jack kennedy was the second son. t was joe that was supposed to follow in do something that joe kennedy senior couldn't do. because what? he killed himself with appeasement for adolf hitler? >> guest: open anti-semitism. he would use the words, not the worst words but pretty close to the worst words. he was openly tribalistic and he basically was fittest. he wanted joe jr. to be his avatar, his person to get over the line past the catholic issue, passed his problems and become president. he was killed in the war trying to prove himself to the old man and prove himself to the country and jack moved up to the position. what i discovered in the book it isn't as simple as he was drugged and into service because he wanted to be a scholar for some kind of journalists, some ethereal man. think about jack kennedy. do you think it was going to sit in class with 30 kids at princeton? no commerce it away writing book somewhere along? no. going back to high school, he read churchill's history of world war i in its entirety when h

jack kennedy was the second son. it was joe who was supposed to follow and do something that joe kennedy senior couldn't do because while? the killed and no with appeasement for adolf hitler? >> guest: she used the words, not the worst words, the pretty close. he was tribalistic and he basically was spinning. he wanted joe junior to be his guy, his "avatar," his person to get over the line past the catholic issue, passed his problems and become president. well, he was killed in the war trying to prove himself improve the country and jack looked up to the position. what i discovered in the book is he was a good tune into service because he wanted to be a scholar or some kind of journalist. think about jack kennedy again. do you really think he was going to sit in class or set away writing books summerlong? no. going back to high school, he read churchill world war i and its entirety when he was 14. he read "the new york times" according to his fellows dance every day. he got a copy mailed to him and he was misguided an

americans want to be like jack kennedy. a regular guy who liked girls but he had guts and save his crew general were to than the cuban missile crisis and rose to the occasion. we all hope our president can do that. but when a president can rise to the occasion to be a better man as president and he was in life, that is our dream. >> host: chris matthews, thank you. . .

think about jack kennedy. did you think he was going to seven class with kids are suddenly writing book summer alone? no. going back to high school, he brought churchill and "the new york times" according to his post every day. he got a copy mailed to him and since has been trying to figure out each issue in each article and distillates meeting. he ran for student council of the first year. he intended to go to law school. winners in the navy metallic touch about the state and local politics. on the indications are from his friends, charlie bartlett. he was headed for a political career. this was not true. the miniature was killed, he was there. >> host: so, his father was ambassador in saint churns and monday and could do with adolf hitler. and the second son has jackie describe as all of those things and weak in some respects he said no, dad, you're wrong. and he cut his fathers like that because his father was somewhat agree with them. he said yes, britain was justified munich and 38 because they were ready

of mine, and you're no jack kennedy. now, there's some dispute whether that was a prepared line but it sure sounded like one to me. what you're -- >> guest: pictures have that which me. of course, i was able to talk to lloyd benson because lloyd benson was ill by the time i got around to it. in public statements that he made to reporters after the debate when he was asked whether not that was dashing he said no, no, no. it just came to me. however, some of the folks around vincent later said well, we had heard him say this before. in other words, we had heard quayle say something about john f. kennedy before, in fact the experience. that was the point that quayle had more experience in congress and in government than john f. kennedy did when he was elected president, and so they were ready for this. we just have to leave it to, here again, to two different views of what happened. >> host: talked a little bit about the negotiations that go into, and i know you're not a part of them, you clearly know about them, the candid

what would jack kennedy have done in vietnam.ate an american war in vietnam involving troop levels of 500,000 soldiers? would he have allowed the word eska tlit where we lost 58,000 american soldiers? it's a question i've been asked again and again traveling the country for my new book "jack kennedy elusive hero." the day he died he'd given a speech that morning in ft. worth that said, quote, without the united states, south vietnam would collapse overnight. those were his very words that morning of november 22nd, 1963, with lyndon johnson at his side to the city's chamber of commerce. without the united states, south vietnam would collapse overnight. so was he ready to introduce american combat troops or was he going to limit our role? was he going to do what lyndon johnson did and make it an american war? there are good reasons to believe he would not have. his war buddy recalls kennedy issuing orders to a marine unit wanting to take his men into a combat situation. the warning was for the president. if he did it, he'd have hel

