McDonnell: electoral college changes are 'a bad idea no matter who does it'

>>> of ideas.

>> we have to stay united. we have to show that if given the chance, we can govern. that we have better ideas.

>> we are the great opportunity party. we're the growth and opportunity party. beat are the government of the people party. and that needs to be the point of view and the perspective that we come from.

>> the republican reflection continues as the party discusses ways to make the tent bigger and reach out to new voters. there's this proposal that's been floating in some states to change the way the electoral college is allocated from winner take all to some sort of congressional proportional system. some republicans say it would have changed the 2012 outcome. joining me is virginia republican governor bob mcdonnell . he opposes the idea. explain why you oppose the idea?

>> both democrats and republicans have introduced that idea right after they've lost a presidential election . i think it's a bad idea because it changes the mix. the winner take all by state i think is the right way to go, consistent with federalism.

>> i think most republicans ought to step up. it looks like you lost the election.

>> scott walker , hailey barber.

>> to stop it.

>> and that's not going to happen in virginia . we've got other republicans that have come out against it.

>> you think it shouldn't happen in michigan.

>> i'm afraid people will ignore virginia if that happens or they'll only go to maybe one congressional district in virginia . that's not the way to go. you ought to campaign statewide. we were pretty relevant in this last election as a swing state . it's not what our founders intended. i'm content with the current law.

>> i was interested by something you said over the weekend. you made the community organizing . you said we mocked this five years ago. turns out they're pretty good at community organizing . what do you mean by that? do you think you're not speaking very well? one of the criticisms i've heard from some conservatives is the party doesn't persuade anymore. they're not making an argument, just saying democrats are wrong, we're right. deal with it.

>> that's the point. you can't show up six months before an election and say here's all my great ideas, i'm against those guys and vote for me. that's not going to cut it. community organizing being all day, every day out there in the communities persuading people were con sertism works and why it produces better results for them and their family and the things they care about. roads, schools, public safety , health cares. our ideas produce results. that's the republican governors story. we've got 30 of them getting things done, balanced budgets, lower taxes, more jobs. that's what people want. they want a job, they want to get out of debt. we can show them were conservatism generates those results.

>> what do you think you're hearing from this bipartisan proposal in the senate on immigration? are you for what you've heard and do you think what they're talking about fits the definition of amnesty?

>> they're on the right path. this has been a solution that eluded everybody since reagan signs the bill to have a fix for that. we need a comprehensive solution. border security , better security within the country and then a pathway to citizenship for those that are here because sending 12 million people back to some other country is not going to cut it.

>> what you just described some people call amnesty. do you understand why?

>> i do. what i understand about the proposal and i've just taken a look at it, it's pretty tough love. it is penalties for violating the law. and it is a large number of things have to go through before you qualify. you get in the back of the line. you have to learn english, civics before you're considered for citizenship. it's a thorny issue. the good fuss is bipartisan group in both houses are working on this. marco rubio helping to lead the fight is a good thing.

>> i want to talk about your proposal on transportation to abolish the gatt tax. a lot of people saw this and say that doesn't make sense. why? is it because the gas taxes you're collecting, is it a shrinking pool of revenue?

>> it's a long-term dying source of revenue.

>> why do you believe that.

>> one inflation is eating up 55% of the gas tax since it was last raised in 1986 in virginia . two other issues. one is alternative fuels. we're going to be using other technology and thirdly is the cafe standards . 10.38 miles a gallon to 27.2 miles a gallon and over 40 in the next ten years. those three together continue to eat up the gas tax . my suggestion is, let's make the change now. let's convert it to a sales tax .

>> why a sales tax and not sort of a user fee , come up with other user fees , more tolls?

>> first of all, we already use the sales tax for transfortation. a half a cent right now.

>> you want to raise it.

>> on a revenue neutral basis to replace the gas tax revenue essentially dollar for dollar. sales growth gross was economic activity whereas the gas task declines. we saw a poll of all the ideas out there, people favor that one two to one. no other state's done it. but every state has the same problem. you have to build infrastructure.

>> the say the of oregon was doing a pilot program that was going to track miles. did you look at something like that.

>> we did. there's privacy issues with some of those things. you could do it. look at the inspection once a year and give them a bill. you get sticker shock once a year. this seems to be the better way to go. pay for it as you use the services.

>> we haven't talk board of directors miami yet.

>> the leader in acc basketball.

>> i'm going to ask you quickly about politics in virginia .

>> yes.

>> at what point, you resigned as attorney general at some point during the campaign. is that something you think ken cuccinelli has to do.

>> the last 40 years, almost every attorney general has done it.

>> has a precedent been set?

>> it has. i thought it was better for me and the office of the attorney general . i was laser focused on the governorship. that was right for me and it worked. i won by 1 points. beat had a full-time attorney general. if ken thinks he can do both, more power to him. that's an individual decision.

>> and i know, you're a big sports fan. president weighed in on this issue of safety. do you think states need to be having high schools look at this issue of football safety with helmets and that maybe the states need to get -- on the nfl level, these players are getting compensated for the violence. they've made the decision. what about the trauma that happens to these people that never go pro? and do you think that's something that the state should be involved in and more high schools should look at?

>> i hesitate to get the government into that at this point. i think there's enough pressure from parents and coaches and others to be self-regulating. i think they're working towards a solution. look, my job right now is to provide better safety within the schools for our kids.

>> sure. on a separate level, mental health .

>> and some other things like that. we're making progress there. i think this issue will be worked out by the doctors and the coaches.

>> bob mcdonnell , governor of virginia .

>> thanks.

>> a couple weeks we get you in here.

>> go irish.

>> i don't know about that. they're an acc school, how about that? you brought them south. thank you, sir. president obama weighed in on those hard hits on football. now players are responding to what the president said. speaking of football, why one pollster says pennsylvania's governor is in the hole at halftime. first today's trivia question. who was the most recent chairman of the senate foreign relations committee to become secretary of state? tweet me the answer at chuck todd @daily rundown. answer and more is coming up. i think i know this answer and i think you should, too. if i'm right, you guys will get it fast.