likability is always a huge factor. if you look at who wins in modern presidential races, in almost every contest, the more likable candidate has won. you could argue about the true likability of al gore versus the two likability of george of the bush, but in general, the more likable candidate wins. i'm not talking about who you want to have a beer with. i'm talking about who you can stand see on television for the next four years. >> we will be seeing them again in the second presidential debate. how important you think that is? >> extremely. i think president obama will take it much more seriously. it will be a sign whether he asks bill clinton for help. bill clinton was not only a good debater, but he was almost demonic in his preparation. he debated for full 90-minute blocks endlessly. it is very hard to get a candidate to do a 90-minute block. they will do five minutes here, 15 minutes here. you do it endlessly and watch the video tapes and say, "was that gesture correct? was my facial expression right? should i l

president obama's likability edge out the window. how folks are taking a liking to one mitt romney and unlike bill clinton he didn't have to break out a stack o saxophone. and why some republicans and some democrats are singing the blues. uh, i'm in a timeout because apparently ring the dog like it's a small horse is frowned upon in this establishment! luckily though, ya know, conceal this bad boy underneath my blanket just so i caget on e-trade. check my investment portfolio, research stocks... wait, why are you taki... oh, i see...solitary. just a man and his thoughts. and a smarhone... with an e-trade app. ♪ nobody knows... [ male announcer ] e-trade. investing unleashed. neil: is mitt romney going to pull a richard nixon and prove all those doubters that he can't be funny wrong? after the first debate in some swing states appear to be warming to mitt romney. more than half of the voters saying romney is likable. a jump from right before the debate when the nominee was almost seen as lucifer in pinstripes. laugh all you want, this

can president obama become suddenly likable in 11 days? that is a tough one. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. governor of getting it done. you know how to dance... with a deadline. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. this is awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is, business pro. yes, it is. go national. go like a pro. stuart: no denying. here is today's rasmussen told. it has mitt romney with a three point lead over president obama. a month ago those numbers were reversed with obama 50, romney 37. on this date in 1988 gallup poll had president jimmy carter with a three point lead. joining us is mike reagan of reagan.com. a gallup poll has mr. carter, a three point lead over your dad, that was two weeks before the election. but your dad reversed it. how did he do that. >> i was in pennsylvania that day. 66 airplane rides and along with my sister and what you saw was in 1980 the independents start

so i'm surprised at the likability, actually. i thought obama's numbers would have been higher as in the past. >> it shows his numbers were more aggressive to take the fight to mitt romney without sacrificing his likability. the fear was he was too aggressive and the numbers would get repressed. >> they were both aggressive, so it evened out being aggressive. dana bash, appreciate it. our cnn political activist david and gloria offered their expert analysis as soon as it was over, as did john king. >> most improved. that award goes to barack obama. i think he had a much stronger debate tonight. you can read social media, there are a lot of people out there, democrats are all fired up. but i must tell you, i think mitt romney has had two very good debates back to back. a solid performance tonight. >> both sides can leave thinking they want to do what they want to do. zero question, democratic intensity will come back. governor romney did a good job prosecuting against the incumbent's record. >> mitt romney's best moments were focu

first up, first on romney's must-do list, get likable. and avoid this kind of reaction when governor rick perry charged that romney had hired illegal lawn workers. >> i'm speaking. i'm speaking. i'm speaking. i'm speaking. you get 30 seconds. this is the way the rules work here. is that i get 60 seconds. and you get -- >> but the american people want the truth. they want -- >> i understand -- >> you say that you knew you had illegals. >> would you please wait? are you just going to keep talking? are you going to let me finish with what i have to say? >> i don't know what it means for the referee for help, but there he was going anderson cooper. chris: what happens if romney goes the opposite that have? comes on highly rehearsed we hear he's really rehearsing, with a highly formal presidential performance that makes it very structured? he can set the tone for a different kind of indictment and performance against the president? >> he's certainly going to try. one thing that the romney team knows is that debates are won and lost in big mome

