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Obama in New Jersey to Tour Devastated Areas; Storm Could Complicate Election; Ground Game Could Win The Race; National Guard Evacuating Hoboken, N.J.; New York Stock Exchange Reopens; Saving Baby Emma; Auto Industry Could Decide Ohio Presidential Race

Aired October 31, 2012 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back TO CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Supestorm Sandy leaves a mark on the northeast. Homes devastated. Some lives ruined. And while people are searching for answers, others are simply looking for a way out to safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't know because there's nobody around. You don't know where to go. You're trying to get out of a window. You're up to your neck in water. It's freezing. The wind is blowing. I got a dog. I got my mother. You don't know what's going to happen. Really. You see your life pass.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And the clean-up has just begun. President Obama, he's going to be touring some of the damage in New Jersey. That is happening this hour. That is where we begin with the President in the disaster zone. The President arrived in Atlantic City just a short time ago. This hour he is touring the devastation along the Jersey shore with Governor Chris Christie. The Governor says the president's response to the storm has been "outstanding'"

Want to bring in our chief White House correspondent, Jessica Yellin, to talk a little about this. The Governor now saying that the storm recovery certainly trumps politics, but in reality, just six days away from the presidential election, how do you think this is either benefiting the President when he is able to take on a leadership position in this crisis, and how does it actually hurt him that he is not able to campaign?

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDNET: Suzanne, on the one hand, it's a great help to him because he can be in the role of Commander-in-Chief effectively using the resources of the federal government, and one of the centerpieces of his campaign has been that the federal government does serve a valuable role and while it should be reduced perhaps in its spending, it shouldn't be decimated. That's the argument he has been waging with Romney, arguing that Governor Romney wants to really, you know, in the campaign's terms, "decimate the role of the government". And so here you see FEMA out in the field, out doing its work, and that can bolster the President's argument when he does hit the campaign trail again tomorrow and he can make the case that this is government work, federal government at its best. Of course, it also shows his leadership qualities in play, and allows him to have that kind of a public role.

The way it hurts, not just that he's off the campaign trail, but we know so much of the Obama campaign is relying on getting out their early voters because many of their voters don't turn out on Election Day. They're periodic voters. So question, the big unknown is, do they lose in that category? Today they're exuding enormous confidence insisting that's not a concern for them. We'll see, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Jessica, real quickly here, talk a little bit about the tone, because both of them are going to be back on the campaign trail. Romney is already out campaigning in Florida today. The President, he is going to be making stops tomorrow in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Boulder, Colorado, and Vegas. What is the tone that both of these candidates are going to be striking in the days ahead in light of the storm?

YELLIN: I think it's a tricky issue. For example, today, I should mention that on Air Force in the gaggle, Jay Carney mentioned that the President called NYU Medical Center. You'll recall there, they lost their generator, and the President called to thank two doctors who helped bring 200 patients to safety during the storm and said this is the way Americans come together during a crisis.

I think you'll see both candidates trying to use examples of the storm to tout the greatness of America, the ways we are a community, to try to end their campaigns on a high note, while also trying to make some slight digs -- not slight -- digs at the others for the negative ads, for attacks in the closing days. And you can't expect the campaign to turn off just because there's been a storm, despite the loss of life. And we'll see what the President's tone is with Chris Christie coming up shortly. I'm sure they will avoid politics. It will be focused exclusively on the storm. Both men want that for various reasons, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Jessica.

Mitt Romney today urging his supporters to keep the victims of the storm in his thoughts and prayers. Romney, is he back on the campaign trail in Florida, as you know. A rally in Tampa earlier today. He told the audience, if you have an extra dollar or two, send them to the folks affected by the storm. He also reached out to voters struggling in the sluggish economy. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Think of all the single moms across America. All the single moms that are scrimping and saving in order to make sure they have a good meal on the table at the end of the day for their children. I think of the moms and dads who have two jobs right now, or one has a day job and one has a night job, they hardly see each other. And why? So they can buy the clothes for their kids that won't make their kids stand out at school.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Romney has two more stops in Florida today. One in Coral Gables next hour. Another one in Jacksonville. That is happening later this afternoon.

