♪♪ >> Cathy: JOINING US WITH MORE ANALYSIS AND A LOOK AHEAD AT THE FINAL 31 DAYS ON THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TRAIL, JOHN MCCORMICK IS A NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER WITH THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL" AND A MINNESOTA NATIVE WHO HAS WORKED AT "BLOOMBERG NEWS," "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE," "THE DES MOINES REGISTER," AND "THE ROCHESTER POST BULLETIN."

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, JOHN.

>> HEY, THANKS FORKING HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME.

I KNOW YOU WATCHED THE DEBATE AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF NEGATIVE OLLOW-UP FROM THAT DEBATE N TUESDAY NIGHT.

ANY POLLING TO SHOW IN THE NEEDLE HAS MOVED AT ALL IN THIS RACE?

>> NOT YET, THERE WERE SOME OF THOSE INSTANT POLLS THAT SAID BOTH OF THEM DID FAIRLY WELL.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WAS REALLY EXPECTING THIS DEBATE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE.

THE PRESIDENTIAL ONE HARDLY DID, IF IT DID, MAYBE A POINT OR TWO.

SO CERTAINLY THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL PROBABLY WON'T, THEY TRADITIONALLY DON'T UNLESS SOMEBODY REALLY HAS A TERRIBLE NIGHT AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN FOR EITHER OF THESE GUYS.

AS THE PIECE MENTIONED THE MINNESOTA GOVERNOR WAS, DID SEEM NERVOUS AT THE BEGINNING.

KIND OF THAT IF YOU'RE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 61 NORTH AND A DEER JUMPS OUT IN THE HEADLIGHTS, THERE WERE A COUPLE MOMENTS LIKE THAT WHERE HE JUST KIND OF SEEMED A LITTLE OUT OF HIS ELEMENT.

BUT HE DID GET HIS FOOTING.

AS DAVID AXELROD THE DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST ALWAYS SAYS THIS BUSINESS ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR THAT MATTER IS A LOT HARDER THAN IT LOOKS.

>> SAY, YOU'VE DONE SOME WRITING ON THE MISSTATEMENTS THAT GOVERNOR WALZ HAS ADOPTED TO.

INSPITE OF THAT HE'S GOING ON JIMMY KIMMEL, HE'S GOING ON 60 MINUTES, HE'S GOT A BIG PODCAST COMING UP.

WHAT'S AT PLAY HERE?

>> YEAH, I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO LET TIM WALZ BE TIM WALZ A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THIS HOME STRETCH SO I THINK BOTH THE TOP OF THE TICKET AND THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE ARE GOING TO BE OUT THERE DOING A LOT MORE NATIONAL MEDIA.

YOU KNOW, I'M SURE WALZ WILL PROBABLY BE ASKED ABOUT SOME OF THESE MISSTATEMENTS, SOME PEOPLE WOULD CALL THEM FALSEHOODS.

I GUESS IN MINNESOTA YOU COULD CALL THEM FISHING TALES.

HE DOES SEEM TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A PATTERN OF JUST EXAGGERATING THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN HE NEEDS TO.

YOU KNOW, HIS -- NOBODY WOULD HAVE BLAMED HIM IF HE HAD LISTED ON HIS OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY THE ACTUAL RETIREMENT RANK THAT HE HAD FROM THE NATIONAL GUARD BUT INSTEAD IT WAS ONE NOTCH HIGHER AND THIS BUSINESS ABOUT WHEN HE WAS IN CHINA, YOU KNOW, HAS BECOME OF A BIT OF A DISTRACTION, HE OBVIOUSLY WAS ASKED ABOUT IT IN THE DEBATE.

AND ON WEDNESDAY HE DID FEEL THE NEED TO SORT OF CLARIFY THINGS.

HE CAME OUT AND ID A GAGGLE WITH REPORTERS TRAVELING WITH IMHAD AND SAID, HEY, I NEED TO SPEAK MORE CLEARLY.

AND IS I THINK SOME OF THIS IS JUST GROWING PAINS.

HE'S NOT USED TO SORT OF THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION THAT HE'S GETTING RIGHT NOW.

>> Cathy: SAY, WONDER IF THERE WILL BE ANY LEGS TO THE CNN REPORT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN IT YET, ABOUT SOME OF THE WASTE AND FRAUD AND ABUSE IN THE WALZ ADMINISTRATION, FEEDING OUR FUTURES SCANDAL, THAT KIND OF THING, CNN DID A PRETTY DECENT IN-DEPTH REPORT ON THAT TODAY AND I'M WONDERING, MIGHT THAT HAVE SOME LEGS?

