reduction and the philosophy on taxes. does that mean a close result, that november gives a mandate to washington on how they go about the fiscal cliff? >> well, i'm just not certain that mandate exists yet. there's a lot going on within republican circles in the senate, about whether there's more room for tax revenue, to break the grover nor quist ortho docks pledge on taxes. so paul ryan represents the gop insurgeancy in the house. but i don't know that there's a mandate there yet. i do know this. i think there's no question in this bright red line between these two campaigns is risky. you're now talking about putting medicare on the table in a way that can advantage the president and which by the way republicans