welcome back to tampa. we asked you at the top of the show what you could possibly be doing up at this hour. john tower is back in new york with answers. >> i can't believe we're still getting these e-mails david writes, i'm up way too early because my wife is making me find chuck todd buttons. help a guy out. >> i've been handing out chuck todd buttons. this started as a joke yesterday, but twitter lit up, e-mails lit up, people want these, it's like a black market thing if you want to get your hands on one of thee things.

young man, this will change your life, put that on and watch what happens. how about one more? >> we got to go. there are a lot of people excited about the possibility of seeing tim tebow tonight, talking ability the gators. "morning joe" starts right now. >> president obama was asked not long ago to reflect on any mistakes he might have made. he said, well, i haven't communicated enough. he said his job is to, quote, tell a story to the american people as if that's the whole problem here. he needs to talk more and we need to be better listeners. ladies and gentlemen, these past four years, we have suffered no

shortage of words in the white house. what is missing is leadership in the white house. >> here is our pledge. we will not duck the tough issues. we would lead. we will not spend the next four years blaming others, we will take responsibility. we will not try to replace our founding principles. we will reapply our founding principles. the work ahead will be hard. these times demand the best of all of us. all of us, but we can do this. we can do this. together, we can do this. we can get this country working again. we can get this economy growing again. we can make the safety net safe again. we can do this. whatever your political party, let's come together for the sake of our country.

join mitt romney and me. let's give this effort everything we have. let's see this thing all the way through. let's get this done. >> all right. >> good morning. it is thursday, august 30th. live from the republican national convention in tampa, florida. where last night paul ryan accepted the party's vice presidential nomination. tonight, the main event, mitt romney will officially become his party's nominee for president. we'll talk about what happened last night right now. with us on set, msnbc and "time" magazine senior political analyst mark halperin, national affairs editor for new york magazine and msnbc political analyst john heilemann who was crawling on the floor behind the bar moments ago. >> it happens. >> and msnbc political analyst and former chairman of the republican national committee who i saw at the spa yesterday. >> we really don't need to go

there. >> it was ariana's spa and it was awkward and involves something that was happening -- >> she sold you out. >> happening -- >> mika, i thought we were here. >> i'm sorry. >> it was so -- candle, curtains. >> if you feel any shame, don't worry about it because we'll be running a package later on where ariana gives louis bergdorf, a small man with a bird build gives him a massage and his shirt is on. pretty boy lou. >> we all just got a little sick. >> we have a lot to talk about. >> all the headlines here are obviously about paul ryan, that's what everyone was focused on on the attack. i think most people believe he did a very good job. >> pretty unanimous. of course as you know, paul and i come from the same wing of the party so i was very excited about it. >> did you like his performance? >> yeah. i did.

but i will tell you what i keep hearing and michael steele, let's go to you, i keep hearing that while last night was about paul ryan, that condi rice blew not only the place away but people watching across the country. it was quite a speech. >> that collective sound was jaws dropping last night. stunned by the performance. she came out, s looked great, sounded great. but her message was just above it. she took it to a new height. she put in context this entire convention quite frankly and in a real sense sort of linked legacies. i know some folks are probably nervous about this but i thought she was able to wrap the story of, you know, keeping the final war on terror, pushing the country forward economically together was a good link between the bush years now and the future. i think it's just kind of one of those things that people thought this woman, she's got it.

it was -- that was the x factor for me. >> john heilemann. >> suspend reality for that. >> pretty good performances last night. we're not talking about ideology, but you look condoleezza rice, surprised a lot of people. paul ryan i think did much better than we've seen him. >> much better night last night than the first night of the convention in terms of performances for sure. condi rice a month ago, two months ago, when the romney campaign did its thing, it fund-raising thing out in utah, the word kind of came out from that she had given a speech there that blew a lot of people away and when you first started to hear a little talk, never serious, could she be on the ticket. so many people in the donor world around romney had been impressed with that performance. so for very inside romney world no one was surprised by her performance last night. she's been on fire for a little while. but i think for a broader audience the place where it was very impressive speech she gave and the place the only thing i disagree with michael about, it

stood out from this convention, it was not a unifying thing from the convention in one respect. she was talking about a republican party that's not the republican party we see right now. her talking about immigrants, her appeal to a much more inclusive party, much more party that would be much more welcoming and much more full of brown faces and that is not the party -- that's one of the party's biggest problems. it's not that. she was taking it to the future. that's an appealing message, one republicans would do well to seize on coming out of this convention whatever happens in november. >> mark halperin, let's look at this convention and who's spoken at a convention that is going to be the end of a bitter primary process that saw pundits, democrats, independents, and a lot of republicans saying, this party has gone over the cliff and no longer can connect with

mainstream america. last night we had the keynote speaker, governor from new jersey, one of the bluest states, about plus 20 in the polls, we had condoleezza rice talking about a more inclusive party, we had paul ryan from wisconsin. we're going to have, of course, mitt romney from massachusetts tonight. you look at all of these people and the one thing that they all have in common and scott walker, one thing they all have in common is, these are republicans that have won in traditionally democrat -- on traditionally democratic turf. >> the convention started slower than they would have liked and had to cans al day. i think the most significant line from paul ryan's speech last night is when he said, why would we expect anything different in the next four years from this president if we re-elect him. that has been the most potentially powerful message that the republicans had against the president.

when ryan was selected a lot of us underestimated all the things he would bring to the ticket and in the initial focus on his budget and on some of the things that the right wants and aren't necessarily unifying on medicare and tax cuts romney made a mistake, he's trying to energize the base. ryan's message last night was strong for a lot of reasons and democrats are for the first time worried about the message coming out after those twin speeches and one of the things they're worried about is, if ryan can be part of a romney/ryan message about bringing the country together and taking it in a different direction, that is potent and worrisome to democrats. >> there's been a generational handoff. talked about the states these people have won, tonight they want you to listen to mitt romney, but they want you to notice that marco rubio is speaking, paul ryan, who's 42 years old spoke, mia love spoke two nights ago, a young african-american woman who could be a star in this party. it feels like yes, this is a

hopefully for them a coronation for mitt romney, but also the passing of the torch to all these younger, more energetic people with new ideas. >> the headlines talk about how aggressive he was. "washington post" ryan seizes role of aggressive. paul ryan brought the crowd to its feet with attack lines against president obama's health care law and with his own pledge to save medicare from bankruptcy. take a listen. >> even with all the hidden taxes to pay for the health care takeover, even with the new law and new taxes on nearly 1 million small businesses, the planners in washington still didn't have enough money. they needed more. they needed hundreds of billions more. so they just took it all away from medicare. so our opponents can consider themselves on notice. in this election, on this issue, the usual posturing of the left isn't going to work.

mitt romney and i know the difference between protecting a program and raiding it. ladies and gentlemen our nation needs this debate, we want this debate, we will win this debate. >> i guess the hope is, john heilemann, it starts a good debate on these issues, as did really, really cynical at this point. >> i don't know if that's the hope. i think the hope from the republican side is that it's political, a good debate, they just want a debate they can win. we talked about this yesterday. there's dem going to gri on both sides of the medicare issue. both sides lie about each other, both sides -- i'm not excluding the obama campaign when i say this because substantively the claims that he's making either are just blatant lies or distortions of a high level. as a political matter, it is brilliant what he's doing and they are taking what looked like the biggest vulnerability that

they had and he has turned it into a simple, potent message, that for particularly the very slim part of the electorate that's undecided are not people who have very strong views about this already formed, that view, the response tho that argument, it's a complicated response for the democrats. they have to go into detail about why it's decreptive. that is a powerful simple slogan -- he's not just whistling dixie when he says he wants the debate. on those terms he could win the debate. >> a lot of small government republicans want this debate because we believe this is about math. we think democrats have been demo going toing for years, lying about medicare to their constituents, saying that medicare is fine, leave it alone. they've been lying about social security and a lot of small government conservatives minds and it has driven conservatives crazy for years that dems have

said republicans wants to destroy medicare, let's keep it the same. i always gave the example of a doctor opening up a patient who was riddled with cancer, closing it back up, and saying, you're fine. you are fine. >> looking good. >> and so, of course, there are some messy details in here like the fact that paul ryan -- >> wanted to take $700 billion out of medicare also. >> same amount of money of medicare in his plan. there are a lot of other messy details. but guess what, that's all wiped away and the debate starts anew and i've got to say, i think the republicans, between this line of attack and their 30 second ad which i've already called demo going toing are in a good place. they have shoved the obama team back on their heels. i would be surprised to see the obama team engaging. after all, paul ryan wrote it in a plan.

barack obama did it. >> okay. i think it shows how important the actual debates will be, hopefully to be able to hash out these issues on a realistic level. at 42 years old paul ryan is 23 years younger than his running mate. last night, he joked about that generation gap. >> we're a full generation apart. governor romney and i. and in some ways we're different. there are the songs on his ipod which i've heard on the campaign bus and i've heard it on many hotel elevators. he actually urged me to play some of these songs at campaign rallies. i said look, i hope it's not a deal breaker mitt, my play list starts with acdc and ends with zeppelin. >> a that was cute. >> i think he handled it well.

dan senor finally did something right. >> maybe he got out of the way. sometimes the best managers get out of the way. didn't screw this one up. >> actually paul was paul. >> really quickly, i mean paul ryan again, we said this before, we saw him introduced him at cpac and he wasn't really -- >> he started in a lovely way. was adorable -- >> was not good with a teleprom ter. last night, man, he was good. i thought he was good. >> you saw the reasons that mitt romney picked him stylistic, tonally, and substantively. other big speeches he was given in the past he didn't work with two of the top speech writers in the republican party which he did last night. didn't get to practice all that much. he's great for the base. what's potentially dangerous for democrats he showed last night an appeal to the center on style. there's lots of substantive flaws to what he talked about but that's not what the convention is about. it's about a stylistic presentation and reaching the base and the center and he did it. >> sure did. michael steele --

