PLAN FOR JOE BIDEN? >> I THINK THE BACKUP PLAN IS RUN A BETTER CAMPAIGN. THERE'S NO REASON I THINK TO HAVE IT BE THIS FANTASY THAT BIDEN IS NOT THE PRESIDENT AND THAT BIDEN ISN'T THE NOMINEE. HE IS, AND HE'S GOING TO BE, AND I THINK THAT'S A FIXED VARIABLE. >> Whoopi: WELL, A LITTLE CHANGE ON THAT SINCE RACHEL WAS HERE LAST. [ LAUGHTER ] SHE'S BACK TODAY TO CATCH UP ON ALL THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF THIS INSANE PRESIDENTIAL RACE, AND HOW SHE'S REMINDING VOTERS ABOUT THE SCANDAL THAT LED TO YOU-KNOW-WHO'S FIRST IMPEACHMENT, HER NEW DOCUMENTARY "FROM RUSSIA WITH LEV," PLEASE WELCOME BACK RACHEL MADDOW. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] ♪ >> HOW ARE YOU GUYS? A LITTLE HUMBLE PIE, ANYONE? [ LAUGHTER ] >> Alyssa: I KNOW. I HATE TO START WITH DUNKING. YOU'RE SO RARELY WRONG IN POLITICAL FORECASTS. >> YOU ARE VERY KIND TO SAY THAT. I'M ALWAYS WRONG. [ LAUGHTER ] >> Alyssa: WERE YOU SURPRISED? WERE YOU SHOCKED BY THE NEWS WHEN BIDEN DID STEP OUT, AND DO YOU BELIEVE KAMALA HARRIS WAS THE BEST CHOICE TO REPLACE HIM? >> SO, A, HUMBLE PIE, B, I FEEL LIKE THE UNIVERSE FEEDS US THINGS LIKE THIS BACK JUST TO KEEP US -- KEEP OUR EGOS IN CHECK A LITTLE BIT. THIS IS A GOOD REMINDER, DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING ANYBODY SAYS, RIGHT, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING. I WAS AS SURPRISED AS ANYBODY WHEN PRESIDENT BIDEN DROPPED OUT BUT IT SHOWS YOU THE POWER OF A DEBATE. I MEAN, WE'VE NEVER HAD A DEBATE AS CONSEQUENTIAL IN AMERICAN HISTORY AS THAT LAST DEBATE. IN FIVE MINUTES IN THAT DEBATE HIS PRESIDENCY BECAME A ONE-TERM PRESIDENCY. THE DEMOCRATS CHANGED THEIR CANDIDATE. IT WAS A MONTH BEFORE THE CONVENTIONS, AND IT'S AN ALL NEW GENERAL ELECTION. I MEAN, WHICH MAKES ME FEEL HUMBLE AND WORRIED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TONIGHT. >> Sunny: YES. >> I MEAN, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN. I'M BRACED FOR ANYTHING FROM ZERO TO A MILLION. >> Sara: WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF MOMENTUM BEHIND VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS' CAMPAIGN, AND NOW BOTH DICK AND LIZ CHENEY HAVE ENDORSED HER, AND LIZ CHENEY EVEN SAID SHE WOULD CAMPAIGN FOR HARRIS. SO, DID YOU, ONE, EVER THINK YOU'D SEE THE DAY WHEN THE CHENEY FAMILY ENDORSED A DEMOCRAT, AND, TWO, DO YOU THINK IT COULD OR WILL AFFECT MORE MODERATE INDEPENDENTS OR RIGHT-LEANING INDEPENDENTS? >> I MEAN, IT IS -- IT'S BANANAS. IT'S LIKE MICE ENDORSING CATS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? [ LAUGHTER ] VAMPIRES ENDORSING GARLIC. DOESN'T EVEN COMPUTE, BUT THAT TELLS YOU HOW FAR AWAY WE ARE FROM NORMAL POLITICS IN THIS ELECTION. THIS IS NOT ABOUT, OH, WE HAVE DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ABOUT TAXES OR FOREIGN POLICY. THIS IS ABOUT, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT ANYMORE, AND THERE ARE ALMOST NO THINGS ON WHICH I AGREE WITH DICK CHENEY, BUT DICK CHENEY AND I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD KEEP THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> Sunny: THAT'S AN IMPORTANT AGREEMENT. NOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HUMBLE PIE EARLIER. >> Joy: HOLD ON. I WANT TO ASK, DO YOU THINK IT WILL MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE, THOUGH? >> MAYBE. I MEAN, ENDORSEMENTS CAN BE OVERSOLD IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY DO, BUT IT IS A POWERFUL MESSAGE, I THINK, TO SAY, WE CAN DISAGREE ON MOST THINGS IN POLITICS BUT AGREE THAT WE NEED TO STAND UP FOR KEEPING ELECTIONS, FOR KEEPING THE SYSTEM BY WHICH IF YOU'RE VOTED OUT, YOU HAVE TO LEAVE, AND YOU DON'T GET TO MOUNT A RIOT TO TRY TO STAY. TO UNDERSTAND THAT, LIKE, THE PRO-DEMOCRACY COALITION IS MUCH BIGGER THAN ANY ONE PARTY AND THAT THAT'S -- IN THIS ELECTION THAT'S THE HARRIS