>>> ON THIS FINAL DEBATE NIGHT
WE KNOW AMERICANS ARE FOCUSED
TON RACE.
MORE VIEWERS WATCHED BIDEN’S
TOWN HALL LAST WEEK THAN
TRUMP’S.
THERE’S RECORD BREAKING EARLY
VOTE AND IT’S KEEPING US BUSY IN
THE NEWS AND UP LATE.
SOME FAVORITE CAMPAIGN VETERANS
STAYING UP LATE WITH US, MICHAEL
STEELE.
HE RAN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND
WORKS WITH US AS AN ANALYST.
HE HAS A FOCUS AND AN
INDEPENDENCE THAT’S ALSO NOW ON
DISPLAY, WE SHOULD NOTE, IN HIS
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THIS
LIFE LONG REPUBLICAN SEES BIDEN
AS THE ANSWER THIS YEAR.
THAT’S A VIEW HE SHARES IN AN
INFLUENTIAL NEW LINCOLN PROJECT
AD.
I MENTION THAT NOW BECAUSE WE
HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THIS
LAST LATE NIGHT OF DEBATE
COVERAGE THIS YEAR.
CALL IT UNOFFICIAL MARKING OF AN
UNOFFICIAL TRADITION, "LATE
NIGHT WITH MICHAEL STEELE."
THAT’S HOW WE’VE COME TO VIEW
THESE SESSIONS.
MIXED WITH INNER MUPPET,
POPULARIZED ON JOHN STEWART’S
"DAILY SHOW."
MICHAEL, YOU DIDN’T KNOW WE WERE
DOING THIS, BUT WELCOME TO "LATE
NIGHT" BABY.
>> DUDE, I’VE HAD MY -- I’VE HAD
MY -- YOU GOT ME ON THAT ONE.
LOOK, I’VE HAD MY JELL-O AND MY
LEMONADE.
I’M READY.
LET’S DO THIS.
>> DO YOU APPROVE OF THE
GRAPHIC?
>> I ABSOLUTELY APPROVE OF THE
GRAPHIC.
THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.
>> WE HAVE TO HAVE A LITTLE --
YES, YES, BABY.
WE HAVE TO HAVE FUN WHEN WE CAN.
AND IN THAT SPIRIT, WE ARE GOING
TO CONTINUE DOWN THE ROAD OF
SOMETHING WE’VE DONE EVERY "LATE
NIGHT" WHICH IS KEEP AN EYE ON
AMERICANS’ REACTIONS TO ALL THIS
INCLUDING ON THE INTERNET WHERE
IT’S FASTER THAN EVER.
BIDEN’S FACIAL EXPRESSIONS WERE
SOMETHING EVERYONE’S GETTING IN
ON.
THAT INCLUDES HIS OWN
GRANDDAUGHTER WHO TEASED BIDEN
FOR MAKING THE SAME FACES NOW
THAT SHE MAKES WHEN SHE WATCHES
REALITY TV.
HERE’S ONE IMAGE OF BIDEN IN
APPARENT PAIN HAS HE HAS TO
LISTEN TO TRUMP.
SOMEONE POSTING THAT’S ALL OF
US.
ANOTHER VIEWER MADE A GIF OUT OF
ONE OF BIDEN’S EXPRESS SAYING
WELL, SHE COULDN’T RESIST.
THAT’S RIGHT THERE ON A LOOP.
STEVE SCHMIDT WAS SAYING EARLIER
BIDEN WAS A GOOD COMMUNICATOR
WITH THE EXPRESSIONS.
SOME WERE NOTICING BECAUSE IT
WAS FUNNY.
>> YEAH, LOOK, THAT FIRST ONE,
YOU KNOW, HE’S GOTTEN HIS HEAD
THROWN BACK.
THAT’S THE ONE IT’S LIKE OH
LORD, PLEASE, LORDY LORDY.
THAT’S WHAT THAT IS.
I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THAT
LOOK IS.
YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING
BECAUSE WHEN YOU’RE ON THAT
STAGE WITH SOMEONE LIKE TRUMP,
AND I’VE DONE DEBATES WITH GUYS
WHO ARE KIND OF LIKE WHACK
AMOLES, YOU KIND OF WHERE ARE
YOU, RIGHT?
THE BEST THING TO DO IS EXACTLY
WHAT YOU SAW BIDEN DO, JUST KIND
OF CHILL, CHUCKLE WHEN YOU
OTHERWISE WANT TO CUSS, AND JUST
KIND OF THROW YOUR HEAD BK.
