Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
October Jobs and the Election; New Storm Threat in Northeast; Devastation on Staten Island; Gas Lines Stretch for Miles; Tracking Ohio's Ballots; Strategy in a Close Race; The Search for Survivors; Signs of Recovery in Vegas; Joblessness and the Vote; Inside the NYC Subway
Aired November 02, 2012 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. And this is CNN's special coverage of the final battlegrounds.
I'm coming to you live from downtown in Columbus, Ohio. You can see the city-scape behind me. It is beautiful. A little cold here, but all eyes are on this state. The state has become the biggest prize in this presidential election. With four days left, just four days left, the candidates are moving at a frantic pace. And throughout this show, we're going to be taking you on a battleground state blitz, revealing their strategies, bringing you their last-minute arguments, and on and on and on.
Plus we're staying on the urgent crisis across the northeast, of course, as gas becomes scarce after Sandy, and folks begged for help in places like Staten Island. And we're going to get all of that to you in a moment.
But first, I want to tell you this. The reports that got the attention of the American public, American voters, and the spin teams as well from both campaigns, as a matter of fact. Now, that would be these numbers you're looking at right now. That's the Ohio -- that's the jobs numbers here. And they are stronger than expected. I want you to take a look. The U.S. added 171,000 jobs last month. But, you know, I must emphasize this, the unemployment rate inched up 0.1 of a point. And that's to 7.9 percent. The numbers are on your screen. So more jobs than expected, but a higher rate of unemployment. Both campaigns have something to chew on right now. And chew they did, of course. Here is Mitt Romney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He said he was going to lower the unemployment rate down to 5.2 percent right now. Today we learned that it's actually 7.9 percent. And that's 9 million jobs short of what he promised. Unemployment is higher today than when Barack Obama took office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Now, as you might expect, the president is zeroing in on those job numbers. Here he is. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: 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)
LEMON: All right, with that said, I want to bring in now our chief business correspondent, Mr. Ali Velshi. He is traveling on the CNN Election Express. And also there is John Avlon, a CNN contributor.
Hello, gentlemen.
So, listen, you all heard what the president and Mr. Romney had to say.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
LEMON: But, you know, let's talk about the political capital here. Who's going to get more political capital out of this with just four days to the election, Ali?
VELSHI: Well, hands down, President Obama, because he had the most to lose out of this thing. The issue was if the unemployment rate went up substantially, or more importantly if the 171,000 jobs weren't created. The expectation was for 125,000 jobs. As long as he cleared that, he was going to be OK. So, Barack Obama gets more out of it.
As you can see, he's not emphasizing the unemployment rate thing when he's speaking. And Mitt Romney's doing that math that doesn't work thing again where he said Barack Obama said that the unemployment was going to be this and now it's this. As a result, 9 million people are out of work. That's just not math that works. But the point is that this -- I don't think either of them are convincing anybody right now. So, this could have hurt Barack Obama. It's not going to hurt him. I don't know that it really helps him a lot.
LEMON: Yes, it's kind of a wash when you look at, you know, the jobs numbers increased, but then the unemployment rate ticked up.
John, hang on, before you weigh in, I may have a question for you that you were just about to answer for me, because month to month jobs reports, it's a important milestone by which we can gauge whether the economy is improving. And then, you know, judge the president, what the president is doing. I want you to take a look back to the worst of this recession, guys. This is October of 2009.
VELSHI: Yes.
LEMON: Look at this. The unemployment rate was above 10 percent. And in this month, 7.9 percent. John, now you're turn. You have been traveling to these swing states, as I have. What are you hearing? Are people feeling better off? Today's numbers help any of the candidates?
JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I'll tell you, Don, you know, we've been on the battleground state bus tour here from Florida to Ohio. We have heard a steady refrain. People understand the economy is improving. But the real debate is whether it's fast enough and whether Mitt Romney could have done a better job. I'll tell you, we're in Toledo, Ohio, today. One of these battleground counties of Ohio. The must win Buckeye state. I spoke to Mayor Bell -- he's an independent mayor of Toledo -- earlier today.
VELSHI: Right.
