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American Morning
Candidates Zero in on Battleground States; McCain Targets Late Deciders; Obama to Appear on Four Major Networks; Corporate America Cuts Back; Florida No Match No Vote Law Targets Minorities
Aired October 29, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LAWRENCE NORDEN, DIR. OF VOTING TECHNOLOGY PROJECT, NYU: This particular problem is a uniquely North Carolina problem. The problem with split ballots has been a problem of split contests, for the presidential contests has been a problem in a lot of ballots unfortunately for several years and hopefully it won't be this time again.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we thank you for coming in, Lawrence, and showing us some of these problems. And obviously, you guys are at the Brennan Center for Justice keeping a close eye on this, as are we here at CNN.
Remember, if you're having trouble at the polls, call our CNN voter hotline. We're tracking the problems leading up to and on Election Day. Just call 1-877-GOCNN-08 -- Kiran.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: 7:00 here in New York. Breaking this morning, a worldwide rally. Stocks across Asia and Europe are mostly up after the Dow had one of its best days ever, a gain of almost 900 points. U.S. stocks picked up a trillion dollars in market value yesterday. Futures are now pointing to a lower open this morning, but there's another Fed interest rate cut expected today.
There's some new questions this morning in the Jennifer Hudson family murders. They're surrounding her brother-in-law, William Balfour, who's been questioned in the case. Not a suspect, considered a suspect but not charged at this point. It turns out also that Balfour was busted for cocaine possession back in June.
Under Illinois law, he could have gone back to prison for violating parole. Instead, a judge dismissed the case and let him go. Back in 1999, he was also convicted of attempted murder.
And a wild wintry October day in the northeast. A snowstorm dumping inches and inches of snow in New Jersey and Upstate New York. In fact, more than a foot of snow falling in parts of Pennsylvania and some record setting early snowfall totals for New Jersey as well.
Major highways and tens of thousands of people left without power. The weather also scrubbed plans to resume the World Series last night in Philadelphia. It will now be tonight where it's expected to be cold but at least clear for the big game.
ROBERTS: Wow. That's early snow. Just six days now until Election Day and the race is narrowing down to a handful of states that could decide it for the entire country. The candidates focus today on North Carolina, Ohio and Florida. Barack Obama on the trail trying to lock things up, and John McCain staying feisty as always vowing to fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In one week, we can choose to invest in health care for our families and education for our children and renewable energy for our future. In one week, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, change over the status quo. In one week, we can come together as one nation and one people and choose a better history. That's what we're fighting for.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Stand up. Stand up. Stand up and fight. America is worth fighting for. Nothing is inevitable here.
We never give up. We never quit. We make history. We don't hide from history.
Now let's go win this election and get this country moving again. Thank you and God bless you. God bless America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: John McCain is hitting the campaign trail today with new ammunition over Barack Obama's definition of rich people, and he's going back to the biggest battleground state, Florida, where the latest CNN poll of polls shows that he trails Barack Obama by four points now, with seven percent still undecided.
Ed Henry is covering the McCain campaign for us live this morning in Coral Gables. Ed, we had another poll of polls out yesterday earlier in the morning that showed just a one-point split. Now that latest one showing a four-point split. What are you hearing from inside the campaign about McCain trailing in this latest poll of polls?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, they're basically saying that they've got scenarios where John McCain can still fight and come back. They think he's going to close strong but quite frankly in private, they admit it's an uphill battle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice-over): John McCain and Sarah Palin on the same stage for the first time since sniping broke out among their advisers. So McCain quickly tried to diffuse the tension.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: By the way, when two mavericks join up we don't agree on everything. But that's a lot of fun.
HENRY: But it's hardly fun to be trailing in so many battleground states with a week to go. Optimistic McCain advisers are sketching a scenario where they can reach 260 electoral votes, 10 short of victory by holding traditional Republican states like North Carolina where he campaigned today. Then McCain has two possible paths to victory. One, carry Pennsylvania, where he launched a heavy assault on Barack Obama's economic plan.
MCCAIN: He favors higher taxes on investment for "fairness." There's nothing fair about driving our economy into the ground. Senator Obama is running to be redistributionist in chief. I'm running to be commander in chief.
HENRY: But the latest CNN poll of polls in Pennsylvania shows Obama is still up 10 points over McCain, with six percent undecided. Without Pennsylvania, the second path to victory would be a combo of smaller states like Nevada, New Hampshire and Iowa.
However, McCain is down in all three states. Seven in Nevada, 11 in New Hampshire, 12 in Iowa, according to the latest CNN poll of polls.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be very difficult for him to claw his way back if you're just talking about doing the electoral map. So, you know, it makes sense to concentrate your resources, try to pull off something dramatic in Pennsylvania and hold the Republican states.