president obama's likability edge out the window. ho folks are taking a liking to one mitt romney and unlike bill clinton he didn't have to break out a stack o saphone. and why some rublicans and some democrats are singing t new pink lemonade 5-hour energy? 5-hour ergy supports the avon foundation for women breast cancer crusade. so i can get the energized feeling i need and support a great cause? i'm sold. pink lemonade 5-hour energy? yeah and a portion of every saleoes to the avon foundation for women breast cancer crusade. i'm sold. new pink lemonade 5-hour energy. gethe alert, energized feeling you need and support breast cancer research and access to care. neil: is mitt romney going to pull richard nixon and prove all those doubters that he can't be funny wrong? after the first bate in some swing stat appear to be warming to mitt romney. more than half of the voters saying romney is likable. a jump froright before the debate when the nominee was almost seen as lucifer in pinstripes. laugh all you wan, this kind of stuff about li

his likability will come through because he has gotten a bad rap about this likability factor.but he will be the most prepared. he will also have the most depth of knowledge and he will have every opportunity to back obama into a corner on all of the major issues. >> let me ask you on that, backing him into a corner. romney had some spectacular debates, not all of them. but in florida he took newt gingrich out. newt gingrich no slouch at debating or intellect for that matter. and then later on he took out rick santorum. it's like he had a machete in his hand and he knocked these guys down. is it possible he might do the same thing about president obama who is rusty, has not had a debate and has had people fawning over him for four years? >> i don't think he's rusty because he spent a lot of time campaigning and what a lot of people don't see usually from the mainstream media is how he performs in his campaign stops as well as town hall meetings. i don't think you're going to see any rust on mitt romney. i'm very optimist being aboic a he's going to do tonight. >> let's go back

>> i mean, you don't have to be likable to be funny. a lot of comedians are horrible, horrible people. it's about how comfortable you are in your own skin. romney, the jokes are professional jokes, comedians wrote them, but he doesn't seem to be comfortable in his skin. >> yeah, authenticity is everything on television and in politics. and in comedy. i think. i think that awkwardness is the thing he's got to stretch on all of these. w. kamau bell from "totally biased" on fx which is a brilliant show thank you for being here. we needed a comedy expert. had one. >>> there's important, more serious news today, including on the campaign trail. we'll get to it and do it with a straight face like this. that's next. ♪ this is the car that loves to have fun ♪ ♪ mile after mile, to and from ♪ now there are four for all to use ♪ ♪ tell the neighbors, friends, everyone the news ♪ ♪ and let's hum, hum, hum, hum ♪ ♪ let's hum ♪ a prius for everyone ♪ there's a bigger one, if you want more space ♪ ♪ a small one if the city's your place ♪ ♪ and even o

i don't think i'm that bad. >> you're likable enough, hillary. >> thank you. >> likable enough.that was a moment in new hampshire. some game changing moments from debates past and present and could tomorrow night's debate produce anything as memorable. one thing important, ruth, john, we've lived through these debate moments but they're not all game changers. arguably some of those moments like lloyd bentsen and dan quayle didn't change anything because michael dukakis in the final presidential debate showed sort of a remarkable lack of human affect you might say in response to bernie schultz question. >> that didn't help the game from dukakis' point of view. lloyd bentsen's line was great line. >> well rehearsed. >> well delivered, well rehearsed. what do we remember from 2008? no lines. that was not a game changing debate between senator obama and senator mccain. >> not the way it was during the primary races. one of the things that you learned from that moment with benson and quayle, is they have been watching dan quayle, this young, some would say not fully prepared senator,

it helps to be likable if you're negotiating treaties. >> good point. >> it helps to be likable in dealing foreign diplomats and if you're trying to rally the nation back after some sort of tragedy. >> what was mitt romney's dog's name again? i'm sorry. >> likability. >> first, we've known a lot about mitt romney. we've been hearing a lot from mitt romney for years. and he's been net unfavorable all year. even now as a race is tightening he still has struggles with likability. i think as people have learned about him, they continue to be unsure if they like him. and in focus groups as a pollster, i do a lot of focus groups around the country and we often ask people things like which candidate would you want to go to the amusement park with your kids or grand kids. we ask questions like that to tap into likability, but ultimately it's more than just that. it's about which candidate do you feel likes you and wants to fight for people like you. >> i think there's truth to that. but there is also sort of a chicken and the egg issue here, right? where voters want to vote for candidates that the

