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different formula, republican primaries a different formula. for republicans to be competitive they have to carry states like virginia. you're not going to do that can a hard right stance. it has to be a more inclusive party to be competitive at the state at the state level. >> i want to put this question to both of you, after the 2012 presidential election, you had reince priebus say we need a better job reaching out to women and minorities and latinos. do you think the party is doing a good enough job of that? ken cuccinelli is losing by double digits when it comes to women's vote, heading into today. that might change after election day. but still, he hasn't closed that gap yet that we saw in the presidential race. >> i will agree with that and the point about broadening the party's appeal and making sure you have a message that resonates across the line. the national party can do more to help that argument made not just in putting a lot of money in the race, which they did, put
here got out safely. >> indeed. ron allen, that you so much for that report. coming up, we'll have more special super tuesday election coverage. big races for governor in new jersey and virginia are capturing a lot of attention. but it's a busy day all across the country. here is a breakdown by the numbers. 312 mayoral races, 236 state legislative seats up for grabs. 31 ballot measures in six states on issues ranging from education to gambling and even marijuana. there could be many firsts to watch out for tonight. it could be the first time since 1973 when the party that controls the white house wins virginia's gubernatorial race. watch new jersey. it could be the first time since 1985 when a statewide republican candidate gets more than 50% of the vote. in new york city, it could be the first time a democratic mayor will inhabit the mansion since 1989.
constituents head to the polls. thanks for joining me. we appreciate it. >> thanks for having me, kristen. >> senator, when you were governor of your state, george w. bush won it handily. now after two wins for president obama and an expected victory by terry mcauliffe, is there a permanent shift going on in what was a swing state? is it turning more blue. >> i think virginia is a toss-up state, fiscally conservative and socially moderate. i think the contrast in this race was virginians seeing the kind of obstruction that took place in washington. we're saying lets stay with the mainstream candidate, terry mcauliffe. the republican ticket i think candidly reflects republicans i work with as governor. way outside. tea party before tea party was cool. i think virginians are saying we don't want that kind of extremism whether it's in
k like the areas around norfolk. that's where he's really trying to. cuccinelli wants shenandoah, roanoke, conservative red areas. this will come down to the swing counties we've always said, prince william, wood ridge. get out the vote effort comes anywhere close to what president obama was able to achieve in 2012, democrats should be all right. as of right now from where we see, it's slow but steady. from where i am, nothing extraordinary nonetheless, kristen. >> chris, i want to turn to you. luke says turnout so but steady. as you know, the virginia governor race has gotten negative. mcauliffe far outspent cuccinelli. this race that big national implications, doesn't it? >> yes, because it's virginia. this has been one of the emergent swing states over the last eight years of presidential elections. barack obama when he won virginia in 2008 was the first
provide better health care for more americans. i can tell you in virginia we've got about 400,000 people eligible for medicaid, 50000,000 that would be eligible for health care subsidies. i think getting more people bought system should actually in the long run actually lower costs. otherwise folks are accessing health care through the emergency room, which i can tell you as somebody who started the virginia health care foundation is the most expensive and inefficient way to access the health care system. >> senator, as you know, this has turned into much more than a problem with just the website. this is also a political problem for this administration. how much concern is there, how much concern are you hearing about from your caucus numbers about those tough races some of them are facing in 2014? >> i think folks are concerned. i think we've got to see the website has got to get fixed. we've got to see how this rollout goes. i think people if they tart to get health care at an affordable price and the system starts to
post shredded wheat is made with only one ingredient: one hundred percent whole grain wheat, with no added sugar or salt. try adding fruit for more health benefits and more taste in your bowl. it's the ideal way to start your heart healthy day. try post shredded wheat. this has been medifacts for post shredded wheat. it's time to talk big picture. new jersey and virginia residents are voting right now. their decisions could mean a lot more, though, for both political parties than who has control of two state houses. so joining us now is former virginia congressman com davis and michael steele msnbc analyst and former rnc chairman. thanks to both of you for being here. >> thanks. >> good to see you. >> tom, i want to start with you, tea party favorite ken cuccinelli trailing in the polls, governor chris christie ran as a moderate. he's poised to win potentially by large margins.
measure it over time how this plays out, how christie translates the success in a broader republican primary as a lesson for how to win. >> tom, michael says we need to be measured, careful not to draw too much from these results. still i want to point out something that our colleagues from first read raise, the center for americans politics or changing demographics like virginia. what are the lessons for the republican party on this election day, do you think? are there broader implications for 2016? >> i would say to my friend michael steele i don't want to read too much into it. the reason he didn't have stronger opposition is democrats didn't think they could win. he has a good governance model. you take that and compare it to the governance modelled in virginia at least in this election, it's very clear which one is going to be likely to triumph in a state with changing demographics in a swing state. in a red state may be a
are these two races in total sending a broader message that voters could be rejecting the tea party? >> i think certainly in the purple states, in these swing states being a tea party conservative is not enough to win on its own. you have to forge coalitions. in virginia they have had difficulty doing that. when christie is winning in very dark blue new jersey by double digits and you're losing in virginia, you have to say maybe something is wrong with the model and we need to look at a different coalition. >> michael, i want to turn to you and talk about chris christie, obviously hoping to run up the margins tonight, hoping to send a broader message nationally. the question is always can he win in iowa, can he win in south carolina? is christie a strong candidate in a primary? >> i think he is for a whole lot of reasons given what he's been able to accomplish and the relationships he has forged across the aisle in a state like new jersey. i want to be -- i think folks
is this a messaging problem for the white house? >> they got busted, i think deservedly so for leaving out that qualifier. it is important to it a step back. president obama said if you like your insurance you can coop it. that does apply to the majority of the people with health insurance, whether from your employer or people who don't have health insurance at all. where he was wrong and the qualification he left out was regarding that 5 to 6% in the private health insurance market. a lot of the good reporting pointed out, some people worse off, some better off. president obama has really tried to go back at that qualification issue. it's really dogged him. i'm not sure this goes up to the level of president clinton, i did not have sex with that women or bush's weapons of mass destruction in iraq. they have to get to the bottom of it and fix it fast. they don't have just the website to fix but the messaging problem as well. >> mark, chris, luke, thank you so much for being here this afternoon. appreciate it. virginia senator mark werner served as the state's governor. he joins us now as his
concerns. this is not a valid concern. >> senator, i know this is going to take up much of your attention today. as you know, there's also a big election in your state today. governor chris christie gearing up to try to run up the percentage he's going to get. how much of a percentage do you think he could actually walk away with and what do you think the election says about christie as a potential candidate for 2016. >> i don't know. we'll see what the turnout is. by the same token, there's a ballot question about raising the minimum wage in the state that has overwhelming support the governor opposes. i'm not sure we'll tell by the election. what this does exhibit is the fight for the soul of republican party, between someone conservative with chris christie but not tea party oriented. those tea party oriented will see him as not conservative enough. that's ultimately the difference in what you'll see in new jersey and virginia. >> all right. senator bob menendez, thank you