AND IN DETROIT AT THE SPIN ROOM CHRIS MATTHEWS, THE HOST OF

CHRIS MATTHEWS, THE HOST OF "HARDBALL."

"HARDBALL." CHRIS, I’D LIKE TO START WITH

CHRIS, I’D LIKE TO START WITH YOU BECAUSE HOME FIELD HAS ITS

YOU BECAUSE HOME FIELD HAS ITS ADVANTAGES.

ADVANTAGES. AS A NATIONAL DEMOCRAT SAID TO

AS A NATIONAL DEMOCRAT SAID TO ME AFTER WATCHING ALL THIS, "I

ME AFTER WATCHING ALL THIS, "I HOPE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE

HOPE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING."

DOING." >> WELL, LAST NIGHT REMINDED ME

>> WELL, LAST NIGHT REMINDED ME OF BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE

OF BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID WITH ELIZABETH

SUNDANCE KID WITH ELIZABETH WARREN AND BERNIE SANDERS AS THE

WARREN AND BERNIE SANDERS AS THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS FIGHTING OFF

TWO MAIN CHARACTERS FIGHTING OFF THE BOLIVIAN ARMY.

THE BOLIVIAN ARMY. TONIGHT IT WAS MORE LIKE

TONIGHT IT WAS MORE LIKE GULLIVER’S TRAVELS.

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS. I MEAN, THERE WAS VICE PRESIDENT

I MEAN, THERE WAS VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN TIED DOWN AFTER ROPE AFTER

BIDEN TIED DOWN AFTER ROPE AFTER ROPE FOR HIS LONG POLITICAL

ROPE FOR HIS LONG POLITICAL CAREER.

CAREER. HE HAD TO DEFEND EVERY ELEMENT

HE HAD TO DEFEND EVERY ELEMENT OF IT GOING BACK, AS MICHAEL

OF IT GOING BACK, AS MICHAEL BENNET SAID, 50 YEARS ON ISSUES

BENNET SAID, 50 YEARS ON ISSUES LIKE BUSING.

LIKE BUSING. IT WAS VERY HARD FOR HIM TO PLAY

IT WAS VERY HARD FOR HIM TO PLAY DEFENSE.

DEFENSE. BUT HE HAD A COUPLE OF ALLIES

BUT HE HAD A COUPLE OF ALLIES TONIGHT.

TONIGHT. I WAS SURPRISED.

I WAS SURPRISED. ON THE ISSUE OF OBAMACARE FOR

ON THE ISSUE OF OBAMACARE FOR ALL HE WAS JOINED ON THAT ON HIS

ALL HE WAS JOINED ON THAT ON HIS SIDE AGAINST IT BY MICHAEL

SIDE AGAINST IT BY MICHAEL BENNET AND BY TULSI GABBARD, WHO

BENNET AND BY TULSI GABBARD, WHO WERE VERY STRONG IN HIS DEFENSE.

WERE VERY STRONG IN HIS DEFENSE. AND ON THE ISSUE OF

AND ON THE ISSUE OF DECRIMINALIZING BORDER CROSSINGS

DECRIMINALIZING BORDER CROSSINGS FOR THE SOUTHERN BORDER HE HAD A

FOR THE SOUTHERN BORDER HE HAD A COUPLE OF DEFENDERS ON THAT

COUPLE OF DEFENDERS ON THAT ISSUE AS WELL.

ISSUE AS WELL. I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD

I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD DIVIDED FIGHT TONIGHT.

DIVIDED FIGHT TONIGHT. AND I THOUGHT LIKE LAST NIGHT

AND I THOUGHT LIKE LAST NIGHT THE ISSUES WERE BORDER,

THE ISSUES WERE BORDER, DECRIMINALIZATION OF ILLEGAL

DECRIMINALIZATION OF ILLEGAL ENTRY AND OF COURSE MEDICARE FOR

ENTRY AND OF COURSE MEDICARE FOR ALL.

ALL. THOSE ISSUES.

THOSE ISSUES. I THOUGHT THOSE WERE PARALLEL

I THOUGHT THOSE WERE PARALLEL TONIGHT.

TONIGHT. AND I THINK HE HAD SOME

AND I THINK HE HAD SOME SUPPORTERS.

SUPPORTERS. BUT TONIGHT IT WAS CLEAR THAT

BUT TONIGHT IT WAS CLEAR THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN HE WAS

OVER AND OVER AGAIN HE WAS PLAYING DEFENSE.

PLAYING DEFENSE. AND THE HARDEST THING FOR HIM TO

AND THE HARDEST THING FOR HIM TO DEFEND IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE

DEFEND IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE POLITICALLY WAS THE

POLITICALLY WAS THE DEPORTATIONS.