Now, to the clean-up and the recovery. The sheer disbelief that left behind from the superstorm called Sandy. Here's what people down in Jersey shore -- this is what they're dealing with. Just take a look at these pictures here. It is really unbelievable. The storm ravaging the entire coastline. The Governor's office says at least six people are dead in the aftermath.

In Long Branch and Pleasant Beach and Seaside Heights, the power is out. The storm knocked over trees, ripped down electric lines. As for rail service and bus service, all of that is suspended for now. The mayor of Seaside Heights was on CNN just a while ago.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL AKERS, SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY (via telephone): Just trying to get a semblance of what was. When are you looking at those pictures, what they thought of Seaside Heights before, it's not ever going to be the same. It will never be that old Seaside Heights. It's going to be different. We had our piers - we lost two piers. They're in the ocean.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Want to bring in Sandra Endo, who is live out of Atlantic City, New Jersey, to talk about what people are dealing with now. We have seen the devastation and destruction in these pictures. Sandra, is there a sense now from the people in that community that they begin the recovery, they begin the clean-up, or are they still in shock?

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I've seen a little bit of both, Suzanne. A lot of shock and tiredness and a sense of disbelief from a lot residents here in Atlantic City. And this is a scene a lot of people are returning to when they come back to their homes. They see debris strewn about, and you can just imagine how forceful these waves were. These boats were really tied down. They were outside of the water and they're just strewn about like somebody kicked over a bin of toy boats. They're just all over the place.

And here you can even see a portion of the dock. The dock is on the other side of these row of houses, so the marina's water basically came up, flooded this whole entire neighborhood, strewn boats around, and then picked up portions of the dock and they're just lying around in people's driveways. So clearly, you see how forceful the water was. You can kind of see still the waterline here in this home. It kind of soaked this entire wall. It was up to here, and that is why you see such devastation here in a lot of neighborhoods.

And clearly, a lot of people just don't know where to begin. A lot of people looking for help, looking for federal aid. We saw FEMA workers out surveying damage as well and clearly this is something the president is going to see for himself when he comes here to Atlantic City shortly, and he will be touring these areas of devastation with Democratic (sic) Governor Chris Christie. It will be interesting to see what they have to say, but clearly both men are putting politics aside for this devastation, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Sandra, where are the folks there? Where are people? Are they actually in shelters? Are they able to return to their homes?

ENDO: A lot of people are in shelters. We've also seen a lot of community members really trying to get back into these areas, but clearly these flooded areas are cordoned off. Police have really closed down a lot of these streets, and we've seen tensions run high here, Suzanne. A lot of angry neighbors trying to get back into their communities, but being stopped because it's just not safe. They have to really go through street by street, block by block, to see if these structures are safe enough for residents to go back in, to check on their homes and their belongings.

So a lot of displaced members here in these communities along these bayside areas, and it's going to take days if not weeks and months for people to come back in and start picking up the pieces.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Sandra. We know this is where the president will be touring with Republican Governor Chris Christie moments from now to get a real firsthand look at what is taking place and what is on the ground, the impact of that storm has had.

We also want you to weigh in on how the storm has actually affected your opinion of the candidates, if at all. CNN has partnered now with Facebook to create a new app. It is called "I'm Voting". So, first, it does ask you to commit to vote this election. We certainly hope you do. And then second, it shows you how your friends, your neighbors feel about a whole host of issues. Just go to my Facebook page, Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN. Click on the "I'm Voting" app.

Today you'll see the question: Has Superstorm Sandy changed your preference in presidential candidates? You can choose yes, I was impressed by Obama's leadership in his response to the storm or, you can choose yes, I was impressed by Romney's sensitivity to storm victims. Or no, I've made up my mind about the candidates. We're going to share your responses later in the hour.

Here's what's happening this hour. Uncovering the damage that is left in Sandy's wake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like, it was a surge. Within ten minutes the roads were completely covered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The aftermath. Plus, could Superstorm Sandy leave a super mark on the race to the White House?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) NEW JERSEY: So I don't give a damn about Election Day. It doesn't matter a lick to me at the moment. I've got much bigger fish to fry than that. So do the people of the state of New Jersey.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Will people affected by the storm actually remember to vote? And if they do, will they even have a place to vote?

