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Done in the first four years. from the auto industry rescue to health care reform to the killing of osama bin laden and many more accomplishments, president obama's place in history is certainly assured, but how much more will his second term bring? joining me, nbc news presidential historian michael beschloss. god to see you. >> same here, alex. >> let's talk about the debt ceiling fight because that seems to be front and center. could that be a legacy trap for the president? could that rob him of his image to redefine relationships with republicans? >> oftentimes, second term presidents wish...

>> you do? >> i do. >> i don't 0. i think obama will win. >> i think obama will win it but it's close. >> that's the question. there are democrats who believe it's just not a tossup anymore. >> buttoss-up anymore. >> it's now about, does one of them have some secret in their ground game that we don't know about. >> romney has not been ahead in any of the polls. >> that's why it's a secret. >> stick around. i want to talk about the post election era. who was the last democrat to win more than 400 electoral votes? lbj in '64. 486 electoral votes in that same time span. three republicans, nixon, ...

Presidents since 1968, johnson, ford, carter, and bush, the first president obama. all four of those retired or were forced out of the race like lbj in '68 or softened up like jimmy carter in 1980 and lost in the general election. this is a big deal if president obama can keep the field totally clear on his side, kyra. >> let's talk about the republicans. seems like a wide open field of candidates. have they come anywhere close to unifying behind just one? >> no, they haven't. obviously, it's still early. we're a year out from the iowa caucuses, so the republicans have time. there are going to...

From their point of view that hes it and he's going to foll. thought lots of stuff was grea irregularities of any ance no overtime popular vote winning the electoral college. and that speech a great end to the evening saying even though it's a status putting out his hand to say i'm going to meet with mitt i'm going to go back me elected the first time. fantastic platform to build off.>>uences if they don't work together which i think will help the president and republicans come to the table. >> yeah, no doubt about it, they have to wo prident and the speaker of the house have got to figure out...