>> it was huge. what i liked about it was, he reached back a little bit to what we did in 2010 with the seniors health care bill of rights where we talked about protecting seniors from the raiding of then $500 billion on medicaid. he brought it forward. and he said to them, we're going to protect you. then offered the carrot to the x-generation saying we have options for you. we have a way forward for you. i think that goes to the opportunity that the republicans have, and the problem that the democrats will run into. >> and willie, these conventions are usually about reaching out to middle america. reaching out to people that may not have focused yet. but last night with paul ryan, i think something very important happened. let's just say it. this is a convention where people have come together to core row nate a candidate that most of them aren't really excited about. paul ryan last night, spoke to

conservatives -- i read jim guarantee in national review on-line and i certainly would put myself in this role, that is a small government conservative, last night was one of the first times since ronald reagan spoke in 1980 where i was surprised by the republican party and what they were doing on the national stage and was really excited about it. i mean, this i think could get the base a little more excited than they are right now. >> it does validate voting for mitt romney for a lot of people but don't you think they were going to vote against president obama anyway? were there people that were going to stay at home because they object to mitt romney? >> no. but it's one thing to stay home, it's another thing to tell somebody in your church parking lot, i'll take the yard sign, put up a romney/ryan yard sign, give me a list for the phone banks. yeah, give me the list of the swing voters in my neighborhood. i'll go knock on doors. that is the importance. that's what the bush campaign

did in 2004. what ken mehlman was so massful at doing, targeting voters, dragging them out to the polls and getting them to vote because they're excited. i just, you know -- >> paul ryan helped you see larry here, larry kud lo on the set the other thing. he needs to try to be as excited about mitt romney as he is about paul ryan. let's get to the other big story. forecasters expect several days of drenching rains as tropical storm isaac hangs over the gulf coast after lashing the region with severe floods. bill karins is up in new york with some new developments this morning. bill? >> good morning to you, mika. unfortunately, news of another levee breach this morning. this one just happening shortly ago on the other side of new orleans from lake pontchartrain. in the city of seidel. they say water is pouring into the central and southern portions of the city along highway 11. telling people areas below ten

feet elevation will be inundated with five feet of floodwater that is rising rapidly in the city of slidell, louisiana. when we get any of those pictures in we'll bring those to you. a levee breach in the city of slidell. the storm itself is north of baton rouge. tornadoes overnight in areas of mississippi. the storm is weakening but pouring down on areas east of the center. coastal mississippi areas. wondering when the storm is ever going to end, and the breach in slidell the winds are still gusting at 46 miles per hour. the storm is packing a little punch, going to weaken in the weeks ahead and produce beneficial rains to the areas hit by the drought. the breaking news this morning, another levee breach for the city of slidell, one of the bigger cities in the region. we'll let you know how bad it is when we get more information in during "morning joe." >> we'll look for that. bill, thank you very much. still ahead, some of the

most influential voices in politics join us this morning. former florida governor jeb bush will be here, senator john mccain will be here, former speaker newt gingrich will join us, and in a few minutes, governor scott walker of wisconsin. up next, jim vandehei. >> oh, god. he's from wisconsin too. >> that is a let down. >> with the top stories of the politico playbook. >> you're watching "morning joe," live from the elephant bar in tampa. welcome aboard! [ chuckles ] ♪ [ honk! ] ♪ [ honk! ] ♪ [ honk! ]

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♪ welcome back to the elephant bar in tampa. joining us with a look at the political playbook the executive editor jim vandehei. we have to straighten something out. you told a vicious, horrible lie on "way too early" a few minutes ago. >> the beauty of the carve ve at of i'm telling you a rumor. >> tremendous amount -- >> what's a rumor. >> viewers up to speed jim told me a few minutes ago on "way too early" this alleged surprise guest tonight at the convention, prime time, could be or was rumored to be tim tebow. here's the problem, tim tebow has a game against the philadelphia eagles. >> though they've already announced he's not playing. >> oh. >> and fox news reporting clint

eastwood. that seems like a little bit of a let down if that's the surprise, clint eastwood. >> totally. >> helpers push him back. i'm getting wobbly on the rumor. >> how is eastwood with a let down. >> remember, the biggest -- one of the biggest supporters in the country of mitt romney is woody johnson the owner of the jets. >> he's so nice. >> if tebow wants to come he could get the day off. >> if i'm tebow and i'm fighting against sanchez for snaps over the course of the next year, i could go out and run a few more sprints, i could work on my delivery so i'm coming more over the top, or i could speak for 15 minutes in the republican national convention. i think that last -- >> probably endear him more to woody than anything else. >> keep in mind, wasn't warmly received in the first place. if his team is playing and he's

here -- i don't know. >> woody likes me. it's the jets. not just new york. >> more likely tebow than nadia comaneci. >> i don't know. that little romanian lights them up. maybe tebow says vandehei, but i don't know. >> everyone would be stoked. he except jim vandehei. >> i'm the only one on this stage that once interviewed him for a story about where he was going to get involved in politics and the americans for disability act and literally called my phone, left a message and said jim, it's clint eastwood, call me back. i call the guy back and he talks like he's dirty harry for the story. i was at "the wall street journal". i'm going to crush these guys, jim. >> can't make it up. >> that happened to you and me as well. you aren't the only person out here. >> yes. >> everything has happened to you, though. let's talk business here. a lot has been made, you have a piece about mitt romney being a

little awkward perhaps as a candidate but you point out he's not the only presidential candidate who's ever -- let's call them charisma problems. >> john harrison, coauthor of a book with mark halperin, has a piece over the last 16 elections almost always a candidate that faces this same critique. more often than not, they lose. john kerry, al gore, mondale, but there's some win. >> dole. >> carter was able to win. bush sr. faced many of these same critiques from the media. and the truth is that in the modern era where there is so much scrutiny, the things that romney brings to the table, the self-discipline, this ability to sort of say the same thing every day, there is value in that. it's one of the reasons it got to this point where he got the nomination for the republican party. the question is tonight, there's interesting numbers out from gallup, want to share, on -- they did their character ratings. going into the speech obama has a 23-point advantage on likability, 16-point advantage on cares about the need of

people that like you, 12 points above honesty. he needs to narrow those things down. the karl rove, haley barbour argument, you don't have to be super popular and likable but can have an incumbent with that kind of advantage on leadership qualities and win. >> do we make too much of the likability question? is that something people vote on? president obama, you know, some people may object to his economic policies, economy is not going the way they want it to but they like the guy at the end of the day, does that matter in the end? >> it helps. why was paul ryan's speech last night a success? i would put myself in the halperin camp. i thought it was an achievement for paul ryan and one of the reasons he came off likable. he was able -- read that speech. the text of the speech. there is some really, really harsh language in there. but he did it with a nice smile, pretty family. >> he's got a good face. mark halperin, want to put back up, and i'm a big believer of

likability, being so critical because you come into people's living rooms as president every day. here's mitt romney on handling of the economy, almost a double-digit lead and my gosh, overwhelming number of americans believe that this is the issue that matters the most. i guess the question is, does this carry him over the likability? >> when you pull the lever. >> this show has three hours to fill a day. apparently other shows on cable as well. >> oh. >> there's a lot we can talk about. >> not really. >> the theory of the case in boston is simple, economy is bad, people want to go in a different direction. mitt romney is seen as better able to change direction. there are people on the floor talking to senior republican strategists who said more than ever they feel like that one number, that romney will be trusted to handle the economy, could drive him to a situation just like president reagan. >> polls are close and he wins big. >> reagan was the most likable candidate and the guys up in boston or women in boston

michael steele, are kiddings themselves if they think mitt romney can win without being likable. there's a reason why george w. bush won twice and the fact of the matter is, so many liberals were stumbling around, willie, you said you never saw more liberals depressed like zombies the day after bush was re-elected in 2004. so much of it had to do with the two guys he was running against. i like them both. >> that's exactly right. >> they did not come across as likable on tv. >> both of us know firsthand as candidates for office, what that process is like, generally voters do not have this propensity to elect people they don't like. they have to have a genuine connection to someone. you want to know why these polls are close between romney and obama given everything you said, 52% to 43% on who can handle the economy, sitting with unemployment where it is, and yet the president and romney are that closely together, it's because people like obama. and they want -- there's a sense

they want to give him that extra helping him, they like him, maybe a second term it will get better which is why the argument they prosecuted was a powerful argument to your point, the reality is, if they can make that going forward, then maybe you weaken the president's likability. you have to bring that number down. that's a number i ha've been watching from the beginning and it's an important one. >> not for us on the set here, not for people on the left and right, not for ideologues that follow the campaigns but anybody that doesn't believe people vote based on who they like, they just don't know politics at all. you get, you know, after i got elected, so many people come up to me and say you know what, i was the first republican elected in my district, you're way too conservative for me but i like you and trust you so i voted for you good luck. you get so much slack cut if people like you. right now i don't think romney

gets any slack from voters. >> he's only got two months to change that. it's hard to make yourself likable. >> starts tonight. >> that's what he has to focus on. >> and then tens of millions of dollars of advertising, debates and i suspect big media appearances that the president will do. he doesn't need to be more likable than the president to win, a little more likable than he is today. >> we forget that because we're so deep in it every day. a lot of people tuned in for the first time who is this paul ryan guy. maybe i like him. further decide whether or not they do. that was the introduction. jim vandehei, again guaranteeing that tim tebow tonight. >> it's the joe namath guarantee. >> yes. >> not impossible both of them on stage performing an episode from "love letters". >> wow. man. >> not impossible. >> one block, two bizarre references from halperin. >> jim vandehei, thanks, jim. next week "morning joe" takes the show to charlotte, north

carolina. turns out there's another one of these things. the democratic national convention. come see us. >> another bar. >> at black fin salon on east trade street beginning tuesday at 5:30 a.m. with "way too early." and finally, some sports highlights for the hometown crowd here. tampa bay rays, making a run for an nl wild card spot. highlights ahead in sports. >> boy, tj, that was an awkward tease. [ owner ] i need to expand to meet the needs of my growing business. but how am i going to fund it? and i have to find a way to manage my cash flow better. [ female announcer ] our wells fargo bankers are here to listen, offer guidance and provide you with options tailored to your business.