AVLON: He pointed out that January of 2009, unemployment here was 12.6 percent in this county. Today it' around 7.5. Lower than the national average. So that is a measurable improvement. That doesn't mean that the economy is going all -- on all cylinders right now, but there is measurable improvement. And that becomes a point (ph) for big debate. Romney says he could improve things faster. President Obama saying, don't return us to policies that got us to the problem in the first place.
VELSHI: Right.
LEMON: Yes. And, but, Ali, when you look at the unemployment rate in Ohio now is 7 percent, it's below the national average.
VELSHI: Yes. Yes.
LEMON: Will people give -- will voters give that credit to John Kasich, the Republican governor here, or does that go to the president?
VELSHI: That's exactly the question.
LEMON: Yes.
VELSHI: That's exactly the question, because, in fact, in a number of these swing states where the economy is doing better, it's got a Republican governor. So who gets the credit for it. And it depends. I'll tell you one thing that has a big impact in Ohio. There are two things that are going on. One is the hydraulic fracturing, the natural gas. So people are kind of mixed on that because both these presidential candidates talk that up, but the auto stuff, we're in Toledo, this is where the Jeeps are made.
We were in Youngstown where the Chevy Cruise is made with three shifts at the Lordstown plant that was going to be shut down because of the -- before the auto bailout. They give Obama full credit for the auto stuff. And I got to tell you, Mitt Romney talking about -- you know, talking down the auto industry is not going over all that well. That said, as you know, Don, there are not that many undecideds left in Ohio and a lot of people have already voted.
LEMON: Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Let's talk a little bit more about that. I was going to go on and talk about their overall picture of the economy. We've heard a lot of them talking today. We've heard so much of them.
Ali, let's talk more about that, about the Jeep -- you know, the Jeep comment.
VELSHI: Yes.
LEMON: Mitt Romney saying, you know, the president is going to ship jobs overseas and these people here are concerned.
VELSHI: Right.
LEMON: Actually people were calling, wondering if their jobs were going to be shipped overseas.
VELSHI: Yes.
LEMON: And the people who work for Jeep --
VELSHI: We've been fascinated (ph).
LEMON: The auto industry president has said --
VELSHI: Yes.
LEMON: That's just not true.
VELSHI: So let's say -- let's -- so Mitt Romney takes this ad out and he says that these -- they're basically benefitting from taxpayer bailout money and they're going to make these Jeeps in China. Let me tell you a couple of things. First of all, Jeeps for China will be made in China. That's the way the auto world works. But we're not moving American Jeep manufacturing to China to import American Jeeps to the United States.
So Jeep Chrysler came out, Fiat, the company. They came out and they said, absolutely wrong. General Motors, have you ever heard of a company which has got a deal with whoever the next president is, come out and scold a presidential candidate the way there is. Everybody we talked to says Mitt Romney is flat out wrong on this. And, again, it's -- we're puzzled that he would do that because he's competitive in Ohio. This is a dead heat. It's statistically a dead heat between Romney and Obama. So it's been very puzzling to hear how this is going over here.
AVLON: And, Don, I'll just add to that. I mean the swing voters we're talking to here, there is that sense this issue has resonated. The front page of "The Toledo Blade,"
VELSHI: Yes.
AVLON: The local newspaper here, is about Romney on the auto industry.
VELSHI: And now people are mad.
AVLON: Yes. And it's registering as an unforced error. People take it very personally here --
VELSHI: Yes.
AVLON: Because their jobs, their local economy is totally connected to the auto bailout and the stimulus package according to the mayor here.
VELSHI: Yes.
LEMON: Yes. And, john, listen, it's -- the president has a tough sell. It may be an easier sell for Mitt Romney. And the reason I say that is because when everyone is running for president, they can say, I'm going to do this. You heard Mitt Romney saying, I'm going to open up the Keystone pipeline. I'm going to do this, this, this and this. It's tougher for the president to say, well, I'm going to do more of what we have been doing so the economy at least grows a little bit, right? So do you think, John, or Ali -- either one of you guys, do you think voters get that particular nuance?
AVLON: Well, I mean, look, you know, you campaign in poetry, you govern in prose. And we all know that Mitt Romney is trying to now campaign as a candidate of change and Barack Obama is trying to really reconcile that inspiring rhetoric of 2008 with the record he has to run on. So he's making a much more modest case. He's saying, look, I know we're not there yet, but we've turned -- we've turned the corner. We've made progress. And don't turn back the clock on the policies. It's a different argument certainly than we heard from Barack Obama four years ago.
