to my left is fred smith.we will avoid the clichÉ references, but i especially on behalf of all of the debaters and the audience wanted thank ralph nader for pushing our imaginations when it comes to taboo topics, a series beginning today. how many times can talk shows and columnists debate budget deficits when there is such a deficit of conversation about scores of other issues? here is one. can america stay a representative democracy, and exceptional democracy, it if nonvoters outnumbered voters? voting is probably the preeminent trade aspect of what we regard as a democracy. how can you have a government for the people and less people vote as we are seeing now in the middle east. and so historically in one sense, in 1789 as norman recalls, turnout was extraordinarily high, but only white males could vote. now is slightly the reverse. nearly the reverse when there is more universal suffrage on paper, but the turnout is very low in this country. certainly compared to the 80% turnouts of the 1800's compared to

and one of our great mississippians, fred smith, fred smith is the founder and ceo of fedex. the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. [laughter] >> the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. and in political campaigns, in great crusades in the effort to get our country back on the right track, we got to stay focused on the main thing. the main thing is winning the election. >> yeah. >> we can't change the country like we want it unless we win the election. okay? remember, purity in politics, purity is the enemy of victory. okay? we can't start out with the ideas, the faith and freedom coalition that our candidates got to agree with me on every single thing. we cannot expect our candidate to be pure. winning is about unity. winning is about us sticking together to achieve the main thing. [applause] >> now, we're fixing -- in a few months we're going to be involved in the great process of picking our party's nominee. and it's going to be a scrap. and everybody is going to fight hard and people are going to -- there's going to be some you like bette

and one of our great mississippians, fred smith, fred smith is the founder and ceo of fedex.fred has a great expression. fred said the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. [laughter] >> the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. and in political campaigns, in great crusades in the effort to get our country back on the right track, we got to stay focused on the main thing. the main thing is winning the election. >> yeah. >> we can't change the country like we want it unless we win the election. okay? remember, purity in politics, purity is the enemy of victory. okay? we can't start out with the ideas, the faith and freedom coalition that our candidates got to agree with me on every single thing. we cannot expect our candidate to be pure. winning is about unity. winning is about us sticking together to achieve the main thing. [applause] >> now, we're fixing -- in a few months we're going to be involved in the great process of picking our party's nominee. and it's going to be a scrap. and everybody is going to fight hard and people are going to -- t

one of our favorite mississippi ans is a man named fred smith.red smith is the founder and chief executive officer of fedex, a pretty successful little company. he has a great saying that i think is applicable to the crusade that we are about to embark on until november, 2012. fred says the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. [laughter] [applause] >> the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing, and that is what we have to do between now and november of 2012. we are going to have a great, big primary, and it will be but at the end of the day we need to be prepared to lean people -- lead people back to the main thing. the main thing is that our children and grandchildren require a busted we elect a new president in 2012. -- require of us that we elect a new president and 2012. .hank you all capital-lett [laughter] [applause] [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome from california, congressman [unintelligible] >> well, thank you you all for coming, and for the work you are doing in this cause. a funny thing ha

[laughter] [applause] you know, i'm from mississippi, and when our great mississippians, fred smith,the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. ..k, we got to stay focused on the main thing. the main thing is winning the election. >> yeah. >> we can't change the country like we want it unless we win the election. okay? remember, purity in politics, ♪ ♪ ♪ >> it's a gorgeous day in the nation's capital. it seems like summer has finally arrived in central canada. and hello, i'm peter. it was a me second of this year the conservatives won their majority. the one they so dearly sought since they first started going for voters in 2004. they lost that one to the liberals in the minority and and followed it with their own minorities. in 2006-2008. a majority government. in the next few minutes we will find out in a speech from the throne read by the governor general, david johnston, just what exactly the government has planned for the next four years. before that start let's get an idea from parliament hill. let's start wi

fred. [ buzzer ] >> speed round! [ laser ] >> "teenage mutant ninja turtles." [ laser ] >> jaden smith from the future. [ laser ] [ laughterto mow your lawn this summer. [ laser ] >> welcome to "circuit city." can i help you? [ laughter ] [ laser ] >> rupaul without the wig. [ laughter ] [ laser ] >> dane cook after five years in prison. [ cheers ] >> john boy! john boy! >> this is ploy counterpunch, tonight's topic for debate, can the boston bruins win the stanley cup? [ cheers ] what up, bert? >> they're playing great hockey against vancouver right now. >> okay. >> when it's all said and done. >> yeah. >> i'd have to say, no. gordy? [ laughter ] >> making terrible things happening with our minds. >> this is a part of the show. where we make terrible things happen with our minds. let's do this. ♪ [ laughter ] [ laser sounds ] ♪ ♪ [ laser sounds ] ♪ >> yeah. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> yeah. yeah, baby! that's what i'm talking about. [ cheers and applause ] oh, you know what that means? >> that means -- time for the t-shirt yeti. [ cheers ] ♪ the beekeeper is back from the sweat lodge in wyoming. now they are totally hopped up on bath salts.