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Obama and Romney in Swing States; Staten Island Calls for Help; Jobs Report is Out; Romney speaks in Wisconsin; Mitt Romney Stumps in Wisconsin; Everyone Paying Attention to Ohio; Mother Says Neighbor Could Have Saved Sons

Aired November 02, 2012 - 11:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Governor Romney has been running an ad that says so.

Except, it's not true. Everybody knows that it's not true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hard-fought state of Ohio, the president on his campaign tour today in Hilliard, Ohio, fighting for those electoral votes that both he and his competitor so, so fiercely want to win.

That is the state to win. As you know, it is all about Ohio, Ohio, Ohio, but for Governor Romney, today, he is not going to be ignoring that state either. He is going to be speaking in Ohio, as well as Wisconsin.

And we are live in your box below your screen there to the right of me, the pre-game warm-up for Governor Romney in West Allis, Wisconsin, is under way and we're keeping a live eye on that for you because we're going to show the governor's speech just as soon as he gets under way in Wisconsin then he's going to headed to Ohio.

So, a very busy day for both of these candidates. We are just four days away from this national election and we all know that that is critical and we all know that today's jobs report is also critical.

A brand new number gives both campaigns a whole lot to talk about and we do plan to talk about it, too. We will.

But, my God, have you seen Staten Island today? Talk about a battleground. This is gut-wrenching.

The struggle for mere survival is playing out in a New York borough of this country's largest city. Three-and-a-half days after the onslaught of Superstorm Sandy, the extent of the devastation in Staten Island, the desperation there, is only now just coming into focus.

Take for instance the death toll alone, at least 19 people. That's almost half the total for the entire toll for New York City. There is no light. There is no heat. There is no power. Food now has been running short. Fear has been running high. Just listen to this woman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONNA SOLLI, RESIDENT: We're going to die if we get killed with the weather. We're going to die. We're going to the freeze. We've got 90-year-old people. We are going to die. You don't understand. You've got to get your trucks here on this corner, now.

SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: We are trying to get to you ...

SOLLI: This is three days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: The man to whom Donna Solli was pouring out her heart was New York's senior senator, Charles Schumer, who was on a tour of Staten Island.

And, even for those of us who live in the New York area, the death and the destruction unleashed by Sandy and the pain and the fear of the recovery process are really difficult to completely comprehend.

Just take, for instance all of the people working behind me who are coming to work and seeing this as they pass by, no gas. People lining up everywhere with jerry cans, if they're not sitting in their cars for several hours, waiting to just get a drop of gas from a pump that might actually have power because many of the fuel pumps don't have power, so there are gas shortages.

And there are food shortages in a place like New York City where almost every corner, you can get something to eat or you can buy something in a convenient store. At least there's water on some shelves, but you can barely get a bagel in many places.

Sandbagging, all of these things still part of the issue with the flooding. It's still a problem. Batteries, water, matches, candles, all of these things that you may take for granted, many people in this area surrounding New York can't take a shower. They can't flush their toilet. They can't even open their faucets to get a drink.

And then watch this, just getting water out of the street corner. It's remarkable. Many people being told, boil it. Whatever you do, boil it.

And on the streets of New York City and in the surrounding communities, traffic gridlock. The problem is there's no power to the traffic lights, so even if you are in the city, if you're outside the city, it is pretty much dark even when it's light out.

Brian Todd joins me now from Staten Island. And I also want to add before I get to you, Brian, there was a report out today that now five people have died because of CO2 poisoning, just trying to heat themselves with generators and maybe not positioning them the right way. The COo2 poisoning has now claimed five lives.

I wanted to get to you right away, Brian, because not many people knew how bad the situation was in Staten Island until these pictures started rolling in. What's it like there now?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ashleigh, it's still pretty much a scene of devastation. This neighborhood is getting some relief now. There are National Guard troops on the street all around me.

Some are coming down the street now and our photojournalist, Chris Turner, can kind of pan over, show you some of the activity here. People are walking around.

They are starting to pick up the pieces. They are starting to get some help, but it still is a huge sense among many people in this neighborhood of just being overwhelmed.

Food is scarce here, although some food has been brought in. Much of that food has been brought in from neighborhood organizations and restaurants, local community members who live outside the area affected and brought in food and clothing.

