from washington. the mclaughlin group. the american original. for over three decades, the sharpest minds, hardest talk. issue one. the next nasty? >> so there's reasons to be optimistic. we got the best cards. we got the best hand. weave come so far. but the question on our minds today is where do we go from here? what does our future look like? >> the future looks bleak, mr. president, if that is economist gordon is right n. an analysis recent publish by the national bureau, economic growth

forecasts for the coming decade are overly optimistic. currently the congressional budget office the projects growth of 2.1% annual over the next ten years. this is -- 3.5% growth but not allow enough for professor gordon. he predicts growth will average an anemic 1.6% over the next ten years. the reasons? the baby boomers xirt the work force and a long-term drop in productivity. new hires will barely replace current workers. a smaller labor force and -- fewer goods being made. as a result, the ratio of the national debt to gdp will climb to 87% by 2024. not the 78% in government forecast.

interest rates will have to rise sooner and higher to finance that debt. gordon's forecast has alarmed robert samuelson. if he's right, if could be our next nasty economic surprise. the -- our political system's cope -- as groups battle harder for bigger shares of a stagnant pie. without an expanding government, racial, ethic, generational and other conflict worsen? a zero-sum game. one group's game is another's loss. this is no formula for social peace. unquote. >> question. are we in for a decade of political and social unrest? >> i think more than a decade.

i think those gentlemen are right. there's no question about it. if you take the share of the lay bosh first that's working, that's diminishing. the baby boomers who the best skilled -- passing on. it's being replaced by tens of million of folks who are coming in immigrating legally and illegally from third world, lack the skills and lack the education, lack the abilities and they're replacing these baby boomers and i do agree once it starts growing at such a sluggish rate, then you begin a battle of all against all for control of the resource that are left. i don't think it's a pretty future. i think just the opposite. i think there's a very bright future ahead. i think he's right about the baby boomers leaving but the mill -- there are -- they're smart, they're educated,

they're divorce. they bring a lot of energy. energy-self-sufficient in this country. exporting energy. we're still the technological lead iners the worlds and last time i checked they revised -- the last quarter upwards growth and the second quarter of this year was 4.6%. so i think we do have some real concerns about nature of work. jobs are being replaced by robots and there's a real discipline of study now qthat worries whether robots are going to get so smart that we can't control them. there aren't enough jobs to go around. works has to be rethought. but i think there's a lot of energy and creativity ain't u.s. remains the heart -- the safe harbor for people's money. the dollar is the indispensable currency. >> robots -- four robots to do the show with me.

>> or one robot to host. >> host the show. [ laughter ] >> if you had four robots doing the show, you're afraid -- interesting that would not happen. the world you would use to describe your show. >> and would it be liberal and conservative robots? >> i think that liberal robot is moving right. >> what do you have to say? >> got to keep us on show. in times of the -- the big issues as i see it -- absolutely right in there's a huge opportunity with energy but i don't think we're taking nearly as much advantage of that as we should be. it can be done in a environmental friendly away but some of the scare tactics. the national debt which continues to explode. we haven't seen anywhere near the kind of reforms that we need to see but the tax system is social welfare in terms of social security and medicare. something for the poorest

americans and efficient to the -- my generation has access to it. unless we come to grips with those big things that are going to be into the future, again you look at the cbo talking about 2018, the deficit goes up again, then there are real issues but part of the reason there's this expectation of attentions at the moment -- it galvanizes popular movements in a way we haven't seen before. we hold the opportunity in our hand. upward mobility. what happens when the economy's squeezed way we're describing here? >> that's the issue. tough have happening. opportunity culture. >> happening as we said. and it's quite dramatic. it's going to continue. just look at the -- if you took out the number of people that left the labor force and just assume those people in effect are unemploy. it wouldn't be 6.1%.

it'll be 12%. they're -- many of them are leaving because they can't get jobs. we have -- >> real wages in middle america have been totally stagnant since 1974. >> in the last half dozen of years they goaf down. that's a lot of money for a lot of people. >> where's the political unity come together to deal with the entitlements? >> a holy complete deadlock. neither party is going to deal with social security, medicare, medicaid. >> i've got to read you a number here. 78% said they had no confidence whatever that washington could ride to their rescue and improve their economic condition. >> we got a presidential race coming up, and these issues of inequality are going to be engaged and the country is

