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American Morning
McCain Rallies in Ohio; Obama Camp Upbeat But Cautious; 17 Million Ballots Already Cast in 30 States; How Election is Playing Overseas; Bob Barr and Ralph Nader Look for Votes
Aired October 31, 2008 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, four days before the election, there's word on who Barack Obama may pick as his Chief of Staff, should he win the White House. Democratic party officials say that Obama has approached Rahm Emmanuel about the position. However, an aid to Emmanuel denies he's been contacted.
96 hours and counting. That's right. We're down to just counting hours now. A mere four days left for John McCain and Barack Obama to convince the country that they belong in the White House.
And one thing is clear; the race is far from over. After the GOP convention, John McCain saw a brief two-point advantage. Barack Obama's lead then swelled to as much as nine points. But, as often happens in the final hours of the campaign, the race does starts to tighten up. And our latest poll of polls, incorporating even more surveys shows that this is no exception. Barack Obama, now with a seven-point lead nationwide and seven percent of those polled say they are not sure who they're voting for.
So, in these final days, we want to make -- help you make an informed decision on the country's next leader. Here's what the candidates are saying about the future our country is facing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: George Bush has dug a deep hole for us. Now he's trying to hand over the shovel to John McCain. The cost of this crisis, the cost of the war on Iraq means that Washington is going to have to do what you're doing. We got to tighten our belts, put off spending on things we don't need.
MCCAIN: I know you're worried. America's a great country. But, we're at a moment of national crisis that will determine our future. I want to ask you this -- will we continue to lead the world's economies? Or will we be overtaken? Will the world become safer or more dangerous? Will our military remain the strongest in the world? Will our children and grandchildren's future be brighter than ours? My answer to you is yes -- yes, we will lead, yes, we will prosper, yes, we will be safer, yes, we will pass on to our children a stronger, better country.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I left office, I couldn't believe it. The administration had an approval rating of 65 percent. And we -- but, wait, wait, wait. But vice president Gore only won the election by 500,000 votes and they messed around with Florida, got in the Supreme Court and President Bush won 2000 election 5 to 4.
JOE WURZELBACHER, MCCAIN SUPPORTER: Get out to vote, and as far as my vote, it's going to be for a real American, John McCain.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the candidates are rushing out to pick up last-minute undecided voters especially in those battleground states, the ones you see there in yellow. CNN is following the candidates and the issues that matter in every one of these key tossup states. John McCain's camp is in overdrive right now in the battleground of Ohio. And as the clock ticks down, the senator is putting on a full court press for a victory there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: I've been in a lot of campaigns and I've seen momentum and I can feel momentum in this room tonight. And we're going to win -- we're going to win Ohio. I can feel it. I can feel it.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: CNN's Dana Bash is covering battleground Ohio. That's where John McCain is spending his second full day.
So he's got a big rally coming up tonight with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. Are they sticking to the economic message?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think for sure we are going to see him stick with that all throughout the day, up until that big rally tonight. And that message, essentially, that we've been hearing over and over, Kiran, is the idea that Barack Obama says he's not going to raise your taxes, but he will. And the people he's going to raise your taxes on will really hurt small businesses and in the end that will mean that your job is at stake.
And what they're trying to -- what they're saying inside the campaign, Kiran, is that this is something that finally is allowing them to resonate on the big issue and the big goal, the urgent goal right now. And that fundamentally is trying to convince undecided voters and people who are thinking about voting for Obama, but not really sure, that it's too risky to do that because he doesn't agree with you philosophically on some of the issues that really are going to affect you, particularly right now in your pocketbooks.
So, that really is the urgent goal. And again, with this economic message they think that they've finally been able to find a way to connect especially with voters that they're trying to hit on this bus ride through Ohio. Blue collar voters, rural voters -- those are the ones that they think that they need to get out big time in order to win this state and many others, Kiran. CHETRY: Well, we've heard this name a lot on the campaign trail lately. Joe the Plumber made a big splash on the campaign trail yesterday. And now we're hearing that he's hired a publicity team?
BASH: He apparently has hired a publicist. You know, I got him on the phone yesterday. He didn't show up to the first rally. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that much longer. But look, the reality is, he was on the campaign trail with John McCain yesterday. He did make a big splash.
In fact, there was one point when we were kind of looking at each other wondering who's the candidate here because the crowd went so wild for Joe the Plumber. But that is telling as to where the McCain campaign does think that they have that point of contact and connection with voters as John McCain said yesterday with the working man, with people who think -- at least, they don't own small businesses.
They think that they want to own small businesses. And certainly that is why they're going to keep plugging away with Joe the Plumber and that team. They have been doing it. And again, they insist that in some of these key areas that theme has been working for them, Kiran.
CHETRY: All right. Dana Bash in Youngstown for us this morning, thanks.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, time is also running out for Barack Obama as he tries to solidify his national lead. But in Indiana, it's John McCain with the slimmest of advantages. The latest CNN Poll of Polls there shows McCain up by but a single point. But Obama is showing no fear, at least not publicly. And as Candy Crowley tells us, the senator is staying with the message that's working.