>> I WAS ACTUALLY SURPRISED THAT HE WAS NOT ASKED BOUT THAT IN THE DEBATE.

I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED ABOUT SEVERAL THINGS THAT HE WASN'T ASKED ABOUT.

YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO PACK IN A LOT OF QUESTIONS BUT THAT WAS ONE THAT I THOUGHT HE WOULD GET ASKED ABOUT.

I THOUGHT HE WOULD GET ASKED ABOUT HIS RESPONSE, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING, DURING THE RIOTS IN MINNEAPOLIS, FOLLOWING GEORGE FLOYD'S DEAD DEATH.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WAS SURPRISED THAT FEEDING OUR FUTURE DIDN'T COME UP.

MAYBE 06 MINUTES ILL ASK HIM ABOUT IT, WE'LL SEE.

>> Eric: SAY, IF THE HARRIS TICKET LOSES PENNSYLVANIA IS WALZ BEING SET UP TO BE THE SCAPEGOAT THAT GOVERNOR SHAPIRO WASN'T PICKED AS THE SECOND CHOICE?

>> YOU DO HEAR THAT FROM SOME PEOPLE THAT, BOY, MAYBE PENNSYLVANIA WOULD ALREADY BE IN THE BANK HERE, AND IT ISN'T.

IT'S LOOKING VERY CLOSE JUST LIKE MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN.

AND SHE REALLY DOES NEED PROBABLY ALL THREE OF THOSE STATES TO HAVE A FAIRLY GOOD SHOT OF WINNING THE PRESIDENCY.

SO, YEAH.

YOU KNOW, DO PEOPLE HAVE SECOND DOUBTS ABOUT THIS?

I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY REPORTING TO BACK THAT UP, BUT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY YOU DO HEAR SHAPIRO'S NAME COME UP AND PEOPLE KIND OF SAYING WHAT F THAT HAD HAPPENED.

AND HE'S A VERY POLISHED GUY, HE'S SMOOTHER THAN WALZ IS.

YOU KNOW, OF COURSE PART OF WALZ'S CHARM IS HE IS THIS SORT OF MIDWESTERN UNCLE TYPE THAT PEOPLE DO SEEM TO LIKE, INDEPENDENTS AND DEMOCRATS DO SEEM TO THINK THAT HE'S A FAIRLY NORMAL GUY IN SORT OF RESPONDING TO SOME OF THESE MISTAKES AND GAFFES THAT HE'S MADE HE'S SAID THAT, I'M JUST A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AND I SPEAK LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AND I MAKE MISTAKES SOMETIMES SO ATHAT'S SORT OF BEEN HIS APPROACH TO IT.

>> Cathy: HE'S A 20-YEAR POLITICIAN THOUGH TOO, RIGHT?

>> CORRECT, MORE THAN A DECADE IN CONGRESS AND TWO TERMS AS THE GOVERNOR.

>> Cathy: THAT'S RIGHT.

SAY, BEFORE YOU GO, YOU'RE ON THE TRAIL.

I MEAN, WHAT, 31 DAYS REMAIN.

WHAT, WHAT MIGHT BE AHEAD OF US DO YOU THINK?

WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING HERE?

>> WELL, I THINK IT'S GOING TO REMAIN CLOSE, YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THE BIG SURROGATES COME OUT, BARACK OBAMA IS GOING TO BE IN PENNSYLVANIA NEXT WEEK CAMPAIGNING FOR THE DEMOCRATS, HE'S GOING TO BE REALLY RAMPING UP HIS TRAVELS.

YOU SAW BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN MAKE AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET.

I COULD SEE A SITUATION WHERE HE DOES SOME SORT OF OUTDOOR SHOW OR CONCERT.

AND SO I THINK T'S GOING TO BE JUST CONSTANT ACTIVITY REALLY ON BOTH SIDES.

WISCONSIN, YOU KNOW, THE LATEST POLL MARKET UNIVERSITY POLL, LAW SCHOOL POLL I SHOULD SAY HAD HER UP BY 4 POINTS IN WISCONSIN BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY BELIEVES THAT ANYBODY'S GOING TO WIN THAT STATE BY THAT MUCH.

IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE ONE, TWO, OR THREE POINTS LIKE IT TYPICALLY HAS BEEN IN RECENT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.

GOING TO SEE A TON OF ACTIVITY.

>> Cathy: JOHN, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

GOOD LUCK.

>> THANK