NOW, IF YOU GOT MORE HAIR, IT’S
A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFECTIVE, BUT
THAT HAS NEVER BEEN MY ISSUE.
THAT’S NOT MY ISSUE.
>> YEAH, AND IT’S -- LOOK, WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATING IN
THIS WAY WHERE YOU WANT TO DEAL
WITH WHAT THE OTHER SIDE IS
SAYING BUT NOT IN A WAY THAT
UNDERCUTS YOURSELF.
TRUMP MESSED THAT UP WITH THE
OVERINTERRUPTING AND BIDEN FOUND
THAT WAY.
ANOTHER SET OF MEMES, ARIANNA
HUFFINGTON WHICH HAS HER OWN
""HUFFINGTON POST"" PROPOSING A
BINGO ON THE BINGO CARD.
PUT DOWN THE DRINKING GAME FOR
WITCH HUNT.
KAMALA HARRIS’S NIECE, ALL THE
FAMILY MEMBERS GETTING IN ON IT
JUST SAYING MAYBE MALARKEY.
I THINK THAT MAY BE -- YEAH,
KAMALA FAMILY MEMBER.
>> YEAH.
>> HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THE
INTERNET ECHOS HOW PEOPLE WATCH
THIS THING?
>> OH, IT ABSOLUTELY ECHOS IT.
AND THE WINNER TONIGHT WAS NONE
OF THOSE.
IT WAS, COME ON, MAN.
>> COME ON, MAN.
>> THAT WAS THE WINNER TONIGHT
COME ON, MAN.
THAT IS SO -- THAT IS SO BIDEN.
IT IS SO PENNSYLVANIA.
IT IS SO DELAWARE.
AND I THINK THE INTERNET DOES
TRACK THAT.
THEY LIKE THAT STUFF.
YOU KNOW, YOU MAKE THE FACE, YOU
HAVE THE PHRASE, IT BECOMES A
MEME.
IT’S A WAY PEOPLE CONNECT.
AND WHEN YOU’RE A CANDIDATE IN A
POSITION LIKE BIDEN, IT WORKS
FOR YOU.
IT ALSO WORKS FOR TRUMP.
AND TO BE HONEST AND FAIR TO
HIM, I MEAN HE’S CREATED SOME OF
THESE MEMES AND SOME OF THESE
MOMENTS AS WELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF HIS
FOLKS LIKE IT.
BUT WHAT IT DOES IS IT ENGAGES
PEOPLE IN THE DEBATE.
AND THAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT
PART WHERE YOU HAVE THESE KINDS
OF NATIONAL EVENTS.
YOU WANT PEOPLE TO BE ENGAGED.
WE’LL ALL DECIDE WHO WON, WHO
LOST, WHAT’S UP, WHAT’S DOWN.
BUT THERE’S GOT TO BE A LITTLE
BIT OF ENJOYMENT IN IT, YOU
KNOW?
THERE’S GOT TO BE THE MOMENT
WHERE YOU GO, YEAH, THIS IS A
LITTLE BIT CRAZY, I LIKE THAT.
>> WELL, LET’S BE CLEAR.
THIS IS THE LAST TIME WE CAN
CONFIRM THESE TWO WILL BE IN THE
SAME PLACE TOGETHER BECAUSE IF
THE PRESIDENT WERE TO BE
RE-ELECTED, THEN HE WOULD GO ON.
JOE BIDEN WOULD GO ON WITH HIS
LIFE.
IF JOE BIDEN IS ELECTED, WITH
THIS PRESIDENT I DON’T THINK YOU
CAN COUNT ON ANYTHING LIKE THE
NORMAL DECORUM OF THE TRANSITION
MEETING OR INAUGURATION DAY.
THERE’S NO LAW THAT REQUIRES A
PRESIDENT TO BE CLASSY ABOUT
THAT.
SO, SEEING THEM ON THAT STAGE
TOGETHER I WAS THINKING ABOUT AS
BIDEN WAS, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY
SHADING TRUMP OFF AS A LIAR BUT
IN HIS OWN WAY, MALARKEY,
MALARKEY, MALARKEY.
JIMMY KIMMEL TWEETING THAT WHEN
BROUGHT UP.
SENATOR RAND PAUL, MALARKEY,
EXPLANATION POINT.
GETTING RIGHT IN ON IT,
MALARKEY, EXPLANATION POINT.
AND THAT WAS TRENDING.
AND I MENTION THAT AGAIN,
MICHAEL, BECAUSE WE ALL ENGAGE
IN THESE DIFFERENT WAYS.