Plus, we want to hear from the President who is now assessing the damage. CNN NEWSROOM continues.

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MALVEAUX: President Obama now has arrived in New Jersey, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Air Force One touching down there. You can see him with the Governor, Chris Christie. The two of them talking there on the tarmac and meeting other officials who have come to greet him.

The two of them are going to be touring some of the most devastated areas from Superstorm Sandy. Both of them putting partisan politics aside over the last couple of days, a really unified front between these two. The Governor praising the President for doing an outstanding job for keeping him informed, for the work that FEMA has done as well, for coordinating. These are two men who have talked several times during the last couple of days, and the President saying that he is keeping his phone available for Governor Christie and the other governors who have been faced with this monumental task.

There are boarding Marine One. The Marine One will take them exactly -- it will touch down to the site where it is that the damage is the worst to assess, to see firsthand there, but the President, again, boarding the smaller craft, as he typically does, to go to some of those damaged areas. The two of them will be taking off very shortly, they'll be touring the area. We're told it could be hours that they actually tour some of the worst hit places inside New Jersey.

But these two leaders working in a bipartisan way. The Governor putting aside politics. The president making sure that the Governors have what they need during these days and, of course, the weeks to come. All of this six days outside of the presidential election.

We're also going to go to Hoboken, New Jersey. We're just getting new tape in now and this is the National Guard that has arrived to this area bringing the kinds of supplies that people have been looking for.

You see a resident there with his dog and a couple of reporters who are asking him questions, trying to get a sense of how things have been for him. But you see the National Guard behind as they have started to unload some of the supplies from those supply trucks and they've arrived in an area that has been deeply impacted. Much of it under water.

We've also seen pictures of sand in the homes of the community there. But it looks like, at least on this block, that people are able to get around. A baby in the stroller. The guy with the -- with his dog and a lot of folks with backpacks who are reaching out to the National Guard. It looks like they are very curious in terms of what they're going to be able to receive, getting information, communication, supplies.

These are all things that residents are going to need. Still, many of these communities without power, without a real way of getting around and communicating. And so you can imagine the relief just to see some boots on the ground, the National Guard there, to help out and assist, to even answer questions if they've got questions about what is going to be taking place in the hours, the days and the weeks to come. These are the residents in Hoboken, New Jersey, hard hit by the Superstorm Sandy and the National Guard on the scene.

Polling places flooded, whole towns without power, voters are now more focused on fixing their homes, as you can imagine, than casting their ballots. We've been talking for months, right, about how every vote's going to count next Tuesday, but the aftermath of the superstorm could make it really rough for thousands along the East Coast to even get to the polls. We're joined by Joe Johns out of D.C.

Joe, we went through some of the logistical problems that this storm has caused for many states, particularly New Jersey, Virginia and New York. What do election officials -- what do they actually do now if these polling places are out of commission on Tuesday?

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's sort of a process if you think about it, Suzanne. The first thing they have to do is really poll the polling places, look around at all the counties and all the precincts and see where the problems really are. Then identify what the problems are.

So if say the polling place itself is out of commission, you've got to, perhaps, find a new polling place. If the machines are out of commission, either you find new machines or you go to paper ballots or you send your people to other places. You can change times, extend the times of day at other polling places so people can go there. A whole range and a variety of things that officials can do depending on the situation and, most importantly, Suzanne, depending on what the rules say.

Again and again, since Bush versus gore, we've come to understand that people who are handling elections have to follow the rules that were in place before the election began. So that's probably what they're going to be centered on, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Joe, this might be kind of a simple question here, but you say some of these places, they might go to paper ballots as opposed to some of those machines that we saw. Do they have to have power, do they have to have electricity to vote in a certain area?

