are not the main narratives. they're not that -- they are there similarly and at some point i would assume they would come back to the forefront. but for the time being, they are not what defines the arab discourse. again, look at the arab media, al jazeera and you see that palestinian issues rarely emerge. that's what is happening in syria and elsewhere. equally, the arab spring came back to expose some of these tensions that were latent over the last period. for example, iran's characterization of the arab spring as islamic spring or islamic spring simply did not correspond to the sentiment on the street. these arab movements even though many are being now he could opted by the movements were not initiated by an islamist movement and they were not is lambs in their nature. so there was a degree of disconnect between the iranian messaging and the arab streets that made the messaging more difficult to receive and to take hold. this was compounded by iran's sectarian response to this arab spring. the response to i

when you lose control of the narrative and you're forced to answer somebody else's narrative, whatever the yield is, you're in trouble. why are you getting paid so much? instead of, here's how successful we are, how can we improve it? part of it is grabbing control of that narrative and advertising's only one of the ways to do that. >> i appreciate the reference of the boeing, lockheed martin. that is a peculiar type of campaign that sort of bridges the commercial space and the political space. we have these fights for government contracts that do have this feeling of a zero sum, winner take all, they can get quite nasty, people riding the metro in washington, subjected to ads on the metro for things they have no clue what is being referred to unless they happen to be a capitol hill stalker. it's this very strange washington phenomenon of advertising. >> if you're in nebraska and turn on tv at 5:00 a.m. you'll see a farm show where the farm chemicals are saying, this is the one that gets nem achatodes our competitor doesn't, and they're competitive and take each other on, because they'

that was the bottom line narrative. if you don't have that kind of narrative working for you, then the reality becomes something else. it comes your inability to communicate your ability to resonate and focus on things you don't want voters to necessary focus on. that's what the opponents exploit. obama has been very successful at least in this part of the cycle in keeping the focus away from the shortcomings of his administration and focus more on his opponents. to the professor's point about looking at a romney's inability to really kind of make that argument that draws you in, which serves obama best right now. >> contributor on msnbc and nbc news, former chair of the republican national committee, former lieutenant governor in the state of maryland, michael steele. >> thank you. >> on behalf of george mason university and the washington center, thank you for being with us. >> thank you. thank you all. [ applause ] >> watch super tuesday election results tonight on the c-span networks. while you watch use second scre

simply the narrative is not correct. from a physical point of view, if you take away the scrimges, the design is gone, and i think that answers the question. >> thank you, miss eisenhower. >> we'll try to go through as many of these. does the department have an estimated annual cost to maintain this memorial? >> we have not. we've talked to the commission and we anticipate receiving further information on some testing that they are going to be doing on the -- the mesh panels. >> when do you assume you'll have a ballpark figure for us? >> i don't know, sir, but could i get back to you. >> okay. if i could ask, a lot has been said about the processes here. i think the design process is going traditionally but certainly the selection process was different as you had in your words the streamlined process that came up with the short list of firms before you opened it up. can you tell me why you asked for portfolios from these firms and not actual designs as it normally done? >> the selection process is a qualification-based s

and i keep -- and so i'm running these two narratives, the narrative arc of these two scientists trying to build something and the narrative arc of poisons as we try to understand them. and as a writer you're doing this complicated thing, i'm telling the story of arsenic, i'm telling the story of alexander getler who was the chemist, i'm telling the story of charles norris who was the crusading first medical examiner in new york city. when do i bring them together? you know, when does one illuminate the other? and how do i do this so that when i'm telling you how arsenic killed someone, the story doesn't just stop? it has to keep moving forward in their story. and that's a wonderful challenge for a writer. and when i finished the book and i thought, oh, my god, i head this work, right? you have this moment where right to the end of the book you're thinking, can i pull this off? can i weave all these strands together into this story and keep it moving forward? it's the most amazing feeling when you -- not that you then don't have to rewrite it multiple times, but that first realization t

a narrative gets set, like romney is dealing with now, narrative that says he is dorky and the media can find something of him -- >> his football and yesterday grits. >> friends with football team owners. >> once you're snuck in a narrative, you want to be bold and shake things up, this high risk high reward, the people that come up with the ideas they go they are celebrated, people write books, lee atwater, karl rove, they come up outside the box ideas that go well and deliver political wins for their politicians are heroes in politics. but i think that palin will forever make picking someone unvetted something that campaigns will avoid doing. >> the -- i am fascinated by the vetting process in that there was an idea five days and no trip to alaska would be doable for her. obviously it was made in pressure of time. thank you for talking about this. thank you for talking about this and being here tonight, but in your decision to sort of bare your heart about this and be hope what you think went wrong you were part of i think it a very noble thing you have done and respect you for it.