THIS IS A CHANCE WHERE PEOPLE
WHO DON’T MAYBE WATCH THE ENTIRE
DEBATE GET THAT FLAVOR OF IT.
AND THE IDEA THAT JOE BIDEN IS
SAYING THAT THE PRESIDENT IS
FULL OF BS BUT IN HIS OWN NICE
WAY.
>> YEAH, AND YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
KIND OF TAKE IT UP.
YOU KNOW, THEY REPEAT AND
RESPOND TO IT.
IT’S AN OLD FASHIONED PHRASE.
FOR A LOT OF US, IT TAKES US
BACK TO OUR CHILDHOOD.
THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT JOE
BIDEN -- AND I SAY THIS NOT JUST
BECAUSE I’M SUPPORTING HIM.
BUT EVEN BEFORE I GOT TO THAT
MOMENT, THE ONE THING I LIKED
ABOUT HIM IS THAT HE IS
HOMESPUN.
HE IS SOMEONE WE’VE KNOWN AND
CONNECTED WITH FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THE UPS AND DOWNS, THE
GAFFES, THE MOMENTS, ALL OF THAT
IN THE PACKAGE, I THINK PEOPLE
LOOK AND GO HE’S A REGULAR GUY.
AND IT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS
THAT WORK FOR GEORGE BUSH 43
WHEN HE WAS PRESIDENT.
HE WAS THE GUY PEOPLE WANTED TO
HAVE A BEER WITH.
THEY LIKED -- THEY LIKED BEING
AROUND HIM.
SO, THAT -- THAT’S A UNIQUE
QUALITY IN POLITICS,
PARTICULARLY WHEN PEOPLE DON’T
WANT TO GIVE YOU A LOT OF
RESPECT SOMETIMES AND THEY JUST
WANT TO THROW A LOT OF SHADE
YOUR WAY.
THAT QUALITY IS SOMETHING THAT,
YOU KNOW, SORT OF ENDURED -- IT
KIND OF INENDEARS YOU TO PEOPLE
A SPECIAL WAY.
AND JOE HAS THAT.
NOT TO SLIGHT TRUMP, HE’S GOT IT
BUT IT’S DIFFERENT.
HIS IS MORE BRAVADO.
HIS IS MORE LIKE BEATING THE
CHEST.
>> SURE.
>> I’M MACHOMAN, WHICH IS WHY HE
HAS THAT APPEAL WITH A
CERTAIN -- YOU KNOW, CERTAIN
GROUPS WITHIN THE HISPANIC
COMMUNITY, HISPANIC MEN AND WITH
SOME BLACK MEN.
AND THAT’S THE APPEAL.
HE’S GOING TO TRY TO SELL AND
SORT OF PULL VOTES WITH THIS
NOVEMBER.
WE’LL SEE.
BUT THOSE QUALITIES THEN SEE
THEMSELVES MANIFESTED ON TWITTER
AND ON FACEBOOK AND OTHER SOCIAL
MEDIA.
AND THERE’S A WAY OF GETTING THE
COUNTRY ENGAGED.
AND I LIKE THAT.
I DO LIKE THAT PART OF IT.
IT GETS UGLY SOMETIMES,
DANGEROUSLY SO, BUT IT’S GOOD
QUALITY.
>> WELL, THAT GOES TO LAST ONE I
WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT BECAUSE
EVERYBODY KNOWS HOWEVER YOU TEXT
OR HOWEVER YOU KEEP IN TOUCH OR
IF YOU KEEP IN TOUCH WITH
YOUNGER PEOPLE THERE’S A
DIFFERENT ENERGY WHERE EVEN
SERIOUS THINGS SOMETIMES GET
TOSSED OFF AS OKAY, YOU COULD
SAY THAT’S TERRIBLE OR YOU COULD
JUST SAY THE LAUGHING EMOJI KIND
OF LIKE I’M LAUGHING AT THAT AND
THEN I’M DONE WITH IT.
GIVES WORK THAT WAY TOO.
SOMETIMES THAT SAYS MORE.
IF A PICTURE WORTH A THOUSAND
WORDS, WHAT’S AN ANIMATED
PICTURE WORTH?
MAYBE 10,000.
>> A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT.
>> EXACTLY.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO ABRAHAM
LINCOLN.
>> THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD ONES
OUT THERE.
ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS THE KID
RUNNING DOWN THE HALL AND GETS
TO THE ROOM -- I DON’T KNOW WHAT
HE SEES BUT HE MAKES THAT TURN.
IT’S SO FUNNY.
>> YEAH, THAT’S A GOOD ONE.