VELSHI: What Don is asking is exactly the question that we've been getting from undecided voters, right? Like Barack Obama. I understand he got --
AVLON: Yes.
VELSHI: You know, handed a bad economy, but things aren't as much better as I thought they were going to be.
LEMON: Right.
VELSHI: And I like what Mitt Romney is saying about what the future is going to looking like, but I'm not sure how he gets there.
AVLON: That's right. And that's exactly right, what we have been hearing.
The other thing that's interesting is that we hear a lot of swing voters talking about the deficit and the debt.
VELSHI: Yes.
AVLON: That's their concern about the economy, the jobs. But that's not abstract, though. They understand that on a fundamental level and that's a key pitch the Republicans have been making. That issue does resonate with people at their kitchen table.
LEMON: Ah, a great conversation. Thank you, guys. And, Ali, most, I appreciate your honesty. Thank you --
VELSHI: Don, I just -- I got one question. One question for you, Don. One question.
LEMON: Yes. Yes.
VELSHI: We're both in Ohio. It's all cold. How come you look like you're out of "GQ" and I look like the Michelin Man?
LEMON: You should be asking yourself that question, Ali Velshi.
VELSHI: Kill his mike. Kill somebody's mike. It is over.
LEMON: Thank you, Ali. Thank you, John Avlon. Appreciate it.
VELSHI: All right.
LEMON: We're going to get now to some serious news here. A new storm is threatening to make recovery efforts worse in the northeast. Our meteorologist Chad Myers is here to tell us how bad it could be.
Chad, you know, we're hearing of freezing temperatures. What's going on here?
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Yes, freezing temperatures are really the problem. And then there's another storm, a coastal low. Sometimes you can call them nor'easters, although this one doesn't qualify as a nor'easter just yet.
Here's what we have. We have a big rise in the jet stream here, where it's nice and warm in the west. Then a dip in the jet stream in the east, when all that cold air is allowed to come straight down. When this happens, Don, sometimes lows can come over the top and run up the East Coast of a coastal low and dump a bunch of snow this way or rain or wind.
Now, this isn't -- I wouldn't even be talking about this, you wouldn't even put me on your show if we didn't have 5 million customers, that's more than 5 million people, that's 5 million households or businesses that don't have power in the northeast and really can't afford to have any more cold air or any more rain or any more wind being (ph) anything. The power lines are just barely up there in some spots. Trees are half knocked down. More wind could knock more down. These power companies don't need wind. They need to have it calm so they can get those buckets up. They can't be over 35 miles per hour.
It isn't a big deal just yet. But, you know what, it's a big deal if your house is already half knocked down or you don't have any windows, or your roof is half gone. That's why this storm we're watching it for you. It would be Tuesday or Wednesday if it happens. And that's still an if. It's still five days away.
LEMON: Yes. Yes, I still don't think the story, the last thing has been said about this election and what's going to happen, especially 5.4 million people, 5 million people without electricity and another impending storm. I think we're going to be -- we might possibly see some changes when it comes to that or an update at the least.
Chad Myers, thank you very much.
MYERS: You're welcome. LEMON: And up next, we're going to continue on talking about the situation happening in New York. Staten Island, one of the areas really hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy. Two young boys found dead after their mom's car was swept away in the floodwaters. Now the man accused of refusing to help that family, well, he speaks out right now. Stick around. That story is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, this is just in to CNN. New York City Marathon set to go ahead this weekend. It's going to go. But anger is mounting with fears it's going to take away precious resources from Sandy's recovery. But New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is -- he is defending his decision this afternoon. He saying fire and police resources won't be diverted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: The Police Department, right now, has to be at all of the intersections where there's no lights. Lights are going to be back on tonight. Mass transit solves a lot of other problems. We have a police provide those. Traffic control resources. It does use some resources, but it doesn't use resources that can really make a difference in recovery and that sort of thing. It's a different group of people. It's a relatively small amount of the sanitation departments, resources. And we have to have a city going forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So he's pretty confident about that, but not everyone is. State Senator Liz Krueger is going to join us next hour. She is not happy about that decision. Not happy about the decision to have the New York City Marathon this weekend. Make sure you stay tuned. We'll have that for you.
