that is animate his life and he's uncomfortable talking about both of them. if you're running a presidential campaign and your candidate talk in a human compelling way about the two most important aspects of their life which is to say creating profitable businesses and his church, you have a huge strategic problem on your hands. you need your candidate to be able to talk about things that animate him. he's afraid of those things

whether he's personally uncomfortable with them or the politics is a problem for him -- >> did you hear maggie haberman just saying correct? >> i love it when she does it. it makes me feel so affirmed. >> let me just -- mr. lipton as we talk about source material, whether it's the mormon church, the things one reads, the influences creatively on one's life are things to call upon. mitt romney's reading list, he's a science fiction guy. ender's game and battlefield earth by l. ron hubbard. it's hard to tap into humanity when you are obsessed with aliens. i don't know, that's my thesis for today. >> you just lost the trekkie vote. >> i'm a fan. >> science fiction is one thing. one can admire science fiction. what worries me is when a candidate, not talking about romney now, but when any candidate is patently empty science. that bothers me a lot.

that worries me. >> there we are talking more about policy. about you. >> mr. lipton, an honor to have you on set. thank you for your insight. we wonder and hope if team romney is listening, perhaps we'll see a different candidate in the next few months. >> i'm no expert. he doesn't need me, god knows. but other people have said it, as well. he has some work to do. he is not convincing the american people that he is a common man. and my advice to him is don't pretend that you are. you just plain aren't and you're not a good enough actor to assume the role. even reagan didn't try to do that. so forget it. just be yourself and let the devil tyke the hind most. nothing intended in that. >> thank you to james lipton. it's great to see you, sir. after the break, primaries, polls, and positioning. we'll go inside the latest numbers and talk coalition building next. [ male announcer ] if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze...

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fedex. solutions that matter. president obama wouldn't two democratic primaries last night, but the devil is in the details. in arkansas which holdses an open primary, 42 cast ballots for an tosh named john wolfe. in kentucky which has a closed primary, more than four in ten registered democrats said they were uncommitted. a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll shows a tightening general election race. president leads romney nationally by four points, down two points from last month and just outside the margin of error. hugo, i will draw your attention unsurprisingly the rnc is trying to make hay out of this.

there is a new web page featuring the obama slogan of you're fired up ready to go uncommitted. is this a problem for the president? >> that there are uncommitted voters? >> uh-huh, democrats. >> no, i don't think so. i think the democrats are requesting to be votesing for obama. i don't think that's as big a problem for him. the bigger problem is trying to find some republicans who might be willing to vote for him. >> no, that's not a problem either. that's not going to happen. >> wow, shut down gates. maggie, that speaks to a lack of enthusiasm, does it not? or a protest vote. >> no, kentucky and west virginia, we can take those democrats. >> what's virginia matters because it's coal country so there's some bleedover effect in terms of virginia and ohio. but on the whole, these are democrats much more conservative than the registration usually is on the coast and other things. it doesn't mean anything. these are not states he was

going to win, period. >> i'm just agreeing. one of the most amazing things we never get to look at is state by state polling within a given national poll. if you're in chicago and boston, this he don't care about the national polls. one of the reasons is because the president, if you look at the president's polling and could break out the poll by state, the president in the deep south and in and laboreria, places like arkansas, west virginia, the president is probably polling at 28%. >> president obama is in colorado springs right now delivering the commencement address at the air force academy. let's take a listen. >> please be seated. good morning, everybody. it is wonderful to be at the united states air force academy on such a spectacular day. and it is a privilege to join you in honoring the class of 2012. i want to thank secretary

donnelly for his introduction but more importantly for his leadership generals gould, clark and borne, the academy, faculty and staff. the governor hickenlooper. members of congress, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. i especially want to acknowledge a graduate of this academy who has kept our air force strong through a time of great challenge, a leader i've relied on and for whom today is his final commencement as chief of staff, general norton schwartz. nordie, suze, we are grateful for 39 years of extraordinary service to our nation. [ applause ]

and although he is not with us today, i'm proud to have nominated another academy graduate, general mark welsh, as the next chief of staff. now, this is my second visit to the academy. i was here in the summer of 2008, and you were getting ready to head out to jack's valley. so i was proud to be here when you began this journey. and i thought i'd come back and help you celebrate at the end. it's great to be back at a school that has produced so many of the airmen i've known as president. every day, i rely on outstanding academy graduates who serve at the white house. some of you know that photo from