agitated. you have a ballot measures to raise the minimum wiej. people are being to come that they've got to step up to the ballot box and force washington to act. >> take -- the elected body is now -- i think we're moving to a point where a lot of people are going to to say -- authoritarian figure to solve these problems. and if congress can't do it. >> a leady. we do not have somebody in the white house has the credibility in the congress to do the kinds of things that this concern's going to do to improve and it's not just one part of it. it's a well series of things that have to be done. people having writing about and urging for months. >> just united congress. >> o.k. >> that's what elections are for too. >> 58% of americans say a third

party is needed because they are already dissolutions with the performance of the two major parties. is that poll the canary in the coal mine? >> a third party. i'm not sure that's a solution. you get a third party out there, you got one in -- all it does is split off votes from one of the other parties. but this again reaches toward this idea almost of some kind of coalition government different than the system -- our system is breaking down. >> let me give you -- how many many americans are responsive to their needs? according to gallup -- only 35% -- that's about a third say the two parties were adequately representing the public. that is the lowest percentage since 2008. what do you think of that? >> i think there's an absolute lack of trust among the american population. you see that in the rise of

chris christie and hillary clinton is more aggressive. taking advantage of that. people have an appetite for change but there is real sense of disenfranchisement and disconnection from politics. >> talks on both houses on how the voters feel. >> you can't go wrong. >> there'll be a choice and vote for one of other. >> you can't go wrong with that. on both sides. question, on balance, who was projected for -- more believable the row si scenario or the down beat scenario of professor gordon? >> gordon and samuelson are on the mark. >> the realistic assessment and automatic a look at where we are, we're a heck of a lot better. hoot brought this economy back. >> i would disagree with it awe -- expectations that congress is going to do things which is -- they have to do that so i think it's very overly

optimistic. they keep having to change it. i think we have a problem. i think samuelson is reflecting his great concern. >> the expectations of congress being the function that it's supposed to are overdrawn. >> they have to project what the congress has said it's going to do. when it doesn't do it -- >> we've had five years in which gdp growth has been about 2.1%. that's the lowest since the depression. the worst recession. it's not even a recession. we are under tremendous economic pressure and political pressure. we will have to a level of leadership in the next administration that we have not had in a long time. >> spangler was right. >> all of the people have been predicting that's wrong. o.k. >> i think we need a third party. and i think you're our man. don't forget the mcloafen group has its own wbsz.

you can watch this program or earlier programs on the web at any time from anywhere in the world. mclaughlin.com. when we come back, what you need to -- you nibbing initiatives will be on the state ballots in the upcoming midterm elections.

issue two.

ballot battles. election day november 4th is not just politicians who will get yea or nah vote. economic and social issues decided by voters that pertain to their individual state. often these issues have been neglected or stalled at the federal level. namely in the u.s. congress. of the 125 ballot initiatives in 41 states that will be voted on in a week and a half, here's a sample as listed by the politico newspaper. medical marijuana. >> we do know that cannabis is medicine. >> legal medical marijuana will be a reality. the initiative needs 60% of voters to pass. reactional marijuana. in the wake of colorado and

washington state, where recreational use is legal, they'll decide in oregon and alaska whether they'll follow suit and o.k. recreational marijuana. minimum wage. and get this, republican heavy states alaska, arkansas, nebraska and south dakota all four states voted for mitt romney in 2012 although the minimum wage is one the democrats have seized on. item, guns. washington state has two initiatives that seemingly cricket one another. the measure that was -- universal background checks for gun buyers. but initiative i-591 prohibits background check for gun -- unless mandated by federal law. polling shows a majority favor both initiatives.

so what if both pass? legal expert professor -- says this contract with nevada "my guess is that the state supreme court would try to reconcile the two initiatives. but they can't be reconciled." abortion. voter in colorado and north carolina north dakota will decide on personhood measures. which would grant legal status to embryos at the point of conception. they'll decide on a resolution that would allow the state's legislature to enact amemed or repeal statues on abortion. item, bears. as in huptding them. maine voters will decide whether to -- baits, traps and dogs to hunt bears in their state. >> what are the political roots

of laws passed by initiatives and referendums, measures? >> one of the roots is the sense that there's complete gridlock at the national level and people want to move on it. the minimum wage laws. and people have different expectations. this is the new federalism in action. i think it's a good thing. and i predict that all of these minimum wage raw you laws will pass. >> i'm looking for the political roots. it's prairie. did you involve yourself in a little bit of that? >> i involved myself in a little bit. there's one you missed. alabama is -- outlaw sharia law. >> it's voters taking matters into their own hands but there's powerful special interests behind a lot of these movements. you talk about the two gun laws the one gun law where people