You know, on New York's Staten Island, Sandy's victims, they woke up to another day without power. Can you imagine another day? And with temperatures set to drop into the 30s this weekend, the only thing heating up right now, tempers. You can better believe that. And New York Senator Chuck Schumer toured the devastation. As he did that, one woman was begging him for help.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are going to die. You don't understand. You got to get your trucks here on this corner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Forty-one people have died in New York City alone. And about half those deaths were here on Staten Island. Yesterday the bodies of two young boys, ages two and four, were found there. And you're seeing new pictures of the mother's SUV that got stuck in the floodwater. CNN's Gary Tuchman shows us now where the boys were swept from, from her arms. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You come over here to this tree, and hold on to the tree, grab the branches, grabs the tree, and holds on to it and holds on to her sons at the same time. And 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, let us inside your house. She says, 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, tried to break the window to break into the house. Wasn't able to. And ultimately flood waters came through and swept her sons away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So that man in the house that Gary mentioned, well, he has a different account of what happened. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He didn't ask to come in. He asked me to come out and help him.
TUCHMAN: So, did you help him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I couldn't -- what could I do to help him? I'm wearing the same clothes. I had these shorts on. This is my brother's jacket. I had a pair of shorts on with flip flops and I was going to come out --
TUCHMAN: (INAUDIBLE) -- you're saying you did not see a woman and two children?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir.
TUCHMAN: You saw a man?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A man, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We're going to go live now to Staten Island. And that's where we find CNN's Brian Todd.
Brian, just devastating to watch these pictures and just being there. What's it like there today?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, they are getting some relief here in the Newdorp (ph) Beach neighborhood of Staten Island. Some city bulldozers and other trucks are here to clear debris. We've seen National Guard troops here. We are told that some relief agencies are not far away from here. So after some really impassioned complaints about not getting some aid here, relief has finally come to this neighborhood. We're going to show you a little bit more of the damage. This is the St. George Maienkara Orthodox Church of India here on Cedar Grove Avenue. And, look, this is all debris from the basement. Officials of the church tell us the basement got completely flooded out.
I'm here with Babu Philip. He's a top official of the church here.
Babu, what are the people here telling you about -- what are the members here telling you about just what they've suffered through.
BABU PHILIP, ST. GEORGE MAIENKARA ORTHODOX CHURCH: All our members are certainly concerned about this one. Many of the members, they already have their personal losses. But most of the people came here to see the damage to the church. And when we saw this when we were (INAUDIBLE). We are more concerned about the neighborhood, the people who are living here for many years (INAUDIBLE). And we've see them every day, every week. And some of them lost their life and they lost completely, as you can see, the next door neighbor, her house is totally demolished.
TODD: Yes.
PHILIP: And we are concerned about them too. And as far as the church is concerned, we have an immense loss. We have a (INAUDIBLE) -- we have two levels in this -- inside the church. One is the sanctuary area.
TODD: And this stuff here is used to feed people on Sundays, right? This -- you do -- you serve food.
PHILIP: Exactly. Yes. And we serve food and food to everybody on Sundays. And we lost completely (ph) everything. Water was in the basement. We lost everything. We have a small kitchen. That is ruined. I cannot (ph) -- those are the debris (ph). You can see the other one (ph).
TODD: Right.
PHILIP: And we have an audio/video system. That is totally damaged. You can see those things outside laying down (ph) there.
TODD: What do the church members tell you about their feelings about the relief? Do they feel it got here quick enough?
PHILIP: Unfortunately not. Again, we don't -- we are -- we are out of power and out of all the utilities for many days. We didn't see anybody who is coming here for -- with a helping hand. I know that it is a total disaster in New York and New Jersey. It might take some time. But, you know, expecting this kind of hurricane, they could have done a little better than what they are doing now.
Again, I'm not putting blame on anybody, but that's what we are expecting when we have actually needs. We need something to be taken care of right away, rather than waiting for a week or so.
TODD: OK. PHILIP: We are not seeing that kind of help now. Hopefully, you know, people will -- the officials will open their eyes and come over and extend their hands for the needy people. That's what we are hoping for.
TODD: All right, Babu, well, thank you very much for joining us.
PHILIP: Thank you very much.
TODD: Good luck to you and your parishioners. Thank you.