Candy?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: (OFF-MIKE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OBAMA: Hello, Sarasota! What a great crowd, thank you!
CROWLEY (voice-over): He has the schedule of a man looking for a blowout -- campaigning in Republican counties inside Republican states, from Sarasota to Virginia Beach and late in the evening, Columbia, Boone County, Missouri. Even if he cannot win in these spots, Obama can pull votes away from John McCain.
OBAMA: If you want to know where John McCain will drive this economy, just look in the rear-view mirror. Because when it comes to our economic policies, John McCain has been right next to George Bush.
CROWLEY: Whatever else, this is the campaign in sync.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wonder where John McCain would take the economy? Look behind you. CROWLEY: He brushes off old and new charges pushed by the McCain campaign and won't bite it on whether he'll visit Arizona, where Republicans are now worried enough about McCain's home state to dial in some anti-Obama robocalls. He remains on the issue he broke away with, the economy. Bolstered today with the latest Gross Domestic Product figures down for the first time this year.
OBAMA: Our failing GDP is a direct result of a failed economic theory, of eight years of trickle-down, Wall Street first, Main Street last policies that have driven our economy into a ditch.
CROWLEY: He has been relentless, staying on message and Joe Biden has been told to do the same.
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hey, look, folks. I didn't see the band up here. Hey, folks, how are you guys doing? Thanks for being here. That's really nice of you. Thank you. That's what you call getting off message. But I tell you, you guys look good.
CROWLEY: The campaign once itself described as upbeat but cautious, still, there are moments of glee. The latest, an announcement by a New Hampshire alternate delegate to the Republican convention, one of John McCain's top supporters in the state. He will vote for Barack Obama.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: More stories in today's geography. Barack Obama will head to Iowa where it appears he has a very healthy lead, but surprisingly and worrisome to the McCain campaign, Obama is also going to Indiana where the polls show a dead heat. It is a state that has not gone for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964.
Kiran and John?
ROBERTS: Candy Crowley this morning. And Barack Obama will be Wolf Blitzer's guest tonight at 6:00 Eastern in "THE SITUATION ROOM." And there is still time to submit a question. Head to ireport.com/obama. Your question just might become part of the dialogue.
And tomorrow night, don't miss "REVEALED JOHN MCCAIN" at 7:00 Eastern and "REVEALED BARACK OBAMA" at 8:30, only on CNN, your home for politics.
CHETRY: Well as the front-runners continue to duke it out for your vote, two others presidential candidates still in the race and they say there's things that we're not talking about. Bob Barr and Ralph Nader are here to discuss the economy.
ROBERTS: Eager to vote. Millions cast early ballots in more than 30 states.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The levels are really shocking. They've broken records in virtually every state or jurisdiction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Who benefits from the record turnout? And what impact will it have on Election Day? You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN": Joe the Plumber -- remember Joe the Plumber? He's back in the news. Joe the Plumber was supposed to appear at a John McCain rally today, but didn't show up. Yes. So, apparently, the guy really is a plumber.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: It's one way to look at that campaign gap. Welcome back to the "Most Politics in the Morning." Urgency on the campaign trail now as the candidates rush to get out the vote, and it is working with early voters already casting their ballots by the millions. There are reports of up to four-hour waits in places like Florida and some machine problems in Georgia. But as Deb Feyerick tells us now, the number of early voters is absolutely shattering records.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran, one expert I spoke with called early voting the quiet revolution -- new voters, veteran voters, eager voters all turning out before Election Day. Because no one knows exactly how many people are going to be out there on November 4th. It's difficult to put these early numbers into cold, hard context.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): You hear it from both campaigns.
OBAMA: We want everybody to go to the polls now.
MCCAIN: My understanding is that the early voting has been pretty well even.
FEYERICK: So far, some 17 million people and more than 30 states have already voted, either in person or by mail.
PAUL GRONKE, EARLY VOTING INFORMATION CENTER, REED UNIVERSITY: The levels are really shocking. They've broken records in virtually every state or jurisdiction that has early voting.
FEYERICK: Of the 30 early vote states, political watchers say Florida and North Carolina remain unpredictable. Both states track a voter's party, not, of course, the actual vote. So getting a clear read is impossible. Still, new trends are emerging say two election experts we poke to. In North Carolina, traditionally Republican, registered Democrats have turned out, two to one.
MICHAEL MCDONALD, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY: We're also seeing African-Americans turn out in a very high rate in this early voting period which is very unusual.
FEYERICK: As a result of North Carolina election laws, 100, 000 people not previously on the voter roles had been able to register and vote the same day. The experts tell us they are seeing a difference in early voting patterns between Democrats and Republicans. Democrat go to the polls, while early mail-in ballots have leaned more heavily Republican.
MCDONALD: There is a two-to-one Democratic advantage in the early vote that's being cast in person. But the Republicans hold their own in this mail balloting.
FEYERICK: And in case you're wondering why campaigns have been urging people to vote early?