HENRY: But nothing is guaranteed in usually reliable Republican states as McCain found in North Carolina. The senator's vehicle got a flat, so he had to jump in to a new one.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Now here in Florida, John McCain today will meet with some national security advisers to try and once again make the case he doesn't believe Barack Obama is ready to be commander in chief. Then he's going to do a series of economic events. That's really going to be the focus of his final argument to the American people is about the economy, the financial crisis. A lot different that when John McCain started and was hoping this would be all about his national security credentials, John.
ROBERTS: Unfortunately for him, though, the economy got in the way.
Ed, thanks very much.
John McCain is going to be a guest tonight, by the way, on "LARRY KING LIVE." That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
CHETRY: And John McCain isn't the only one hitting the airwaves tonight. Barack Obama will appear on three of the four major networks, NBC, CBS and FOX, as well as several cable networks. The campaign taking a gamble with a half-hour ad buy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: These big events seem to help Obama. He opens up a lead. And then when things settle back down again, then the lead narrows down again. And one of the interesting questions is how much difference will the Obama 30-minute paid advertisement special, how much of a difference will it make? Will it open things up a little bit? That's a big advantage for him to have the money to go on nationwide TV for half an hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Our Suzanne Malveaux is live in Philadelphia this morning. And, Suzanne, you're talking a little bit about exactly what we're going to see in this infomercial. But first of all, who do they hope to target with this infomercial?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, perhaps some of the voters who really haven't seen or actually heard some of the things that he's been talking about. It's hard to imagine that people haven't. And, Kiran, it's funny because he says on the campaign to be better parents, turn off the TV set. He's always talking about that. But he probably meant after the election.
It really is quite amazing when you think about it. It's a million dollars per network here. It's extraordinary access to millions of voters and essentially it's in a very different type of setting.
The video is going to show him sitting at a kitchen table with four different families. There are these Viniettes (ph), they're going to talk about their problems, their hardships, economics. He's going to talk about a way that his administration would actually deal with those issues.
He's also going to talk about a very personal story about his mother dying of cancer and the kind of struggle that she had with insurance companies to talk about his health care plans. Now this is something that we've heard on the campaign trail for months, but, you know, potentially there are voters who haven't heard that story and more importantly they haven't heard it in a way that he is going to tell it. A much more intimate setting, looking directly into the camera, talking to the American people -- Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Should be interesting for sure.
We also have former President Bill Clinton. He's going to be joining Barack Obama on the campaign trail. Down in Florida, down in Orlando. Talk about the significance of that area. We hear a lot about this I- 4 corridor.
MALVEAUX: You know, really it's a first to see these two together campaigning. And obviously, they hope that Bill Clinton is going to make some sort of impact there.
But you talk about the I-4 corridor, extraordinary when you look at Florida. It really is those counties, bellwether, an indication -- a clear indication of how Florida is going to go, and how Florida goes largely depends, you know, obviously how the presidency who gets the White House, but it's 40 percent of the voters are in that central area.
You're talking about urban professionals, military, seniors and obviously it leans Republican, but this is a group that goes back and forth, back and forth. They can be persuaded, undecided, independents. It really is a critical, critical area for the candidates.
CHETRY: Sure is. And with this early voting as well, it's all the more vital to be in that state right now.
Suzanne Malveaux for us this morning. Thank you.
Well, cutting back, companies are doing it with their 401(k) matching. The economic slump forcing some companies to do whatever they can to save money, but it could mean some changes that affect your retirement. We'll tell you all about it still ahead.
Fishing for votes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, get the vote (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: You've heard of the Hispanic, Jewish and senior vote. But the oyster vote?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of a sudden, you know, take an interest in us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: How Barack Obama is trying to win over a small but crucial group of voters in Florida.
You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." A wild ride on Wall Street as the Dow had its second biggest point game ever. Looking at the chart for most of the day, it was up just kind of middling a little bit above 100 points. But then at 2:00, like somebody hit the booster rocket, it skyrocketed in the last two hours of trading. The Dow added more than 750 points.
Somebody had an optimistic outlook on life yesterday.
Twelve and a half minutes after the hour. Christine Romans is here. So, good day on the Dow. People feeling good. But what's generally around the office, how are people feeling?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You know it's interesting because there is a recent survey asking why (ph) -- human resources firm asking about what will the effect of the credit crisis and the economy be at the office. How will you feel it? And of 248 employers who were surveyed, a lot of them say they're going to be making some big cutbacks. It has already started and more cutbacks expected for next year.
So what is it going to look like at the office, this economic crisis? Twenty-six percent of companies said they're going to lay off workers. Twenty-five percent said they're going to freeze hiring. Eighteen percent are going to cut training. Eighteen percent are going to slash the holiday party, or at least either eliminate it or downgrade it dramatically.