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6:36 in the morning. look at that pool shot, the sun coming up over new york city. we're here in tampa. isn't that a beautiful shot. >> tj must have checked out of the control room. >> rolling into the labor day. >> he's in disneyland. >> again. >> it's not. this show is looking nice. somebody else must be doing the show. >> he loves disney theme parks. >> alex deciding he wasn't going to work for two or three weeks. >> he's back. >> we'll give him an excused

absence. >> sometimes we have to check into rehab, it just happens. i don't think we need to talk about that on the air. >> i don't understand because you know what -- >> you're a ba foon. >> if the light is on i'm here. >> i don't -- i do not take anything. >> true. >> i just can't afford to. i love this too much. >> let's do sports and where else to begin with the tampa bay rays, to the ninth, slumping a little bit, they're up 7-4. evan longoria with insurance shot, second home run of the game, the rays snap a four-game losing streak with an 8-4 win over the rangers. now just a half game out of the wild card. they get that second spot and only four back of the yankees in the division. to the national league, the nationals visiting mat are lines down state in miami. you're better than that, joe. >> i'm in tampa, okay. it's a 4-year-old joke. >> to the right field seats for

his 13th home run of the year. two-run shot puts the nats out front. harper again, the kid unloads upper deck shot. >> look at that. >> solo home run gives him his first multi home run game of his career. >> another milestone for him later in the game, ninth inning, harper grounds into a 3-6-3 double play, throws his helmet down in frustration but his helmet comes kind of close to the ump. buckner immediately throws him out of the game. chucking the helmet. i've seen much worse and not get thrown out. he didn't mean to do that. he does get thrown out. first career eswrekion. >> that's ridiculous. >> little touchy. >> the nationals end their skid, bryce harper did have two home runs. baseball fans outside ohio might not know the best record in baseball, the cincinnati reds. >> kidding me. >> led last night by chris. two home runs. >> they're not on the east

coast. we don't know need to know their names. >> major league best, 80-52. 80th win of the season. the fastest win to 80 since 1976, the big red machine. >> unfortunately, willie, they're not on the east coast or the west coast. >> chris highsy, one of my guys. >> if the tree falls in the forest -- >> they're a good team. >> football, man, tonight, college football. >> where it begins. >> where it should begin. where it's begun every year for 125 years of college football history, it always starts in -- >> historic wrigley field. the does uds as they call it. >> in nashville tennessee. my commodores are a six and a half point home dog. to south carolina, big expectations for carolina, they're ranked number nine behind steve spur er. a running back, marcus latimore

who could be a heisman candidate. >> it's a huge game. is howard cosell would always say, when your bus rolls in to dudley field on a thursday night you better strap your helmets on. it's history. it's a big deal if you're like appalachian state. >> easy. >> boy the road to a national championship begins tonight. >> that's exciting. >> katty kay joins us for the must-read opinion pages. keep it on "morning joe" live from the elephant bar in tampa. hey! did you know that honey nut cheerios

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welcome back to "morning joe." at 44 past the hour, time now for the must-read opinion pages. joining us now, washington anchor for bbc world news america, katty kay. >> must feel at home with this weather. nice sort of london and nice cool breeze. >> exactly. >> sweeping through the streets. >> been in washington for 16 years, joe. >> yeah, you understand. >> washington summers. i'm reading, i'm sorry, but i'm reading from your piece in politico. for mitt romney the moment is now, by joe scarborough. >> yeah. >> really good. the past tells us that externalities can put you in the game but it takes a real leader to cross the goal line. now it's romney's turn. it could be a speech or moment on the trail or most likely a cumulative impression left in the debates. romney has been given a great gift, something few men in american history have ever had, a real shot at the presidency. to close the deal he's going to have to convince americans that

he's not just a manager or a reassuring presence, but that he's got the wherewithal to make tough fiscal choices before the american dream sustains ir rev coble damage. it's your moment, mitt. make the most of it, we're here and we're listening. >> katty, how does he do it? how does he do something in 20, 30-minute speech he hasn't been able to do in a 15-year political career? >> and five years of presidential campaigning? >> yeah. i think, you know, he's said on his policies, people pretty much know what mitt says he's going to do with the country. the bit for me that's lacking is the leadership role. he has to come up on to the stage tonight and be a real leader. and part of the problem for him has been because he has changed positions on some of the key issues that americans care about, particularly american conservatives care about, that i think has slightly made it harder to be the strong leader.

chris christie said tuesday night a strong leader is somebody that changes polls, isn't somebody who follows the polls. you have changed your positions that gives you a harder case to make. the case he has to make he is that strong leader who can tackle the huge challenges that america faces beginning of this century. >> john? >> you know, one of the romney's consultants in 2008 was a guy named alex costyanos, moments of strength a candidate could have. romney could do that on different levels. buy graphically and show people a side of his personality they haven haven't seen before, something on policy, double down in a dramatic way, a moment in the speech that people will remember. it can't just be a speech we look at and say that was good. there's got to be something in it. bush back in 1988, it was 1,000 points of light.

a lot of brilliant phases in that speech but what everyone walked out remembering was the way in which there were these few high points. i don't know what that high point will be, but if it's just a b-plus speech it doesn't get the job done for him. >> "the washington post," dana milbank, as a rule, politicians aren't the most loyal lot. it's often self first, party second and party third. romney has a particular problem commanding loyalty and the republicans playing brew tis at this week's convention have been brutal, exploiting the tepid enthusiasm for romney, up and comers are putting down mark es for their own presidential bids in 2016. they haven't gone so far as to disparage romney, such flagrant disloyalty would be a turnoff but using their moments on stage as auditions, unfortunately for romney, the implied assumption is that he's going to lose. >> mark halperin, i am shocked, shocked, that any politician

would use their moment -- >> try to get some limelight. >> at the convention. >> take an opportunity to have people hear what they have to say. >> ronald reagan would never do that in 1976, barack obama in 2004. >> lord knows bill clinton wouldn't. >> bill clinton, do you think that guy would go on stage -- >> only been on for 45 minutes. >> drum on and on and on. >> forever thinking everyone was hanging on every word. when we weren't. >> what is he talking about? >> there are people like that here in tampa. >> really? >> but the notion that republicans don't like him, what tonight is about more than anything else is, the people who know him best, like him. you can look at every profile ever written about mitt romney, talk to lots of people in his life, it's hard to find people who say bad things about him who have worked with him, and he's never going to win over people on the left. i don't think the subscribers to nation magazine are going to say i like this guy. lots of americans who don't know him and tonight you will see a speech more personal and much

different than what mitt romney normally says and people talking on his behalf. there are people here who think he will lose, people here who aren't invested in his being president. tonight is about him showing the country his heart and what people who like him, who do believe in him feel about him. >> michael steele after last night and this convention, perhaps this was convention maybe this convention has been played out perfectly because as i've been saying this week, whenever people ask who do you think is going to win, my answer has been it's going to be close but i think obama will probably win by a point or two. last night was the first night at the end of the night what i said, you know what, the white house is in trouble. >> the white house is -- >> they're going to have to scramble because if romney brings his game tonight, this is going to be the end of a very successful week for the republicans. >> i agree 100% and for me, all i want to see from romney because i get that question a lot, what should romney do, how

should he make himself more likeble? don't worry about being likable. connect with people. that mom, that dad, that young person, has to feel themselves in your speech that you somehow understand they're sitting there watching you. >> get rid of the separation. >> exactly right. get rid of that separation. pretend there's no camera, no audience. talk to the american people, tell them what you're going to do and why their future is goo good and safe in your hands. >> mr. romney, tear down that wall. >> oh, katty kay f you can stomach it stay with us. more live from tampa including former governor jeb bush, newt gingrich. >> we were with newt yesterday. >> i went to newt u yesterday. i learned so much. >> i got graded by newt himself. keep it right here on "morning joe," live from the elephant bar. mom: ready to go to work?

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have a huge hour ahead. we're going to talk to senator john mccain, former florida governor jeb bush, newt gingrich will join us and don't forget next week live in charlotte, north carolina for the democrats, democratic national convention. want to join us and you're in charlotte, at the blackfin salon on east trade street. come beginning at 5:30 in the morning that starts on tuesday. and all week next week in charlotte. we'll be right back to tampa after this. the capital one cash rewards card

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they've run out of ideas. their moment came and went. fear and division is all they've got left. with all their attack ads the president is just throwing away money and he's pretty experienced at that. you see, some people can't be dragged down by the usual cheap tactics because their character,

ability, and plain decency are so obvious and ladies and gentlemen, that is mitt romney. >> all right. >> all right. >> welcome back to "morning joe." the bbc's katty kay is still with us and joining us we have republican senator from south dakota, senator john thune, has amazing boots on pe he's a cowboy. republican senator from pennsylvania senator pat toomey. >> looks like a philadelphia lawyer. >> and adviser to the the romney campaign, good lord, he's back, the man who helped paul ryan write his convention speech or maybe just stayed out of the way. stayed out of the way. >> listen, i have to tell you, mika, live this show because you get to talk to the newsmakers off camera and talking to dan senor off camera and i said paul did a good job last night and he stared at me. i'm like what?

going like this. what? >> needy, right. seriously. okay. you did a great job. he said exactly. >> that's not true. >> and then dan said that kid -- i can't believe he's calling the guy who's going to be the next vice president a kid, that kid would be nothing without me. >> i will tell you that we were in detroit last week. >> yeah. >> and kid rock showed up at a fund-raiser that paul was doing. >> yeah. >> and they come on stage, kid rock and paul ryan and kid rock introduces paul ryan and says i have something to tell you all. look at the two of us. one of us will be vice president. so you know, he was trying to get in the moment, in that vice presidential glare. a lot of people like to stand and sort of benefit and glow. >> dan, i have no idea -- >> what the hell is he talking about. >> no idea what that has to do with what i just said. i'm confused. >> help me out. >> i think that's called

changing the subject, joe. >> is that changing the subject. >> bring kid rock in the story. >> thank you. well done. >> so senator, i should call you senator, i'm feeling old. >> john's good. >> john, i'm feeling good. we worked with his kid. >> i know. >> back when he was a staffer. >> he was a boy -- >> back when he was a staffer and it's surreal to see him take center stage and do so well. >> it is. but you know what, even when he -- when he came in he was 19, i don't know. >> you knew he was special then. >> a really young looking guy at the time. but he's always been willing to do the hard work. you can see how it's paid off for him. >> pat toomey, for conservati conservatives, i'm not saying -- for all the people -- like not the people that write at the nation magazine, but for conservatives, this is an example of good guys getting ahead. >> yeah. >> this is not a guy -- we all knew him work go to congress and