GRONKE: You don't want it to be two days before the election and you still trying to get your base out. You got to be focusing on those undecideds and those independents.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: How you vote, well, that's secret. But the act of casting a ballot is public record. Campaigns can check, cross you off the list, and then turn attention elsewhere to states that are up for grabs or may have low voter turnout.
John?
Kiran?
CHETRY: Well, this has certainly been an election of firsts. And one that's broken recent presidential trends. A few quick facts in an "A.M. Extra" for you. This was the first election since 1972 in which neither presidential candidate have served as governor -- both sitting senators, of course. And it's the first election since 1976, 32 years, without a Bush or a Clinton on the major party ticket.
So, how is the race playing overseas? Becky Anderson joins us live now from London. What are you hearing on the streets, Becky, four days out?
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is what we're hearing, but nothing has changed, effectively. If anybody internationally it seems was able to vote, Obama would win by a landslide. From Canada to France to Switzerland to Poland, Japan, Mexico, the U.K., and Belgium, the latest survey taken just a week or so ago shows that between a 70 to 14 landslide down to about 46 to 13. Lots of undecideds here. But of course, we can't vote. To a certain extent, it doesn't really matter.
But it's interesting to see how people feel. And even in China, and this is important, because ten months ago, Barack Obama was vilified by the Chinese. He was talking about the hazards of Chinese- made toys, Chinese didn't like it. And to a man and woman in China, he was a despised figure for a period of time. Well now, in the last poll, just done about 48 hours ago, 68 percent of Chinese say they think Obama is the man.
They are saying that they are looking for what they see as an American dream come true. And like the idea that there is a minority going for the president. As I say, nothing's really changed internationally. Beautiful day here. It's about the only thing that has changed. We had terrible weather for the last three or four months, during this campaign. But Obama -- well, this is where he would win by a landslide if, indeed, we were voting.
Guys?
CHETRY: Yes, it's so sunny there. I had to double check for a minute that you were still in London.
How are people there showing their support for the race, Becky?
ANDERSON: Well, people here -- we're British. We're a little bit reserve, so not a lot of emotion being showed. Although we'll expect to see something on Tuesday night. But I did see this out (INAUDIBLE) extend my international scope for you just slightly, because a group of tribal holy men in Peru can't vote in the U.S. election, but they can dance squarely on Obama.
Just have a look at this. Shaman's gathered on the beach in Lima to yell and scream, shake rattles and call for a fair and honorable election. They represent the country's witch doctors and each one says that he conjured a vision of what would happen in the election. Nine saw Obama in the scented circle, only three saw McCain. Sorry, two saw McCain. Get my math right there. So that's how they're performing in Peru.
Guys?
CHETRY: I know what you would like, Becky. They do a pint poll here as well where you drink out -- you drink your beer out of one glass or the other depending on who you're supporting. That might go over well for you, guys.
ANDERSON: That would go well here. You're right. We're having a party here at CNN, throwing a party on election night. And we've got the election teenies. And we've got Obama one and we've got McCain one. So, we're going to see how people drink on the night. See how they're voting.
CHETRY: Wow. All right. Hopefully, we'll be able to stay up to see the results. Becky, always great to see you. Thanks.
Tales of obsession --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's when I go swimming because if I have my face in the water, then I can't watch any news or check my e-mail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Political junkies looking for a fix. Will they go through withdrawal when all the votes are in? You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: 20 minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." Since this race has been going on for so long, the candidates may actually be scarier to you than anything else on Halloween. Perhaps that was the idea behind these McCain and Obama pumpkins created by an artist in Brooklyn. The best thing about this two, no campaign rhetoric. At least not that we've been able to find.
And check out this shot sent in to us by iReporter Thomas Nava from Chicago, truly getting into the haunted spirit with a big Halloween display in his yard.
And if you need some last-minute costume ideas, take a look at this iReporter outfits. Joe the Plumber alongside buddies John McCain and Sarah Palin. The trio partied it up at the Haunt Feast on Fifth in Dayton Ohio. Not bad.
Reynolds Wolf is monitoring our weather for us from the weather center in Atlanta this morning. I think you got some thunderstorms down there.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I know.
ROBERTS: What's the weather going to be like for all those little ghouls out tonight, Reynolds?
(WEATHER REPORT)
CHETRY: Well, as Barack Obama and John McCain give it all they've got to win you over. Two other presidential candidates are still in the race as well. And they say that there are things that front-runners are not talking about that are very, very important to Americans. Ralph Nader and Bob Barr are with us live coming up.
Pointing political fingers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They seem to be saying, don't blame us. You know, Sarah Palin dragged the ticket down. I can't think of a precedent for this kind of attack by high-level senior aides in the last days of a presidential campaign.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The votes haven't even been counted, but if things don't go McCain's way, will Sarah Palin take the fall? You're watching the "Most News in the Morning." (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." Check out our latest Poll of Polls right now. It shows Barack Obama with a seven-point lead nationally. But the last CNN Poll with results for third party candidates also shows independent Ralph Nader with 3 percent of the vote and Libertarian Party nominee and former Republican Congressman from Georgia, Bob Barr, with 2 percent of the vote.