DEPORTATIONS. I THOUGHT HE WAS HIT VERY HARD

I THOUGHT HE WAS HIT VERY HARD ON, THAT ON THE QUESTION OF

ON, THAT ON THE QUESTION OF DOUBLE TALK BECAUSE HE SAID IT

DOUBLE TALK BECAUSE HE SAID IT WAS WRONG FOR HIS OPPONENTS --

WAS WRONG FOR HIS OPPONENTS -- FOR GILLIBRAND TO CHANGE HER

FOR GILLIBRAND TO CHANGE HER VOTE BECAUSE OF THE ELECTION.

VOTE BECAUSE OF THE ELECTION. AND RIGHT OUT OF NOWHERE HE GOT

AND RIGHT OUT OF NOWHERE HE GOT HIT ON THE FACT THAT HE WAS

HIT ON THE FACT THAT HE WAS CHANGING HIS VOTE ON THE HYDE

CHANGING HIS VOTE ON THE HYDE AMENDMENT, FOR EXAMPLE.

AMENDMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. SO HE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE COMING

SO HE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE COMING AT HIM FROM SO MANY DIRECTIONS I

AT HIM FROM SO MANY DIRECTIONS I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR

THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR HIM TO BE A SUCCESSFUL GOALIE

HIM TO BE A SUCCESSFUL GOALIE TONIGHT.

TONIGHT. AND I’M SURE -- BUT I WILL SAY

AND I’M SURE -- BUT I WILL SAY ONE THING.

ONE THING. HE WAS 100% BETTER BUT MAYBE

HE WAS 100% BETTER BUT MAYBE 200% BETTER THAN HE WAS IN THE

200% BETTER THAN HE WAS IN THE FIRST DEBATE.

FIRST DEBATE. HE SEEMED TO BE AWARE HE WAS IN

HE SEEMED TO BE AWARE HE WAS IN A DEBATE, WHICH IS A START FOR

A DEBATE, WHICH IS A START FOR HIM.

HIM. AND I THOUGHT HE WAS RECITING A

AND I THOUGHT HE WAS RECITING A LOT OF STUFF.

LOT OF STUFF. IN FACT, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN HE

IN FACT, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN HE GOT TO THE END OF HIS TIME IT

GOT TO THE END OF HIS TIME IT WAS LIKE HE RAN OUT OF HIS

WAS LIKE HE RAN OUT OF HIS RECITATION RATHER THAN HIS

RECITATION RATHER THAN HIS THOUGHT.

THOUGHT. I DON’T THINK THAT LOOKED TOO

I DON’T THINK THAT LOOKED TOO GOOD.

GOOD. >> CHRIS, AS YOU KNOW, ALL OF

>> CHRIS, AS YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE TAKE ON THEIR OWN

THESE TAKE ON THEIR OWN CHARACTER.

CHARACTER. BY TOMORROW MORNING THESE EVENTS

BY TOMORROW MORNING THESE EVENTS HAVE A FUNNY WAY OF DEVELOPING

HAVE A FUNNY WAY OF DEVELOPING WITH A BOOST FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

WITH A BOOST FROM SOCIAL MEDIA THEIR OWN STORYLINE.

THEIR OWN STORYLINE. WE WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND

WE WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND WILLIAMSON WAS HAVING HER

WILLIAMSON WAS HAVING HER MOMENT.

MOMENT. AS WE GO TO BED TONIGHT, WHO DO

AS WE GO TO BED TONIGHT, WHO DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO GET THAT

YOU THINK IS GOING TO GET THAT MOMENT AMONG THE NAMES THAT

MOMENT AMONG THE NAMES THAT DIDN’T COME UP IN OUR INITIAL

DIDN’T COME UP IN OUR INITIAL RUN-THROUGH?

RUN-THROUGH? IS IT AN INSLEE?

IS IT AN INSLEE? IS IT A YANG PERHAPS?

IS IT A YANG PERHAPS? O’.

O’. >> WELL, I THOUGHT CORY BOOKER

>> WELL, I THOUGHT CORY BOOKER HAD A PRETTY GOOD NIGHT.

HAD A PRETTY GOOD NIGHT. I THINK HE TOOK HIM ON.

I THINK HE TOOK HIM ON. I THOUGHT AS USUAL DE BLASIO,

I THOUGHT AS USUAL DE BLASIO, THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK, KEPT

THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK, KEPT TAKING THESE LONG SHOTS AT HIM.

TAKING THESE LONG SHOTS AT HIM. I DON’T THINK THEY WERE THAT

I DON’T THINK THEY WERE THAT EFFECTIVE.

EFFECTIVE. I THINK TONIGHT -- I’M NOT SURE

I THINK TONIGHT -- I’M NOT SURE THERE’S A BIG WINNER TONIGHT

THERE’S A BIG WINNER TONIGHT LIKE LAST NIGHT.