JOHNS: Well, it just depends. You know, there are a lot of areas that actually use electronic machines that require electricity, but that doesn't mean all of them have to be plugged into the wall. There are some machines that actually run on batteries, so that's definitely a possibility. The issue of paper ballots certainly comes into play in a variety of states. There are some states out there, in fact some of the states that were hit, still do paper ballots. Notably Massachusetts and Connecticut. So -- in parts of Virginia as well. So there are, again, a variety of options, but it depends on the state and it depends on the county, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And many of those states that are affected by this storm are reliably Democratic. So the race very close. Already a lot of speculation the next president could actually win the electoral college, but lose the popular vote. Does this storm make this scenario even more likely?

JOHNS: Well, it all depends on what happens over the next several days. You know, certainly after the counties and the elections boards decide where the problems are, then they're going to look to solutions and try to get it fixed. Over in Pennsylvania certainly there's a potential for a problem there. And they've been working with the people to try to establish some paper balloting in the event the batteries on the machines run out because that's a state which we consider for the longest time to be a battleground state, but then it sort of moved into the Obama column. Now the question is whether it's going to become even closer due to the weather problems created at the polls, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Joe, final question. Does this mean there could potentially be a delay in finding out who the next president is?

JOHNS: Yes. Well, that's certainly possible. And as you know, a lot of people around the country have been planning for that eventuality just because of the closeness of the race. This certainly throws another wrench into the scenario. And we'll just have to see.

MALVEAUX: All right, Joe, it might get a lot messier. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Getting out the vote, never easy. But one presidential candidate has a machine turning out, churning out supporters across the country,.

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MALVEAUX: Want to give an update on the death toll from Superstorm Sandy. Earlier we told you it was 41 people who had died. Now we're getting new information. At least 50 people have perished from this storm in the United States.

The presidential election, just six days away, really coming down to the few remaining undecided voters, a handful of key battleground states. The outcome could come down to the ground game, right? That's the network of volunteers, the get out the vote efforts. Joining us to talk about that is Molly Ball. She is staff writer for "The Atlantic."

And you write about this in detail. It's a really interesting article.

MOLLY BALL, STAFF WRITER, "THE ATLANTIC": Thank you.

MALVEAUX: You've spent a lot of time on both the Romney and the Obama campaigns on the ground looking at the ground games. Give us a sense of what is the difference between these two.

BALL: Well, I visited field offices sort of unannounced. Dropped in, in a variety of different swing states to sort of just observe what was going on and what were the differences between them. And what you see is that, you know, this is something that Obama really built in 2008 and has kept building in 2012. And they really ramped up both the methods that they use in terms of targeting people and getting out the vote, and also just the sheer number of campaign offices. In some states there's over 100 campaign offices so they can reach everybody in their communities where they live.

Romney doesn't really have his own ground game, per say. He's relying on the Republican National Committee, which is advantageous in the sense that it allowed him to start building a ground game before he'd sewn up the nomination. They started building this in March. But I didn't see a lot of evidence that they have the same type of sort of rigorously standardized methods that the Democrats are using, and also not that sort of entrenched effort in a lot of these places that the Democrats have put so much time and money into.

MALVEAUX: So back in 2008, you had a chance to really see firsthand the Obama campaign and their ground game, and essentially it trounced John McCain's network. We're talking about contacts, volunteers, get out the vote machine.

Now, you bring up this point, and I thought it was interesting. You say he didn't really need all of that because there was enough voter enthusiasm and Bush fatigue to put him over the top anyway. But you make the point here that you say the ground game, a superior ground game from this president is absolutely critical. Why the difference this go-round?

BALL: Well, the political rule of thumb is that your ground game, your field organization, can get you probably about two points above what you're polling or above what you would otherwise get. This is going to be a very close election. A lot of polls are showing it tied nationally. Down to the wire in a lot of battleground states. You need those two points.

In 2008, when Obama really blew out McCain in a lot of battleground states, it was really sort of icing on the cake to have this superior organization. And there was even a political scientist who's done a study and found that Obama would have won that election anyway, even without this vast field organization. It probably just gave him some extra electoral votes as sort of a cushion back in 2008.