And a lot of companies have already said that that's going to happen this year. And four percent of companies said they're going to cut the 401(k) match. You know, this is concerning because this is the personal finance advice that you hear again and again.
At your job, sign up for the 401(k). Contribute to it. It is free money from your employer. Well, it's also a form of profit sharing and when companies are in trouble, at least four percent of them say that next year they might have to at least temporarily suspend their company matched contributions to your 401(k), which is not to say you should get out of your 401(k). It's just to say that your company might be pulling back for a while.
More importantly than that is your raise next year in 2009. And these employers were asked what kind of raise can people expect? The merit- based raise. When you do a good job, you meet all your targets, what can you expect?
Well, this year it's about 3.7 percent. Next year, you can expect maybe 2.5 percent for 2009. That doesn't really keep up with inflation.
ROBERTS: I think a lot of people will just be happy to hang on with their jobs, let alone get a raise.
ROMANS: This is assuming you can keep on to the job, hold on on the job. But this is what it's going to feel like around the office if you are not one of those people who lose their job.
ROBERTS: All right. Not such a glorious holiday season.
CHETRY: The bright side is 96 percent of companies at least ask...
ROMANS: Yes.
CHETRY: ... are going to continue that 401(k) contribution. And right now, there's bargains to be had if you're dollar cost averaging.
ROMANS: That's absolutely right. And I was relieved to hear that it's four percent. You know, you never want it to go up from two percent this year. Instead, they're cutting it four percent next year. So they're cutting it. You don't want to see -- you don't want to see the arrow going in that direction.
CHETRY: Yes. ROMANS: But you're right. Most companies are still contributing to the 401(k) at this point.
ROBERTS: Christine, thanks.
Coming up now on 15 minutes after the hour.
No match, no vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Black voters and Latino voters can make up a whole 50 percent of voters caught up in the no match limbo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: It's a law designed to prevent fraud, but could it be keeping legitimate votes from being counted?
You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the "Most Politics in the Morning." There are some serious problems popping up at the polls across the country right now. Touch screen voting in particular seems to be causing some confusion and controversy in Texas. One caller into CNN's count the vote hotline said that his mother who he accompanied to the polls went to hit Obama and says that the touch screen then flipped it to McCain. At least two other Texas residents reportedly said that their straight party vote kept switching from Democrat to Republican. Now in at least one of those cases, an election judge helped correct that mistake.
And take a look at this. A four-hour wait to cast early votes in Georgia. These pictures sent in by iReporter David Carroll (ph) in the Metro Atlanta area where Barack Obama's candidacy is expected to boost black voter turnout. Other people are waiting as long as eight hours. That's forcing some polling places to stay open late into the night and leaving some voters with no choice but to come back another day.
And they don't have a house but still have a vote. A federal judge in Ohio has ruled that homeless voters can list park benches as their addresses. A homeless advocacy group challenged Ohio's voter ID laws where they require voters to show either a government ID or other proof of address such a utility bill. Star power to get out the vote in Miami Beach. Matt Damon showing up to stump for the Obama campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT DAMON, ACTOR: I'm here today really to try to get the vote out and stress the importance of early voting. Not just as a matter of convenience because I think we're going to have a historic turnout and, you know, we obviously want everybody, you know, to be able to vote as quickly as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, coming up in just about 20 minutes, Noah Gray (ph), he's the 16-year-old Miami native who launched the Virgin Voting Project online, talks to Matt Damon about how celebrities can influence the youth vote.
ROBERTS: Today new concerns that people in Florida could have their votes challenged because of a misspelling or a misprint. And battleground reporter Sean Callebs found out that it could affect minorities more than others. Here he is.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran, the "No Match" law only affects a small percentage of voters who registered after September 8th. A small number perhaps but this could end up being a huge controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS (voice-over): Early voter turnout has been heavy, and many suspect polls could be jammed on November 4th. But a law designed to thwart voter fraud is fueling controversy and possibly legal challenges.
The "No Match" law flags people whose name on their voter registration does not match the name on their driver's license or Social Security card. Concerns are coming in to the CNN voter hotline.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, EARLY VOTER, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA: The main thing I had happen at the voter booth was my ballot was listed as provisional. And it was listed this way, I guess, because I recently moved and my driver's license says one address and my voter's registration card says another address. And so, I think that -- you know, I just want to make sure my vote count.
CALLEBS: Anyone flagged can still cast a ballot but must provide legal proof of identification within 48 hours. So far, about 9,000 people have been affected. Opponents say the law unfairly punishes minorities.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Black voters and Latino voters make up in each group approximately 12 to 14 percent of the registered voters in Florida. However, they make up a full 50 percent of voters caught up in the no match limbo.