the situation room on the day we delivered justice to bin laden. you can see right next to me a great leader of our special operations forces, general brad webb. last month, i was able to present the commander in chief trophy to coach calhoun and the fighting falcons for the second straight year, a record 1th time. and, of course, every time i step on air force one, i count on academy graduates like my pilot today, colonel scott turner. now, i was going to tell you a joke about scott, but he's my ride home. so i'm going to have to keep it to myself. cadets, you distinguished yourselves as leaders before you ever stepped foot on the terrazzo. when you arrived, i know your

upperclassmen gave you quite a welcome. they let you experience the joy of the beast, the pleasure of recognition, they made you experts on filling out forms. i only ask that you resist the temptation to rate my speech fast, neat, average, friendly, good, good. but you survived. in you, we see the values of integrity and service and excellence that will define your lives. and i know you couldn't have made it without the love and support of your moms and dads and brothers and sisters and grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins. so give them all a big round of applause. now, this academy is one of the most demanding academic

institutions in america. and you have excelled. i'm told you've set at least three academy records. the largest number of graduates ever to go directly on to graduate school, the largest number of female graduates in academy history. [ applause ] you will follow in the footsteps of general janet wolfen barger who i was proud to nominate as the first female four-star general in air force history. and, of course, your final and perhaps most impressive distinction, breaking the world's record for the largest game of dodgeball.

3,000 participants, 30 hours. i didn't know that was possible. of course, are you also the class that snuck into the superintendent's office and moved all the furniture. into your dorm rooms. which does bring me to some important business. in keeping with long-standing tradition, i hereby grant amnesty to all cadets serving restrictions and confinements for minor offenses. [ applause ] of course, i leave it up to general gould to define minor. cadets, this is the day you finally become officers in the finest air force in the world.

like generations before you, you'll be charged with the responsibility of leading those under your command. like classes over the past ten years. you graduate in a time of war and you may find yourselves in harm's way. but you will also face a new test. that's what i want to talk to you about today. four years ago, you arrived here at a time of extraordinary challenge for our nation. our forces were engaged in two wars. al qaeda, which had attacked us on 9/11, was entrenchesed in their safe havens. many of our alliances were strained and our standing in the world had suffered. our economy was in the worst recession since the great depression.

around the world, and here at home, there were those that questioned whether the united states still had the capacity for global leadership. today, you step forward into a different world. you are the first class in nine years that will graduate into a world where there are no americans fighting in iraq. [ applause ] for the first time in your lives, and thanks to air force personnel who did their part, osama bin laden is no longer a threat to our country. we've put al qaeda on the path to defeat. and you are the first graduates since 9/11 who can clearly see

how we'll end the war in afghanistan. so what does all this mean? when you came here four years ago, there were some 180,000 american troops in iraq and afghanistan. we've now cut that number by more than half. and as more afghans step up, more of our troops will come home while achieving the objective that led us to war in the first place and that is defeating al qaeda and denying hem safe haven. so we aren't just ending these wars, we are doing so in a way that makes us safer and stronger. today, we pay tribute to all our extraordinary men and women in uniform. for their bravery, for their dedication. those who gave their lives in iraq and afghanistan to make this progress possible. including 16 graduates of this academy.

we honor them. we will always honor them. for i an decade, we have labored under the dark cloud of war. and now we can see a light, the light of a new day on the horizon. so the end of these wars will shape your service and it will make our military stronger. ten years of continuous military operations have stretched our forces and strained their families. going forward, you'll face fewer deployments. you'll have more time to train and stay ready. that means you'll be better prepared for the full range of missions you face. and ending these wars will also ensure that the burden of our security no longer falls so heavily on the shoulders of our men and women in uniform. as good as you are, you can't be expected to do it alone.

there are many sources of american power. diplomatic, economic, and the power of our ideals. and we've got to use them all. and the good news is today, we are. around the world, the united states is leading once more. from europe to asia, our alliances are stronger than ever. our ties with the americas are deeper. we're setting the agenda in the region that will shape our long-term security and prosperity like no other, the asia-pacific. we're leading on global security. reducing our nuclear arsenal with russia even as we maintain a strong nuclear deterrent, mobilizing dozens offations to secure nuclear materials so they never fall into the hands of terrorists. rallying the world to put the strongest sanctions ever on iran

and north korea, which could not be allowed to threaten the world with nuclear weapons. we are leading economically forging trade pacs to create new markets for our goods, boosting our exports stamped with three proud words, made in america. [ applause ] we're expanding exchanges and collaborations in areas that people often admire most about america, our innovation, our science, our technology. we're leading on behalf human dignity and on behalf of freedom. standing with the people of the middle east and north africa as they seek their rights, preventing a massacre in libya with the international mission in which the united states and our air force led from the