MALVEAUX: All right, and, Molly, you say that the Obama campaign has at least 800 offices around the country compared to Romney's 300 offices. And you note that the RNC's political director, Rick Wiley, he says that this is the Obama campaign's symbol of liberal big government mentality that the Obama campaign thinks if we put 100 offices in this state, we're going to win. But we take a smaller, smarter approach, he says, just like we do in government. Do you think he has a point?

BALL: Well, it's certainly possible that they are just running a more efficient operation, and this is their rationale for why they have so many fewer. I mean Obama has more than three times as many field offices in Ohio. More than twice as many in places like Virginia and Florida. And they maintain that when you are asking people to come out and make phone calls and do canvass, you can't expect them to drive for two hours in these really spread out places.

I was struck by the -- the RNC could very well be right. They say they're making a lot more voter contacts than they have in the past. You know, all of these metrics, those volunteer metric that they use. But I was struck by the fact that instead of trying to sort of compete with Obama on this metric, they were trying to spin it. So they are saying that this -- we didn't even try to have all -- as many locations as he has. We are running a different type of operation.

MALVEAUX: All right. We'll see if it pays off for either one of them. Molly Ball, thank you very much. Good to have you on.

Superstorm Sandy came and went leaving a trail of flooded roads and damaged homes. One of the areas hit the hardest besides New York City is Hoboken, New Jersey. I want you to take a look at the video here. People -- we're going to see how they are managing their lives, trying to put their lives back together in a report up next.

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MALVEAUX: In Hoboken, New Jersey, west of Manhattan, just across the Hudson River, the National Guard has started pumping out an estimated 500 million gallons of water that poured over the river banks. 20,000 of the city's 50,000 residents are reportedly stranded now by the flood.

I spoke yesterday with Hoboken's mayor, Dawn Zimmer. By last night, she was fighting battles on many fronts. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAWN ZIMMER, MAYOR OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY: Well, my major concern is all of the people that are still in their apartments without, you know, perhaps not with enough water, without enough food, with medical issues. We can't communicate with all of them. And also concerned about the health issues with the water. It's contaminated water. It's rainwater and raw sewage mixed together with oil all over the place. So it's really a health hazard and we don't want people walking out into the waters from their homes. So we want to try and start an evacuation tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Brian Todd is live.

And, Brian, has that evacuation begun, first of all? And, secondly, where you're standing, is it safe to be in that water?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First question first, Suzanne. Yes, the evacuation has begun. We're told that National Guard troops have been deployed over the last day or day and a half or so, just taking people out of these neighborhoods, people who were stranded at least temporarily in their apartments and brownstones here, taking them to other areas that are not quite as affected.

We have to say the water has receded. The water here was higher up. It was further up the street here. In front of me, there's no water on the street. Behind me, the water comes up to this gentleman's knees. There are a couple of city residents here trying to clear storm drains. That's the problem. Storm drains here backed up with the floods, with the surging of the Hudson River due to the storm. The water simply had nowhere to go. Came up the storm drain, ended up here. And the city of 50,000, thousands of stranded residents. They are getting some relief. National Guard trucks are coming through here every few minutes taking people to places that are a little bit higher and places where they can go and maybe areas near where their families are.

To answer your question, Suzanne, it's not really safe to be in the water here. It's very dirty. There's a lot of sewage and other material you don't even want to think about in here. These guys are taking a risk, but they're trying to help bring some relief here and clear some of the storm drains. It's not easy right now.

MALVEAUX: Brian, if are you walking around in boots, is that basically protecting you from a lot of that stuff that's in that water, that contaminated water?

TODD: Absolutely. You got to have duck boots or hip waders or other things like that to walk around here. It is really not safe to do it otherwise. You've got to have some protective gear at least up to your knees at this point.

MALVEAUX: Brian, we're glad to see you in that protective gear. Finally, how long do you think it's going to take? I talked to the mayor yesterday. She said half the city is under water. How long do you think it will take to pump the city dry? Did they give you any estimates at all?