. >> i served with jack kennedy. i knew jack kennedy. jack kennedy was a friend of mine.enator, you're no jack kennedy. >> bentsen didn't win, but, man, that thing got traction. do you need an out of the ballpark moment on the stage from your candidate? >> i certainly do think that debates do turn on moments. we saw that last week the debates turned on two particular moments in the monday debate. it was the exchange that speaker gingrich had with juan williams. and on thursday it was the opening of the debate when john king lobbed speaker gingrich a softball to hit out of the park and use his typical attack the media strategy. so the debates certainly do turn on moments. candidates do look for those times where they can create a lasting memory in the minds of the audience. >> that's what i'm getting at. that's what i'm getting at. a lot of people accuse your candidate of just being a robo candidate. he doesn't have that zeal and personality like reagan did. and i'm going there because reagan in '84 said this to walter mondale. have a listen. >> i will not make age an issu

the party of e lower classes have nominated candidates who are wellborn and privileged -- fdr jack kennedys, to prove that they are not thehe party of the cntry club nominated pple from humble backgrounds -- twice an hour, ronald reagan, richard nixoxon -- dwight eisenhower, ronald reagan, richard nixon. mitt romney is the richest peon to run for president. >> a big bank account is a liability, charles? >> i didn't hururt fdr johnson or the bushes who had enough momoney in the bank. i am n not sure how much i can that it t has really -- how much a candidate has really matters. what matters here is that romney had to note that when you are a a venture capitalist, democrats are going to t you on that. what surprises me is that he is attacked by r republicans on this and he does not have a good answer. he needs to have an awer. he needsds to explain what he does how, for example, what he did is analogous to what obama did with the auto companies. in order to save companies in decline, about to go under, you have to slim it down, fire people close to the ships come in order thahat you save the

jack kennedy worked it well. but mitt romney does not seem in touch. they'll make him the poster boy of innie quality and vulture capitalism, unless he turns it around. [everyone talking at once] >> i'm going to ask this exit question. what should romney do about the tax issue? she had release his tax returns now and get the issue behind him, or wait until april as he says he will do? >> the sooner he gets it out the better. and he should make the case, looking i went out in the private enterprise system and screed ed and you can as well! [everyone talking at once] >> also call for -- one quick point -- he should also call for a repeal of the special tax treatment of carried interests. the reason he gets the 15%, the private equity guys would hate him but it would be very popular with both republicans and democrats. >> it's all legal. and i want to change the system. >> exactly. >> could he get it out now? >> he should release them now and his excuse that he hasn't prepared his 2011 tax return isn't good enough. he had release past tax returns and newt

what would jack kennedy have done in viet nam?have done what his successor lyndon johnson did, create a war involving troop levels of half a million soldier soldiers soldiers, where we lost 58,000 american soldiers. a question i have been asked again and again traveling the country for my new book. this much i know, the day he died he had given a speech that very morning in fort worth that said "without the united states, south viet nam would collapse overnight" those were his words that morning of november 22nd, 1963 with lyndon johnson at his side at the chamber of commerce. without the united states, south viet nam would collapse overnight. was he ready to introduce combat troops or limit the role to many thousands of advisers in country, do what lyndon johnson did make it an american war? there are good reasons to believe he would not have. his war buddy recalls he issued orders to marine unit commander -- to the french when they were fighting the fire pour the french were overwhelmed by the spirit of those fighting them. the

latest book is "jack kennedy: elusive history." happy new hampshire. >> i don't know about that report. it was rich. it had a lot of anthropology in it. not just in the mores fight between rick santorum and the rest of the world but in the mood setting. i mean, that reminded me of the way politics was before it got exciting, with kennedy and that era. the '60s, '70s. since then it reminded me of denmark politics, oh, yeah, i guess we have to vote. that's scary when american politics becomes so routine and lacking in romance and phenomenon. there's no phenomenon to the race. what's the excitement in the race, the unique selling point in the race in massachusetts or new hampshire? there's no unique selling point. >> that was the strange thing about seeing a big crowd and really wanting to go to a santorum event because everybody was telling me he's getting the crowds. i was really excited. there's a lot of people here, they tell us i can't get in. i get in, everybody's bummed out and booing him. nobody's happy to hear what he was say