But we have to say that since some of the initial complaints FEMA has arrived on the ground in some presence here. The Red Cross have set up not too far away from here.

There have been city bulldozers, city sanitation trucks, dump trucks. There's one coming down the street now. They're all buzzing around here now, clearing debris from the streets. Here comes one.

But even with all of this activity going on, still just devastation and still it looks like a war zone. This is the St. George Malankara Orthodox Church, basement completely flooded out. One official here told me at least $100,000 worth of damage. They have had to just basically toss out everything that was in the basement that they used to feed people on Sundays.

Chairs, they've got an oven and stove set over here. They've got a refrigerator here that had to be tossed out. Just all of this debris, they have had to clear out. They don't know if they're going to be able to salvage much of that basement.

So, that just gives you a feel of the sense of devastation here, Ashleigh. And, you know, people here are just kind of doing what they can to pick up and move on, but it's very slow process.

BANFIELD: And the question -- slow process? That's exactly the question. As we look at the pictures to the right of you on the screen, it would seem as though that Staten Island would have been in the same predicament that all these other communities were in and that was dire straits, needing help right away.

And yet three days later, you know, there was Donna Sollis complaining that she felt she was going to die and that they were freezing overnight. Is it that Staten Island was just isolated because of the bridges, that no one could get to them right away and that images like this played out without people really knowing much about it?

TODD: Well, Staten Island certainly was isolated in some measure. And I think the picture isn't quite clear about how it got so isolated and why it took at least a couple of days for some relief to get to these people after the storm.

Ashleigh, I can tell you I'm not sure about the bridges, but I know that traveling to Staten Island has been very difficult. Roads have been closed. Traffic has been just incredibly snarled in trying to move around. There have been trees down on roads. You know, long lines for gas have really complicated things.

So, we know that logistically getting the relief supplies here, getting agencies on the ground has been difficult, but you know what? We got here. It hasn't been impossible. You can get here and, you know, people here just have a sense that they were almost ignored for a couple of days and I think we're just starting to maybe ascertain some answers here.

BANFIELD: Can you tell me -- so, what about the marathon because there's been a lot of talk about the mayor wanting the New York City marathon to go as planned this Sunday, but it starts on Staten Island and I've been hearing that there are a lot of people where you are standing who are none too happy that there is a marathon playing out while they're still waiting to get rescued.

TODD: Yeah. About every five minutes -- and let me let this bulldozer pass -- about every five minutes we do hear from someone. Sorry about that. It's a fluid situation on this street, obviously.

About every five minutes, we hear from somebody who's pretty upset that the marathon is going to take place and, by the way, it starts only a few miles from here at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. And there are people just a few miles away in this neighborhood who are just irate that they are going ahead with this.

Now, I know that the mayor has been quoted as saying that the marathon is not going to divert any resources from people here and other people in the city who need them, but, you know, I think just the timing of it and the fact that it's almost a sense that this is business as usual going on while you see scenes like this just a few miles away. That's what kind of gets at people, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Oh, Brian, it's just such a mess. Thank you for getting there and for bringing light to Staten Island which, up until now, not many people had known about and now you do. Brian Todd reporting for us.

CNN.com/impact, by the way, if you want the help out. Clearly, you can see the people of Staten Island need as much help as they can get and that's not even, you know, beginning with the Jersey Shore and then those on Long Island who are also hit, as well. So, that's critical. I want to also remind you there is still big news with the election and with the jobs report, so we're keeping an eye, as well, on West Allis, Wisconsin, where Governor Romney has amassed a very large group for a rally that is set to get under way any moment now.

You see the sign in the front. It says, "Jobs," and there's a reason it says "jobs." There was a jobs report today. We're going to give you the breakdown of what it meant, what was the significance of this last jobs report before Tuesday's election and you're going to hear from Mitt Romney in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: So, there is other big news this morning, news of the last monthly jobs report released before Americans go to the polls on Tuesday. One-hundred-seventy-one-thousand jobs were added in the month of October, beating expectations.

That is the good news, but the bad news is the jobless rate ticked up a tenth of a point from 7.8 in September to 7.9 now.

It is a report that comes as the Northeast continues to endure hardship in the aftermath of Sandy and, with only four days until the presidential election, both the storm and the jobs report could have a big impact on who takes the White House.