TODD: No, no real estimate, Suzanne. I have to get out of the way here for a National Guard truck to come. So I'll do that as I'm talking to you. The water is receding. We can say that. It is going down on its own. And with people like this out here -- there's a guy being pulled on a boat. With people like this out here trying to clear some of the storm drains, it may clear maybe sooner than expected, but still it's going to be very slow. They say it'll take at least a couple of days for either the water to recede, for some of it to be cleared, or both.

MALVEAUX: Brian, seeing those trucks there, is that a common sight? Are you just arriving there? Is that something new that's going on around you?

TODD: Not new at all, Suzanne. This has been going on for at least about a day or so. A lot of high-clearance National Guard trucks. You can see these are trucks with large wheels. High-clearance trucks moving through the streets here, picking people up, combing through the streets, trying to see who is in need of being picked up and taken somewhere else.

MALVEAUX: Brian Todd, thanks. Doing an excellent job out there in Hoboken, New Jersey. Really appreciate it.

It was the first time since 1888 that the New York Stock Exchange closed for two days due to weather. Today, it is now open for trading.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

The writer's desktop and the coordinator's phone are working on a joke with local color. The secure cloud just received a revised intro from the strategist's tablet. And while I make my way into the venue, the candidate will be rehearsing off of his phone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A symbolic moment of triumph today, the New York Stock Exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(APPLAUSE)

(BELL RINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Mayor Michael Bloomberg stood to applause as he rang the opening bell. The New York Stock Exchange reopened after being shut down for two days because of Superstorm Sandy. You see the picture right here. Sand bags, actually protecting the entrance.

Alison Kosik is one of the first back on the floor.

Alison, tell us what it was like. The lights are on. Trading, how is it going? Any glitches?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Not that we can tell, no glitches. It's interesting, when I walked into the building this morning, just outside, all the traders were kind of using their phones because they don't have wireless inside the building. You can feel how nervous they were. They were very nervous about how things would go off. And what we can tell is there haven't been any glitches.

Look, there is a generator keeping the power running today. The lights are on because of the backup generator. You also have to remember we're in lower Manhattan, and it is the hardest-hit part of the city. But the thing is the markets are working. People are placing orders. Trades are going through. The floor, down below here, behind me, is bustling on pretty good volume despite the fact that not everybody can trade stocks because of the limited wireless and Internet capabilities right now -- Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: Alison, what did it take to get this building, as big and intricate as the New York Stock Exchange, up and running when you have the rest of lower Manhattan in the dark?

KOSIK: Exactly. This really was a huge effort to get the lights back on here at the stock exchange. There are a lot of electrical systems here. Every trading post is connected.

Now, the New York Stock Exchange says if it tried to open yesterday, it really would have been challenging, but the pressure was certainly on the NYSE to open, because, you know, this is also a huge confidence issue. The markets, they need to be open, you know, to show that New York is open for business.

Earlier today, I did speak with the chief operating officer here at the NYSE, Larry Leibowitz. He said while the NYSE thought about going to an all electric trading platform earlier, an electronic platform earlier in a week, the exchange didn't want to rush into it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY LEIBOWITZ, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE: We've seen a lot of technology problems over the last year or two. We've seen a lot of sort of jolting to the public confidence when the market isn't working the way it's supposed to. And I think between that and the fear of the risk for human, you know, loss of coming in and being either trapped here or away from their families, we all came down on the side of, let's not take the risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And Leibowitz told me it's not just the NYSE that was involved in the decision-making process of when to open the exchange. It was a collaborative decision with other exchanges. And he says, you know what, they'll probably go back and see what they can do differently in the future. But reality is the New York Stock Exchange is the one and only building with power downtown. So, hey, in that way, it's a success -- Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: Thank you, Alison. Good to see you.

It has become an iconic image of Superstorm Sandy's power. It is the huge construction crane in New York, partially collapsed by the storm's ferocious winds. It is dangling 90 stories in the air over West 57th Street. Now, the area surrounding the building, it has been evacuated. Officials now say that they are trying to secure the train -- the crane, rather, as soon as the fire department says that the conditions are safe enough.

