let's play "hardball." >>> good evening. i'm chris matthews back in washington from the al smith dinner last night. tonight, donald trump's race for president seems caught in a downward spiral and he can't seem to pull out of it. with 18 days to go until election, republicans are panicked. battleground state polls show hillary clinton rising. she's gaining in several states including georgia, utah, arizona, and even texas. a new online poll out just today shows more americans think hillary clinton won wednesday's debate in las vegas. last night, donald trump got booed at the traditionally civil and friendly al smith dinner when he called clinton corrupt and anti-catholic, he threw in. i was at thed table and could feel the strong reaction all around the room. his allies, meerm, have spent the week defending his refusal to say he would not accept the results of the election and the slur that mrs. clinton is a nasty woman. a wave of apprehension and anguish swept the republican party on...