just as i said, paradigm - laden narratives - that there's models for good and evil - primordial heroes, great leaders, evil forces. i mean, just think of the book of revelation that's getting a lot of play lately because we're "getting near the end of the world." what will we do in the end time? and next, that's - we'll look at different types. but we've got to know, "how did we get here? where do we go? where are we going to go when we die? who's right? who's wrong? what's good? what's evil?" and these, as chris said, are very hard to just come out and say, so all these magical stories rise up. janet made a key point - storytelling is the key to human existence. we love stories. listen to, what makes a hit, a music hit? you've got good narrative - you've got to get a good story and you've got to get a good melody, and that makes a hit. look at all our sitcoms, look at our fascination with stories. what are stories doing? back to class one - identity and relationship - and that's where myth plugs in. but look at some of these key functions of myth, and then we'll go back to jamie's que

i'm talking about the narrative. i got that. what do you think the issue is. is it the combination or what. >> at the moment i think it's energy prices, his refusal to drill. his refusal to open anwr the keystone pipeline, all that stuff and i think he is going to take it on the chin because of energy prices. i think his unemployment numbers are phony. i have a column on my website. you can't beat someone with no one and you can't beat someone if you go all the way to the convention. >> sean: i think there is a process, hillary and obama went through it, it's painful at times but eventually there is going to be a winner. i don't think it will go to the convention but we'll see. >>> i'm quoting santorum and gingrich that they are going to the convention. >> sean: fair enough. >> if they said on june 6th, if i don't have the most votes i'm going drop out and support the guy that does, even if he doesn't have a majority, i could ko would keep my mouth shut. i would let it go. but they are not saying, that they are saying if romney doesn't have a majority, we're g

it's not a narrative of triumph.'s a narrative of why it could have been much worse. >> all right. let's talk about this issue about women, and this is becoming a bigger and bigger issue. you've got the violence against women act, democrats want to put forth legislation from 1994. they say it's time. at the time, it was broadly bipartisan. now, there are republican parts of it including would be immigrants. if you're being abused, you can get a visa. republicans don't like that. >> antiwomen or anti-immigrant. their opposition is towards 5,000 visas given to the worst victims of domestic violence and that's how many visas were given last year, they're up to 10,000 that can be given a year. it's a very small percentage of the nearly 5,000 visas we give a year. they can say yes, it's about immigration, but really i think it's this backlash against women that we're hearing a rhetoric that isn't very helpful. >> how can justify voting against this bill? >> well -- >> i'm not saying you would. i'm asking your hypothetical

but trying to advance that narrative and how do you combat it? is what has happened to me my entire political career. i trust the people to listen to the messages. we are talking about fundamental issues, economic freedom and front and center of that is obamacare and repealing obamacare. in every speech that is the center part of it. how we're going to get energy prices down and shale in north dakota. what about manufacturing jobs. one of the reasons why were able to win districts in detroit because we connected. the media is going to what they do. eventually when they brought up the issue of contraception. they booed. >> that was a great moment. that was the audience saying to the media, stop it. >> yeah. >> sean: go ahead? >> that is what is going to happen. they are going to talk about issues of a speech i gave 20 years ago. what we're going to do is go out on the stump. we're going to talk about the issues that people care about in this country. we're going to talk about how to get jobs back here and lower taxes and reduce the regulatory burd

the political narrative for about seven months. as you saw this whole thing unfold between hillary and barack obama. it ginned up their base, created media excitement. the party kind of went through the old school versus new school kind of discussion. so in looking at that, the 2008 delegates said, look, for 2012 we will suspend our rules for one time. it's never happened before. unlike the democrats. they can change their rules in between conventions. the rnc, you cannot. the only time the rules change is at convention every four years. they allowed the next chairman, tah-dah, to come in and rewrite or at least look at a new design for the rules. what we took into consideration was what happened in 2008 and for 2012, wanted to expand the field. create a bigger table for more candidates to have an opportunity to get their message before the base. this was less about establishment washington. this was less about the old school, well, you're next in line so, therefore, you get the nomination. and more about atloig base to have a grea

in syria that narrative it's clear it's a government crackdown on civilian protesters in reality armed groups and reportedly even al qaeda are part of the uprising activists say syrian forces this is left out of mainstream support but are knowingly or due to ignorance no good you deny new commentator so called serious commentator on syria he looks at define exactly the syrian opposition is what their goals are or really knows much about history of syria or its geography or its demographics they really don't know much at all this is created an information blackout but a major chunk of the story unavailable to viewers and what is shown there of questionable value age she still. keep in of something that doesn't even address the basic journalism question the who what where when how but they're happy to put that on their screen creating entertainment instead of journalism a cynic would say it's such a popular issue in western capitals that the media just decided to go all in and you know you'll see anderson cooper saying i can't believe it this is the worst thing that ever happened and it'