>> author of "jack kennedy elusive hero." will on the best seller list. congratulations. >> thank you. >> what's it like in iowa for those final candidates? >> they're all going to be running around and romney as you just saw in that clip running against president obama, trying to make himself the candidate who can defeat obama and is already doing that or trying to. i'm telling you i've never seen such a lack of excitement for candidates. there's no charisma factor in this race, no john kennedy, there's no anybody that has that sort of cutting edge like a reagan or an obama last time or bill clinton. there's no excitement about these candidates. 75% of this state is uninterested in voting for mitt romney. he is not the charismatic leader of the conservative republican party. if they do win here, that campaign, it will be like outsourcing the republican nomination to mumbai. it's just outsourcing it. it's finding somebody else to run for you besides a conservative republican. nobody believes mitt romney is a kuhn serve tiff republican. >> now they're on r

a half century ago jack kennedy had to defend ms

latest book is "jack kennedy: elusive hero." happy new hampshire. >> i don't know about that report. it was rich. it had a lot of anthropology in it. not just in the mores fight between rick santorum and the rest of the world but in the mood setting. i mean, that reminded me of the way politics was before it got exciting, with kennedy and that era. the '60s, '70s. since then it reminded me of denmark politics, oh, yeah, i guess we have to vote. that's scary when american politics becomes so routine and lacking in romance and phenomenon. there's no phenomenon to the race. what's the excitement in the race, the unique selling point of this election in massachusetts or new hampshire? there's no unique selling point. there is nothing here. >> seeing a big crowd and wanting to go to a santorum event because everybody was telling me he's getting the crowds. i was really excited. there's a lot of people here, they tell us i can't get in. i get in, everybody's bummed out and booing him. nobody's happy to hear what he was saying. nobody

i remember exactly what jack kennedy said when on "meet the press" and he had named his brother bobby to be his attorney general, u.s. attorney general. and they were upset with mr. kennedy, then the president, and they said, mr. president, nepities many this and nepities many is that. why did you name your brother the attorney general? . he said very simply, because my mother was not a lawyer. [laughter] >> he appointed the best qualified, most loyal, most direct person and gavin newsom did exactly that. and it's interesting, of course, you see gavin held off a whole week so that he could let kamala go so he would be able to fill her job. if he had taken the oath of office on the same day she had taken the office, somebody else would have been able to name the district attorney. but gavin newsom is to ever be rewarded for holding back because his holding back for the week in-between his eligibility and when he was sworn in directly produced the opportunity for him to exercise such good judgment and name george gascon the new d.a. of san francisco. so round of applause for gavin newso

party of the lower classes, have loved nominating candidates, or wellborn and privileged -- fdr, jack kennedy. republicans, to prove they were not the party of the country club, have nominated people who came from humble backgrounds -- ronald reagan, richard nixon. mitt romney is the richest candidate ever nominated for president. that is going to be an issue regardless of how this controversy is resolved. >> is a good bank account a liability, charles? >> it didn't hurt fdr, johnson, or the bushes, who had enough money in the bank. i am not sure, a candidate has really matters -- how much can it has really matters. what really matters is that romney has to know that when you are a venture-capital is, the democrats are going to hit you on that. what surprises me is that he is attacked by republicans on this, and he doesn't have a good answer. he needs to have an answer. he needs to explain what he does, he needs to explain how it, for example, what he did is analogous to what obama did with the auto companies. in order to save companies in decline, about to go under, you have to slim it down,

did jack kennedy being catholic have anything to do with what he did?ichard nixon being a quaker have anything to do with being president? does religion guide, your particular affiliation, you really to your policies? >> yeah. >> you say yeah. yes or no? >> when we do the research, partisanship -- after 1972 and into reagan years partisanship matters more than religious affiliation. >> thank you, dr. jones. i remember that name from indiana jones. and melinda, thank you. >>> up next, oops. rick perry has done it again. this is really unbelievable. it's only three. it's only three, and he can't get it straight. wait until you catch him doing it again. this is unbelievable. you're watching "hardball" friday night on msnbc. ♪ is it fast? it's got 10 speeds, my friend. ♪ is it fast? it's got a lightning bolt on it, doesn't it? ♪ is it fast? i don't even know if it's street-legal. ♪ is it safe? oh, yeah. it's a volkswagen. [ male announcer ] the security of a jetta. one of nine volkswagen models named a 2012 iihs top safety pick. ♪ got you in a stranglehold,