front. we're leading global efforts against hunger and disease, and we've shown our compassion as so many airmen did in delivering relief to our neighbors in haiti when they were in need and to our japanese allies after the earthquake and tsunami. because of of this progress, around the world, there is a new feeling about america. i see it everywhere i go from london and prague to tokyo and seoul. to rio and jakarta. there's a new confidence in our leadership. and when people around the world are asked which country do you most admire, one nation comes out on top. the united states of america. [ applause ] of course, the world stage is

not a popularity contest. as a nation, we have vital interests, and we do what is necessary always to defend this country we love, even if it's unpopular. but make no mistake, how we're viewed in the world has consequences for our national security and for your lives. see, when other countries and people see us as partners, they're more willing to work with us. it's why more countries joined us in afghanistan and libya. it's why nations like australia are welcoming our forces who stand side by side with allies and partners in the south pacific. it's why uganda and its african neighbors have welcomed our trainers to help defeat a brutal army that slaughters its citizens. i think of the japanese man in the disaster zone who poncing our airmen delivering relief said, i never imagined they could help us so much.

i think of the libyans who protected our airmen when he ejected over their town because they knew america was there to protect them. and in a region where we've seen burning of american flags, i think of all the libyans who were waving american flags. today, we can say with confidence and pride the united states is stronger and safer and more respected in the world. because even as we've done the work ofening these wars, we've laid the foundation for a new era of american leadership. and now cadets, we have to build it. we have to build on it, you have to build on it. and let's start by putting aside the tired notion that says our influence has waned or that america is in decline. we've heard that talk before. you know, during the great depression when millions were unemployed and some believed that other economic models

offered a better way, there were those who predicted the end of american capitalism. guess what, they were wrong. we fought our way back. we created the largest middle class in history and the most prosperous economy the world has ever known. after pearl harbor, some said the united states has been reduced to a third rate power. well, we rallied. we flew over the hump and took island after island. we stormed the beaches and liberated nations and we emerged from that war as the strongest power on the face of the earth. after vietnam and the energy crisis, the 1970s, some said america had passed its high point. but the very next decade, because of our fidelity to the values we stand for, the berlin wall came tumbling down and liberty prevailed over the tyranny of the cold war. [ applause ]

as recently as the 1980s with the rise of japan and the asian tigers there were those who said we had lost our economic edge. but we retooled. we invested in new technologies. we launched an information revolution that changed the world. after all this, you would think folks understand a basic truth. never bet against the united states of america. [ applause ] and one of the reasons is that the united states has been and will always be the one indispensable nation in world affairs. it's one of the many examples of why america is exceptional. it's why i firmly believe if we rice to this moment in history, if we meet our responsibilities,

then just like the 20th century, the 21st century will be another great american century. that's the future i see. that's the future you can build. [ applause ] i see. >> that was president obama making the case for an american century. we were listening to the speech. he is at the u.s. air force academy. a couple of notable lines in there, the president saying making the case that america is once again leading. he says we're leading on global security, we're leading economically forging trade packets to create new markets for our goods, leading on behalf of human dignity and freedom. because of this, there's a new feeling about america. i see everywhere i go. patricia murphy, what do you make of that. >> i want to first say my dad was in the first graduating class of the air force academy. >> mike murphy if you're out there. >> but i want to say, this is what he has to say. you have to give a positive

forward looking speech to graduates of the military academy. i don't know if he fact checked all of that that it would be 100% true. i do think it's an interesting time for him to say to the graduates and to the country, this is where we were four years ago when you were starting this commitment. this is where we are now. there have been a lot of significant successes for this president in foreign affairs, military, in afghanistan and iraq. he's done weather said he would do. and a lot of places. this is a great place to tell people about that. that's why it was a smart thing for him to be doing today. >> pagie, the timing of this, on monday, largely uncovered the announcement about the drawdown and withdrawal in afghanistan, the international consensus on that going to the u.s. air force just a few days after that and saying look, you are entering into a different climate. the u.s. forces are in a very different place than they were even four years ago and making the case for, quote unquote, the

american century. he has more sort of evidence at hand than he would have had last year. >> patricia's point is right. this is a place where he can look strong and point to more successes than say the administration might feel they have had on economics. some of this looking the part. some of the comparison with romney is essentially a stature gap issue. there are few things more presidential than the president addressing the military at a commentment address. i don't think a lot of this is a substantive speech other than talking about how america is leading. that's where he wants to be right now. >> we were starting, john, i so rudely cut you off to go to the president for which i will forever be an pol yet tick. >> you never need to apologize. >> i accepted my sincere an apologies. you were making the point of the president and who he needs to court. arkansas perhaps the a wash. certain parts of the country a wash. the nbc news "wall street journal" poll peter hart said