CALLEBS: Latin names with a (INAUDIBLE) or accent mark. Hyphenated names, names with non-traditional spellings. Those, the ACLU argues, are people who will have the most trouble. Election officials say in no way is this an effort to keep votes from being counted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to welcome voters and we're going to do everything we can to make sure that there is a match.
CALLEBS: Florida is still hurting from the presidential election debacle eight years ago. Ed Pozzuoli, a GOP attorney, says tougher registration standards are needed to ensure credibility in the system.
ED POZZUOLI, REPUBLICAN PARTY ATTORNEY: Whatever the result is, people can be confident then that that is the vote that reflects the voters of Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: About 80 percent of the people affected by the "No Match" law are Democrats. Despite this overwhelming number right now, the Obama camp says it's not a big concern for them -- John and Kiran.
ROBERTS: Sean Callebs reporting for us this morning from our Miami bureau. And if you see any voting irregularities, we'd like to know about it. From now until Election Day, if you see anything, call 1- 877-GOCNN-08. To report any problems, that's 1-877-462-6608.
Twenty-two and a half minutes now after the hour.
CHETRY: Religious warfare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY SABATO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: It's the most negative, vicious stuff that I've seen in quite some time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The group that warns an Obama presidency will bring terror attacks, a rise in pornography, and the end of marriage as we know it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's not needless alarm. I think that's prudent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: With six days to go until Election Day, the latest CNN poll of polls shows Barack Obama with an eight-point lead over John McCain in the national general election. Of course, this is just taking a look at where we stand now. It all comes down to the different states and the battleground states in particular, but six percent of voters are still unsure.
Joining me now, Ed Rollins, Republican strategist and CNN contributor, and Lisa Caputo, Democratic strategist. Great to see both of you. Thanks for being with us.
So as we talked about, there are still six percent of undecideds. Perhaps they will be watching tonight when Barack Obama takes to the airwaves in this unprecedented buy, 30 minutes of TV time across several different networks. What impact do you think this is going to have, Ed, on voters?
ED ROLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think it will reinforce his own base. You know, I can't imagine a whole lot of, these undecideds, the six percent that after two years are still sitting there trying to make up their mind. I can't imagine they're going to turn in to make that. I think at the end of the day, most of them sort of make their -- if they vote, they make their mind up in the last day or two and it's not necessarily by an ad or commercial. I like them, I don't like them sort of the drill.
CHETRY: For Barack Obama opting out of public financing meant he's been able to raise some $600 million. He certainly outspent McCain. He's outmanned him on the ground with the ground game. Should the polls be this close? I mean, should he be pulling away with it a little more?
LISA CAPUTO, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Oh, I think he is pulling away with it. I mean, he's up in every major state. He's up in the battleground states. I mean, he's going to Florida today with Bill Clinton, which shows that he can, he can go into a state like that that went Republican in 2004 and can test that state. So, I think he's in fantastic shape and tonight's media buy, I think is a wonderful way to give a closing argument to the country and to reinforce his economic plan which I think is a very smart move because as everybody knows the economy is the number issue in this election.
ROLLINS: Eight percent could be 10 to 12 million votes.
CAPUTO: Exactly.
ROLLINS: So it's a lot bigger number than it is just when we see polling numbers.
CHETRY: McCain has a lot stacked against him, though.
ROLLINS: Absolutely. No question about it.
CHETRY: I mean, when you take a look at this favorability ratings of our current president and all of the things that have happened along the way. I mean, he's holding strong but is it over then, Ed? I mean, you're saying that you're talking about 10, 11, 12 million people.
ROBERTS: Well, when you're talking about the best scenario you can get is we can see how to get to 260. I've been around this business all the time; 270 is the magic number and that's winning everything. And then we can maybe win Pennsylvania and puts us over.
We haven't won Pennsylvania since 1988. So my sense it's a real draw to an inside flush. A lot of wishful thinking.
CHETRY: And what is the sense that you're getting? Because there are some who are still very worried within and outside of the Barack Obama camp that we can't get too ahead of ourselves.
CAPUTO: Well, sure, I mean there's an article in today's "New York Times" that talks about voters who voted either absentee or voted early...
CHETRY: Early voting.
CAPUTO: ... early voting and that they're worried that those ballots won't be counted because of the whole Florida situation in 2000. So people are nervous obviously, and people are superstitious. But I think that, you know, clearly the Obama campaign is playing this, you know, with the gloves off right until the last hour and they should. They are taking nothing for granted.
CHETRY: And speaking of the gloves off. What do you think of this, Ed? The McCain campaign now trying to get the "L.A. Times" to release a video of a 2003 banquet. And this is where Barack Obama spoke of his friendship with Rashid Khalidi, with a leading Palestinian scholar and activist.
