think they're going to do well again this year in 2014. see, in general -- democrats need lots of voters to turn out. republicans need not lots of voters to turn out. so in states where republicans are in control of state government, we have seen a lot of changes to election laws recently. all changes to make voting harder. and, of course, that is a contentious issue anywhere when you mess with people's voting rights, but it is particularly contentious in states where everybody votes. the state of wisconsin, for example, has a history of everybody voting. they're always one of the top five states in the nation for the percentage of people turning out to vote. apparently in wisconsin, though, that's now a problem. it is at least sting that republican governor scott walker and republican-controlled state legislature thought they might be able to remedy. after they got control in 2011, they cut early voting statewide
are pure as driven snow. >> it's politics. sdmoom here's the point -- >> you cannot as the republican party take a stand and say we are for limiting the rights of people to vote. >> right. >> you can't be against expanding vote to everybody. >> no. >> you can be for safeguards. it's un-american to say we're going to do everything we can to get everybody voting, whether we're sure they're qualified to vote or not. whether they are legally qualified. >> joe -- >> democrats -- >> democrats -- >> want to expand it as much as possible. >> i'm going to challenge that. if democrats had a way legally, i believe this people running states, to limit really white rich people from voting they would do it also. it's politically driven to win an election. >> we have a history in this country of people systemically trying to prevent people from voting than people voting who are not eligible. people abusing that? sure. the vast evidence shows there are more efforts of people trying to block people from
that was the oldest person in miami to vote. i get emotional just thinking about the fact that people just wouldn't give up. and that was a colombian american man. we had young people, a huge amount of young people that voted. we had everybody voting. it was such a colorful line, and it was very positive. >> i mean, i think this is such a message for america. in two different parts of the country, in ohio and in florida, well advertised how important these two states are, the obstacles thrown up against the people, and we have the videotape to prove it, and the results to prove it, that you can overcome. that if you have the will, if you have the determination, if you have the heart and the desire, no matter what it takes, democracy can win. now, in some strange way, senator, i know you don't like the way this all unfolded. i mean, the logistics of it, but the system works, doesn't it? >> it does, ed. you know, republicans tried to suppress the vote, but instead
beach who was 101 years old. that was the oldest person in miami to vote. i get emotional just thinking about the fact that people just wouldn't give up. and that was a colombian american man. we had young people, a huge amount of young people that voted. we had everybody voting. it was such a colorful line, and it was very positive. >> i mean, i think this is such a message for america. in two different parts of the country, in ohio and in florida, well advertised how important these two states are, the obstacles thrown up against the people, and we have the videotape to prove it, and the results to prove it, that you can overcome. that if you have the will, if you have the determination, if you have the heart and the desire, no matter what it takes, democracy can win. now, in some strange way, senator, i know you don't like the way this all unfolded. i mean, the logistics of it, but the system works, doesn't it? >> it does, ed. you know, republicans tried to suppress the vote, but instead
said we're going to vote. there was one person in miami beach who was 101 years old. that was the oldest person in miami to vote. i get emotional just thinking about the fact that people just wouldn't give up. and that was a colombian american man. we had young people, a huge amount of young people that voted. we had everybody voting. it was such a colorful line, and it was very positive. >> i mean, i think this is such a message for america. in two different parts of the country, in ohio and in florida, well advertised how important these two states are, the obstacles thrown up against the people, and we have the videotape to prove it, and the results to prove it, that you can overcome. that if you have the will, if you have the determination, if you have the heart and the desire, no matter what it takes, democracy can win. now, in some strange way, senator, i know you don't like the way this all unfolded. i mean, the logistics of it, but the system works, doesn't it? >> it does, ed.
>> yea. >> it's a problem. >> 11:38 it's this. >> really? what's voter intimidation in pennsylvania. >> people are standing outside the polls and asking for their i.d.s and federal judges are enjoying them, and that's what's happening. i have a voter in my family that was required to cast a provisional ballot and even though they were registered to vote so this stuff is going on. we've seen this before. we've seen this movie before and there's a group of people in this country who think that their winning is more important than everybody voting, and i think that's wrong. >> chuck todd, do you have a question for the governor? >> governor, that's a big charge. >> yea. >> do you think the president could -- do you believe if he loses ohio it will be because of voting irregularities? >> i do. i do. >> that's the only way he loses ohio? >> that's correct. given the vote and the leading in the polls in ohio, the only way you can lose is if people are prevented from casting their
>> well, i would say, nbc's first read, your kind of early morning primer, put together by nbc politically, i thought was right. a two-minute ad that president obama is running in virtually every swing state and that -- certainly every swing state that's voting early and that ad's the kind of ad you run in the last week of the campaign. why now? the obama campaign understands everybody voting on november 6th is antiquated. lots of people vote early including earl states. they're saying we need to get our message now. this is where the obama team believes, it's hard to prove these things, because everybody throws a bunch of numbers at you, we knock on this many doors, made this many phone calls. the obama team believes the grassroot organization they built in '08 is alive and well and kicking, and better than anything that mitt romney can have built in that same time. and that it will deliver their supporters to the polls in these
we need to be voting in every election and it is about everybody voting. not any one party or one ethnic group. it is all b all americans. >> the attorney general said that this is the new poll tax. so clearly when you have the attorney general and others saying that this is clearly something that disproportionately affect minorities, let me show you what the attorney general said today. >> many of those without i.d.s would have to travel great distances to get there. and some would struggle to pay for the documents they might need to obtain them. we call those poll taxes. we will be vigilant and strong. let me be clear. let me be very clear. we will not allow political pretext to disenfranchise american citizens of their most precious right. >> so in effect, because it is causing seniors who have fixed incomes money, it is a poll tax, one of the reasons we are out
doing so well reminds me of buchanan where you can run well in one state. this is a nationalized political environment we're in. everybody voting in the primaries is watching shows like this. kbauz the politically-interesting people are the ones making these decisions. walter, do you see anything that gets in the way now of romney being the nominee? every time i sit down, they say it will be romney. it may be dirty, but he will be the nominee in the worst, bloody way. is that inevitable? >> i don't think it's inevitable at all. because of things called voters. gary heart went from nowhere to leading many national polls after he won the new hampshire primary in 1984. of course, we long for an open convention because if it gets to the convention there are no brokers left. and i would love to see a second ballot. but as you point out in your book, in 1956, they won the vice
don't have a driver's license as that primary form of identification. i think the reasonable approach is to say if there is a documented pattern of voter fraud, and that's really questionable, tamron. i don't think there has been sufficient fraud documented to justify all that of the changes that are being put into place in time for this cycle. to the extent there has been fraud that has been documented, you have to take into account what is the constituency of that particular polling location and be reasonable. and if folks don't all have driver license photo identification, you have to find some other solution to this issue. because in the end, we want everybody voting. don't we? >> well, yeah. you would think so. but obviously, that seems not to be the case. and you had the attorney general even say, why not try to ploet 58th people to go out and vote as opposed to suppressing those voters. we don't have to be pundits to see here that this has been politicized and one side is trying to greatly benefit here.