and where has that gotten us. this president cannot tell us that you're better off today when we took office. sure he can [bleep] hey, mr. president, it's still a free country until obama gets re-elected. no -- he got me again. at the republican convention, are you better off? no. now the next day of the 1kreu79d 1kreu79d -- scripted dance, do the journalist -- can you honestly say that people are better off today than they were four years ago? >> that's not the question of this selection. >> see, it's just a scripted dance where, wait a second. [laughter] do you know the democratic governor of maryland say. >> no,. [laughter]

>> all right one surrogate down. on axelrod, on color, on swap. david can you honestly say that the average american is better off today than they were four years ago. >> here's what i can say, chris. i can say that we're in a better position than we were four years ago. >> i just want to remind you what was happening four years ago at this time. >> listen george, i think the american people understand that we got into terrible economic situation. >> no, they don't. the american people don't understand that. here's what the american people understand. you're getting a free sandwich which is a good reason for buying ten other sandwiches. [laughter] here's what we and the american people understand. angels are real. [laughter] here's what we, the american people understand that malcolm x was the leader of the -- [laughter] so i would urge you to stop with the whole -- >> the people made the decision on their own. >> just say yes, we're better

off, sure, why not. are we? yes, of course. your nuance reasoning is going into the octagon again. >> hi, i'm chuck norris. [laughter] >> is he going to yell at the ottoman. >> our great country and freedom is under attack. our country as we know it may be lost forever if we don't change the course our country's headed. we can no longer sit quietly or stand on the sidelines and watch our country go the way of socialism or something much worse. >> we will pre serve for our children this last best hope of man on earth or we will take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. [laughter] [laughter]

[applause] >> i may not agree with the state of the country is quite that far. [laughter] i just think they pitched the perfect premise for an often chuck norris come back. this is america and a thousand years of darkness. [laughter] as that man is 72. [laughter] chuck norris is texas ranger. [applause] democrats, democrats, how do you get caught flat-footed on the better off question. it's the most important question an incumbent has faced since ronald rake laironald reagan lay carter in 1980.

are you better off than you were four years ago. the answer to that question is we have and we will only be better off under the leadership of ronald reagan. it's all there. [laughter] for god's sake democrats,. do you even remember, do you even remember obama used to be the challenger? i don't quote ronald reagan that often, but let me ask you to simple question, are you better off than you were four years ago. [laughter] did i have meetings. [laughter] do you know, he didn't see it coming for the weekend news show. fine, nothing matters. just take him again. [laughter] and oh what a difference a good night's sleep can make. >> are we better off today than we were four years ago when president obama was elected.

absolutely. >> we are clearly better off as a country because we're not creating jobs rather than losing them. >> jon: oh, better off. [laughter] but clearly the cracks are having a more -- the democrats are having a more difficult time -- they came to charlotte to lend a hand. >> four years ago america was fine. >> jon: yes. we. can. >> this slogan sounds like the kind of thing that matthew broadic shouted to the soldiers in glory before they were shot to pieces. the democrats clearly need help. let's think of a slogan you can put on a bumper sticker and make everybody expose it for the four years ahead. >> he didn't create -- >> i don't like it but i definitely don't like it.

>> moving on up. >> moving on up. [laughter] >> trials and tribulations and we're going to -- >> that's not a slogan. >> nobody's perfect. >> nobody's perfect. >> pretty bad. >> i feel worse than i did when we started this conversation. >> i do apologize. >> that's all right, i do apologize. >> okay, oh, okay. >> trying his best he can. >> he's doing the best he can. that's a pretty good slogan. performance -- he's trying the best that he can. [laughter] >> he's trying the best that he can. [laughter] >> he's trying the best that he can. >> the best that he can. >> i think he's been blocked by congress. i think, i really believe that is there's been no compromise

there. he's trying the best that he can. >> i don't love it. is there anything better. >> it's just taken longer than we thought. >> i bet this really work as a slogan. >> absolutely. >> would you mind telling -- >> sure. i'm real excited. it's difficult to be president. it's difficult to be president. >> it's very difficult job. >> being the president of the united states. >> he's responsible for the entire country. >> it's difficult. >> it's so difficult. >> that's a slogan. >> not at this point. slogan is for future -- >> let us do it. >> okay. so that's what we're working for. >> i'm looking for a sloing, what have yo --slogan, what hav. >> yes, we can. >> yes, you can.