When the storm hit, there were some hospitals in New York that were evacuated, and many patients were moved, including this two-pound little infant. How a team of doctors worked together to save her life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We are talking about the evacuation of NYU Langone Medical Center. 10 feet of water poured into the Manhattan hospital. The roof-top generators crashed. All 260 patients had to get out and fast.

Our Sanjay Gupta caught up with a family, one of those tiniest evacuees.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Monday, night this baby, 13-day-old Baby Martinez, a premie weighing just 2 pounds, suddenly need to be urgently transported from NYU Langone Hospital to Mount Sinai. Challenging under any conditions. And these were extraordinary ones.

At about 10:30 p.m., the CEO of Mount Sinai, Dr. Davis, got the call. Within an hour, the babies started arriving.

DR. KENNETH: DAVIS, CEO, MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL: It is frightening. It's about as challenging as you can get. And when you're dealing with tiny little babies who are so fragile, it really can be an extraordinary circumstance.

GUPTA (on camera): we're in front of NYU Medical Center. Mount Sinai is several blocks to the north over there and about four blocks to the west. And that's sort of the important point because just over there is the East River. What we now know is, 7:00 p. m, there was no water inside that hospital. At 7:45, there was 10 feet. The power started to go out and then the generators failed. And all of a sudden, the patients and the doctors found themselves in a worst-case scenario.

(voice-over): As for the parents of little Baby Martinez, they found out the hospital and their daughter would be evacuated when they watched Mayor Michael Bloomberg on TV. Shortly after, they lost power and they had no idea where their baby would be taken.

LUZ MARTINEZ, EMMA SOPHIA'S MOTHER: It was confirmed by family members calling on the phone because suddenly I lost outage in my apartment. We had no access to the TV. No access to the Internet. No phone services at home. It was just our cell.

GUPTA: Just imagine the desperation, the nightmare. Their 13-day-old baby rushed through the streets of New York City in the middle of Hurricane Sandy while they were stuck at home in New Jersey. All they could do is hope, pray and wait for word of where to find their newborn.

MARTINEZ: All the bridges were closed and we had no choice but to go back home and just sit and wait for today to get here and it was a very long night. Very, very, very long night. I haven't had even one hour of sleep.

GUPTA: Dr. Kenneth Davis, who we met earlier, is also the man that OKed the transfer. And now, for the first time, he will meet the baby he helped save.

DAVIS: You need a hug. Oh, my goodness.

MARTINEZ: Thank you so very much. DAVIS: It's so hard.

You're dad?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am.

DAVIS: Wow. It's going to be OK.

GUPTA (on camera): Do you have any names picked out?

MARTINEZ: Her name is Emma Sophia.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: What a beautiful story.

Back to our other major story this hour, the race for the White House. Early voting could make all the difference in the election, especially in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. The ground game, of course, is in, and the swing state of Ohio.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: When it comes to battleground states, Ohio may be the biggest battleground of all. Voters' views about the auto industry bailout could help decide the race there. Mitt Romney has been under fire for not supporting the government bailout and now he's fighting back with a new ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AD ANNOUNCER: Obama took G.M. and Chrysler into bankruptcy and sold Chrysler to Italians, who are going to build Jeeps in China.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Political contributor, John Avlon, is joining us from Youngstown, Ohio.

John, I understand that, first of all, there has been some pushback from the auto industry execs over the ad. But you've also been talking to lawmakers on both sides of this debate. How is this playing out?

JOHN AVLON, COLUMNIST, NEWSWEEK & CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Suzanne, it is fascinating because, as you know, the auto industry here is a political issue, it is a personal issue, it is a pocketbook issue. It is very much a central focus of the debate.

We have spoken to Senators on both Democrat and Republican sides of the aisle, Senator Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown, about this ad. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. SHERROD BROWN, (D), OHIO: I say it is the most disingenuous ad I've ever seen. They know better. They know the auto rescue worked. They understand that 800,000 Ohio are connected directly or indirectly to the auto rescue. And they know that Governor Romney and my opponent's opposition to the auto rescue hurts them at the polls so they're trying to crowd the issue, and it is pretty outrageous.