WE SAW WITH DONALD TRUMP GETTING
THE WHOLE LINCOLN RACISM THING,
THE "BREAKFAST CLUB" USED THIS
RIGHT HERE, THE IDEA THAT
TRUMP’S THE LEAST RACIST BOY IN
THE WORLD AND THEY SHOW SOULJA
BOY JUST WALK OUT OF THE
INTERVIEW.
THIS IS GOING VIRAL.
LINCOLN WOULD WANT TRUMP TO KEEP
HIS NAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH AND
GAVE THAT NICE LITTLE LINCOLN
SHOT UPDATED THERE.
MICHAEL, WHERE DOES THAT FIT IN?
OF COURSE JUSTICE AND RACE ARE
SERIOUS.
THESE ARE BIG FOLLOWING AND
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP JUST SAYING
PLEASE.
>> YEAH, AND THAT’S WHERE --
THAT’S WHERE IN A POLITICAL
MOMENT LIKE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE
MAJOR INSTITUTIONS AND CERTAINLY
CELEBRITIES OF A CALIBER THAT
ARE -- PEOPLE NOT JUST FOLLOW
THEM BUT TAKE SERIOUSLY WHAT
THEY SAY, THEY’RE SOCIALLY
ENGAGED OR WHATEVER.
WHEN THEY SMACK AT YOU, THAT
HURTS.
THAT’S A STING THAT LASTS FOR A
WHILE.
THAT’S 280,000 VIEWS.
THAT’S, YOU KNOW, 40,000
RETWEETS AND 75,000 LIKES.
AND YOU JUST -- YOU JUST SEE
IT -- YOU JUST SEE YOURSELF
GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER IN
THE MOMENT.
SO, THAT KIND OF DRIVES THAT
CONVERSATION AS WELL WHEN YOU
HAVE PARTICULARLY, ARI, WHEN YOU
HAVE PEOPLE WHO DON’T SOCIALLY
ENGAGE A LOT AND THEN THEY MAKE
A STATEMENT IN A MOMENT LIKE
THAT, THEY PUT ON A MEME OR
SOMETHING.
IT’S PRETTY POWERFUL.
IT GOES A LONG WAY BECAUSE
THERE’S SOMEONE WHO’S NOT
NORMALLY IN THE GAME OR IN THAT
SPACE.
AND WHEN THEY GET IN THAT SPACE,
PEOPLE PAY MORE ATTENTION.
SO, THE EFFECT IS A LITTLE BIT
MORE POWERFUL, LASTS A LITTLE
BIT LONGER, STINGS A LITTLE BIT
HARDER.
AND -- OR LIGHTENS THE MOOD.
>> YEAH.
ALL FAIR POINTS.
I’M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING
BECAUSE YOU KNOW I TRY TO KEEP
IT 100 MICHAEL, YOU KNOW THAT.
>> HOLD THAT, WHILE YOU DO THAT,
SOMEONE WANTS TO SAY HELLO.
KEEP TALKING.
GIVE ME 30 SECONDS.
>> OKAY.
TAKE YOUR TIME.
MICHAEL STEELE GETS UP FROM THE
INTERVIEW.
YOU DON’T SEE THAT IN LATE NIGHT
TELEVISION ALL THE TIME.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THERE
ARE ASPECTS OF CAMPAIGN
COVERAGE -- I’M TALKING TO AN
EMPTY CHAIR.
>> SOMEONE WANTS TO SAY HELLO.
>> THERE’S ASPECTS THAT I
SOMETIMES THINK I’M NOT GOING TO
MISS IN 2020.
I WILL MISS OUR LATE NIGHT
SESSIONS.
THAT’S ALL I WANTED TO TELL YOU.
>> I WILL TOO AND SO WILL HE.
HE WILL AS WELL.
>> SO, HE’S ALWAYS AROUND.
I DIDN’T KNOW HE’S RIGHT BY YOU.
>> YEAH!
HE SITS OVER -- HE’S OVER ON THE
DESK OVER THERE.
I DON’T KNOW, YEP.
SO, HE IS MY BOY.
HE KEEPS ME GOING.
SAY HELLO.
HI, ARI.
>> MICHAEL, AS IS SO OFTEN THE
CASE, YOU’VE MADE OUR NIGHT.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER I
CAN DO FOR THE CAUSE, RIGHT?
WE TRY, DON’T WE?
WE TRY.
>> THERE YOU HAVE IT.
MICHAEL STEELE --
>> WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO SAY?
>> OH.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
THERE’S ONLY 11 DAYS LEFT.
WHY DON’T YOU BRING HIM ON EVERY
ONE OF YOUR REMAINING HITS.