I'm joined by CNN's business correspondent Christine Romans and you had a great analogy as to why this jobs report, this one in particular, is so important.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This is the last little ingredient left to make the cake. Now, you bake the cake. You've got all of this information.

It's the last big economic report before you're going to decide who to vote for as president of the United States. It is the last sort of piece of material they can take out on the campaign trail.

BANFIELD: Why can they both claim good news (INAUDIBLE)?

ROMANS: Well, look, you've got a 171,000 jobs created, but a 7.9 percent unemployment rate. That is still too high, ticking up, I might add, because more people are moving into the labor market. They're trying to get a job.

BANFIELD: And we actually have some revisions for September's and August's numbers, as well, that aren't bad.

ROMANS: They were better. Right. September, 148,000 jobs, August, 192,000 jobs, you want to see more than this, but this is moving in the right direction.

BANFIELD: Those are actually what? Somewhere around 30,000, 40,000, 50,000 more ...

ROMANS: Right. BANFIELD: ... than were reported those months and that's not unusual to have revisions.

ROMANS: It's not unusual to have revisions and now, when you look at the averages which is what I like to do, 157,000 jobs created on average every month which would just barely keep you up with population growth, barely keep -- treading water is what I would say that the labor market is doing.

BANFIELD: So, we talk about this jobs report as something we also call the employment report, but we also have the underemployment story.

ROMANS: You know, sometimes you hear people call this the real unemployment, Ashleigh, and you've heard Mitt Romney, Governor Romney, talk about this on the campaign trail and I suspect he might talk about this momentarily when he speaks about the economy.

The underemployment rate is 14.6 percent. It ticked down just a little bit, but that is obviously much higher that the advertised jobless rate.

What is the underemployed rate, Ash? It is unemployed workers, it is discouraged workers, it is people who we call marginally attached to the labor force. They want to be working, but they're not working.

They haven't really been looking, but they would look if they thought they had a prospect and those people who have a part-time job but want to work full time, but they took a part time job because it is all they had.

BANFIELD: So, they've stopped looking, essentially, for the full-time job and then they're not counted in those numbers anymore, right?

ROMANS: Well, they are still counted in those numbers, but you look overall, underemployed, the part-time workers, the discouraged workers, the people who are like ready to get back in, but can't. Fourteen-point-six percent, that number's still too high.

BANFIELD: I wanted to ask you about swing states, but I've got to -- I have to move on to Ali Velshi because he is on a bus and that thing keeps on rolling.

ROMANS: And he's in a swing state, actually. Ask him about swing states.

BANFIELD: I'll ask Ali Velshi about swing states.

Christine Romans, thanks very much.

So, let me bring in Ali Velshi now who is on the CNN Election Express in Toledo, Ohio.

OK, listen, Ali, I know that you can call the jobs gains for August and September and now October, quote, "in the vicinity of strong," but strong enough to kick the recovery into third gear or strong enough for Mitt Romney to have some good ammo in these next few campaign stops?

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, I'm always worried to opine on these things because then everybody goes nuts about who you're opining for.

I'm not opining for anybody. I've had the same view on jobs and job growth forever. Number one, we should pay less attention to the unemployment rate than we should to jobs gained and how much people earn and how many hours they work and what type of jobs they get.

And, number two, we look at trend, right? I would love there to be 250,000 jobs a month created. That is not what you are going to get out of the economy that we came out of.

So, generally speaking, I think this is an advantage Obama, because he has had job growth since he's come into office with the exception of a few months, but, you know, if I were working for the Romney campaign, I'd say, really, 7.9 percent unemployment, and job growth that is not anywhere close to what you are saying it is going to be over the next four years? How should we -- why should we listen to you about that when you haven't done it in this period of time?

And then there's the issue of the quality of jobs. President Obama gets to say that he has replaced and more every single job that was lost on his watch because of a recession that he didn't recreate, but presidential candidate Romney says, it's not enough. These are not great quality of jobs.

So, I said earlier today that the revisions to August and September and then the new number for October, 171,000, is in the vicinity of good job creation. Plus-200,000 a month would be good job creation. In August, we got 192,000, went down a little bit in September and now we've got 171,000.

That's in the vicinity of good job creation. It means we're going in the right direction, but I dare say that this will be spun by both sides into whatever they want to make of it.