Now, both of those men faced off last night in their first and only debate. And I'm joined now by Bob Barr in Atlanta, Georgia and Ralph Nader in Toledo, Ohio.
Gentleman, great to see both of you. Thanks for being with us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning, Kiran.
CHETRY: I want to start with you, Bob. You were talking last night about what was going on with this -- with this election and saying that there haven't been all the voices that need to be out there. You said our target in this election is to point out to the American people the damage that's being done to our constitution, our economy, our family life, our education, by the monopoly status quo parties. So, what issues are vital that we're not hearing about enough in this election in your opinion?
BOB BARR (L), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, front and foremost is the constitution. Neither of the other two candidates or their vice presidential candidates seem to care about or understand the constitution. If they did for example, they would know that these bailouts that are coming fast and furious, there's no constitutional authority for them.
We're also not hearing anything about the gross violations of our civil liberties by the current administration and why, for example, both Senator Obama and Senator McCain voted to greatly expand the government's power to electronically surveil American citizens. These issues are simply not being talked about and they do great damage to our constitutional fabric.
CHETRY: Ralph Nader, what about you? What do you think some of the biggest issues that we're not discussing are?
RALPH NADER (I), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, as elaborated on our Web site, ralphnader.org to which contributions are greatly accepted. The Obama and McCain campaigns are not doing anything about enormous waste where these corporations are ripping off the military budget. For instance, they're getting taxpayer subsidies and hundreds of billions of dollars for mismanagement, corruption, i.e. the Wall Street bailout. There's no crackdown program on corporate crime, fraud and abuse against consumers, workers, taxpayers by Obama or McCain. They love these international trade agreements, pulled down trade agreements on our standards of living where they give tax benefits to corporations who shutdown plants and unemployed workers and ship them to fascists and communist dictatorships abroad.
I think we need a living wage in this country. The minimum wage, it was adjusted from 1968, Kiran, on inflation would be $10. Instead, it's $6.55 an hour. Who can live on that?
(CROSSTALK)
NADER: And we need full Medicare for all. Full Medicare for all.
CHETRY: I want to ask you about that issue as well. And I'll let former Congressman Bob Barr weigh in first on this. You talk about the fact that you think people should be able to opt out the things like social security and Medicare. How would they secure their future especially in a shaky economy like this if they were to do that?
BARR: Well, by investing wisely. Even with all of the ups and downs in the stock market over the years, the rate of return that an American citizen not putting money in a private investment account as we have called for as opposed to simply dumping it in to government coffers so they can use the money for all sorts of other things is still significantly higher than the about the one percent rate of return that a citizen gets on social security.
And if, in fact, the citizen who's been paying in to social security for decades were to die, they have no ownership interest in that. That is absolutely immoral for the government to take money from the citizens, force them to put it into a low interest government account which there's nothing there right now and then not even give them an ownership interest in it.
CHETRY: All right. I want to let Ralph Nader weigh in on this as well. Because you said that -- you said last night, you posed a question, what would the elderly be doing now in this collapsing system if they didn't have that social security check? But as we are able to do those projections, the costs are going to get away from us. How would we possibly continue to pay for the programs into the future?
NADER: I disagree with Bob Barr on that one. I think it would be horrible today if social security plans were in this collapsing stock market. Social security, it's social security, not social insecurity. There are elder workers who are being laid off now and they're being squeezed on their private pensions which are being looted and drained by these Wall Street crooks and swindlers and speculators.
The only solid thing is social security and the trustees of social security say every dollar will be paid out until 2042, assuming a 1.7 percent GDP increase a year. And that's actually been going up 4 percent since World War II. Its Medicare that's being blown through the roof by the gouging drug companies, hospital chains, and health insurance companies.
That's where -- we have to get full Medicare for all, free choice for doctors and hospitals and quality and cost controls on the private delivery of health care. That's much more efficient and that's elaborated on our Web site ralphnader.org, and supported by the majority of American people and doctors.
CHETRY: Before I let you go, Bob Barr, go ahead tell people your web site as well, because he in two plugs, right?
BARR: The Bob Barr libertarian Web site is Bobbarr2008.com, very simple, straightforward, just like our platform.
CHETRY: All right, well, I want thank both of you for coming on and discussing some of these issues with us.
Bob Barr and Ralph Nader, thanks.
BARR: Always a pleasure.
NADER: Thanks, Kiran.
ROBERTS: Thirty minutes past the hour and here are this morning's top stories.
A milestone in Iraq. "USA Today" reports that October will be the first month of the war when no U.S. service members will have died in combat in Baghdad. And U.S. deaths countrywide are on track for a record low as well. As of yesterday, 13 troops have been killed this month, tying July for the lowest monthly death toll of the war.