immediately start golfing to meet the lobbyists and make the money. they would go on trips overseas to spend a weekend with the most powerful people. this is a guy that, you know, he was like you, he was focused on deficits and i've been harshly critical of the republican party over the past 12 years, but he made some bad votes, but he also took some tough lines against george w. bush and the republican chairman just like you did. >> he's provided really some extraordinary leadership. remember just two years ago, there wasn't really a consensus among republicans in congress about how we tackle some of these big challenges. paul helped to create that consensus and to provide tremendous leadership in a way i think for conservatives, this is a renewed reminder of the inherent ability of the american political system -- >> does it feel like your republican party and my

republican party again? >> sure does to me. >> does to me for the first time in a long time. >> that's interesting, yeah. a page has been turned maybe. >> katty, what's interesting, republicans will talk about wanting to cut spending and make tough choices on entitlements. paul, of course, put out a medicare budget that a lot of republicans even ran from, a budget with medicare. and yet, you look at the poll numbers, and you see the speech last night, looks like he's running straight into that line of fire from the democrats. >> yeah. looks like the white house isn't running ads against them anymore on this issue. it's interesting they have managed to neutralize an issue that has been up until now such a strong issue for democrats. >> do you think we're going to have a repeat of what -- the type of election cameron had in great britain where he told the british people that we're going to have to do some choices made and he was rewarded for it. >> what's happened in britain is he has proposed tough choices and he's proposed cuts, of course, a third of the total

deficit reduction that david cameron has proposed has been tax increases so it's not totally the same as what the republican party is proposing. there's been this strong revenue component of it. and yet his poll numbers have stayed pretty high. there was a recognition for britain that we don't want to go the way of southern europe. >> right. >> and it felt very real, right on our doorstep and that was the thing that made brits open to having a more conversation -- >> just like the reg began revolution in 1980 was followed up a year after margaret thatcher was elected in 1979, i'm wondering whether the same thing happens here. >> paul ryan did exactly what he was supposed to do last night. >> what dan told him to do. >> what dan senor told him to do. but his speech was proceeded in prime time by an address by former secretary of state condoleezza rice and she didn't steal the show. i think paul ryan did what he was supposed to do.

but she really did add to the evening. >> she you great. >> was a huge highlight, choosing to use her notes and not a teleprompter, discussed america's role on the global stage. >> i know, too, that there is a wariness, i know that it feels as if we have carried these burdens long enough. but we can only know that there is no choice because one of two things will happen if we don't lead -- either no one will lead and there will be chaos, or someone will fill the vacuum who does not share our values. my fellow americans, we do not have a choice. we cannot be reluctant to lead and you cannot lead from behind. >> the biggest applause came for rice when she talked about her own american story. >> the challenge is real and the times are hard.

but america has met and overcome hard challenges before. on a personal note, a little girl grows up in birmingham, the segregated city of the south where her parents can't take her to a movie theater or to a restaurant, but they have her absolutely convinced that even if she can't have a hamburger at the woolworth's lunch counter she can be president of the united states if she wants to be and she becomes the secretary of state. >> john thune, that was -- that was -- >> that appealed to women. >> what a speech that was last night and condi rice delivered it without teleprompter and for you and dan senor and others that saw her in park city not long ago it may have surprised the rest of america but didn't surprise you. >> no. i mean she is -- she's got a powerful, compelling personal story and that comes clearly

across and, of course, her expertise on foreign policy is something that she gives a lot of heft and credibility in the room. >> i don't think dan senor wrote that speech. she was going to use the teleprompter and dan goes, i have confidence. you have to start believing in yourself. >> right. >> you were there. >> i was. i was there. >> so dan, really, you know what, though, i think we're going to come -- we have newt gingrich coming up to -- >> newt wrote the speech. >> newt didn't write the speech. i was going to say about newt gingrich, newt gingrich and for those of us that were in the caucus rooms would see newt go up and talk for 60 minutes without a note, he was compelling. >> the one thing that i've started to notice and i think americans are on to it now, all the people up there are reading from a teleprompter. they're all trying to act and not really good actors. when somebody like condi rice goes out and reads without a teleprompter or hear newt

talking for an hour off the top of his head where we're going in the next 15, 20 years it grabs you. i wonder if we're going to get to the stage where dan, on the national stage, this is going to be a new requirement for a national candidate. >> i think one of the reasons condi can speak so freely because the centerpiece of her speech was her story. she was talking about her life and managed to weave it into the story of american exceptionalism. it's one thing to have an abstract discussion about some big idea, but to take her own family struggle, her own family history, and make it sort of vessel for making the case for america's role in the world, i think it comes extremely natural to her and she could talk about it all day long without notes. >> the one moment that i actually had chills, in this convention, is when condi told her story that a little girl that wasn't even -- her parents couldn't take her to a movie theater but her parents convinced she could be president of the united states. >> prompter or not, you can tell

when they feel it. >> absolutely. >> and i've sort of become a little bit of an expert on that. >> for the women in the audience and on television, that was as powerful a clarion call as ann romney speaking to moms. this thing about women you can get up and to girls and mothers you can tell your children they can get up and do anything they want. i wonder about the content of the speech on foreign policy, this is not necessarily a moment where many republicans are thinking we want to have a more interventionist foreign policy and she was making a very clear case for more american involvement, more american expenditure around the world, and actually where republicans are at the moment. >> i would have a slightly different take. i think she was calling for american leadership. that's not necessarily the same as intervention. she mentioned, for example, our absence of leadership on trade where america has historically been at the forefront of opening foreign markets and ensuring a

liberal world order for economic trade which has been enormously helpful for america and the world we have given up that leadership in so many spheres and she's making a very powerful point that in the absence of american leadership, bad consequences will come and it's important that we reassert -- >> she did mention syria and said there was need for american role there and where was the american position on that. she mentioned africa. you're right, doesn't always involve intervention, but in some cases it can do and she was certainly talking about the kind of robust foreign policy america had, perhaps under president bush, which is not i think where a lot of americans are in the economic climate at the moment. >> she was also talking about standing of america's allies and reform moments around the world that are rising up. there are ways you can do that without deploying american forces. i mean in syria, what romney and ryan are advocating is partnering with our allies in the region, saudi arabia, the turks, to get the opposition the resources they need to fight a

fair fight. that's not talking about deploying american forces. i think it's about standing with american allies, it's about standing with reform moments, not necessarily about deploying our own military resources. >> john, i know in south dakota, when you go to town hall meetings you hear what we hear when you go out and give speeches, start talking about afghanistan, you start talking about the past 12 years, you start talking about rebuilding other countries and not rebuilding our own country and you have people saying to you, why are we still there? we've got to bring the troops home, we've got to rebuild. where does this battle within the republican party go between the neocons and realists? >> it's a battle going on for some time as you know. >> you do hear that when you go out? >> oh, sure. what it points out again is the fundamental primary issue in this campaign is jobs and the economy. people are focused on domestic issues but there is a foreign policy national security wing of the republican party is the

group to which condi rice speaks. she crushed it. she really in a very -- very responsible way talks about america's role in the world and as pat mentioned i think it points out the need for leadership. i'm not sure it goes beyond that. in places like south dakota there is a concern and a wariness of all the involvement in places elsewhere around the world. there's no question about that. >> and by the way, i have to make one correction. i've said the only time i had chills was when condi was speaking that line, i wept like a baby through senator thune's entire speech. could not control myself. >> senator thune, thank you so much. great to see you. thank you for not breaking anything today. senator pat toomey, thank you very much. what's wrong with him? >> nothing. >> senor just took credit for reagan's 1980 speech. >> time for choosing, '64. >> exactly. >> i thought it was only politicians that were shallow and superficial and needy. >> no, no, no. >> senor, we've known that for a long time. >> let him stay.

still ahead jeb bush and senator john mccain join us on set. willie geist, what's ahead? >> coming up next, we've got former speaker of the house newt gingrich. he's busy right now doing what else, passing out chuck todd buttons. we'll be right back to tampa. humans -- even when we cross our t's and dot our i's, we still run into problems. namely, other humans.

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looking forward to newt universal. i have attended in the past --

>> i'm going to go watch. >> we'd love to have you there. since we agree on one thing -- >> i hope i don't get kicked out of class. >> mika becomes our student it's going to be a great success automatically. >> all right. >> welcome back. that was former speaker newt gingrich, throwing down the gauntlet on "morning joe" earlier this month and yesterday, joe and i did, indeed, enroll in a class at the rnc's newt university. >> it was great. >> we didn't exactly make the best first impression. >> welcome to day three of the newt university. >> wait a minute. i think we're late for class. we're supposed to be in there. >> late again, late again. >> whatever. ♪ >> he likes me. >> knew there was some people who just, you know, i have a hunch in college that either didn't get to class or that

always arrived late. >> oh. >> and it's -- okay. joe, i know was never got to class. i think mika was the arrived late. but i just think the idea of having mika brzezinski wearing a newt university t-shirt. you have to show them. as far as i'm concerned this made the entire project worth while. this is -- i'm here to learn. >> the fact that she's here to learn is a revolutionary moment. the idea that she is -- remember she is doing this just before they go to charlotte. >> i'm so dead. ♪ >> do i get a grade? >> you do. >> okay. what's my grade? >> b-plus, would have been an a but you have to show up on time. >> oh. you made me late. >> thank you m speaker. >> thank you very much. i appreciate it.