BANFIELD: Well, let's let the spinning begin, shall we, Mr. Velshi? I've got some of it right here. I'd like to read for you Mitt Romney's immediate campaign reaction to the jobs numbers and that came out a short time ago.

He says, in part, "Today's increase in the unemployment rate is a sad reminder that the economy is at a virtual standstill. When I'm president, I'm going to make real changes that lead to a real recovery."

And, of course, the president who is also campaigning today had reaction. In fact, we just had reaction the last hour where he was campaigning near Columbus, Ohio, just downstate from you. Let me actually play a quick sound bite that we've been able to turn of how he reacted to it. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: And today, our businesses have created nearly 5.5 million new jobs and this morning we learned that companies hired more workers in October than at any time in the last eight months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: So, Ali, being that you're in Ohio and it is perhaps the most critical swing state, I asked Christine about the swing states, but I didn't have enough time for an answer.

You give me the answer. How are people in Ohio reacting to these numbers because their jobs are awfully good.

VELSHI: Generally speaking, always choose Christine over me, but in Ohio, the unemployment -- this has been a place that's been very troubled, Ashleigh, for years, for decades.

They had steel. It was the biggest -- second biggest steel producer after Pittsburgh. Then they had autos and autos really started taking a hit in about 2005.

Unemployment now is lower than the national average in Ohio, in the Rust Belt. Now, there are a lot of things going on here. There's natural gas. The auto industry is back. I'm in Toledo where there's a Jeep plant. I was in Youngstown where the big Lordstown G.M. plant exists.

But look at those swing states, Florida, Ohio and Virginia. Florida's unemployment rate is higher than the national average, but Virginia and Ohio are lower and around here people are feeling good. They're feeling like it's on an upswing.

I'm in Toledo. This place has a great deal of vacancy in those downtown buildings, but they're coming back. The question, Ashleigh, is who do you credit? This has -- this state has a Republican governor, like Florida, like Virginia, like Wisconsin, a Republican governor.

Who do you credit for this? Most people I'm talking to here are showing what our polls are showing. There's a slight edge for Obama here. The question is now, who goes out to vote and what happens to those undecideds and there are still some in Ohio. They're hard to find, but there are still some.

BANFIELD: Since you mentioned the slight edge, Ali, I'll let our viewers actually know where we stand right now in Ohio. And thank you. I know you need to get back on the bus and continue the tour. We do appreciate you doing that.

Ali Velshi, live for us in Ohio. Thank you.

Of course, Ohio is the king of the battleground states. No offense, Florida, we do love you, as well.

But I want to let everyone know about a brand-new Buckeye State presidential poll that's going to kick off at about 4:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

In the meantime for much more on the October jobs report, we have a plethora of information for you at CNNMoney.com.

And we'll be right back with a whole lot more on the election and Mitt Romney's live appearance coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: We mentioned that speedy condemnation of the October jobs report from Team Romney and, at any second, the candidate, himself, is due to give what is being called a closing argument in his running mate's home state of Wisconsin.

We have been watching the live mike and he is not at it yet, but Jim Acosta has got his mike up and he joins me from the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis with a preview.

So, Jim, I'm a big fan of the courtroom and closing arguments means it's over, but this is not the last time we're going to be hearing from Governor Romney before Tuesday, so why closing argument?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Ashleigh, and I think what we are seeing today is really two closing arguments, the real contrast in the race unfolding out at these events.

President Obama was talking about the jobs report that came out earlier this morning, describing that as what he called "real progress." Well, in a few moments, you're going to hear the GOP nominee, Mitt Romney, come out to talk about what he wants to deliver for this country, and he is calling that a real change.

This is not only his closing argument that we're going to be hearing this morning, Ashleigh, but we're also going to hear Mitt Romney talk about that jobs report. He released a statement earlier this morning, as you know.

He described the jobs report as proof that the economy is at a standstill and he's released some excerpts from his speech that he will be delivering in just a few moments. He is expected to say, quote, "Words are cheap. A record is real and earned with effort."

And, so, I think we're going to be hear that message from Mitt Romney in just a few moments from now.

And you mentioned Wisconsin, the home state of his running mate Paul Ryan. It is also state where a lot of Republicans are energized. They ...