General David Petraeus begins his new job this morning taking over as head of the U.S. Central Command. After overseeing the so- called surge and calming the situation in Iraq, the general is now responsible for 19 additional countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and the entire Middle East.
The nation's highest intelligence official says the president's first year in office is a vulnerable time for the country. National Intelligence director, Mike McConnell, cited the World Trade Center attacks in 1993 and September 11th, just after Clinton and President Bush had taken office.
McConnell said the next president's excitement will be tempered when he, quote, "begins to focus on the challenges that we are going to face."
Well, here's one that you might find obvious. A new study out of Northwestern University says good looks help female politicians. They found that both men and women were more likely to vote for a female candidate who is attractive.
But when it comes to male candidates, there's a split for male voters, the only thing that matters is confidence, while women prefer men who are both confident and handsome. Well, more of the most politics of the morning now just four days before the election. There are growing doubts about Governor Sarah Palin.
In the latest "New York Times"/CBS News poll say 59 percent say John McCain's running mate is not prepared to be vice president. Just 35 percent believe she is. Her negatives are nine points higher than the last time voters were asked that question.
And in these final days the McCain campaign is dismissing talk that Sarah Palin will be a scapegoat if John McCain loses the presidency.
CNN's Jim Acosta is following that story for us.
Beat that against all the stuff pretty hard, Jim.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Important to note the race is not over yet. It ain't over until it's over. But a third of those surveyed in that poll you just mentioned, John, say the vice presidential pick would be a major factor in their vote adding more fodder to one of the biggest debates of the campaign, the Palin pick.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice over): This week, Sarah Palin has generated plenty of heat, on the trail and inside the McCain campaign. Just days ago, unnamed McCain advisers told CNN Palin has gone rogue and diva on the campaign, that led some political analysts to start questioning whether Palin is being scapegoated by McCain camp insiders before the votes are even counted.
ROGER SIMON, POLITICO.COM: They seem to be saying, don't blame us, you know? Sarah Palin dragged the ticket down. It's -- I can't think of a precedent for this kind of attack by high-level senior aides in the last days of a presidential campaign.
ACOSTA: A spokesman for the GOP nominee acknowledges there were some stresses inside the campaign, but he insists the ticket is focused on winning, something McCain echoed on "LARRY KING."
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We get along fine. Sarah is a maverick. I'm a maverick. No one expected us to agree on everything.
ACOSTA: Even after a month marked by lavish wardrobe spending.
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not taking them with me.
ACOSTA: And botched interviews, including her bungled comment on the role of vice presidents.
PALIN: They're in charge of the United States Senate.
ACOSTA: Trying to blame Palin alone for sagging poll numbers may be a stretch.
SIMON: That just begs the question -- who chose this person? Well, it was John McCain, wasn't it?
ACOSTA: Ousted McCain adviser John Weaver describes the Arizona senator's campaign as bleak, but added, "I'm certainly not blaming Governor Palin for any of this."
Other conservatives note her fundraising prowess and point to those big rallies like this overflow crowd in Missouri as evidence of her common touch.
STEPHEN HAYES, THE WEEKLY STANDARD: They can look at her and say, she really is every mom. She's a class of Republicans and conservatives and women who have grown up and become almost protective of Sarah Palin and are offended when she's questioned or ridiculed the way she has been, I think, in the media.
ACOSTA: As Palin put it in Pennsylvania, the race isn't about her.
PALIN: It's all going to come down to a choice between two men -- Barack Obama and John McCain.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: The conservative Culture and Media Institute has released a study accusing the national news networks of, quote, "distorted coverage of Sarah Palin," arguing anti-Palin violence is driving up unfavorable views of the Alaska governor.
ROBERTS: Yes, you were saying off camera that this is going to be a subject that is investigated and a subject of poli-sci classes from here until (INAUDIBLE).
ACOSTA: Term papers will be written on this for years to come, John.
ROBERTS: Yes, All right. Jim Acosta for us this morning.
Jim, thanks so much.
ACOSTA: You bet.
ROBERTS: And this just in to CNN. John McCain will be taking a detour from the campaign trail this weekend to make an appearance on "Saturday Night Live." It's not his first time.
Back in 2002, he hit the "SNL" stage channeling Barbra Streisand in a performance that none of us could forget.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: (Singing) People, people who need people are the luckiest people the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: What he went on to say after that was if you think that's annoying, imagine how annoying it is when she tries to run the country so...
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: He wasn't that bad, actually. I don't know.
ROBERTS: He was terrible, are you kidding?
CHETRY: Oh come on.
ROBERTS: He was purposefully awful. He actually just put a lovely singing voice.
CHETRY: And I liked the CD cover, by the way.
ROBERTS: Yes.
CHETRY: Good choice.
ROBERTS: Excellent.
CHETRY: Superman.
Well, addicted to the election. Why the race for the White House has the whole country obsessed. How far would you go to get your campaign fix? Well, you're not alone.
Also the "Daily Show" calls them their senior black correspondent. Comedian Larry Wilmore is with us live. We're going to see what he says about the race in the White House. But is he serious? 36 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY WILMORE, "THE DAILY SHOW" CORRESPONDENT: McCain is the black man.