PHILIP: (INAUDIBLE). Yes, thank you very much for covering this one at CNN. Good luck.
TODD: We're glad to do it. Thank you very much.
Don, this is just kind of typical of the reaction around here. People just picking up the pieces, doing what they can, community members chipping in to help each other all up and down these streets. And, again, the refrain that the aid just wasn't quick enough to get here. It is getting here now. They are getting some relief. But it doesn't take away some of the sting that it took a couple of days.
Don.
LEMON: Brian Todd. Brian, thank you so much.
And I want you to look at this now. Hundreds of people lined up for miles at this gas station in New Jersey. Lines like this can be seen in several cities all across the region. And for some who have waited for hours, it could mean life or death. Many are still without power since the storm tore through their neighborhoods. They desperately, desperately need gas to run generators and much more, of course. CNN's Susan Candiotti now in New Jersey.
Susan, we are hearing of fistfights, we're hearing of arrests, people waiting for hours. I understand you're at a gas station. You're in a car. Are you in one of those lines now?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you're watching an experiment as it plays out, Don. We are inching forward in a gas line. Just got in a few minutes ago because we want to see how long it's going to take us to get to the front of the line. And what it's like to be sitting in your car for two hours, three hours, four hours, to get to the front of the line.
Obviously, we have seen some of those minor dustups that do happen on occasion. Haven't seen any of that here. But I have, since yesterday, when we started watching these things happen, yes, you're right, at one point in Queens last night, New York, someone pulled out a gun after they cut into a line and someone confronted them about it. But police quickly made an arrest. But for the most part, people are incredibly patient.
I don't know. If we turn a little bit, you can't see much because -- only as the line starts to move a little bit. I know that we're back more than a mile and I know that people in this line have told us it has taken them hours to get to the front. But you always also see bits of humanity. We saw one man who ran out of gas when he got to the front of the line, and a police officer who was standing by and some other people helped push the car up to the fuel tank so the man could get his gas. It has taken a ton of patience, obviously.
Don.
LEMON: Absolutely. And it's going to take a ton more patience. Susan, get ready. You're probably going to be in that line for a long time. Our thanks to Susan Candiotti.
But one thing I do know, if you just -- if they can wait and hold it out and survive this, there's always hope here in America. And so help is on the way.
Meantime, back here at Ohio, where every vote is treated really like a treasure, absentee ballots, right now, because that's what people are voting early, absentee ballots, they're locked, they're tracked and they're guarded. But they did something very rare this week for us here. They let us in. They let us inside. And, up next, I'm going to give you an exclusive inside look at a place where few cameras go. The place where the ballot that could decide this presidential election are counted.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAWYER: So wherever you are, take a moment and I want you to watch this, because it's been so really much pressure in Ohio because Ohio may decide the most expensive presidential race in history. Both campaigns are blitzing to woo Ohio's voters and to try to score the state's 18 electoral votes. Now here's CNN's latest poll of polls. It finds this. Forty-nine percent of Ohio's likely voters support President Obama. Forty-six percent of Ohio's likely voters support Mitt Romney. It is that close.
And, of course, in Ohio, every single vote is valuable. Ballots are guarded and tracked with ferocious precision. But I got a behind the scenes, up close look in one county to see how the ballots are actually counted. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): In person --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Print your name, two forms of I.D., your signature. It looks good. Drop it in the box.
LEMON: Or by mail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks for voting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
LEMON: All ballots in Hamilton County, Ohio, end up here, election headquarters. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So this is when the absentee ballots come back from the post office. We have the clerks who scan them back in and check them for -- making sure they're valid.
LEMON: Processed by an army of staff, volunteers, and machines. Norman Jr.'s (ph) turn now. A brand new machine named after the character in the movie "Psycho," because of this noise. Norman scans, photographs, and separates ballots into precincts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We did all of this by hand. We'd start with mail buckets and we just tossed them all into trays.
LEMON (on camera): Are you happy to have this machine?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With this many ballots, yes.
LEMON (voice-over): Now downstairs to the inspectors.
LEMON (on camera): This is it?
SALLY KRISEL, HAMILTON CO. BOARD OF ELECTIONS: This is it. This is where we're begin to look at the ballots that have been returned by voters who have voted absentee.