BANFIELD: Let me jump in for a minute, Jim. Over your shoulder, the Republican governor, Scott Walker, who was introducing Mitt Romney actually just gave the roaring crowd what they wanted and that was Mitt Romney who has just come out the greet some of his supporters who are behind him and he'll take to the lectern any moment

And, again, let's remind our viewers that there is a very large sign at the front of that auditorium that says, "Jobs," so you can bet your bottom dollar just as my colleague and our colleague, Christine Romans mentioned, he will be talking about that jobs report when he gets a chance to address the crowd, so let's listen in.

(BEGIN LIVE FEED)

MITT ROMNEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: You guys are amazing. Thank you so much. What a welcome. Thank you. That is a very generous welcome. Thank you.

Thank you so much. You got that one right, by the way. You got that absolutely right, four more days.

This is a -- wow -- a great experience to be here with you today. This is so exciting. What a great state, what a great welcome and, by the way, this state is going to help me to become the next president of the United States.

I want to thank Governor Walker for that extraordinary introduction. What a great governor you have, you're very lucky. I know that took some work.

Senator Johnson, thank you, Senator Johnson, for your help and also, Lieutenant Governor Kleefisch, thank you for her help. And the former governor and future United States Senator, Tommy Thompson, thank you, Tommy.

Chairman Reince Priebus, a hometown guy, and Hall of Famer Bart Starr, thank you very much. Thank you.

Old friends here, too, Anne Wall. It was kind of her to speak here. My son is also joining us and my youngest son. He's been campaigning. My boys have been campaigning all over the country. This has been a family affair for us and their support means a lot to me and yours and the work you have done. The contacts made in Wisconsin over the last months have just blown everybody away and I want to thank you for the work you are doing that is going to help us get this victory.

Now, our thoughts today also turn to the people in the country that are still recovering in many cases from the hurricane that hit the Atlantic coast. A lot of people are having tough times and I hope you will keep them in your thoughts and prayers and, if you have an extra dollar or more, you can send it to the American Red Cross or to the Salvation Army or other relief organizations to help fellow Americans.

We are a nation of generous hearts and those hearts are called upon in a time of crisis like this.

I want to thank --- I want to thank you for all that you have done and all that you're going to do in the next four days. And I want to tell you how much I appreciate being in the home of the next vice president of the United States.

You know, next to Ann Romney, Paul Ryan is the best choice I've ever made, I've got to tell you. Now, we're just entering the final weekend of the campaign and, as you know, at the Obama rallies, they're shouting, "four more years, four more years," and I just heard you. We're shouting , "Four more days," all right?

We are so grateful to you and frankly people across the country for all that you have done and they have done to give yourselves to the campaign. As you though, this is not about just Paul and me, but this is about America, and it is about the future that we will leave to our children. We thank you. We ask you to stay at it all of the way to the finish line, because we are going to win on Tuesday night.

You know, the closing hours of a campaign have a dynamic all their own. A lot of voters have known for some time who they were going to vote for, but there are others who are just now putting aside the demands of the daily life and considering how their vote will affect their own life, the life of their children and, of course, the course of the country that we love. We ask them, and you, to look beyond the speeches and the attacks and the ads. Look to the record, to the accomplishments and the failures and the judgments. Words are cheap. A record is real and it is earned with real effort.

Real change is not measured in words. Real change is measured in achievement. Four years ago Candidate Obama promised the do so very much, but he has fallen so very short. He promised to be a post- partisan president.

But he became the most partisan, and blaming and attacking and dividing. He said he would to focus on jobs and instead, he killed jobs.

He said he would lower the deficit, but then he doubled it. He said he would lower the unemployment rate and today, we learned it is 7.9 percent, and that is nine million jobs short of what he promised. Unemployment is higher today than when Barack Obama took office. Think of that. Unemployment is higher today than the day Barack Obama took office. He promised to save Social Security and Medicare from insolvency, and he didn't. Rather he raided $716 billion from Medicare to pay for the Obama devoted Obama-care.

He said he would lower health care insurance premiums for the average family by $2,500 a year by each other, and by now they are $3,000 higher for an average family. And gasoline, the American family now pays $2,000 a year more for gasoline than when he was elected. Of course, he also said he would work across the aisle on the most important issues.

Listen to this he has not met on the economy or the budget or on jobs with either of the Republican leader of the House or the Senate since July. Instead of bridging the divide, he's made it wider.