John, which one has been in prison? That's street credit. Married a rich white girl -- ain't mad at him. And last week, he pulled this.
MCCAIN: Tomorrow morning, I'll suspend my campaign.
WILMORE: Not showing up at work for two -- oh, my god. For two days? That is straight up ghetto, John.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: That's Larry Wilmore. He is the "Daily Show" senior black correspondent along there with host Jon Stewart. And Larry joins us now from the Los Angeles bureau with his take in the presidential campaign. By the way, he's also the author of the new book - "I'd Rather We Got Casinos and Other Black Thoughts," that's due out in February.
Good morning to you, Larry. It's good to talk to you.
WILMORE: Good morning. Thank you, John. Good to talk to you.
ROBERTS: So you know, there's a lot of talk about the polls being closer than they appear. You know we talked to people like former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina.
They're a little bit nervous about the outcome here. How are you feeling this morning?
WILMORE: Yes, I understand the nervousness. I was doing a panel recently with John Zogby and a reporter for the New York Times and they were saying that the people they talk to seem to be pretty genuine and seem that they were going to vote for the people they said they were going to vote for.
And my comment was that, well, that's pretty much how the Bradley effect works.
ROBERTS: Right.
WILMORE: You know? You're supposed to be overconfident right now. And then it just kicks in and kind of knocks you back. But I think Obama has a pretty good lead right now. Would be surprising if he did lose the election.
ROBERTS: Just to refresh people, Larry, the Bradley effect refers to Tom Bradley's 1982 run for the governorship there in California, went in to Election Day ahead in the polls and came out that he lost.
Do you think that there will be a Bradley effect this year? A lot of people have been talking about.
WILMORE: Well, a lot of people are concerned about it but they're also talking about the bandwagon effect.
ROBERTS: Right.
WILMORE: I don't know if you've heard about that where they say if it looks like Obama is the winner then a lot of people will start voting for him. But then -- then there's the bandwagon-Bradley effect where if enough white people see enough white people not voting for him, then they'll jump on that bandwagon.
So there's a whole bunch of effects we have to be worried about, John.
ROBERTS: Definitely. Well, let's talk about this effect. What effect do you think the first African-American president would have on this country? WILMORE: Well, for one thing, I think all of the stuff appointed to black leaders are going to be out of work because finally we'll have a black leader that's actually appointed and elected.
And we also saw how angry Jesse Jackson was on FOX News when -- I think he wanted to give Obama some kind of a surgical operation below the waist and so he -- you know it will be different for them. But for everybody else, I think it will be -- I think it will be pretty cool.
ROBERTS: You know not too long ago you did a segment again on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart." And what you were suggesting that now is not the time to have an African-American president and Jon asked you, well, what's the real reason behind it? And here's what you said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILMORE: I mean if Obama is president, things will go great. Maybe you won't need me anymore.
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW" HOST: No. Stop, Larry, please. No, Larry, come, no. I promise you, even if Obama is president and things go great, there will be plenty of racial strife for you to still cover.
WILMORE: You think so?
STEWART: I'm sure of it. A lot of hate out there.
WILMORE: Thanks, Jon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: But here's a question, Larry, I have for you. You know, most of the late-night comedy and comedy on "The Daily Show" has been aimed towards John McCain and Sarah Palin.
WILMORE: Right.
ROBERTS: Barack Obama has been Teflon in the comedy front. So if he were to win the presidency, will that spell the end of the political comedy?
WILMORE: I hope not. I'm hoping if Obama wins, he can keep McCain and Palin around just so we can have somebody really funny to make fun of. You know, I mean, McCain and Palin are -- are really funny. And by the way, this is not over yet.
McCain can certainly win this election, you know? And I think it would make Tina Fey really happy.
ROBERTS: Yes.
WILMORE: I think we just have to find what's really funny about Obama. Nobody has really found that yet. We have to really start looking for it.
ROBERTS: Well, we will count on people such as yourself to look for that.
Larry Wilmore, it's great to talk to you this morning. Thanks very much for being with us.
WILMORE: Thank you. Thanks. You, too, John.
ROBERTS: All right. Take care.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY (voice over): Accused of voter fraud.
STEVE KEST, ACORN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Even the general counsel of the RNC has acknowledged that he cannot cite a single example of an improper vote have been cast as a result of alleged voter registration fraud.
CHETRY: And now, setting the record straight.
You're watching the most news in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning.
Election Day just four days away and CNN is carefully watching allegations of voter registration fraud. In fact, our Carol Costello joins me now from Washington with a closer look at the claims about ACORN.
Hi, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran. You know, ACORN, a group committed to registering minorities has been under attack. But now it's fighting back.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice over): ACORN is trying to turn the tables on Republicans who charge it's not only guilty of voter fraud, but of trying to swing the election Obama's way.
KEST: Even the general counsel of the RNC has acknowledged that he cannot cite a single example of an improper vote have been cast as a result of alleged voter registration fraud.