>> what have you got now. >> yes we can but we need to. >> that was it. say it again. >> yes we can but. >> that's it. that's it. >> yes, we can. >> but. >> yes we can, but. >> this is completely out of control. >> no way. >> yes, we can. but. >> you can hear it. >> i mean -- >> yes, we can. but. >> three words. >> it's an extra word. >> that we'll learn from coast to coast, from city to shining city. yes, we, can. >> yes, we can. but. >> yes, we can. >> but. >> yes we can but. [laughter]

[laughter] >> we're hear at north carolina i can honestly say it's one of the country -- south carolina. i see why james taylor spent so much time here. more from the dnc city [bleep] to be at the convention center magical on the scene and john

oliver downtown which for some reason he showed up now which i think we can all agree -- excuse me. [laughter] >> jessica. you have been asked into the hall of fame. is that why the democrats chose charlotte gives them a nod to the white male voter. hey we're thinking about you too, is that symbolism, is that fair to say. >> no, not really. do you know what, i don't think so. i think it's more that nascar is a metaphor for the democrat party, okay. just riding around and around in circles covered with the logos of companies that own them. and you know they're thinking of them says, we're getting somewhere, right. we're beewe've been in this care hours. never quite realizing everyone else is here waiting for them to flame out in a giant wreck. [laughter] [applause] it's not -- >> no.

>> all right. you're at the convention center. >> that's right, jon. charlotte, fun facts, some of the names here at the convention center. >> that's a great choice. shark will you tell icharlotte , it's great for the democrats. >> yes, that's the connection between the democratic convention and the hunger games. not at all that those are gleaming facades mask bridge --m post apocalyptic in a land dividdeevoid of hope. jon. >> jon: al, you're at a local barbecue joint. i'm assuming that symbolizes the smoking ruins of america's economy. >> no, i was passing by and it smelled so good.

i had to stop because nobody does barbecue like north carolina. [crowd cheering] >> jon: really that good. >> it's amazing. i mean, do you know that north carolina has served a [bleep] i ordered a biscuit and it came inside -- [laughter] it's a productive biscuit. >> jon: thank john oliver. what have you seen in north carolina. >> a few of them [bleep] yes, that's a fact. yes that's a fact. busbarbecue, no barbecue. >> jon: why are you trying to calm the crowd. you're outside. >> it's just weird, that's all. >> i can hear these through the

wall. the point is jon, what i've seen so far i need to say it's a modern progressive where none of the stereotypes of the old south apply. a street in the south -- that started of course -- >> jon: i don't think actually that's what got it moving. >> i'm pretty it is jon. it looks like a pretty gay street to me. >> jon: i'm pretty sure that that street is named after stonewall jackson, the civil war general. >> yes, general on the union side. >> jon: no. >> oh jesus, i'll go get my [bleep] >> which is the quickest way to the airport. >> jon: oh, that would be billy graham parkway [bleep] >> of course. [appl

>> jon: this is a special correspondence where nbc news, the conversation about america is now out in the paperback form. please welcome back to the program tom brocaw. [crowd cheering]

how are you, sir. >> very well, thank you. although i arrived today and went through the first of 104 security check points. so i a large large department of prisons a north carolina line inmate transfer and i thought that would be me and they transferred me and i am here. >> jon: you are here. i tell you they have locked this city down. >> i've never been here before. >> maybe that's what it's like. >> that's where the bankers own me. >> jon: nicely done, sir, nicely done. here we go. so how many of these rodeos have you been to before. >> this is my 24th.

>> jon: what was your first? >> first one was 1968 in chicago. that was a riot and a convention broke out it turned out. [laughter] >> jon: so this is in a nation we've gone from do you think this year take out all the gates and all the police. what do you think? people running around without shirts on getting beat on. >> no, it's an entirely different culture. 68, people were killed in vietnam, lun di lyndon johnson d them back in -- >in -- >> jon: we're heading into a dog -- i don't know if they can take care of it single handedly. >> i'm worried about chuck norris but i'm waiting to hear what the bounty hunter -- >> jon: let me ask you something that's been driving me insane. >> that's impossible. >> jon: it's driving me insane and i'm not that far to