Now, this didn't work with, you know, saying, wait a minute. We have to question his friendships. It didn't work with Reverend Wright. It didn't work with Bill Ayers. What are they trying to get out of this thing?
ROLLINS: Even if they had it today and they put an ad up for the next four days, no one's going to care. I mean, the reality is people care about the economy. For the first time, this campaign has been on a message about taxes, taxes, taxes and they're doing much better. So they basically go back and try to accuse Obama of some idiotic thing. It's just not going to work.
CAPUTO: This is the thing with the McCain campaign. They live day- to-day on their message. So they change up their message day to day. And now you see senior advisers in the McCain campaign taking Sarah Palin to task. I mean, that's a surefire sign that they don't think that they're going to pull this out when they're calling their VP nominee a diva and a whack job as they did, that was reported last night. That's a problem.
ROLLINS: Outrageous. It's really outrageous.
CHETRY: They tear on each other when things start to go bad.
ROLLINS: And my sense -- my sense is some of those are Romney aides or Giuliani aides who are now in the McCain campaign who are looking to the future not the present.
CHETRY: What happens to Romney November 6th?
ROLLINS: He basically starts his presidential campaign in 2012.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: Well, thanks to both of you. Ed Rollins and Lisa Caputo, great to talk to you.
ROLLINS: Thank you.
CAPUTO: Nice seeing you. ROBERTS: Thirty minutes after the hour now. Let's check this morning's top story. People in the northeast breaking out the snow gear a little early. An early storm dumped snow in parts of New Jersey and New York and up to a foot. And parts of (Pocanos) in Pennsylvania, thousands of people without power as a result and a foot could fall in parts of upstate New York before the Nor' Easter moves off.
The national polls showing an uphill battle for John McCain. Some prominent republicans are voicing their concerns. In an e-mail supporting Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell. Mitt Romney referred to quote the very real possibility of a Obama presidency. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty also says Obama has a strong advantage in his state.
Chicago is bracing for a huge crowd. Mayor Richard Daly predicts one million people could show up for Barack Obama's election nigh rally in Grant Park. Daly says Secret Service will help police the event, giving the highest security to the Obamas and the entire city. Just six days left as the clock kicks down on election '08. The candidates crisscrossing the battleground states, rallying supporters. Sarah Palin was in Pennsylvania yesterday. Joe Biden was in Florida. And here's what they are saying out there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Pennsylvania, if you believe in limited government and if you believe in the free and fair and uniquely American system that our founding fathers created, if you believe in protecting every one of our constitutional rights and if you believe that jobs are created not by spreading your hard earned money by but spreading opportunity by the hard work of free men and women -
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
Then you can help this country prosper by electing John McCain as our next president.
SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This election is all about you and it is up to you. You saw the debates. You heard the policy positions. And now, now it's time to choose. And with early voting in Florida, I mean now is the time to choose. Today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Joe Biden and Sarah Palin rallying their supporters yesterday. Meanwhile there are dire warnings coming from some far right religious groups such as if Barack Obama is elected things will be so bad even the boy scouts will have no choice but to disband. Our Deb Feyerick is here this morning to tell us what this all about? Good morning to you.
DEB FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Well, you know, the dooms day scenarios that are being laid out by some far right religious groups both Christian and Jewish are not necessarily what will happen but what could happen. And political analysts say the dooms day warnings are really scare tactics to convince young voters especially not to break with traditional voting patterns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): To hear some religious extremists tell it, elect Barack Obama and it's the end of the world as we know it to borrow part of a line. Evangelical Christians from Focus on the Family Action warned children will be awash in pornography. Terrorists will strike four U.S. cities. Marriage will be turned inside out. Other evangelical Christians warn an Obama victory will herald the apocalypse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a broad road to destruction.
FEYERICK: And this email sent to 75,000 Jewish voters equates an Obama presidency to Nazi Germany.
LARRY SABATO, POLITICAL ANALYST: This stuff is beyond the pale. It's the most negative vicious stuff that I've seen in quite some time.
FEYERICK: Political experts say the extreme attacks underscores the concerns that far right groups have with Obama.
The evangelical group Focus On the Family Action defended its what-if letter as based on it's analysis of Obama's record.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To look with a critical eye at recent events and how they may play out in the future that's not needless alarm I think that's prudence.
FEYERICK: Political analyst Larry Sabato calls it tragic.
SABATO: Many of these conclusions are extreme and illogical. No president would ever attempt these things. No president who wanted to be reelected would even think these things.