COSTELLO: ACORN is trying to quiet what it calls hysteria, coming from conservative circles.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: It is these wackos from Bill Ayers to Jeremiah Wright working with ACORN, training young black kids to hate, hate, hate this country.
COSTELLO: Senator John McCain has also expressed concern about allegations surrounding ACORN.
MCCAIN: May be destroying the fabric of democracy.
COSTELLO: ACORN says that's not true. It's released this TV ad touting its mission to sign up minority voters and accusing Republicans of suppressing votes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell John McCain, not this time.
COSTELLO: ACORN acknowledges some workers have turned in questionable voter registration applications. Just this month, election officials in Lake County, Indiana told CNN of its ACORN problem.
RUTHANN HOAGLAND (R), LAKE COUNTY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR: 50 percent. We have close to 5,000 total from ACORN and so far, we have identified about 2100.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So roughly half of them...
HOAGLAND: Roughly half.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... are bad.
COSTELLO: Federal law requires organizations to turn in all completed forms, phony or not. ACORN says it's fired some of its employees for putting fake names on registration applications and some of its workers have been charged or convicted for what they did.
But former U.S. attorney David Iglesias says that does not include voter fraud.
DAVID IGLESIAS, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: This current scare makes me think a little bit about the red scare of the 1950s. This is the blue scare of the 21st century.
COSTELLO: Iglesias says Republican charges against ACORN sound awfully familiar. Back in 2006, he and eight other U.S. attorneys were improperly fired by the Bush administration for political reasons. Among them, according to Iglesias, his refusal to pursue voter fraud charges against organization like ACORN.
IGLESIAS: It's easy to make accusations. But ultimately, a prosecutor has to prove that case beyond a reasonable doubt in federal court.
COSTELLO: An elections expert Michael Waldman says phony registration forms does not mean that phony voters will actually cast a ballot.
MICHAEL WALDMAN, NYU ELECTION EXPERT: The key thing voters should know is that when someone registers under a fake name, that doesn't mean they can vote under a fake name. Mickey Mouse is not going to be able to vote without showing some I.D.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Now I just talked with the McCain camp. It continues to be concerned about ACORN saying at the very least ACORN is dumping thousands of phony voting registration names on election boards making it difficult for registration officials to determine what's a phony name and what's a real one. And that could pave the way for voter fraud at the polls.
It calls charges Republicans are trying to suppress the vote absurd and said ACORN should be shut down -- Kiran?
CHETRY: Also, your New Yorker election experts also said that they still have to show an I.D. at the polls, but most states don't require you to show your I.D. to vote, do they?
COSTELLO: That's true. But remember, ACORN is turning in voter registration application forms to elections board. Elections board check for irregularities, then it puts the voter on the final list, not ACORN. So if elections officials see the same guy registered 17 times, hopefully, they'll catch that and they'll catch Mickey Mouse for sure.
If that mean voter fraud could never ever occur? Of course not. But most experts say it is rare, but you heard the Republican response, they say that ACORN is dumping these thousands of phony names on registration officials and that's making it difficult for them to determine what's a phony name and what's not.
CHETRY: I got you. All right. Thanks so much, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
CHETRY: CNN also wants to help on election night. If you have concerns about possible irregularities in your state, we want to know about it. In fact, there's a toll free number, 1-877-GO-CNN-08. That's 1-877-462-6608.
ROBERTS: CNN NEWSROOM just minutes away now. Heidi Collins at the CNN center with a look of what's ahead.
Happy Halloween to you, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, thank you, sir.
ROBERTS: Look like you're in the spirit.
COLLINS: I do. I broke out the orange today or whatever this is. Thanks so much.
ROBERTS: Pumpkin colored.
COLLINS: Yes, that's right. We a lot more working on today, John. In fact, as everyone knows, candidates are making their final push, live coverage of their rallies plus a look at how they would protect us.
The cruelest month -- boy, October -- has a history of market meltdowns. But it's also seeing the beginning of bounce backs. So we'll talk about that.
And, this is no Teddy Bear but some TLC is helping him recover. Great story.
(INAUDIBLE) start at the top of the hour right here on CNN -- John?
ROBERTS: It's unbearably cute, Heidi.
COLLINS: That was good.
ROBERTS: Thanks so much for that.
Fifty-one and a half minutes after the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY (voice over): Tales of obsession.
CHRISTINE SCHNITZER, OBSESSION WITH ELECTION: That's when I go swimming because if I have my face in the water, then I can't watch any news or check my e-mail.
CHETRY: Political junkies looking for a fix. Will they go through withdrawal when all of the votes are in?
You're watching the most news in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Only four days now left until Election Day. While it's perfectly natural to be interested in this historic race, are you constantly tuned in to election coverage? Do you read every op-ed and blog on both sides? Are you election obsessed for -- our Miles O'Brien is here to tell you that if you are, you're certainly not alone.
Morning, Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, if you're watching us now and you're checking the polls on your BlackBerry, you, too, may be obsessed.