>> all right. >> she's in trouble in charlotte, isn't she? >> i enjoyed class. i learned -- oh, no. i don't remember anything. i don't remember anything. >> we have to work out a deal once in charlotte. >> okay. >> to wear a newt university t-shirt? >> in charlotte, might cut the sleeves off and make it a half shirt. >> magic moments -- >> done. such a good sport. >> she will do it and we're actually going to -- we interviewed you yesterday about energy we will run that next week in charlotte and have somebody come on. i have to say, i want to talk about last night, get your take on the speeches, but i was stunned by what i heard yesterday at newt u regarding energy independence for north america. four years ago, when i went on the floor and i heard people talking about drill baby drill, i sort of cringed. said what century are these people in? i remember you having the story about how in 2002, we were told

that we only had seven more years of natural gas. >> right. >> suddenly, i mean, things are changing. rapidly. >> talking about the 21st century. >> yeah. >> in the 21st century, innovation will beat anything else. i have to say, they sat through harold ham, who is the guy who created the modern north dakota miracle, took a place that supposedly had 150 million barrels of oil, now they think they have 24 billion barrels of oil, set the stage for everything else, north dakota is the number two producing state in the country after texas. last week the u.s. geological survey announced ohio alone has 42 times, not 42 percent, 4200 more natural gas than they thought it did and may have 5 billion barrels of oil in ohio. and so this revolution in technology is just -- you know, romney's pledge in his american energy independence plan to have north america independent from

the middle east, almost certainly doable with good policies which creates millions of jobs in the u.s., changes the balance of payments, probably makes us for the first time in a long time a net creditor every year, strengthens the dollar dramatically and builds a capacity to lead the world by having the strongest economy. >> strip it down to numbers that we heard about yesterday. about dependency on foreign oil, doesn't matter whether you're talking to a democratic audience or republican audience or independent audience, americans don't want to be dependent anymore on opec, they don't want to be dependent on foreign oil, don't want to feel like they're sending their sons and daughters off to war -- could you talk about percentages of dependence and how that is dropping fast. >> it's already dropping. and when i talk to audiences, probably the strongest emotional response to what i say, no future president should ever again bow to a saudi king. one sentence captures the underlying american sense of there's something wrong here. we've dropped from over 60% of

our oil coming from imports to around 40, on the way down to about 25 and by the end of the decade we will probably be a net exporter. we're the largest producer of natural gas in the world. in the year 2000 we thought we had a seven year supply. they were terrified. they thought they were going to go offshore, 80, 90, 100,000 jobs overseas because that's where the natural gas was. now we have a minimum of 125 year supply and that's almost certainly wrong. >> because that's assuming no as you said no technological advance. >> last week 42 times as much natural gas in ohio. we have what is in effect a virtually infinite supply as humans go couple hundred centuries and the lowest cost natural gas in the industrial country in the world. rebuild the chemical industry. be a net exporter of china of natural gas. all of that is money in the president. >> mr. speaker, want to ask you about the convention and man speaking tonight, mitt romney

will accept the party's nomination. you during the primary -- >> he was my second choice. >> your second choice. you were obviously very, very tough on mitt romney during the primary season, questioned his conservative credentials. >> sure. >> what has changed today about your view of mitt romney or is it just he's the lesser of two evils for you? >> let's start clearly for any rationale conservative if your choice is mitt romney and barack obama you have no choice. that made it very easy from day one. mitt and i both agreed all through the campaign whoever the nominee was, the other guy was going to support him. and i think if i had become the nominee he would have supported me as actively as i'm supporting him. matter of patriotism, your view of the nation. second, take the choice of paul ryan. if you wanted to say gosh, i wish the republican presidential nominee would get somebody in the reagan kemp tradition, somebody who was an intellectual, actually worked the problem and can actually win the debate on facts, by the way

also get the second midwestern -- this is one of the great surprises of this campaign -- a midwestern ticket, a michigan/wisconsin ticket, it's going to have a huge res sew nence, paul did manage to drop in when i was in college in ohio -- these guys are going to milk -- the midwest begins in the philadelphia suburbs. there's a chemistry that's very, very real. >> your answer is interesting, though, because i've heard it from a lot of other conservatives. when i ask are you happier today about mitt romney than before, let's go to paul ryan. sounds like you would rather see paul ryan at the top of the ticket. >> he shouldn't be at the top of the ticket at this stage of his career. i think what he should do, what we should all recognize is, be mitt romney had one decisive defining moment from the time he run the nomination. one thing. give all the speeches you want to, you put the person next to you to then weigh the modern vice presidency, this is a very

powerful job. arguably now the number two job in the executive branch by a big margin. you put next to you your choice next generation, hardline supply side jack kemp, worked for kemp, guy who thoroughly understands the budget, this this puts him sort of in the mitch daniel league. a guy who has kemp supply side bias, mitch daniels knowledge of the data, and who's a great campaigner. he has a democratic district where he got 68%. i was talking to scott walker who said, you look at how wisconsin votes and you realize if you sweep as a republican if you sweep ryan's district, you just carried the state. it's the swing. and ryan got 68% last time. >> all right. >> if you were the campaign manager for mitt romney's campaign, what would you be concerned about? what are the president's strengths at this point? >> i wouldn't be concerned about his strengths. he has a lot -- obama's strengths?

>> what would you be worried about in terms of the president trying to -- >> you can use this to drive the democrats crazy next week. >> while wearing your newt t-shirt. >> the greatest challenge of american politics and government today, is that liberals lie better than conservatives tell the truth. and it is unbelievable. give you an example about the double standard. >> i don't think she's going to say that in charlotte next week. >> do you hate him or what? >> joe biden goes to a largely black audience and suggests that republicans are going to put them back in chains. how many people in the elite media said he ought to be kicked off the ticket, it's ir reprehensible to suggest that the republicans are for slavery. this double standard no matter what the obama/biden ticket does -- >> are you comparing the reaction to that gaffe to the

mitt romney gaffe about whatever michigan being -- >> no. >> i would say -- >> michigan wasn't a gaffe. michigan was one of the most clever jokes to make sure the elite media reminded the people of michigan for five straight days guess where mitt and ann romney were born. look at the gross overreaction of the media proving once again, their delicate sensitivity to anything which affects obama and what they were saying to everybody in michigan every time was, this guy was born in michigan. >> i thought it was an awkward thing. that's all. >> alex is saying we have to go. newt's put something out on the table, we could talk about the next four hours. >> yes, we could. >> we have john mccain and jeb bush. >> thanks for having me in class. >> all right. thanks so much. >> still ahead, former governor jeb bush and up next, senator john mccain joins us. keep it here on "morning joe."

all right. 34 past the hour.

there's a live look at where it's all happening here in tampa. joining us now former republican presidential candidate arizona senator john mccain. good to have you here. >> thank you. >> good to be back. >> senator, we disagree on some aspects of what the u.s. should do. >> occasionally. >> but it was great hearing somebody this convention focusing on foreign policy. we could have the debate. >> yeah. >> but so many people just want to talk domestic policy, i understand america is suffering but these are dangerous times across the globe and in your speech yesterday you talked about it. >> right, joe. and what happens in the world does affect us domestically. if, for example, this looming threat of iran continuing their development of nuclear weapons. there's a front page story in the "wall street journal" that the guy that is their number one person on developing nuclear weapons they say is back in business again. we have a looming crisis there. you know how strongly i feel about the situation in syria.

>> can i talk about iran first? >> spread throughout the region. >> can i talk about iran first, candy crowley interviewing you asking you the difference between the two camps. you really believe that the breakdown of trust between the israeli prime minister and president obama could have a huge impact on this issue moving forward. >> any observer who knows both prime minister netanyahu and our national security team, there is a fundamental lack of trust because from the beginning, and there was the insistence on settlement freeze, as a precondition to talks between the palestinians and the israelis, and we haven't got the time to go into all the details but watch their body language of netanyahu. when he came to the united states he said over and over again, israel is a sovereign nation, israel will act in israel's interest. time and again he has basically

said they can't depend on the united states of america to protect their national security. no real nation can depend on another nation also. so there is a lack of trust. >> there's a distrust there. >> there really is. >> what the threshold for you in iran for military action? some people have said if the nuclear program gets to a certain point that's when we should go in. the threat to israel becomes exo sten shall, when is that moment for you? >> for me, the earlies more importantly, is when the iranians reach a point where quickly they could assemble a nuclear weapon. in other words they have all the components together and in a short period of time they could put a nuclear weapon together. that's my understanding of the israeli position and that's the important point. >> that would mean air strikes from the united states? >> when the prime minister of israel continues to stay israel is a sovereign nation and will

act in its sovereign interests, that means to me that they feel if they have to act and they reach a point where the iranians have been able to se create their activities to the degree they can't take it out themselves, then they will act by themselves. look, they don't want to do that. they know the repercussions throughout the arab world. they know what the whole area turns into a tremendous chaotic situation. but at the same time you have to understand their point of view, ac ahmadinejad repeated they have to wipe israel off the map. >> let's talk about mitt romney's speech tonight and this convention. mitt romney and paul ryan some might argue they're not really seen as a foreign policy presidential ticket, even the campaign has been extremely focused on economy and the jobs. >> understandably.

>> given the situation we're in. having said that whether you agree with the president's position on certain foreign crises or not, he has established himself with drone strikes and the killing of osama bin laden as potentially at least in the political scheme of things strong on foreign policy. how does mitt romney define himself and can he at all in the speech? >> well, i think just as your remarks -- the american people's focus is on jobs and the economy. that is absolutely understandable and you have the situation we're in economically, but i think he's going to have to and will talk a little bit about american leadership in the world. every place i go, mika, people believe that the united states is leading, that we are withdrawing, that we are no longer interested in maintaining world leadership. in other words leading from behind. >> are you talking about afghanistan? >> in the case of afghanistan, the decisions that were made earlier by the president, not

giving the 40,000 troops, only 30,000, so they could only operate in the south and not the east, accelerating the pace of the withdraw, the taliban prisoner and the american interrogator. the taliban prisoner says you've got the watches, we've got the time. >> and, of course -- >> that sums it up. >> syria is another area that's on the front pages of the papers. the slaughter continues there. what can the united states do short of sending troops -- >> first of all -- >> the air strikes in syria to become allies to the resistance. >> first of all lead. that's the important thing. our leadership. that's what it cries out for. second of all, get some arms and equipment, every bad thing that we warned about if we intervened has now taken place because we didn't intervene. the jihadists, the spreading of the conflict into lebanon, the continued massacre that goes on, now up to 20,000.

how many more have to die before we act on their behalf. and no one wants boots on the ground. we've been through that discussion. i think these people are in an unfair fight. latest news, iranians are on the ground in syria. for months, the whole american strategy in the administration strategy was convince the russians to take bashar al assad, front page of the "new york times." i used to laugh or cry, because look, when you need people who have been wounded, mothers whose children have been shot before their eyes, young women gang raped, where is the united states of america? when is the last time you heard the president of the united states say, my fellow americans, what's going on in syria is a disgrace and an offense to everything we stand for and believe in. when is the last time you heard him say that. >> don't think he has. >> four years later, you are --

>> a has been. >> no, i'm saying -- >> absolutely not. >> i see cindy here. >> looking gorgeous. >> your wife and family can come here. it's got to be a little more enjoyable this time than four years ago. >> in a way. it's great to see friends. it's great to, you know, run into a lot of people that we've grown to know and love. as you know there's nothing like a political campaign to get your juices going. >> senator john mccain, very good to see you. >> thank you, senator. >> great to be back with you. i'm one of the few that gets up early enough to watch. >> 5:30, military man. >> he is a military man. >> thank you. >> you didn't get up quite that early in pensacola when you were serving there. >> stayed up a little late. >> former florida governor jeb bush, his big speech is tonight and he joins us right here next. you're watching a special edition of "morning joe" live from tampa. [ male announcer ] wouldn't it be cool

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there was the president, he kindly would invite all of us up to the white house. he actually invited me to the state dinner with the queen. you took a huge risk. a diplomatic gamble. but it worked out okay. >> what did she say? black sheep. >> something about black sheep. of course mother said, well, you're looking at him, that would be me, and we moved him as far away as possible for the luncheon.