i felt that the sue of likability was really important. i thought that's what joe biden lost in his debate because of dee way he handled it, where he was, you know -- everything was a laugh for him. >> every focus group shows that the voters are concerned that president obama isn't tough enough. >> exactly. >> he needed to show backbo, he needck to rally his base an he certainly did that. >> he did that. he did that. >> and joe biden did that as well. excuse me. i want to finish here. and the debates i agree with mort, you don't -- you don't need to smirk at me, mort. [ laughter ] >> i was smirking at buchanan. >> the debates are very critical in this internet age, the face-to-face captors are re really important, otherwise we might have had governor rick perry as the republican nominee. >> hold on, pat. >> let me make a point. >> go ahead. >> biden and obama both did , biden in , the second -- the president in the second debate, biden. but by rallying their base, just like republicans in their primaries rally their base, they damage thems

neil: yes, yes. >> there i such a thing as likable enough. it is not probable tt tt romney will be considered more likable than barack obama who is the youngish, first african-american, other of two, who goes on "sportscenter" and that stuff. he is lot hipper than mitt romney who is sort of hip to be square. so maybe he is never going to be as likable as him but what we haveeen is that mitt romney's favorability number, which means that people are okay with you, has gone up. thosehings are correlated. if romney can demonstrate he is an okay guy, he can laugh -pat himself tell a joke and he can do that, that helps people find him acceptab in this case you may be talking about somebody who is likable enough. neil: i love your comment about hip to be square, one of his said i came here tonight because they wanted me to be the designated driver. justlew the house away and deadpan delivery. i think he waseinforcing and quite happy in his, you know, maybe ndy skin and just showing the world that and relishing it. 'll see. th is tough to say the pre

likable? he can be in the white house? it is more got but maybe the first debate set the stage where both candidates deemed equally capable m. both likable the edge obama had going in is not so much. it is a quick reaction but from romney was the two casual? or just the right balance and was the president trying to make up ground? and presidential? your call. mccain is working his way through the crowd. said is the way it is when you are a surrogate. they bring out the big guns. he is one of the biggest. more after this. 0t[h7 i'm a conservative investor. i invest in what i know. i turned5 last week. i'm getting married. planning a life. there are risks, sure. t, there's no reward without it. i want to be prepared for the long haul. i see a world bursting with opportunities. india, china, brazil, ishares, small-caps, large-caps, ishares. industrials. low cost. every dollar counts. ishares. income. dividends. bonds. i like bonds. ishares. commodities. diversification. choices. my own ideas. hares. i want to use the same st

perfectly likable mostly.alm and a tone of voice you don't normally hear him. >> i thought hoefrs commanding. >> i didn't think it was likable. i will say he was definitely better prepared. the president maybe needed a shot of caffeine. >> ilike what you said about the boardroom. that may well be right. it worked. he pushed everybody around. thank you, mark. >> a question about gender, did he win about -- >> we got to go right now. joy, thank you, mark and aye gene. >>> coming up, we have our own focus group of undecided voters and we'll talk to them next about how they scored tonight's debate. this is msnbc's live coverage of the first presidential debate. >> the best course for health care is do what we did in my state. craft a level that fits the need of the state. >> welcome back to our continuing coverage of the first presidential debate. reaction tonight from the exchanging. nbc news correspondent who is here in denver with what we call a focus group of people that he put together. a group of a eight peo

importantly here was he likable to the key independents? >> i'm not talking about his base. >> this was about the base and he drove home every issue. medicare, which party do you trust? social security, paul ryan wanted to privateize it. abortion rights, paul ryan wants to return that issue back to the states, overturning roe v. wade. issue after issue, he drew the contrast, after a week when governor romney tried to blur all the differences. the etch say sketch moment was finally ended last night. the contrast between these two tickets are very clear. >>> were you disappointed the women in the focus group were faulting biden because of biden's lack of manners? >> exactly. >> women feel they are treated that way and they didn't like the way biden behaved. >> this is where he hurt himself. i agree with eleanor. i think the democratic base is exhilerated over it. biden went in there and beat i him up. but to women, here was a guy being abusive and nasty and disrespectful and interrupt and go they don't like that, an awful lot of them. the que