. >> i served with jack kennedy. i knew jack kennedy. jack kennedy was a friend of mine.u're no jack kennedy. >> bentsen didn't win, but, man, that thing got traction. do you need an out of the ballpark moment on the stage from your candidate? >> i certainly do think that debates do turn on moments. we saw that last week the debates turned on two particular moments in the monday debate. it was the exchange that speaker gingrich had with juan williams. and on thursday it was the opening of the debate when john king lobbed speaker gingrich a softball to hit out of the park and use his typical attack the media strategy. so the debates certainly do turn on moments. candidates do look for those times where they can create a lasting memory in the minds of the audience. >> that's what i'm getting at. that's what i'm getting at. a lot of people accuse your candidate of just being a robo candidate. he doesn't have that zeal and personality like reagan did. and i'm going there because reagan in '84 said this to walter mondale. have a listen. >> i will not make age an issue of this

franklin roosevelt,ñr jack kennedy.ch o get himself in some trouble if he tries to be tend he's something th)(w he'sq>> charliee contest be like in south carolina, the next stop? >> mean andxd ugly. >>xd it will really bexdxd vici. >> charlie: gingrichñr is operating out of vengeance now?ó angry country with nuclear weapons. i don't think newt gingrich will last very long but he'll try to make a mark while he's at it. he'sqpeople who are dreaming hip and he's given upjfof being mite secretary. i think rickÑi perry, i don't kw how much money, mk probably knows better than i do, how much moy his super bk willxd raise but they arexd willingÑit( to sd against mitt romney. >> charlie: what can romney do then, mark, does he simply have to continue to prevail then at some point therwill be no opposition and people will begin tofá look at him and coider his electability and fall in love with him? >> wellxd first of all, al lucky here because this isw3 setting up with perry in southlp carolina, gingrich and santorum going. none

but that's jack kennedy's elusive hero." it's doing great. talk about what's going on. we have a big primary tonight here in florida, winner take all. florida's 50 delegates are at stake in a fight that could determine a republican front-runner for president or send the race into a months-long battle straight up to the convention. voting is now under way, and the latest polls show this is mitt romney's race to lose. the nbc news/marist poll yesterday had the former massachusetts governor with a 15-point lead over newt gingrich, but this morning, new numbers from public policy polling indicate romney is still in the lead but by a smaller margin. it has romney and gingrich just eight points apart. however, take a look at a suffolk university poll showing romney's lead widening to 20 points over the former house speaker. rick santorum follows 15 points behind gingrich, ron paul coming in last with 9%. we've been talking for two hours now about how negative this campaign has been, and is it more negative than, perhaps, the past campaigns that we'

>> "jack kennedy: elusive hero." >> let me ask you about your views. crying in politics.uskie totally denied it back in my age, '76, he didn't cry with the tear, it was something, it was the snow on his eyes or whatever. do you think tears hurt a politician or gives them a human side? >> i think it gives them a human side, but i don't think newt gingrich has much of a human side. i think he's tired. >> you think he's tired. most of the people here are cynical. they have no hearts. they think newt gingrich doesn't either. that's "hardball" for now. coming up, "your business." oh, there's still a few more days of chevy's giving more. got to stay loose. how do you do it? i have my little helpers. boop. oh. [ chuckles ] [ male announcer ] hurry in to chevy's giving more. these savings are almost over. now qualified buyers can get 0% apr for 72 months on the 2011 chevy silverado. or 0% apr financing for 60 months plus no monthly payments until spring. hurry in before they're all gone. ♪ yoo-hoo. hello. it's water from the drinking fountain at the mall. [ male announcer ] great