Now how is it that he has fallen so short of what he promised? In part, it is because he never led before. He'd never worked across the aisle before, and he never truly understood how jobs are created in the economy. And today, he is of course making new promises, promises he will be unable to keep. Because he admits that he will stay on the same path he is on, and the same course we have been on will not lead to a better destination.

And you know this. The same path we are on means $20 trillion in debt in four years. It means crippling unemployment continues. It means stagnant take-home pay, and devastated military and depressed home values. Unless we change course, we may well be looking at another recession.

The question of the election comes down to this -- do you want more of the same, or do you want real change? We bring real change.

Candidate Obama promised change, but he could not deliver it. I promise change, but I have a record of achieving it.

I built a business. I turned around another. I helped put an Olympics back on track. With a Democrat-led legislature, I helped to turn my state from deficit to surplus, from job losses to job gains and higher taxes to higher take-home pay. That's change.

This is why I'm running for president. I know how the change the course of the country is on and how to get us to a balanced budget and how the build jobs and help raise take-home pay. Accomplishing real change is something that I don't just talk about. It is something that I have done. It is what I am going to do when I'm president of the United States with your help.

So, the people across America, if you believe we can do better, and if you believe that America should be on a better course, and if you are tired of being tired, then I ask you to vote for real change. Paul Ryan and I will bring real change to America from day one.

Now I know that when I am elected the economy and the American job market will be stagnant, but I won't waste any time complaining about my predecessor.

I won't spend my effort trying to pass partisan legislation that is unrelated to economic growth. From day one, I will go the work to help Americans get back to work. People across the country are responding to our five-part plan to create jobs. Part one, as you know, taking full advantage of the energy resources.

On day one, on day one, I will act to increase the number of leases and permits to drill on federal lands.

I will act to speed the approval of the Keystone Pipeline from Canada.

I'll revisit coal regulations that were designed by the administration to strangle the industry and, instead, make sure that we can use the resources that we have in a clean and responsible way.

You see, on day one, we will be closer to North American energy independence.

Now, second, I'm going to move to boost trade, especially with Latin America. I will ask Congress for trade promotion authority. And that is a power that every president has used or requested since it was requested in 1974, oh, except President Obama. I will finally designate China as the currency manipulator. It is time to get trade to work for America.

(END LIVE FEED)

BANFIELD: And you have been listening to Governor Romney's live campaign speech in West Allis, Wisconsin. Wisconsin is of course the home of his vice presidential running mate, Paul Ryan. One of the things that he was driving home and you can expect to hear for the next four days before election day is the unemployment rate and one of the talking points is that he got out of the speech that unemployment is higher today than when the president took office, and he can say that, because today there was and up tic from 7.8 percent to 7.9 percent and when President Obama took office, it was 7.8 percent. The numbers while beating expectations are sluggish at 171,000 jobs.

By the way, you can continue to watch the governor's live watch at CNN.com, and we will keep streaming all of the speeches live. We have so much news to get in as well.

I want to show you one thing that is critical with regard to Wisconsin, because that is where the governor is today. He is also going to hit up Ohio, but we have a couple of polls for you in Wisconsin and show that it is an uphill battle for the governor. If you look at the NBC/"Wall Street Journal"/Maris poll. But if you look at the law school poll, it is 58 percent to 41 percent. President Obama has a three-point lead in that state.

Here's something you'll really appreciate today. Both Governor Romney and President Romney took time out of their schedules to write op-eds for CNN.com. So if you're still up in the air, if you still don't know what you'll do on Tuesday, there for you on CNN.com, both of these gentlemen going live today with the op-eds on our web site. I highly encourage you to go the CNN.com and read both of the candidates' op-eds and you will be enlightened in some way or another.

We are right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Just four days, yes, and repeat it enough, four days to go to the polls, and that is four days to reach the reachable and sway the swayable for the candidates who want your vote. You have heard it for months. You have four more days to hear it. Ohio, you have 18 electoral votes, and it is critical. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney want all of the 18 electoral votes, and while governor Mitt Romney made the closing argument speech from Wisconsin, he is going to be heading back to the Buckeye State tonight where he will kick off the cross country tour before the big day on Tuesday. For the president's part, it is all about the ground game. Get out and vote will be the message in three critical cities that are on your map. Lima, Hilliard and West Chester in particular.