begin with. this is from cnn poll lines. >> -- fact checkings [indiscernible] will have am opportunity to go forward to ensure -- there will be some issues, some of the facts but it's motivated people. >> jon: when did fact checking and journalism separate? and go their separate ways? it feels like now what are the journalists doing at the convention other than deciding whether or not something helped one candidate. it's not fact checking what's your job. then you will just mc. >> what happened is everything is so -- they were responding very quickly. you see that night we were on google and other places looking at the ryan, looking at the painful -- it was actually closed. who voted for the bailout, paul ryan did as well. but what happens now jon in this world which we both occupy, i

like to think we're a little higher level over here. >> jon: -- occupy reference, par for the kids. [laughter] >> everything happened at whopper speed. >> jon: it doesn't have to. the convention is over a three day period. it's 24 hour coverage. it feels like we are making it seem as though it's warped speed and we brought the level of something to actually sit back and take the time, no. >> i think that's true. i think part of the reason that we have kind of the lower viewership, everybody understands they have to sanitize and scrub and button up. these delegates arrived on the floor for example, they're told when to sit, how to stand, what to say and how to attack the opposition and don't get out of line. >> jon: are the delegates actually coached officially. >> before they go out, they're

on the floor. this is what we want to have happen. >> >> jon: has our effort to discredit their authority been effective in having them make statements of fact or truth or being able to state things more authoritatively. >> i think there's around enormous effort under way on twitter, on blog on messages of all kinds. but -- walked through paul ryan in great detail described where he in my phrase overreached on medicare. >> jon: the phrase overreached is the nice es way to say lie. [crowd cheering] >> jon: don't, you know, so rarely, i thought it was -- >> one of the people said how can they keep up with them

thousands of the nuances. had he just stated. >> jon: they have state time and time again we're not going to let fact checkers run our campaign, propaganda is key. this is purposeful -- >> there's a shade of gray there, they know what they're doing. last friday we went through this. we walked back through it again, had a pretty good debate about it again on a number of these issues. at the end of this week, after we hear from president obama and even though clinton and others, there will be things that we have to check and put in context or check at some point. we have easier access than we've ever had before by the way -- immediately go on-line and see what's going on. >> jon: stick around. you have five minutes. tom brocaw, everybody. please please.

general motors is alive. yes minute laud is dead and general motors is alive. captioning sponsored by comedy central captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org captioning sponsored by comedy central ( theme song playing ) you have my permission to vote. >> stephen: thank you so

much. [crowd chanting] [crowd cheering] >> stephen: thank you for joining us. sit down everybody. i tell you, i tell you folks. what barack obama would give for enthusiasm like that. tonight we launch our coverage of the 2012 people's party congress of charlotte. this year they are hoping for a replay of four years ago when hoards of hope-addled lemmings cried as their dear leader orated between soaring greek columns. four years ago those were fake greek columns.

this time it's the actual parthenon. [laughter] gresgreece sold it for a buck 7d a jug of tzatziki. folks, don't buy the hype the this convention is the biggest dog and pony show since last year when i tried to enter my palomino-doodle at westminster. [laughter] sorry banjo, they're bigots. anyway, tonight dnc dis-info-tainment line up features rahm emanuel, harry reid, jimmy carter, first lady michelle obama and congressional candidate joaquin castro and his twin brother san antonio mayor julian castro. i mean call me racist but i cannot tell these hispanics apart. [laughter] folks. the whole thing is just sad, it's just sad. every time the republicans have a convention it's like the democrats have to have one too.

[laughter] but it's not going to work this time around. just ask rnc chairman reince priebus. >> today the thrill and pixy dust of barack obama's presidency is gone. americans feel no hope, democrats are dispirited enthusiasm is clearly on the republican side. >> stephen: yes. [laughter] yes. we have all the enthusiasm. [laughter] mitt romney's our candidate, and there's no changing that now. [laughter] folks, this convention is about more than the presidency. it's about motivating democrats to hold on to the senate and try to take back the house. to do that, they're gonna need strong congressional candidates, which brings me to the 67th in stallment of my 434-part series better know a district.

tonight, new york's ninth, the fighting ninth. [crowd cheering] used to be the fiegh fighting 1. this is the scene for the babilitiesbattleof long island e cry why didn't we attack during rush hour. this district in brooklyn is owned by process peck park zoo where you and your kids with see receiveriver otters and contacte and even the rare sunny-d bottle full of cab-driver urine. professional basketball has now ku78 to the district with the rechristened brooklyn necessary who are partly owned by rap or jay-jeavment. they've got 99 problems. it's heavily democratic.