>> lovely. that was former presidents george h.w. bush and george w. bush n a video addressing the republican national convention here in tampa. here with us now, former republican governor of florida, jeb bush. >> jeb. >> very good to have you. >> welcome to tampa. >> doing fantastic. >> thank you very much. >> listen, if george w. is the black sheep of the family, then i'm the under achiever. >> oh! >> nobody believes that, jeb. nobody believes that. >> poor jeb. >> poor, poor jeb. such a sad thing. >> sounds like bill clinton there. >> governor, what can we expect to hear from you tonight? >> well, i'm going to talk about education and why it's something of great national purpose that we get a lot better. we can offer up five-point plans on everything under the sun but if a third of our kids are college and/or career ready after spending more per student

than any country in the world by the time they get to 12th grade, that is just -- that's the definition of failure as a nation. you can't overcome that. we have to fix this. my little slot in the undercard is going to be focused on something that's not necessarily a presidential issue but something i think of great national importance. >> you bring up a great point. so many people, so many politicians say, let's just throw more money at the problem. the fact of the matter is, the united states does spend more money per pupil than any other country in the planet and when you came to florida you pushed reforms and it was ugly, in '99 and after that, the battle continued. why don't we do something that doesn't usually happen in television news, let's put some perspective on this. where is florida 12 years after your reforms kicked in? >> well, be we started, we had the lowest graduation rate in the country, 50th, and on the nape test, the nation's report

card, we were 29th out of 31 in fourth grade reading, about the same in eighth grade, and 12 years later we're now i think 11th out of 50 in the fourth grade nape test. our graduation rate is about the national average. it's improved every year. hispanic kids are better than or equal to the average of 21 states. in other words, the average, you know, our hispanic kids have gone up. low-income kids have had tremendous gains, kids with disabilities have had the fastest gains in the country. african-american kids have had the third highest gains in the country. it's worked. when you have high standards, accountability, a consequence that's different between mediocri mediocrity, failure, improvement in excellence, and school choice where parents are empowered to make choices, all schools get better. >> governor, i'd like to ask about the future of the republican party and perhaps something that might be

happening with it right now. i see joe for the first time kind of excited about what he's seeing with this party. he's been pretty critical. >> since jeb left the governorship. >> exactly. >> very excited about jeb. >> misses you so much. >> i cry every night. >> other republicans, republica. excited about maybe seeing a coming together of sorts. especially in the response to todd akin, the candidate. there is a drinking game that just started in someone's house because apparently when i say the name they take a shot. >> wow. >> the party is responding in a more collective and perhaps hopefully -- >> positive. >> -- positive way and universal, bringing more people under the tent. is that possible? >> i think it is possible. there is an understanding that message discipline in an election where the president's efforts will be to try to distract away from tough economic times. and the republicans need to stay focused on both reminding people

that the president's policies haven't worked but also offer an alternative to create sustained high growth. anything that gets in the way of that and certainly congressman akin's misguided beliefs did that. there should be, you know, a unified response to that. so that's good. more importantly than that is that the selection of paul ryan, i think, is an inspired choice. for me, it shows that mitt romney -- my belief is that he probably trumped his advisers on this and that this was his choice and it shows he's willing to fight for the big things. this election could be about big ideas.

it should be. give a speech that speaks to independents and win over middle america. but you can't do both. i think what he accomplished was both. he energized the folks in the hall and had a message for people who don't traditionally align with conservatives. it's something you have done in florida. do you think he checked the box? >> here's my theory. the conventional wisdom that conservatives have to modify who they are in order to attract independents. i think what we have to do is not that. we have to adhere to conservative principles but persuade, for starters. secondly, offer solutions. people -- independents generally are not aligned by party.

they don't care about who wins the debate. you know, the talking points debate. they want people willing to roll up their sleeve and find solutions. the fact that paul ryan offered entitlement reform when no one else in washington did. and then found senator widen to get general acceptance of it. a conservative republican and a liberal democrat. that's what paul ryan offers. an unwavering conservative viewpoint and a willingness to find common ground. my hope is in 2013 we start solving problems rather than winning debate problems. >> governor, you have spoken about the need to open out the party, particularly to reach out to minorities. how many party leaders in tampa have said, we have marco rubio, mel martinez.

we have already done that. is it enough? >> we have brian sandoval, marco rubio, ted cruz. we have a lot of great leaders. but this has to be a long-term effort to change the tone. doesn't mean changing philosophies. if we want to be -- if conservatives want to be the governing philosophy for the next generation we have to attract the next generation of voters. demography is important. tone matters. it's a gateway. if you say we want your vote but you can't join the team, we can't have that. >> thank you so much. >> great to see you. don't party too much down there. >> we're at a bar. what do you expect? >> by the way, the question to

jeb was every bit as leading as john heilman's was the other day. >> good lord. >> it was a 30-minute. >> governor bush, how great is my candidate? how wonderful was paul ryan last night on a scale of 1 to 10. say between 9 and 10. >> it was an unbelievably long question to a democrat. chuck todd is straight ahead on "morning joe." mom: ready to go to work? ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ every mom needs a little helper. that's why i got a subaru. announcer: love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru.

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communicated enough. [ laughter ] he said his job is to, quote, tell a story to the american people as if that's the whole problem here. he needs to talk more and we need to be better listeners? [ laughter ] ladies and gentlemen, these past four years we have suffered no shortage of words in the white house. [ cheers and applause ] what is missing is leadership in the white house! [ cheers and applause ] [ applause ] >> it is the top of the hour. welcome back to "morning joe." joining us on the set nbc political director and host of "the daily rundown" chuck todd. also current ceo of hill milton

strategies dan bartlett. very good, dan. >> you look like you won the gold medal for ice skating. >> are you a republican? >> that explains a lot. >> thank you very much. they're beautiful. >> nice flowers. chuck todd, somebody else was handing out gifts today. the former speaker of the house newt gingrich. >> chuck todd buttons. >> i thought he was giving away newt university degrees. >> i went to newt u. i got a b plus. >> what did you not do well in? >> she brought me. >> yeah. we were a little late. we were chewing gum. >> it was awful. chuck, let's talk about last night. a couple of nights ago we had two speakers that some people thought missed the mark. last night, rave reviews. >> i think all the boxes of pyripyre i -- firinging up the base,

making the case against the president. helping mitt romney in his biography on religion. what ryan did explaining mitt romney's faith is better than any romney surrogate to date on the issue. all of the things you want your vp speech to do. it isn't designed to speak to swing voters. you can't say, oh, you can see what swing voter he talked to. i think his persona is comfortable with swing voters. the ideological argument is a different story. paul ryan comes across as what i would say is a conservative idealogue with a smile. perhaps that allows him to sell something that may not be as popular in the middle. when you think about what a veep speech is supposed to do, it checked every box. >> a lot of people say the conventions don't look at what happens before the candidate comes up and gives his speech on the final night of the convention. as a republican, i love seeing

paul ryan get out there but also condi rice speaking to middle america. chris christie, a guy from new jersey. mitt obviously from massachusetts and michigan. seems to me the republican party this convention has blown apart their geographical base. the reliance on the geographical base since 1988 and that is the deep south. >> did a southern republican address the convention? >> i don't think so. >> there were, but not in the hours -- >> we have owned these conventions, seriously. >> in a way that wasn't good. >> since 1988. by the way, democrats wish they had the deep bench and diversity of speakers to show america. when you think about the democrats finding -- they wanted a keynote speaker that was hispanic. they had to dig into a red state to find an hispanic mayor.

where last night susanna martinez, marco rubio, ted sandoval, cruz. one thing is a lot of elected officials to deal with the issue of going against the grain on the fact that their support base is a white southern part of the party. the face of the republican party. democrats wish they had the diversity. >> so, dan, what does mitt romney have to do tonight? there is a debate between policy. is it less filling or taste great? >> what does he need to do? >> as we look add the presidential campaigns of 2000 and 2004, the temptation is to speak to the hall. that's not the audience. the audience are the swing voters we are talking about. what you try to accomplish in this case an he's been on the political scene for 15 years. a lot of people haven't clued in on mitt romney. this was an opportunity to see this person. more than anything else they

want to see what makes him tick. i think the public understands that when you are in the white house, a lot of things will get thrown at you that you can't predict. this is an opportunity for the american people to see what makes this person -- how he thinks, how he governs. what's his philosophy. what will guide his decision-making. i think he'll do a good job tonight. he has to take on the issues everybody said. there have to be policy objectives and goals in it. don't expect a white paper here tonight. i think you will see an effective articulation of who he is as a person. he has to convince folks they can trust him. >> what do you think he hasn't presented well on in terms of trying to put his identity forward as the canada data? where does he lack and perhaps need to make up ground in what could be a pivotal moment for him? >> i think -- we have talked in the past about his positions and how they may have changed. when you ask about an issue he's articulate about the issue.

what it's missing is the connective tissue that says how do these positions stitch together? what's the philosophy dictating how i view the world and how i will make decisions? it's a decision-making job. one in which they say he's the decider in chief. people want insight into how this guy will make decisions. that's the thing this speech will give him the opportunity to do which is stitch together how all the individual policy decisions made, what's connecting them all? >> you talk about the guy. why is your guy not here. i know the rangers are playing baseball. >> playoff baseball. >> playoff baseball coming up, right. we understand that. we understand once he left the white house he wasn't wringing his hands. he's not -- >> he liked the 22nd amendment, you're saying? thank god! >> everybody thought it was a talking point. when the lights are off, i'm gone.