SEN. ROB PORTMAN, (R), OHIO: It is fair game to the extent it is reported in the media and that's all they have said was there had been a few reports this could happen. The bigger issue for me is what I talked about today, which is who has the best policies to be sure we can continue to manufacture here in America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AVLON: So, Suzanne, we should also say that the G.M. actually weighed in very unusually on this Romney ad, with a spokesman calling it the worst kind of cynical campaign politics. So there is some pushback from the industry about this very controversial ad.

MALVEAUX: And, John, big picture here, the latest poll showing us the President has a little bit, a slight edge in Ohio right now. But how much do you think this whole issue, this debate of the auto industry factors into those numbers?

AVLON: Well, it factors in in a couple of ways. First, it goes to the heart of the economy. The question of people feeling the economy may be improving slightly, places like Youngstown. But the question is, has it recovered fast enough, and would it do better under Mitt Romney?

The other issue is with this ad, whether this is a pattern of Mitt Romney on trying fast and loose with the facts. That's why the fact checker have had field day with this particular ad.

But here's what we know, Suzanne. This state couldn't be tighter. It is a ground-game fight, real emphasis on early voting by both campaigns. This thing is tight. And both campaigns are going all out to win Ohio.

MALVEAUX: The people you talked to in Ohio, what do they make of this? Do they think this is a very relevant issue to them?

AVLON: Absolutely. It is an economic issue. It is an issue of the region's recovery. It is extraordinary because Chrysler's profits are up 80 percent.

But Ohio, especially this part of Ohio we're in, northeastern Ohio, has seen manufacturing leave the state for decades. All of a sudden, it is starting to comeback. So there is a sense of optimism. This is the first time in recent memory that Ohio's unemployment rate is lower than the nation's.

But no Republican has ever been elected without winning Ohio. That's why the Romney camp, deeply investing. Voters here, they feel the ads, they're frustrated with the negativity, and they're really paying attention to the economy and trying to figure out which candidate can help lead them further in recovery in the next four years.

MALVEAUX: All right, thank you, John. Good to see you as always.

The election may be the last thing on people's minds along the northeast coast. That is where they are still uncovering all the damage left after Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on people's lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R), GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY: You know, when you're in a crisis, you don't stop and ask your fellow New Jerseyan, your first responder, you don't ask if they're a Republican or Democrat, how they choose to pray to their God. You just pull together and do what's necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Thousands of you are clicking on our "I'm Voting" app, a partnership between Facebook and CNN. First, the app asks you to commit to vote this election. We would like you to do that. Second, it shows you how your friends, neighbors feel about a lot of issues this election.

So, today, thousands of you downloaded "I'm Voting" app on my Facebook page, answered this question, has Superstorm Sandy changed your preference in presidential candidates?

Here is how your votes turned out so far. You can see the pie chart. Check it out right there. About 50 percent of you said. yes, it has changed your preference and that you were impressed by Obama's response to the storm. About 7 percent of you said, yes, you were impressed by Romney's sensitivity to storm victims. And 43 percent said of you, no, I made up my mind about the candidates.

It's not meant to be a reflection of the entire country's feelings, of course, on the issue. Just a way to see how you stack up against other CNN and Facebook users.

Wendy writes, "No one should make any voting decisions based on the storm. This is about humanity, not politics."

Johnny says, "I was on the fence on voting until now. Will vote early with my wife and kids and vote President Obama. He has shown how a president should be in a national emergency, like Hurricane Sandy."

And Valorie writes, "I believe Mitt Romney would have helped the victims, even if he wasn't running for office. He's a caring man and his past charitable contributions and acts of kindness prove it. He's the only wise choice for president."

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Anderson Cooper.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Suzanne, thanks very much. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Anderson Cooper. This is CNN special coverage of Superstorm Sandy, the devastation, the rescues, the early efforts to recover and, most importantly, to rebuild.

I'm live in New York City from a balcony of the Time Warner Center. Just over my shoulder, the collapsed crane still dangling over 57th Street. The entire area is still blocked off. The storm has now claimed at least 50 lives in the U.S. and one in Canada, a woman who was hit by storm-tossed debris. Damage is expected to run into tens of billions of dollars.