the independents who are already starting to drift back to him as we're seeing in the polling. i think this is a speech that tonally sort of reminding them of the barack obama that they voted into office. i think that's the most important thing he needs to do. because the things about we're going to freeze this or freeze that, by tomorrow morning, there will be 23 other ideas on the table. so i think this is about the totality of the speech and the feel of it, frankly. >> david gergen, the president invited you not that long ago, only a few weeks ago to come in with some other elder statesmen, if you will. people who have experience. you served four u.s. presidents, democrats and republicans. you're not going to tell what's he said to you because it was off the record. but tell us what advice you gave the president. >> well, i actually -- i do want to protect him. and by the way, i also talked to republican leaders about things like this. but the point was i felt that what he did in winston-salem a couple of months ago in talking about a u.s. competitive was a very, very important theme.