no politician means it. he actually does. he's not missing this week. out's been great to see his brother out in his home state and condi obviously. >> boy, she was great last night. holy cow. >> no, he doesn't miss it at all. i assure you. >> what's your reporting telling you about tonight's speech? >> well, dan's old boss president bush had to deal with the bush brand. what did the brand represent? there was upside and down side because at the time people didn't look back at 41's time as they do now in a favorable way. the romney brand is opaque, even for people in the hall. the connective tissue and biography. what does he stand for? you will see a speech from the candidate that's more personal than anything he's done before. this is the chance to fill in the romney brand. can't do the brand in debates. you can't do it in advertising as effectively as tonight.

if he lays down a predicate, what's he about, what does he stand for, the romney brand has to elevate above the republican brand because that's not popular now. it has to be what does he stand for, what does he believe in. >> we talked about how he stayed away from the three ms, mormonism, money and massachusetts. does he go into those tonight? >> at least a couple for sure. let's not take our eye off the ball. a static race. >> oh, that's cute. >> one thing not static is mitt romney has gotten less popular. people like him less. the polling shows it. >> why is that? >> in terms of personal support levels, like ability he's been defiant. he's taking a lot of incoming. hundreds of millions of democratic advertising. obama campaign, outside groups defining him as an out of touch,

plutocrat abdelgab trkt and it'. he can say, the image you voters have been seeing from the obama campaign and its allies is not right. this is who i am. this is the last chance. they are not going to run positive advertising on mitt romney. he can't make the case in a debate. this is his big chance to basically say all of the definitional work from the democrats is wrong. this is the picture i want you to see. that's a tall order. he's taken on a lot of water. it's a challenge and he's staring it in the face. >> it's a dead heat. >> republicans have had a horrible, embarrassing, humiliating primary process. >> terrible! like a bunch of clowns. >> jammed into a clown car, running around in circles. >> was it humiliating?

>> it was. >> did you just have newt on? >> it was horrible. the whole thing. it was a clown car. but he's passing out your buttons. be nice to him. >> yes. >> as bad as it's been, as dan said, we're even now. >> amazing. >> going back to 1980 on how quickly it can change. ronald reagan from 1976 when ford said governor reagan can't get you into world war three. he blew it apart. in the debate he convinced americans. >> he didn't take the lead until the second debate with seven days left before the election. >> it was late. >> he said, there you go again. mitt romney could turn this around. >> roy blank said if you believe

this is '80, and he does. not everybody believes it is an '80-style election. is obama carter, the base of the democratic party, all those thing. look at reagan and romney. reagan had the likability factor. he was missing the convincing americans that he was up to the job. >> he wasn't a conservative crazy. >> romney has the opposite issue. i think for the most part, yes, he's behind the president on these attributes about being able to do the job, but people view him as capable of the job. what he's got a problem with is empathy and relatability. >> we were looking at a video of mitt romney with his grandkids there. if you are looking at tea leaves they have all the grandkids. the sons have been here for days. governor romney is spending more time in tampa than was originally scheduled. this is energizing.

it makes him comfortable with himself. tonight he'll come out feeling emotionally and psychically prepared. >> did they mess up his hair on purpose for the video? >> no. he doesn't go around with gel in his hair all the time. but the thing he's got going for him. >> it's cute. >> we talked about it for a long time when we are frustrated by how badly he does on tv and what a bad politician he s. we know him, his wife, his boys. he's an incredible dad. anybody who knows him knows if he gets this out it won't be like politicians who use their families as props. it is who he is. he just hasn't been able to connect with voters on it. >> he's a terrible political performer in that regard. we have said a million times everyone who knows him thinks he's a wonderful guy. it really is the millstone around his neck. given the environment, the economy, people's views about

president bush's management of the economy, if mitt romney was remotely likeable to voters he would be ahead by three, four points now. the only thing weighing him down many the face of the bad stuff on the obama side, the only thing keeping mitt romney not ahead in the race is the fact that he's not likeable. people don't think he shares the values or is relatable. he has a big challenge. tonight is the night. >> everything we are describing here is what people said before the al gore speech in 2000. what i keep going back to -- and there were people, boy, he can't give a good speech. no way gore will pull it off. remember when you look at nominating speeches, yes, he came up short. >> remember the kiss? >> everybody thinks he did. >> the kiss. >> i screamed. top of my lungs. it worked. >> gore to this day gave one of the more effective acceptance speeches that turned a race at a time they needed to turn it. >> one of the more effective

speeches and one of the more effective kisses. it was horrific. >> come on, man. >> it worked! >> it did? >> it did. >> 2000, of course, you guys had to set everything up for then governor bush. how has this convention been set up for mitt romney? do you think this has been a big success? >> absolutely. i do. when you talk about the bench we have, the depth and breadth of the speak rs we have. the form, agenda and message from chris christie, ann romney. i do think the two most important speeches come down to the spouse and the candidate themselves. last night was fantastic. paul ryan, just the enthusiasm, the passion. i think it's been choreographed quite well. they have to be pleased. >> do you remember cheney's 2000 speech? >> i do. >> i don't. >> but you're right.

obviously i do. >> mondale, ferraro. >> the one i remember is dan quail who overperformed and gave the best speech. >> nothing like low expectations. >> okay. >> there you go. i'm just a dumb country lawyer. i don't know about that. >> they handled the re jjigerin because of the weather. >> it's worked well. >> the storm that missed us in tampa is now over louisiana and mississippi, causing a lot of damage there inskuding widespread flooding. bill karins has the latest. >> the life threatening weather continues. pascagoula has a tornado in town. the threat of tornadoes will be the big threat to lives today. in slidell it was reported that

the railroad track levee was breached. that's not the case. the water is coming over the top of it and it's overwhelming the pumps there. there is so much water the pumps can't keep up. we are seeing flooding in slidell. two to four feet of water. evacuations are undergoing. there is breaking news of the storm 36 hours after it made landfall. you can see here the threat of tornados will be in mississippi and alabama today. we have bands coming in off the water. those are the ones causing the threat for tornadoes through the afternoon. rainfall totals, as expected, very impressive. ten inches in gulf port. nine inches in slidell and nine in new orleans. numerous flash flood warnings throughout the region. the rain will nd in the coming days but the threat will be from tornadoes as we go throughout the morning and afternoon. back to you. >> all right, bill. thank you very much. dan bartlett, thank you. >> thank you, dan. great to see you.

>> chuck todd, stay with us if you can. next week "morning joe" will be live at the blackfinn saloon. we're bar hoing convention to convention in charlotte, north carolina, for the dnc. still ahead, ariana huffington and next he was on mitt romney's short list as a vp candidate. senator rob portman of ohio joins us and rick stengel with a new issue of "time" magazine. this is "morning joe" live from the elephant bar. [ applause ] humans -- even when we cross our t's and dot our i's, we still run into problems. namely, other humans.

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♪ >> oh! look at the doggy! adorable. >> you know, mika. the show is really taking off as chuck todd buttons are being spread and raw sewage is being dumped. >> chuck todd buttons and raw sewage in the same sentence. thank you very much. >> no problem. now for something completely different. >> yes. >> we have the republican senator from ohio senator rob portman. >> he plays obama in the debate preps. >> and we have managing editor of time magazine rich stengel here with the latest issue of "time". >> are we doing the reveal first? >> yeah. >> let's reveal the cover of

next week's "time" magazine. >> something is going on next week where we will be and it is our democratic convention special issue. what obama knows now. there is a great interview with him released this morning with michael scherrer. he talked about things he did wrong. >> what communication. >> that's part of it. what michael's story says is we thought he was a man of words. turns out he's a man of deeds. he can't use the words to explain the deeds he's done. we have a great story. >> what does that mean? >> something like michael grunwald's book, the new deal. he talks about the stimulus changed things in many ways for the better that will be around generations hence. money for solar, new forms of energy, race to the top. all of these things and the president has been unable to actually explain it and talk about why it's something that is

good and beneficial. when he talks about miscommunication or bad communication he's saying, look, there are things that voters should know about what the administration has done that i have been unable to explain. >> so it is. >> of all politicians that run into trouble they say it's a communication problem. >> if the american people -- >> misunderstood. >> if the american people were only smart enough to figure out what i have been trying to do for them. >> joe, that's not nice. >> they always do that. sometimes it's true, but they all do it. i'm not saying if it's true or not in this case. >> did he say he did anything wrong substantively? >> he says that he probably was too trusting of the republicans. >> i love this! the american people are too dumb to figure out his message and the republicans were just meaner than he thought. this is not -- >> i made one mistake after

another. >> a little bit of self-reflection would be great. >> they warned me. >> george w. bush goes in there. they asked if he made mistakes, no, i don't think so. now obama says the american people aren't smart enough. >> are you saying the republican and senator -- the republican party didn't make a decision that we are not going with the policies? >> make sure he doesn't get re-elected. >> and that the goal of the opposition -- once upon a time the goal of the opposition would have been i want to serve my constituents. if the goal is to be in the majority. >> like when bill clinton or george w. bush was president. it's opini ee's been around for time. >> couple things. i think it would be helpful for the president. i'm sure he's not looking for my advice though i will be playing him.

it would be helpful to say, we made some mistakes because the economy didn't do what he thought it would do. he said the unemployment rate would be 5.6% today. it's over 50% higher. he should say, yeah, we made mistakes. his inability to do it makes it impossible to reach out to undecided voters to say, yeah, things haven't gone great, but they will get better because i learned from my mistakes. he won't do it. >> the last politician to say he made a mistake was in the 14th century. >> that's not true. some politicians say, i did things wrong, did things right. every republican wanted to vote for wall street reform. every republican wanted to vote for it. every republican wanted to vote for stimulus. >> there was a $750 billion republican stimulus bill. >> it was half the price. it had to do with tax relief and the president took none of the ideas. literally none of them.

interesting because he picked up some of the ideas two years later with the payroll tax cut but at the time they kept them all out. i was watching from cincinnati. i couldn't believe it. this is a president elected saying we are going to bring people together. we are not red or blue. we are red, white and blue. he said, you guys write it, dodd frank, the stimulus bill. the president had the ability to say, let's geng get things done. that was his big mistake. >> can i ask quickly. the takeaway and this is not just to mock president obama. that's just gravy. it's a joke! i'm asking the question because i want to know as an american citizen because he may be our president for the next four years, what has he learned? other than the republicans are bad and the american people are slow. he came in as one of the most

inexperienced presidents in modern american history. i want him to tell me what he's learned about his own failures. his own shortcomings. >> and what will change. >> what's going to change over the next four years? >> i think what he would say, if you look at the interview, he says the problems in washington were more intractable than he thought. so much of what was on the agenda was derailed or moved out of the way, in part because of the historic nature of the recession. he walked into a burning building. one of his advisers said one of the differences between obama and fdr is fdr came in two or three years into the depression basically and people realized it was his predecessor's problem. obama walked in while the house was burning and people thought he set it on fire. >> he walked into a burning house. the question i have for you senator and rick, shouldn't we

underestimate the historic nature of passing health care reform? who's done that? >> he did inherit a tough economy, but what did he do with it? >> what did -- >> unemployment is up not down. we are going in the wrong direction. >> he made a promise to fix it and hasn't been able to do so. in terms of health care, everyone wanted to reform health care, but the idea was to take from the republican side, democratic side, come up with something consistent with the economy. he said $2500 on average less per family. today it is exactly $2500 increase. >> there were three health care bills in the 2008 presidential election that were well debated. one by candidate obama, one by candidate clinton and one by john mccain. the bill that was passed was more like john mccain's than anybody else's.