just as likable as the president.veys showing more americans find him as competent as the president, too. here is who it's worsome for the president. he lost his area where guys that voters would prefer to have a beer. now they'd as soon saddle up to the bar with the gov. which is weird because romney is a mormon and he doesn't drink. talk about a potential wicked hangover for the president. through the weakest of recoveries, the most controversial rescue, through the solyndras that burned up and the healthcare law surprises that keep popping up, it's the one thing for the president held up. we like you, big guy. we like him as a dad, like him as a person. lo and behold the other guy, bain guy, evil corporate guy, vilified 47% guy, this all but painted satan in pinstripes guy is now, now likable! just as likable! just as endearing. so that's why so many democrats are worrying the guy's secret weapon is the other guy's, too. hay each canceled like out. i don't know what i meant by that, but i will say the mutual destru

two debates romney's going to maintain that and increase the likability. they're voting for someone to hear speak for four years and he has to close the gap to win the election. >> people that support the president saying on style and substance we see a different man going after the new mitt romney and surrogates pointing it out, working it in to the stump speech. take a listen. >> now, my opponent is doing a little tap dance at the debate the other night. trying to wriggle out of stuff he's been saying for a year. doing like a -- it was like "dancing with the stars." more maybe it was "extreme makeover." debate edition. >> robert, is that effective? >> i'm not so sure it's effective, chris. a biggest appeal factor is does seem presidential and likable like perry said but getting too personal in the attacks and petty sounding in the rhetoric, he risks maybe alienating independent voters that like the presidential appeal and like his likability and what you see mitt romney maybe doing is going in the debate at the record and not the president's style. >> le

he's now the more likable candidate.o him to appear unlikable in this debate if he gets too snippy or too condescending or too professorial. >> absolutely because he's coming from a position of authority or power. everyone expects him to win this debate, everyone, apparently except for governor chris christie. so he will have -- there is a danger of him coming in to this thing perhaps sounding overconfident. because even though he's in a better position, the country is still in a very tedious position, and so he can't come in as if everything's hunky dory. >> okay, and will, i'd like to ask you about this, that 47% saying and that secretly recorded video, that's really hurt mitt romney. and he's got to really respond to that. i heard politico reporting that president obama is going to mention the 47% thing every third question. >> yeah, look, i think there's two ways you can go if you're mitt romney on kind of talking about that 47%. you can choose the path i have, which when i've come on your program and others and that

the likability is more important than winning this debate. i know i'm winning this thing. it's this dynamic we've seen a lot in las vegas or perhaps atlantic city when we get a champion and challenger. the challenger has nothing to lose and goes nuts and flings punches everywhere. what does he have to lose? i don't need to mix it up with you. i'm going it to win on points and layback. sometimes that strategy wins and sometimes it doesn't. >> it's always frustrating if you're a fan to watch it fully. >> it's bizarre. >> you don't want it. s.e., i understand you were checking out some of the coverage from our friends at current? >> yeah. the reaction to this was interesting across the spectrum, but the kids at current tv had a very hard time, very hard time explaining obama's loss. but uncle al had his own theory. take a look. >> obama arrived in denver at 2:00 p.m. today just a few hours before the debate started. romney did his debate prep in denver. when you go to 5,000 feet and you only have a few hours to adjust -- >> that's interesting. >> i don't know. maybe -- >> al,

a likability gap between her and brown. to democrats these next few weeks to go at scott brown's temperame temperament. you will hear a lot in the next few days about his comment i'm not some sort of student in your class, was that coming across as too harmful. and you'll start to see is scott brown really as nice a guy as he says he is when he's going to join the gop out of the comfort of a six-year senate term and go at them, the stuff against violence against women act, not moving quick enough on the dream act, things of that nature. >> indeed. >> no one got ahead last night. >> the no more mr. nice guy thing is maybe going to be an issue for scott brown. jonathan, as luke said, brown leads warren 58 to 27% on most likable, but warren wins 47 to 42% on helps working people. that to me is interesting. they don't like her as much but they think her heart is in the right place and values. >> here you have the president is likable, and they also -- and the people also think well things are bad, but he's the one who cares abo