FEYERICK: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court judge who sent the e-mail to Jewish voters warning about a holocaust if Senator John McCain loses, apologized and the anti-defamation league condemned the e-mail as divisive. While the attacks may rally religious groups, other voters are put off by the negativity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It seems pretty extreme and maybe their final days that they are looking for more scare tactics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really abysmal for people who call themselves Christians to now decide that if someone is different other than what they consider to be Christian that now they think it's going ruin the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Clearly there are other religious groups that have come out in support of Barack Obama. The Matthew 25 network for example is a relatively new political action group aimed at Christian voters and it's running commercials, let's say even though Obama supports abortion rights, his policies on prenatal care, maternity leave and adoption, those things would actually reduce the number of abortions which makes him a good candidate. John.
ROBERTS: These dooms day predictions do they really rally support or does anybody believe that the apocalypse would occur if a certain person were to be elected president?
FEYERICK: If you're from a certain religious group yes that is true. For undecided voters and that's really the key, they are going to run in the opposite direction. They're not going to buy into this. It's the young voters, the voters who maybe on the fence, who may break with their religious tradition and vote for one of the candidate that could give that candidate the margin of victory. And that's what's the big concern.
ROBERTS: All right. Deb Feyerick for us this morning. Fascinating stuff. Thanks, Deb.
CHETRY: Meanwhile, back to the battleground state of Florida where candidates are courting every voter they can get. Barack Obama taking a stand on an issue in the Florida panhandle. At the same time fishing for some traditionally republican votes in the process. John Zarrella looks at a local problem that's suddenly in the national spotlight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran. John McCain may have Joe the plumber. Well I'm out here in Apalachicola Bay where Barack Obama is going after guys like Dallas and Terry and Matthew, the oyster men.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): 39 degrees at day break on the bay. The oyster men are fighting it. The chop, the wind. Just trying to eke out a living. But now presidential politics has stirred up the water like a north wind in this Florida panhandle community.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If he can get Georgia to give us some water -
ZARRELLA: The him is Barack Obama. When he announced that he would work to protect Apalachicola Bay, Obama jumped into a three state water war. The fishermen say the bay is dying because it's not getting enough fresh river water. Some of that water is being held back for the big cities to the north. Obama's stand on such a localized issue shows the importance of every single vote in Florida. But this is conservative republican country and some oyster men question his motives.
TERRY PROCTOR, OYSTERMAN: Out of all the other people, why all of a sudden, you know, take an interest in us? Is our vote going be the ones he's worried about?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After all, they are just politicians. And that's basically it. ZARRELLA: But Obama siding with the oyster men could help him chop away a few votes from John McCain who has not publicly taken a position. One of those votes from Dallas Barrack.
DALLAS BARRACK, OYSTERMAN: I made my decision more easier but yes it's one of the reasons. Sure is.
ZARRELLA: For the oyster men it's a tough decision. All of them say they like what Obama is saying but voting for a democrat would be a cultural change. Of the past five presidential elections, the only democrat to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996. With the battle for Florida simply too close to call, the outcome could very well be determined by an oyster. John, Kiran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: John Zarrella, thanks. Well, reporters from the best political team on television, they are all across the country covering the candidates and the voters in key battleground states. You want to stay with CNN from now through election day for all of the political headlines from the campaign trail. It's 38 minutes after the hour.
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CHETRY (voice-over): Star power.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone always looks up to them.
CHETRY: Matt Damon hits the campaign trail and talks to young voters at an Obama rally. Why he thinks his celebrity status can help sway voters heading to the polls next week.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To have someone like Matt Damon telling us who to vote for is great.
CHETRY: You're watching "the most news in the morning."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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ROBERTS: 41 1/2 minutes after the hour. Welcome back to "the most politics in the morning." 16-year-old Noah Gray is not old enough to vote in this election but has made it his mission to talk to young people who can. He even had a celebrity run in while talking with young voters. Noah joins us now via Skype from his classroom at Palmetto Senior High School in Miami. Good morning to you, Noah. Six days left.
NOAH GRAY, FOUNDER, VIRGIN VOTING: Good morning.
ROBERTS: 47 electoral votes at stake. Are you starting to get excited about what's going to go on there in Florida?
GRAY: I am very excited and so are all the young people down here, especially in Florida.
ROBERTS: I tell you, yesterday you were at the University of Miami. Celebrity Matt Damon made an appearance there. You had a chance to listen to him, to talk to him and also talk to some young voters. Let's take a look at the piece now that you put together for us.
GRAY: All right.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRAY (voice-over): Matt Damon was on the campus of the University of Miami on Monday trying to get out the youth vote out for Obama.
MATT DAMON, ACTOR: You got any change for Obama?
GRAY: I asked him whether he thought his star power would affect who young people would vote for.