COALITION. >> Sunny: AND IT HAS TO BE COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY, RIGHT? >> YEAH. >> Sunny: NOW, WE TALKED ABOUT HUMBLE PIE EARLIER, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS NEXT QUESTION. THE FIRST DEBATE BETWEEN THE VICE PRESIDENT AND THE FORMER PRESIDENT IS TONIGHT RIGHT HERE ON ABC. WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR WHAT WE WILL SEE TONIGHT? [ LAUGHTER ] >> Joy: DON'T ASK HER. >> WHATEVER I SAY, PICK THE OPPOSITE. [ LAUGHTER ] I MEAN, I REALLY DON'T KNOW. I FEEL LIKE WE KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT TRUMP IS LIKE IN A PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IN THIS TIME OF HIS LIFE, BECAUSE WE SAW HIM WITH JOE BIDEN, AND WITH BIDEN'S DEBATE, IT WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY OVERSHADOWED BY PEOPLE'S WORRIES ABOUT BIDEN'S PERFORMANCE AND WHAT THAT LED TO AND EVERYTHING, BUT IF YOU LOOK BACK, AND, ALYSSA, YOU MENTIONED THIS EARLIER TODAY, BY THE END OF THAT DEBATE, TRUMP WAS, LIKE, RAMBLING ABOUT HIS GOLF HANDICAP AND WAS GETTING REALLY WEIRD AND -- >> Sunny: THE BACK HALF WAS BAD. >> Whoopi: BUT YOU NEVER HEARD ABOUT IT. NOBODY TALKED ABOUT IT. NOBODY TALKED ABOUT IT. >> HE IS A LITTLE INCOHERENT NOW, AND I'M INTERESTED TO SEE WHETHER HE CAN KIND OF HOLD IT TOGETHER AND WHETHER THAT FALLS APART AFTER THE FIRST FEW MINUTES, WHICH I THINK IS KIND OF HIS PERFORMANCE LEVEL RIGHT NOW, BUT WITH KAMALA HARRIS, SHE'S A VERY GOOD DEBATER, BUT SHE HASN'T DEBATED ANYBODY IN FOUR YEARS. >> Sunny: YES. >> Joy: SHE'LL DO FINE. >> YOU THINK SO. >> Joy: I THINK SO. THROUGH THE MIRACLE OF TELEVISION, I CAN SHOW YOU A CLIP OF HOW ERRATIC HE HAS BEEN. WATCH THIS CLIP. >> SO I HAVE A CHOICE OF ELECTROCUTION OR SHARK. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO TAKE? ELECTROCUTION. I WILL TAKE ELECTROCUTION EVERY SINGLE TIME. DO WE AGREE? >> THE LATE GREAT HANNIBAL LECTER, HE'S A WONDERFUL MAN. >> I GUARANTEE, IF JESUS CAME DOWN AND WAS THE VOTE COUNTER, I WOULD WIN CALIFORNIA, OKAY? >> Joy: OKAY, OKAY, OKAY? [ LAUGHTER ] >> FIRST OF ALL, THE IDEA THAT THAT WOULD BE JESUS' FIRST PRIORITY. [ LAUGHTER ] JESUS IS COMING BACK. FIRST THING I NEED TO DO IS FLIP CALIFORNIA FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. [ LAUGHTER ] >> Joy: WITH RESPECT TO JESUS, IT WOULD BE A DEAL BREAKER RIGHT THERE, BUT IT'S NOT. THE OTHER DAY HE WISHED A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR LADY, TO THE MADONNA, NOT MADONNA CICCONE, WHATEVER HER NAME IS, TO THE MADONNA, HE WISHED HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. DID YOU SEE THAT? >> Sunny: YES, YES. >> Joy: I NEVER SAW SUCH INSANITY, BUT I THINK THAT THE PRESS HAS BEEN A LITTLE EASIER ON HIM THAN THEY WERE ON BIDEN REGARDING HIS ERRATIC TALKING AND HIS AGE. HE'S NOT THAT MUCH YOUNGER. HE'S GOING TO BE 80 IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS NEXT TERM, SO WHAT'S UP WITH THAT, I MEAN, EXCEPT FOR US? [ LAUGHTER ] >> I THINK HE GETS GRADED ON A CURVE. IF YOU START SAYING I WANT TO BE ELECTROCUTED INSTEAD OF BIT BY A SHARK WHICH WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE BUILD BOATS, BUT HE'S AFRAID OF WINDMILLS TOO. HE'S AFRAID OF WINDMILLS. IT'S REALLY WEIRD. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW. >> Joy: YOU KNOW, DON QUIXOTE WAS MENTALLY ILL. >> I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT WELL. >> Joy: DONKEY QUIXOTE. >> WHEN YOU SAY IT'S GOING TO BE A BLOODBATH IF I LOSE, WHEN YOU SAY ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE OFF THE CHART IN TERMS OF RADICALISM AND BIZARRENESS, THEN EVERY NEW BIZARRE THING NEEDS TO HIT THIS HIGH BAR TO COUNT AS NEWS. I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S A GOOD THING. IT'S A BAD THING. WE ALL NEED TO RECALIBRATE ALL THE TIME. >> Joy: NORMALIZING THIS CRAZY BEHAVIOR, AND THAT H