>> no, it wasn't. >> what are the differences? >> the difference from where john mccain was in terms of covering folks which is the idea. getting the cost down and covering people was to get individuals buy health care insurance in the individual market. >> they would argue the exchanges. they would argue the exchanges -- >> this is government mandates. >> private access. >> this is between you and your provider. >> they actually made health savings accounts less attractive to people and that was the mccain alternative was to encourage health savings accounts, medicare advantage another example. the president cut medicare advantage in the health care bill. >> you look back on medicare advantage and it was -- first of all, it's really not medicare. it was given a nice brand name, but it's private. >> people love out. it gets higher approval ratings. >> and it cost the government more money.

>> right? >> well, it would cost less money if they would allow the benefits back into the system. >> the reimbursements rates -- we're going to get wonky here. >> we're going to get wonky? >> willie geist -- as an old politician said in northwest florida, you know, get us down there where the goateat the grass. l let's get there. >> you have heard the critique from the democrats and mitt romney's philosophy to cut taxes, corporate taxes, extend the bush tax cuts and deregulate. that takes us back to the bush years. we can't afford to return to that. why is that wrong? >> it's absolutely false. i gave a talk on the floor of the convention. paul ryan talked about it. no one's talking about going back. we are talking about tax reform going forward. changing the tax structure. it is not about retaining the 2001, 2003 bush tax cuts.

it's keeping them in place long enough to retain the tax codes so you don't ruin the economy. out's going forward to give the economy a shot in the arm. economists right, left, center agree the current code is inefficient, outdated way to get revenue. we need to reform the code and the the regulatory relief is noting something we have done in the past. this is a way to work with business to solve problems. this is all looking forward. it's taking principles from the past that worked, applying them to the current problems we have and getting the economy back on track. >> what are the specifics on reforming the tax code? that's one thing we haven't heard from mitt romney in terms of closing loopholes. which would you advise that we close? >> it's a simple concept. it is riddled with performances, exclusions, deductions and credits as was done in the '80s on a bipartisan basis to give that economy a shot in the arm to create a decade of growth is to take the code, lower the marginal rate, get rid of the underbrush that makes it inefficient as people make

decisions about not what's best for business but what washington wants to do. the concept has worked before. >> we now have the highest rate in the world. we are losing jobs and investment in corporate headquarters. >> i can see why they have you on the front lines of debate prep. >> mika turned to me and said, wow, he's good. >> it's not a job of translating obama though. >> i have to get into that mode somehow. >> i want to see it. >> couple more seconds of "time" magazine. what else? >> i want to go back to the interview with obama when he was talking about medicare and obamacare saying five years from now people will realize it's great to have my kids on health care, so great my policy was portable. then he says i'm running for election in three months. he's aware some of this hasn't penetrated and they haven't explained it well enough to know it benefits them. >> thank you. senator portman, thank you very much. great to have you on the show.

we'll look for the new cover of "time," what obama knows now. and chuck, we'll see you on "the daily rundown." i don't get what's happening here. look. >> that's my guy. >> it's ariana getting really up close and personal. >> what is this? no! >> that's louis. it's louis! >> go to break! >> she even rubs with a greek accent. >> o that's coming up next on "morning joe."

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oh, yeah, a live look in tampa at the forum where, of course, that's the site of the republican national convention. we have been working hard. >> yeah, we have. >> it's like a schedule -- >> willie, you're killing us. >> it's stressful. michael steele, totally strung out. we decided to unwind a little bit. >> wait, wait.

>> don't say "we". >> why is louis on set? why is pretty boy lou here? >> he took over a piece i was doing on ariana. >> he likes to be touched. >> so joe and i went to huffington post's oasis lounge where anyone with credentials can enjoy some rest and relaxation. >> it's a little smelly like flowers. >> welcome. >> oh, my lord. hi! >> everyone's so happy here. how does that happen. where am i i? >> so you're at the huffington post oasis around the corner from the convention hall. white carpet, furniture, flowers, candles. this is a lounge where people can eat.

lyfe is providing the food. a new brand launching in a month. we believe we can demonstrate that even in the middle of the most stressful day you can find time to unplug, recharge and be more effective, more creative. >> joe, you could do some yoga. ♪ >> deep breath. >> okay. >> do you think louis could do a yoga class with you? >> yes. i would love to get my hands on louis. >> i'll let you two go then. >> that's a promise. >> now breathe. >> they're probably naked in there. >> oh, my god.

it's sam stein. michael steele! >> what's up? >> mitt romney body lotion. you should slather this all over you. >> oh, i already have. >> maybe it will help with your messaging. >> in fact -- i'm wearing it now. ♪ >> mitt has a body lotion. ♪ can't get enough of your love, babe ♪ [ laughter ] >> oh, my god. >> what can i say? >> my eyes are burning. >> my shoulders feel great. they really do. >> ariana? >> oh, she's back. >> those hands! >> she joins es next to explain. >> i don't want to know. my eyes burn. it burns!

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♪ ♪ come on ♪ touch me, babe >> i think she did. she definitely did. i think we'll try to recover. here with us, cofounder of the huffington post ariana huffington. >> wow. all i can say is wow. >> at your oasis you serve up mint romney by bliss. >> stop it. stop it. >> did you use it on louis? >> yes. we have a choice of mint romney or eau balma. i prefer the mint romney body lotion even if i'm voting for

obama. >> you had a panel done and msnbc was involved. >> it was a panel to focus on the biggest jobs crisis. it hasn't been exactly front and center at the convention -- the jobs crisis. and what we can do without waiting for washington to come up with solutions. what can the private sector, not for profit foundations do but to change the narrative around jobs creation. and also to give real commitments like you see the president of the rockefeller foundation announced yesterday that they are committing $1 million for the most innovative job creation idea. the ford foundation committed $150 million over the next five years to close the skills gap. >> oh, wow. >> we had a foundation meeting to provide a challenge to $150,000 to provide jobs for not for profits. one thing to get the critical

mass of ideas and commitment. >> you also said one of the ideas was we can't just wait for washington. >> yes. >> obviously now there is an intractable crisis up there politically that we've got to take responsibility ourselves. >> that's it. we can't just be bystanders. nothing will happen until the new administration. maybe very little after the new administration that will turn things around when it comes to jobs. >> but do you think this mixing of public and private partnerships that you're so involved in and you're trying to get people to do things, given how broken washington is and i agree we could be looking at four more years of stagnation. is that where america will have to get its innovation from in it is going to stay competitive? >> the great thing about having tom bro kkaw moderate is he tald about the spirit of a generation. after the second world war and

after, america came together. we can do that. we brought over 70 entrepreneurs there at an expo. it was amazing to see the amount of creativity and ingenuity in the country. we as the media need to do a better job putting the spotlight on them. >> it's coming from them, not washington. michael? >> given what we saw at the oasis, you have clearly created jobs or opportunities there. the concept, i think, is a unique concept for a convention. is it something you see expanding beyond this setting that you can put in the work environment in neighborhood and communities? it's an interesting concept. >> absolutely, michael. i believe that people can learn to unplug and recharge during the day. we will be more effective no matter what we do. we have two nap rooms, for example, in our newsroom. >> i just fall asleep at my

desk. face down, drool. you've seen it. it's ugly. >> wherever you are, we should see napping, yoga, meditation as a performance enhancement tool. >> can you talk briefly about why it's important? we are more wired, more connected. i remember reading your advice about keeping your cell phone out of your bedroom at night. >> yes. making your sleep really good means not having your cell phone charging next to you, not having lights in the room. also trying to skip some things in order to get more sleep. i skipped the parties last night. uh got more sleep. i feel good this morning. >> smart. >> look at that! >> you feel good for a lot of reasons. that oasis thing with louis. i'm so confused. and your newest blogger is in the back of the room. >> my beautiful daughter. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. i think "morning joe" is back in

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hey, welcome back to "morning joe." time to talk about what we learned today. john? >> i learned our friend es in the white house are upset we are not calling out the live blogs and paul ryan on set this morning. at least on one occasion.

the context of our political analysis, it is the case that he's a liar on a lot of issues. >> there you go. i'm glad the white house is happy. this won't happen in charlotte from the republicans at all. >> the gm lie was a bad one. there are images you can never erase from your brain. for me it's ariana rubbing mint romney on louis. >> what did you learn? >> another reminder of why she's a great businesswoman. here she is in tampa doing something no one would expect. brilliant. >> michael? >> we saw the opening of the door to the republican party with condoleezza rice last night. >> mika, you have guests. >> thanks for helping out on "morning joe." >> mark? >> it's possible to do a good morning show without professional wrestlers. >> okay. >> all right. if it's way too early -- >> it's "morning joe." see you tomorrow in tampa. stick around after the break for chuck. on every one of our cards there's a date.

a reminder... that before this date, we have to exceed expectations. we have to find new ways to help make life easier, more convenient and more rewarding. it's the reason why we don't have costumers. we have members. american express. welcome in.