want background checks strikes me as pretty grassroot is. the other is the nra to counter the earlier one. you got to look at where money is coming from. the personhood amendment in colorado is funded by the right and that's going to hurt the republican candidate there because personhood goes too far. and it's been defeated in a number of states in the past. >> initiatives and referendum. why is there no provision in the united states constitution for both? >> i don't know. i don't know why the founders -- >> are you familiar with the constitution? >> i'm familiar with the constitution. do you know how it was written? >> i do. , i do. >> he's a brit. he knows that. >> he's not a brit. he's a u.s. citizen. >> they lost the war. but you're talking about a federal initiative. teddy roosevelt, at one point, recommended that national -- vote nationwide on laws and

ideas like that and it might not be a bad idea. >> get background check on guns. that's for sure. >> but the moral of it is -- there's a lot of huffing and puffing on this set on this issue. and i'm just trying to say that -- there was -- enough recognition on the part of the founding fathers to realize that we can't give all of this power to one source. they wanted to have a states to have some authority. do you like that idea? >> i like the idea -- i'm not comfortable with these kinds of popular balloting that determines the outcome for a lot of particular public issues. >> why is in a? >> because amongst other things they're suspectable -- they feel the most strongly about t. a lot of people stay away from this kind of voting. at some point -- this is where the british system works so much better. people that are somewhat seriously involved and

knowledgeable and the consequences will have a chance to think about it and debate it and come up to a conclusion. this popular -- >> my judgment is very dangerous. >> do you think we could be -- conceived as feeding a constitutional engine so that one of these ballots -- a good one could make it into the constitution? >> well, see this is -- you'd have to a constitutional convention for our constitution but yeah i think the -- i disagree 100%. we got different states -- become more diverse we become. the idea that texas can do one thing on taxes and california do another thing, i think is terrific. >> you'll always got some momentum building toward what will eventually be federal initiatives, ie marijuana. that's now being concerned in a couple of debate debates. there are -- it's going at the be on more state ballots in 2016 when more young people are out voting. this reflects the sentiment of the country. i know you think we shouldn't

have it; right? >> the district of columbia. >> by the way, there's notice that -- a guns -- hidden guns on your person. i believe that -- didn't the district vote -- >> now they're o.k. in washington, d.c.? >> the courts have been o.k. a lot of the gun stuff. >> the city council is just dead. >> concealed carry? move to virginia. >> i don't think so. >> just happened, pat. stay up with your d.c. news, pat. stay up with your d.c. news. >> maybe i'll move back. >> they all have to leave the gun at hoasm when you come. >> the broader issue is not the -- whether the founders make a mistake. american people and, you know, these -- whether it's pop list or good -- the american people and what we're talking a bility in the previous segment about trust in congress. take more ownership. it's attention to detail that's needed here because it's a

democracy. >> it breaks up the constipation if people can act at the state level issue after issue after issue on which they disagree and the laws of -- people don't like them, they can move out. >> they're talking a about -- >> talk about the congress. >> can you tell -- >> translator: congress -- the whole government here and everybody believes it's gridlock. >> not the d.c. government. >> no. >> not the d.c. government. hidden guns and marijuana. not marijuana, yet? >> the d.c. government is under the sum of the congress and taxization without represent station -- it's on my license plate. >> it's not showing. it's not showing that much. that's the d.c. government is regulated any -- any real sense by the congress. as a d.c. resident i can assure of you of that. >> i think there should be but a constitutional amendment to do it. >> i think there should be some way to do that, but it's

probably not constitutional at the moment. >> i think the broader issue is a constitutional amendment if that's what you want to do. take ownership of congress. get more involved in the primary process. get people out. see -- do it bad job, engage. don't whine about it. >> what do you think? >> i agree with that. but i -- i am totally opposed to that kind of method of legislating. you can't expect 300 million to e e -- you do it once every four years. we're not talk about the kind of repeated referendum that you would now -- >> it would paralyze our political system. >> background checks for guns >> . yes, helen. we'll be right back with

predictions. z

prediction, pat >> putin will use his oil and gas leverage to per -- >> the west will hang tough. >> tom? >> he'll do it and i think health get concessions for doing it. >> bye-bye, out of time.

narrator: welcome to government contracting weekly, sponsored by aoc key solutions, inc. government contracting weekly is the only television program devoted exclusively to the competitive and dynamic world of government contracting, a world where coming in second place is not an option, but where principle-centered winning is the only approach. good morning, and welcome to government contracting weekly. i'm jim mccarthy, the owner of key solutions and the host of this show. if you're like most people that i know, social media has become a daily fixture in your personal life. but what about our work? today we are going to probe the growing role of social media in the government contracting community. making a return engagement to government contracting weekly to discuss this ever-evolving subject are jeff koses and millisa gary