And Hilliard is where he spoke moments ago. Have a listen to what he said before this rousing crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: By the way, I think that you may have noticed that everybody is paying a lot of attention to Ohio.

(CHEERING)

OBAMA: And rightfully so.

(SHOUTING)

OBAMA: This is a choice not just with between two candidates or two parties, but it is a choice between two fundamentally different visions of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Our Don Lemon is live in Ohio where he is speaking with a whole lot of voters there in that state, and get a sense of how tight the race is.

Hello, my friend.

I would love to be where you are right now to speak to the people at the center of the election. And so many people think that Ohio may be the kingmaker, and do the people of Ohio know that the glasses are on them?

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I don't know. It is cold here, so you may not want to be where I am. And by the way, nice glasses, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: By the way, Don Lemon, 1977. 1977, and just so we are straight.

LEMON: Listen, yes. Everybody knows it, and just to tell you that this is almost the capital right now. When we checked into our hotel Mitt Romney was staying there, and they moved to us a bigger room so that my crew and I could work on a story, and guess whose room we moved into? Mitt Romney's room that I was staying in the night before. I am staying in a hotel near the Dayton area.

Here in Columbus, I went to breakfast this morning and the people sitting next to me were FOX people. I checked out of another hotel last night, it was someone from Valerie Jarrett's office. Everybody is here in Ohio, no matter where you go, especially in the big cities. And, yes, the people here know -- you cannot escape it. That is all they talk about and they know, because that is every single ad on their television. Every single one except for maybe a public service announcement here and there. They are well aware of it -- Ashleigh?

BANFIELD: I will bet you that this year more than any other year, with all of the super PACs and the funding, that the ads have been blanket in blanketing them more than ever before. I feel for all of the folks who live in the state where you are.

Don Lemon, good to see you, and I know we will see a lot more of you in Columbus, Ohio. Stay warm, my friend.

LEMON: I'll try. I got my gloves. Thank you.

(LAUGHTER)

BANFIELD: Attaboy. Attaboy.

All right. Now, you don't have to be one of those campaign rallies to hear from the president and from Mitt Romney. You can go the CNN.com. And I mentioned this before and it bears repeating, both of these gentlemen were kind enough to write op-eds specifically for CNN.com. These were exclusive to us. And we are thrilled that they both did it especially at the same time. It lays out the vision for America. You heard the president say it come down to two fundamentally different views of America. Hopefully, if that confuses you, hopefully, four days before the election, they can tell you what they feel represents your voice. I do hope you do this before you go to the polls, and you do go to the polls. In the event that you do or don't tune into CNN for election coverage night, this is what we do really well. Our team will break down the results state by state with the expert analysis. And that expert coverage will be heralded by Wolf Blitzer on November 6th starting at 6:00 p.m. Don't miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: We are doing a lot of coverage on the election and we are doing a lot of coverage on this storm. As more days past, it's simply impossible to ignore the heartache that's been left behind by Sandy, and I just want to tell you this. It's not just heartache that's been left behind. It is the death toll that continues to climb. We're getting new numbers, I hate to say it, but almost by the hour it seems. We're now at 92 people in the United States who have died because Sandy ripped through their homes and neighborhoods. Among those survivors, two little boys on Staten Island, 2 and 4 years old. They were torn literally from their mother's arms by floodwater that they tried to escape from their SUV. Their bodies were found here in this marsh just 100 feet away from each other, but their mom -- their story -- their mom told police that her boys actually could have been saved, not by a miracle, but just by a neighbor. Now this mother is left with the words "if only."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Ford Explorer on the side of the street. The car seats remain where two little boys were sitting as their mother, Glenda, was driving during Hurricane Sandy, desperately looking for shelter.

(on camera): The story of what happened to Glenda and her sons, Brandon and Connor, is sad, horrifying, terrifying. She was driving her SUV down this street. It plunged into this hole during the height of Hurricane Sandy. She then got out of the vehicle with her 2-year- old son and 4-year-old son. Remember, it is pouring rain, torrential. The winds 90 miles per hour. She comes over here to this tree and holds onto the tree, grabs the branches, grabs the tree, holds on to her sons at the same time. She did this, according to police, for hours. That's what she told the police. She then says she went up to this house right behind me, knocked on the door, a man was inside, and pleaded with him to let us inside your house. She said, according to police, the man would not let her in the House with her sons. She then went to the back, stood on the balcony, took a flower pot and tried to break the window to break into the house. Wasn't able to. And ultimately, floodwaters came through and swept her sons away.