the fact that mitt has no narrative.esn't have the narrative that says i have an experience in my life to make me able to relate to people in all different parts of the income stra strata. that's what a lot of people have had. you take ross perot and a lot of rich people in america. think say, i wasn't always wealt wealthy. i can relate to you being raised poor. i can relate being working class. he has not done the things that a lot of people would see as relatable. >> is he popular with the wall street community or just acceptable? >> we have some big donors on our show come on. we talk about this stuff a lot. they were not early supporters. they didn't say this is the most electable, but there wasn't this ground swell of support that he was their guy from the beginning. >> this connection issue, i think he has a narrative. i think he's been afraid of some of them. he's been afraid of the governor narrative. and it's always about not making people upset on the right. >> but i have always said you can be wealthy. the ken

narratives get set, a narrative he's dorky, the media finds romney doing something dorky. >> footballteam owners. >> once you're stuck in a narrative there is a temptation to shake things up and be bold, this high risk, high reward, the people that come up they go they are celebrated, people write books, lee atwater, karl roves, people at the outside the box ideas that go well, and deliver political wins for their politicians are heros in politics. but i think palin will forever make picking one unvetted something that campaign ts will avoid doing. >> i am fascinated by the vetting process and there was even an idea five days and no trip to alaska would be doable for her. i understand the pressure of time. thank you for talking about this. thank you for talking about this and being here tonight but in your decision to sort of bare your heart about this, i think is a very noble thing you have done and respect you for it. >> thank you. >> nicolle wallace, author of "18 acres" and "it's classified" and senior advisor who drew the short straw trying to prepare sarah palin. >> right after

that has played into the narrative. has needed to do when he has been tested. he won michigan and ohio and he built the infrastructure needed to go the distance in the race. it's not pretty and will get worse for him before it gets better. i think at the end of the day, just like with the 2008 race, obama they said women would never go for obama and they did. >> can you make the case that romney need this is to go longer because he needs to tie on a message that unifies the party? >> the longer it goes on the more it hurts him. the longer this goes on, the more he still is way at the right. he will have to move to the center for the general election. the argument that the obama people say is despite the length of the 2008 campaign and despite this fight between president obama and hillary clinton, you saw neither one of them taking out positions way to the left of the party. you have to come back from it. mitt romney was definitely out there. >> is it fair to hold romney responsible. >> no, absolutely not. he can't help

they're creating jobs that they can create a narrative. david axelrod is all about the narrative. this is going to be a journey. we've come from a bad place to a halfway decent place. stick with us because we're going to get to a good place. chris: he's saying we've got a record, the auto industry, with the economy coming back, we can sell it. >> this is what democrats have been waiting for and the base as well. they've been waiting for something to sell this presidency. romney is going to very much focus on his record. on obama's record. he's been saying that this president has failed. a rejoinder has to be able to say bin laden is dead and g.m. is alive. chris: that's a pretty good bumper sticker, isn't it? let me ask you, kasie, welcome to the show. you're with "the associated press." you cover romney all the time. i was reading that romney has what she just said. their campaign is prosecution. you tried it, you blew it. is that it? >> sure. that's absolutely what it is. like she said, the president has failed. she have been itching to run against this president and they keep g

do you worry at all that the narrative will not live up to 2008 here in 2012? >> no. it's been pretty interesting. we had a lot of drama in 2008 and there's been a lot of drama and volatility has been incredible. a bunch of colorful characters. maybe there will be more comedy in this one than in the last one. more drama in the last one. who knows. it's playing out in a dramatic way. you still haven't got to the general election and barack obama is -- the actual clash hasn't started. the country also in this race, if you remember in 2008, people forget that republicans were demoralized. the

. >> one of the narratives that runs through this book, particularly as he becomes more sick in the last part of it, you are the relentless, you are going to be okay, there is going to be hope, if i make enough contacts, i'll fix this. he is the almost unfailing despite his occasional request to you to help voice of it is not going to get better, deal with it, what did you learn over the course of that thing about the terrible tension between hope and reality acceptance when you are close to someone who has a terminal illness? >> that is such a hard question because the fact is they are so you. you are looking at yourself. it is impossible when your brother, sister, and 2 and a half years apart. i couldn't give what he was going through a reality. i couldn't see it for what with it was. it was catastrophic. now that i had my brother, i was desperate not to lose him. >> you hadn't had him until this. >> we had that cotten batting between us. we had a fierce attachment, when you are that locked together in this kind of angry, very strong bond, underneath that is the bond and the real attac