DAMON: I don't think that it necessarily does. I mean I hope that all of the people participating, the entertainers are helping to just get the vote out. You know, no matter who you're voting for. The country works better when more people are voting.
GRAY: But what did young people say about how Hollywood influences them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think celebrities have a big say in the youth vote because the youth know who they are and how someone like Matt Damon tell us who to vote for is a big, actually very good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it will have a big impact because everyone always looks up to them for answers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, Hollywood and the media is the most powerful influence we have in the country. And I think it's only natural that celebrities tend to endorse candidates and tend to be politically active because you know they want to lend their voices to something that's bigger than themselves.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's another citizen. His vote counts as much as mine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's great publicity on their part. A lot of people will vote for Obama because it's Matt Damon and Jay-Z.
Me it's different. They have an impact but they don't make the decision for me. I've made my own decision. So it's great that Matt Damon is here but I think we're all making our own decisions based on the issues not by who is endorsing who.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: So what did you think, Noah? A number of people there seeming to indicate I guess celebrity endorsements do influence their vote but then you also had some independent voters there. Were you surprised to see how many people are actually influenced? GRAY: Well, a lot of people want to make their own decisions, of course. But definitely the media and the stars have some sort of influence on their vote. But a lot of people had already either already made up their mine or knew what issues they were still looking for since a lot can happen before November 4th. But I would say it was a little bit half and half. But they enjoyed Matt Damon being there. It motivated them a little bit more and encouraged them and made their vote feel their important. But they definitely are making up their own minds.
ROBERTS: A Washington State University study found that between 2000 and 2004 celebrity endorsements helped to increase voter turnout by some 11 percent. You know, Matt Damon, as you pointed out, he said he's there for Barack Obama. He's obviously trying to get people out to vote for Senator Obama. But were there many people on the other side for whom the influence of Matt Damon asking people to come out and support Obama galvanize their support potentially for John McCain?
GRAY: I didn't run into any people who were there that were John McCain supporters and just wanted to hear Matt Damon speak. But when I spoke with Matt Damon one on one he delivered a message of non- partisan message saying that , of course, he would like Barack Obama to win and he's campaigning for him, but it's like - like he said, the more people vote the country works better. So no matter if you're a democrat, republican, independent, whatever you are, you should be voting. It's your right.
ROBERTS: Definitely, give us a plug for the website for virgin voting.
GRAY: www.virginvoting.com. Virgin voting video contest. You could win a $500 Apple Store gift card. Details are on the website.
ROBERTS: All right. Good deal. Noah Gray. It's great to see you again.
GRAY: Thank you, John.
ROBERTS: Check back with you again before the election. 45 1/2 minutes now after the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY (voice-over): Undecided voters. How can so many people still not be sure? Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes us inside the mind of the undecided and finds some surprising answers. You're watching "the most news in the morning."
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Undecided voters could eventually decide this election. The latest CNN poll of polls shows there's still six percent of American voters still on the fence. But why? Well, we're "Paging Dr. Gupta," Sanjay is in Atlanta with more on the mind of an undecided voter. It's not that they are wishy washy. It's not that they're engaged. Explain why still haven't decided where they're going to go this election?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, there may be some clues deep inside the brain. At least according to neuroscientists from Princeton University, trying to figure out who these undecided voters are and what's happening specifically. They sort of broke it down into two groups. They say some of these undecideds may simply really have a high threshold for gathering evidence before they make a decision and the other group which could be a very large group is a group that's already decided but they themselves don't even know it. The way decision making works, Kiran, is basically you gather evidence first and then you get to a certain tipping point and that tipping point makes you make a decision. This is the area of the brain called the parietal lobe where evidence is typically gathered like acorns just gather, gather, gather. And you start to fill this area up. At some point you get to a tipping point, and another part of the brain triggers, almost like a switch and a decision is made. It could be again that there's a higher tipping point in undecideds and they are gathering that evidence before they actually make a decision.
Now, the other groups of voters might actually have made a decision but really honestly they just don't know it yet. And in fact, people around them, people close to them may know what the other person's decision is even without themselves knowing it. So, it's a pretty remarkable thing. There is a third group and this is important as well. A group of people who think they know what they're going to do but when they get to the polling place, in fact, they make a different decision. The brain could be a tricky thing and it will manifest itself in exactly in these ways.
CHETRY: That is very interesting. The other - so you're saying that pollsters even if they tried to change the questioning, you know, to try to get an answer out of them, they may say something and then do something else. So, they are technically undecided.
GUPTA: Exactly. And pollsters have sort of figured it out. In fact, one of the researchers who wrote this particular paper also runs a polling analysis center. And he says, look, instead of asking specific questions, such as if the election were held today, would you vote for Senator Obama or Senator McCain, instead ask more open- ended questions and that could sort of start to bring out what these undecideds are thinking about. For example, who do you think understands your problems better? Are you more concerned about the economy or terrorism? Which candidate has the better temperament? Asking the questions like that gives the pollsters a little better sense of where the person is, in fact, leaning.