(voice-over): Everyone was wishing for a miracle on the search for the children, but there really wasn't any optimism the boys would be found alive. Morning City police used a fan boat to look for them in the nearby marsh. Police divers walked through the marsh. Sadly, the bodies of both children were found not far from each other, about a quarter mile away from where Glenda last held them.

Family members say Glenda is too distraught to talk to us. We wanted to meet the man who lived in the House where police say Glenda sought protection. No one answered the door. While we were standing near the House on public property an angry man appeared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get the hell out. Stop showing me. It's my house. No cameras here. Stop, stop, stop. Get the hell out.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Can I ask you did the woman knock on your door to --

(voice-over): Alan did not want to say his last name, but the House in question is his, and he says he was inside during the hurricane.

TUCHMAN: The police say that Glenda came with her two sons, knocked on your door asking to go in during the hurricane.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely not.

TUCHMAN: You did not see a woman with two children?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely not.

TUCHMAN: So what she told the police --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never saw anybody. I just saw a man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He didn't come to the door. The stairs on the back of the House, and he came -- he was standing. He must have been standing at the bottom of the stairs.

TUCHMAN: What did he do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He took a concrete flower pot. There's one in the backyard. There were two of them. He threw one of them through the door.

TUCHMAN: They're saying, after you didn't let her in that she tried to break a window to get in. Possibly, you're mistaken?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I -- I had to stay there all night. I sat all night with my back against the door in the kitchen.

TUCHMAN: Let me ask you, the man -- if a man threw a flower pot, did you let the man in your house?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He didn't ask to come in. He asked me to come out and help him.

TUCHMAN: Did you help him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What could I do to help him? I'm wearing the same clothes. I had these shorts on. This is my brother's jackets. I had a pair of shorts on with flip-flops, and I was going to come out --

(CROSSTALK)

TUCHMAN: You are saying you did not see a woman and two children? You saw a man?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A man, yes.

TUCHMAN: You must feel terrible for this woman and her two children, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Did they find the children? I don't even know.

TUCHMAN: They found them. They found them dead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, it's a tragedy. Of course. Absolutely. It's unfortunate. She shouldn't have been out, though. It's one of those things. Shouldn't have been on the road.

TUCHMAN: A lot of people are. They were looking for help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's nothing I could do. I'm not a rescue worker. People said rescue workers don't endanger the lives of rescue workers. If I would have been outside, I would have been dead.

TUCHMAN: Alan says police have talked to him. He told them the same story he told us, an upsetting story about a most tragic night.

Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: You know, there are -- there's no words. People on Staten Island, so many of them are suffering today in the aftermath.

And I want to go to one person who has had to endure just a terrible night. His name is Chris, and he joins me now.

Chris, I want to ask you about your night. You evacuated your wife and children, but you stayed with your home, and you watched as your home flooded to the first floor. Can you tell me what you saw out your window, what was happening with your neighbors? CHRIS LEVATINO, STORM SURVIVOR (voice-over): Yes. Basically, I -- I did evacuate to my sister's house. She refused to leave, so I stayed with her, and my brother was there also, and the water just rose so quick. It was unbelievable. We ran to the first floor. I thought let's just get out of here. I made a run for my truck, but I already noticed the water was up to my truck, the hood. By the time I turned around and looked back again, it was two feet higher. The water rose basically like ten feet in about it seemed like about 20, 30 seconds, and it was approaching the next level so, we ran up to the next level and watched from the windows there, and the back of the House we watched looking towards the ocean and basically there was about 13 feet of water on the ground, but that was enough where the ocean was continuous. There was waves hitting the house. The house was shaking.

BANFIELD: We're seeing some of the pictures from your community, and I know that you saw your neighbor flashing SOS with a flashlight, and I'm just -- I'm so sorry for all of you, your neighbors, you, and everyone else who is having to endure this in Staten Island and elsewhere.

I'm out of time, Chris.

I'm sorry. That story from Gary Tuchman was just so overwhelming.

That's all the time I have for coverage, but Suzanne Malveaux is going to continue our coverage after the break. More information on Sandy and what you can do to help those affected, please about to CNN.com/impact.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)