. >> dan balz, both warm and likable.hank you very much. thanks for being with us. >> thanks. >> up next, new questions about security and intelligence behind the benghazi terror attack. former ambassador to iraq chris hill joining us live here in denver. you're watching "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. when you take a closer look... ...at the best schools in the world... ...you see they all have something very interesting in common. they have teachers... ...with a deeper knowledge of their subjects. as a result, their students achieve at a higher level. let's develop more stars in education. let's invest in our teachers... ...so they can inspire our students. let's solve this. check out the latest collection of snacks from lean cuisine. creamy spinach artichoke dip, crispy garlic chicken spring rolls. they're this season's must-have accessory. lean cuisine. be culinary chic. that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an

would that also help him on the likability side? we continue to hear, hey, this is all about likability, this is a vote that many people make with their heart, not necessarily with their mind? >> i absolutely think it would. i think, first of all, if he's able to pin blame for the economy on the president, governor romney's numbers will start to come up. it's a teetertotter. if the president goes down, governor romney's goes up. because voters have to make a choice, and governor romney will start to be the better alternative. and then if he offers a clear vision of where he would take the country, then i think that sort of squares -- it completes what he needs to do in terms of shaping the debate for voters to be able to choose him as the, as a viable alternative. jenna: and you say we'll know within the first 30, maybe 40 minutes of this debate about -- >> they're the most important, absolutely. jenna: hopefully, we tune in for everything because, you know, it's a big night. very interesting insight, thank you very much. >> good to

>>guest: the likability numbers, romney had to improve the likability in that debate. he succeeded. he also beat obama badly and made him look bad. so, it is important that romney succeed on that score and it has made a big difference so far in all the swing states. he is tied with obama and possibly leading nationally. all the key swing states are moving in his direction but he trails in ohio. a game changer --. >>neil: this just out, swing state voters where he has added to the lead. this is unusual in that now the post debate performance which many could be calling it short lived is not short-lived. >>guest: there are a couple of ways to look at the debate. one is to look at romney getting a bounce. that is the wrong way did look at it this debate was more like the thing that gets in your windshield for president obama, it spreads when the car hit as bump and the crack widens, and grows bigger and then the windshield shatter. the debate shows that romney is not the definite -- devil and he came to this debate with a punch of canned talking point, president obama did, and romney j

>> well, i think he was likable. he always is likable. i mean the polls confirm that. i would agree with senator dashiell that the president did do what he had to do last night. he had a very tall order to come clean up the mess he left on the floor in the first debate. joe biden started that process. the president last evening came in very strong, not as excitable or excited as joe biden, i don't think anyone ever could be, but the president did do what he had to do to make sure his base stirred back in his direction and that he did appropriately put romney on the defensive on a number of points. but it was also very clear, andrea, that romney got under the president's skin as well. and those exchanges, i don't think were as helpful to both men as they otherwise could have been, certainly coming when you look at the first debate, even given the president's lack of participation, the vitriol and the personal animus between the two of them was palpable last evening and i don't think that's something a lot of those voters appreciate. in terms of death getting the job don

perfectly likable mostly.don't normally hear him. >> i thought hoefrs commanding. >> i didn't think it was likable. i will say he was definitely better prepared. the president maybe needed a shot of caffeine. >> ilike what you said about the boardroom. that may well be right. it worked. he pushed everybody around. thank you, mark. >> a question about gender, did he win about -- >> we got to go right now. joy, thank you, mark and aye gene. >>> coming up, we have our own focus group of undecided voters and we'll talk to them next about how they scored tonight's debate. this is msnbc's live coverage of the first presidential debate. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 let's talk about low-cost investing. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 at schwab, we're committed to offering you tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 low-cost investment options-- tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 like our exchange traded funds, or etfs tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 which now have the lowest tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 operating expenses tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 in their respective tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 lipp