You know we've had big high stakes watershed elections before, but never have we had so much access to so much information in real time. It is the perfect recipe for obsession.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice over): It's like a two-year-long reality show. Soon we'll know the survivor. And while we may be over it, we really can't reach for the remote either.
DARYL LADEMAN, OBSESSION WITH ELECTION: I watch it like a Vegas bookie.
O'BRIEN: Daryl Lademan is a card-carrying member of the election-obsessed nation.
LADEMAN: I read all of the op-eds from both the right and the left. And I watch all of the battleground state polls.
O'BRIEN: Barb Dehn gives advice to the likes of Daryl at the Nurse Barb Web site.
BARB DEHN, NURSEBARB.COM: People want to have control over the uncontrollable.
O'BRIEN: The tidal wave of information is what sets this election apart.
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: You can look on the Internet, on various Web sites and look for the latest poll results every hour if you want. You couldn't do that 20 or 30 years ago, even four years ago.
O'BRIEN (on camera): And of course, four years ago, we didn't have a magic wall. How do we live without it? And this time around, the information goes in both directions. We ask our iReporters to send us dispatches on their election obsession.
Let's go to Colorado, Interstate 70 near the border there, Emily Richer.
EMILY RICHER, OBSESSED WITH ELECTION: I thought it was giving me a headache. But the truth is, now I'm having withdrawals. I might miss something.
O'BRIEN: Let's go to the other side of the country now, Virginia, Salem, Ralph Nester.
RALPH NESTER, OBSESSED WITH ELECTION: I've been standing in the middle of the woods videotaping myself, hiding myself from my wife so she don't know I'm doing it, yes, I'm pretty obsessed.
O'BRIEN: Back now to the other side of the country. Utah, we heard from Christine Schnitzer who does a lot of hiking and biking and yoga to relieve stress. But she's been watching the polls all the while. I asked her if it ever gets to be too much.
SCHNITZER: That's when I go swimming because if I have my face in the water, then I can't watch any news or check my e-mail.
O'BRIEN: And now to Pewaukee, Wisconsin where if you drive by the Harms household, there's no question they are election obsessed. That's what you'll see. And that got the gears turning for 14-year- old Chris. Listen to him. CHRIS HARMS, OBSESSED WITH ELECTION: I would like to run for president in 2036, I already have a Facebook group created for that and stuff.
O'BRIEN (voice over): You heard it here first, in the meantime, what would we do on Wednesday?
LADEMAN: We got to go cold turkey.
O'BRIEN: I wonder what else is on TV.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Of course, we will still be there and we still have that magic wall. And I'm cooking up some ways to use it for shuttle launches.
OK, maybe I'm the only one that's obsessed with that. I don't know.
ROBERTS: There's all kinds of things could you use it for. Doc Gupta could use it to go through MRIs, scans, CAT scans.
O'BRIEN: Good idea.
ROBERTS: CAT scans. Things like that.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
ROBERTS: He's actually done that once, so it's great.
O'BRIEN: Maybe we should solicit suggestions from our iReporters. What should we do with the magic wall?
ROBERTS: So while we're talking about technology and science here, what about the psychology of all of this? Why do people election obsessed?
O'BRIEN: Well, I was -- you know this is armchair psychology. But talk to some people who are experts on this. They say, essentially, this is big, it's important, and people feel as if it's out of their control. Of course, it's a big event.
And the more information he gathered gives you a sense of control.
ROBERTS: Yes, and the more you get, the more you want until it leads to that obsession.
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
ROBERTS: Miles...
O'BRIEN: Truly an addiction.
ROBERTS: Great look at that. Thanks so much. CHETRY: Well, we are feeding that habit, the Halloween treat for the election obsessed. We'll show it to you. You're watching the most news in morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, this election, there's only one equation that you need to remember, and that's CNN equals politic, not only on TV but online as well. And we want to show you right here, if you can check up my laptop, some of the cool ways that you can track the election right from your own laptop.
You go to CNNpolitics.com and you can check out many things. First, one of the cool things is tracking the race. It's our electoral map. It's an estimate of all of the states and which candidate may grab which state in the quest for 270 electoral votes. There's a look right now at the big map. And you can also do something really interesting which is to click on each state to go state by state and find out the latest polls of where the various states are leaning, who's up, who's down, especially in those key battleground states.
Another cool thing is called the forum. And this is a place where you can go and you can chat with other political junkies online. In fact, it's very interesting because you go, you can register a badge and then you can go and make comments on our page. And you can decide which of these forums you might want to join. Maybe the League of First Time Voters. Maybe you're the league of conservative voters. Maybe liberal or Independent voters.
So, a lot going on CNNpolitics.com. It's the place to be online this election season, with just four days to go.
ROBERTS: If you are election obsessed, like so many people are.
CHETRY: Yes. Well, thanks so much for joining us on this AMERICAN MORNING. Happy Halloween.
ROBERTS: Right now, here's CNN NEWSROOM, with Heidi Collins.