CHETRY: That's fascinating. All right. Great to see you, as always, Sanjay. Thank you.
GUPTA: Thanks, Kiran.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS (voice-over): Power play -
PALIN: You know, they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.
ROBERTS: The explosive, new report. How Sarah Palin really wound up on the right side of this ticket.
Plus, is there such a thing as too many voters?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are prepared. We're as prepared as anyone, any state, could be.
ROBERTS: A state sued for not being voter ready.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not acceptable.
ROBERTS: You're watching "the most news in the morning."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALIN: As governor, I'm going to get in there and take on the good- old-boy network and fight corruption there, too. We got back to basics and we put government back on the side of the people and John and I will use that same common sense approach to reform Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: It's 54 1/2 minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the most politics in morning. Sarah Palin there talking up her outsider status as an antidote to Washington corruption. Well, my next guest says Palin may not be the outsider that she claims to be. In fact, he says Palin has courted Washington power almost from the very start. Jane Mayer is a staff writer for "The New Yorker" magazine. She joins me now from Washington. Jane, good to see you. And thanks for being with us. We should point out right here at the start that we did approach the McCain-Palin campaign to get a response to the article that you've got coming out in the "New Yorker" and they declined. So let's talk about this. So you say she's not the Washington outsider that she claims to be, she certainly is not a Washington politician, what is she?
JANE MAYER, AUTHOR "THE DARK SIDE": Well, there's a gap almost from the start in her career between what she says and what she does. She's obviously not from Washington, she's from Alaska. But what she's done is she has hired people from Washington almost from the start when she was mayor of Wasilla. She hired a top Washington lobbyist to help the town get some earmarks from federal spending. When she became governor of Alaska, her top campaign aide told me she already had Washington in mind. John Bitney says and he was quoted in the article in "The New Yorker" as saying she was thinking about Washington for a couple of years. Basically the best thing that happened to Sarah Palin was there were a number of cruise ships that came through Juneau, Alaska, with famous Washington pundits, the kind of people she's made fun of a lot. People who write for "The New York Times," "The Washington Post," go on, "Washington chat shows" and things, they came through Alaska on these special cruises for political passengers and they were the big shots who were entertaining the passengers and they came and they hung out with Sarah Palin. She invited them all to the governor's mansion.
ROBERTS: But, Jane, if you're a local politician, particularly if you're the governor of a state, is it not just prudent to develop ties with Washington? I mean, you're going want to have a liaison?
MAYER: Well, sure. Very smart of her. And I think that you've got to understand about Sarah Palin is she's a - she's a very canny politician. But she's - it's just that it's interesting that she is not the rogue and the outsider that she makes herself out to be. She's kind of very good in her rhetoric at milking resentment against the establishment but when it really came down to it, she was charming the pants off the establishment. I mean, and you've got to see. I interviewed a number of these pundits, people like Bill Kristol who is the editor of "The Weekly Standard" and writes for "The New York Times" in a column and he calls her my heartthrob. They just fell hard for her.
ROBERTS: Yes. Bill seems to like her a lot.
MAYER: A lot.
ROBERTS: But did she have designs on the national ticket when she became a governor?
MAYER: Well, it's funny, she was - her assistant talked to her about it, John Bitney again, and he said looking at your biography, you seem like someone who might easily fit on the national ticket as vice president, you'll be a contender. At first, he said she just kind of laughed. But before long, she was paying attention as well as everybody else to a blogger who was pushing her. She took all the right steps. She wanted this. I think you can say fairly.
ROBERTS: Yesterday, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, John McCain made an attempt to sort of put aside their differences but at the same time you know, we've got aides with the campaign telling CNN that she's a diva. Some other aide came out yesterday and described her as a whack job to politico. There's obviously some sort of split going on there in these campaigns. And Dana Milbank, today on the "Washington Post," a CNN contributor in the "Washington Post" today said, the headline in his piece was, "Sarah, the diva looking past John, the runner-up." Is she really trying to play for 2012 here?
MAYER: Well, that's what people tell me. She is trying to - you know she is considered - her people think she's been damaged to some extent. She's raised her profile obviously, but her negatives are huge. So, she's trying to blame what's gone wrong on the McCain campaign. The clothes, things like that.
ROBERTS: Jane Mayer with "The New Yorker" this morning. It's a very, very interesting article. It's certainly worth a read. Thanks for being with us this morning. It's good to see you.
MAYER: Great to be with you.
ROBERTS: All right. Take care.