he's never really found a narrative since other than i'm the guy best equipped to take on president obama, but organizationally when you make that argument and you lose to a guy who is kind of disorganized and only knows where he's going 24 hours in advance in various states, it's hard to make that a compelling argument. finally president obama is welcoming british prime minister david cameron to the white house this morning with a 19 gun salute, all the trappings of a state visit. tonight he'll host a state dinner for the british leader. last night it was fun and games, the president treated cameron to court side seats for the ncaa, the one they saw was mississippi valley state and western kentucky in dayton, ohio. >> sometimes when we have foreign visitors, they're only visiting the coasts, they go to new york, they go to washington, they go to los angeles, but, you know, the heartland is what it's all about. everybody including these two teams are thinking maybe i'll be the cinderella this year and that's what makes it a great tournament. >> today, though, the serious business be

they're handing out the show bill that calls this a false narrative and a work of fiction.hey have not given up. up next after super tuesday why does the media keep making mitt romney look like such a loser? i think about the future every morning when i wake up. i care about my car because... i think it's a cool car. i think it's stylish and it makes a statement at the same time. and i've never had a car like that. people don't totally understand how the volt works. when the battery runs down the gas engine operates. i don't ever worry about running out of battery power... because it just switches over to my gas engine. i very rarely put gas in my chevy volt. i love my chevy volt and i've never loved a car. ♪ >> new one argues that mitt romney had a great night, but he won most delegates and he won the marquee contest in ohio against rick santorum, even if it took him until well past midnight. many of the media seem to delight in kicking him around. voo i think the biggest issue for mitt romney is that he can't seal the deal. >> you have mitt romney showing that he still is

putting away rick santorum even if he wins at the end of the day so i don't think it changes the narrative and at that i think that is disappointing for romney means he may slog healed for another three or four weeks. >> and still have four candidates in this race tomorrow and it will still be a mathematical fight and romney has gotten some food numbers tonight but long away from the 1,000 plus. >> i guess we start counting the delegates. >> thank you. >> and recapping tonight's super tuesday results so far, mitt romney held a narrow lead over rick santorum in ohio, with the final vote still being counted, idaho and alaska were also uncalled. romney had already won massachusetts, vermont, and virginia, and picked up at least 129 delegates. that gives him 332 overall. santorum won at least 47 delegates, with his victories in oklahoma, tennessee, and north dakota. his total is now 139. newt gingrich's win in georgia pushed his delegate total to 75. and ron paul picked up a handful of delegates, he now has 35. and now for some closing thoughts from mark shields and david girsch and mark shiel

i think what happens is educator, i'm big narrative and lose control of the narrative and lose forces whatever the field is, you're in trouble because then you're left to rebut why are you getting paid so much, why aren't you measuring instead of here is how successful we are, how can we improve it. part of it is grabbing control of the narrative and advertising is one of the ways to do that. >> i appreciate the reference of the boeing, look heed martin becau -- lockheed martin because that is a peculiar type of campaign that bridges the commercial space and the political space and we have these fights for government contracts that do have this feeling of zero sum, winner take all, and they can get quite nasty and they're conducted -- people riding the metro in washington are subjected to ads on the metro for things that

because they had none, they feared in a sense those who could create a narrative that would justify an alternative. so what they did is what mubarak focused on was making sure that there couldn't be an alternative narrative and it had to be in binary situation, him or the islamists. in part for our consumption, not just ours, but also internally, because he sought to create a sense of fear about that alternative and he played upon what has been historically a sense within egypt in particular about the great value and virtue of stability. now, he did something along the lines of what elliott was describing because he did play foots with the muslim brotherhood and islamists. they cracked down hard, they were brutal. they outlawed the muslim brotherhood as a party. they allowed the islamists to take over the professional syndicates. egypt has an interesting history in terms if you look at the judiciary back to the 1920s. this developed a semblance of independence and they allowed the islamists to come in and take over. you look at all the professional syndicates, the lawyers or dock, to i

and the jews groaned and god heard the groaning and god came down and, you know, through the corse narrativehat includes ten plagues most -- ten plays which most are familiar with. >> stephen: what is your favorite plague. >> frogs locusts. >> stephen: it's less of a plague and more like a gift. look, frogs. it doesn't say the frogs devoured their eyes. >> i take my kids to aquariums so -- >> stephen: exactly. so every jewish family has one of these? >> what you do it is try toll make it felt instead of read. we have a new translation by nathan englander which is more accessible, more clear, more engaging than any other haggadah. we have commentaries are jeffrey goldberg. >> stephen: that makes sense because exodus say series of unfortunate events. >> that would have been a great title for the book. >> stephen: it would have been. what drew to it. you tell original stories but it might the least original storism it's in the a slam but why tie yourself to a narrative someone else has established. >> the answer was in the question. it's the at least original story. it's very familiar. it's bee