never before so much money is going to be spent on so few votes. this come down to an incredibly narrow slice of the elect tore rat for the president and mitt romney. >> the president went on television with his ad after he launched his campaign in nine states. some of those states are more protection efforts than actual swing states. if you ask the romney campaign and obama campaign in a careful way, what states are really in play, you're down to like four or five that are going to -- make the difference in the election and you know, i think you know, a billion dollars on the democratic side in total, the president's super pac money, labor union money, $1.3 billion, $1.4 billion on the republican side all together, $2.5 billion way more money than ever spent on a presidential election spent mostly in four five, six, states and there's only one conclusion. if you live in one of those states, you must throw your

television set away tomorrow. it's just going to 24 hours a day of negative ads, unrelenting. >> the night is dark and full of terrors. coming up, mitt romney is speaking right now at the latino aenl coalition summit. we'll bring you some of his remarks next on "now." the wheat in every mini-wheat has gotta be just right. perfect golden color.

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easy label, right? but that label can lead to prejudice and discrimination,

and we don't want to go there. so let's try to see people for who they really are. you can help create a more united states. the more you know. in recent days, we've heard a lot about business from the president. and if you feel like you deserve protection under the endangered species act, i can't blame you. it's no wonder so many of his own supporters are calling him to stop this war on job creators. >> that was mitt romney taking a jab at president obama just a few moments ago while speaking at the latino coalition annual summit. maggie haberman, it is

apparently now a war on job creators. >> a lot of wars this cycle. i think that two things. number one, a lot of these people talking about bain have private equity ties of their own and or are not really sort of the surrogates that the obama campaign cares about in terms of they're trying to send this message into key states, ohio, the midwest. i don't thinking what dianne feinstein is going to matter there. what i do think is mitt romney has to answer his own message on bain and present the other side of the equation. mark halperin asked him four times to sort of push back on the bain criticisms and explain why this is a qualifier. and he sort of fails to do it. he essentially says let's talk about the president's record or my life experience. all of my life experience qualifies me. i can read a balance sheet. a lot of people can read a balance sheet. i don't think that answer is enough in the long-term. >> mark will be discussing that specifically with andrea mitchell live next in the 1:00 hour. >> let's not talk about it

anymore then. >> but to maggie's point, hugo, romney has to tackle this at some point. >> the question is what is the script for it? what is the way to talk about bain that is going to work to a large audience that has negative precon accepts what private equity is. it's people making a lot of money, people losing those jobs. that imbalance gets to the core of a lot of people's concerns about the economy, about the split in the haves and have notes. it's such a touchy issue but central to who mitt romney is. he's got to figure out a way to talk about it more forcefully. >> we as we leave the show, do you, mitt romney, do you. thanks again to john, patricia, maggie and hugo. i'll see you back here tomorrow at noon when i'm joined by sam stein and makal sharer. till then, find us at face bo

facebook.com/alex. "andrea mitchell reports" is live here in the big apple. >> good afternoon to you, alex. for the first time as you've been saying, mitt romney has been asked all about the bain capital attack ads. he spoke to mark halperin who will join me with romney's reaction on that and more. my interview with colin powell on his new book. we'll talk about weapons of mass destruction, about afghanistan and the race for president, all that and more next right here on "andrea mitchell reports" in new york. [ male announcer ] the inspiring story of how a shipping giant can befriend a forest may seem like the stuff of fairy tales. but if you take away the faces on the trees... take away the pixie dust. take away the singing animals, and the storybook narrator... [ man ] you're left with more electric trucks. more recycled shipping materials...

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yoo-hoo. hello. it's water from the drinking fountain at the mall. [ male announcer ] great tasting tap water can come from any faucet anywhere. the brita bottle with the filter inside. mitchell reports," mitt romney tries to turn the tables on that bain attack in an exclusive interview with mark halperin for "time" magazine. >> this is a president who spends his time blaming other people for the fact that he has

been unsuccessful in turning around this economy. and i think the reason you're seeing it across the country people saying they'd like to try someone new is because they believe this president, while he may be a nice guy, is not up to the task of helping guide an economy. >> this as our new nbc news/wall street journal poll shows the president and romney are all but tied as voters become more pessamiimistic about the econom. he's not ready to endorse president obama again but listen to what he told me today about mitt romney's foreign policy. >> i think he needs to really not just accept these cataclysmic sort of pronouncements. he really needs to think carefully about these statements. >> my conversation with former secretary of state general colin powell on politics and the lessons of war and those nonexistent wmds. and move over will smith. there's a new fresh pins spinning the turntables. -- fresh prince spinning the turntables.