LEMON: OK.
KRISEL: This is a secured office space. If you want --
LEMON: I can go in, right?
KRISEL: Well, you can come in. Everybody who comes in must sign in and sign out when they leave. They can only work in bipartisan teams when they're working with ballots.
LEMON (voice-over): The ballots have no names, just numbers, so the voter is unidentifiable to the volunteer checking for problems that might cause a computer to reject the ballot.
LEMON (on camera): Like that one's ripped. What do you do with that one?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. First I wanted to make sure my numbers match.
LEMON: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's very important because I could have two different -- like, see, I had this one and this one. Not good.
LEMON: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So then I look over everything.
LEMON: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I know that my issue is right here because it came past the black line. LEMON: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The bar code, and into --
LEMON: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I'll put it back together.
LEMON: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I'll lay it in this batch for remakes.
LEMON (voice-over): Remakes mean a ballot has to be recorded manually, but only by a bipartisan review board.
LEMON (on camera): This is the last thing before it goes onto the card?
KRISEL: Yes. It's actually reading onto cards now.
LEMON: Right. And so then you take this card, whatever comes from this, and that's what's actually counted. That's --
KRISEL: Correct.
LEMON (voice-over): Finally, one more backup. Good old paper placed into slots for each precinct. A quick reference for every single vote.
LEMON (on camera): So everything here has to be done in pairs. It has to be one d and one r, one Democrat and one Republican, and everything is monitored.
KRISEL: Yes.
LEMON: So in order for them to put this in the right polling precinct slot, wherever that slot is, they've got to be two of them and someone has to monitor them. So lots of checks and balances, right?
KRISEL: Correct.
LEMON: And, look, the ds and rs get along in this office.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, we only have to because the boss is standing here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Thank you guys for letting us inside there.
And up next, there is an Election Day scenario some describe as intriguing, while others call it a complete nightmare. Gloria Borger, help us out, break it down. Our coverage continues from Ohio with Gloria on the other side of the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Downtown Columbus now. We're back in Ohio, and the biggest prize in next week's election, well, prepare yourselves, everyone.
Look at the results of five -- this is five national polls. All of these poll takers talked to voters just within the last week. Look at this. Look at how close they are.
Note that many numbers are similar, are within a point, 48 here, 47 there, this is just more proof that the presidential race looks like it is going to be headed to a photo finish.
So when the race is this tight, Election Day this close, I mean, what do the campaigns concentrate on? It really all boils down to, I'm sure Gloria Borger, our chief political analyst, it is a numbers game -- Gloria.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: You know what I'm going to say, yes.
LEMON: She's in Washington. Yes, so it boils down to numbers, right?
BORGER: It does. It boils -- it boils down to turnout. I mean, when you look at those national poll matchups, you know this, Don, that's not really what we're looking at. Because national polls include states that are very red and include states that are very blue.
What you're looking is battleground states where you're sitting, state of Ohio, and you're looking at campaign organizations and how they get their voters to the polls. It is intensity. It is enthusiasm. It is organization.
You also look at early voting because you know in early voting you actually have a certain amount of control over how you get people to the polls and you know you're getting your voters to the polls.
So you want to control that as much as you can. Because in a close race, like Ohio, like Florida, like any -- Colorado, whatever, you know that that could really make the margin of difference. That's why the campaigns are focusing so much on early voting this time around, very important.
LEMON: Yes. You're absolutely right. And really that is -- that is what I've been charged with to do here at CNN is to come here to Ohio and look at the ground game leading up to the election.
And that's -- Mitt Romney's team, President Obama's team, that's what they're doing. It is all about getting people -- they want them to vote, but they say get there early and almost every bit of literature says what you're saying -- Gloria.
BORGER: Right. And the interesting thing is, what they don't want to do and this is the word they use, they don't want to cannibalize, as they call it, their voters that would normally turn out on Election Day, Don.
So what they try and do is get what they call low propensity voters meaning voters that otherwise probably would not make it to the polls, but if you can figure out a way to get them out there, make it easier for them to vote.
And you know they're going to vote for you, then you get in contact with them and you find out what they need, and you make sure that they vote. So the resources are really focusing on getting out these -- this other group of voters.
LEMON: This is how I know you know what you're talking about, because you didn't -- we didn't even talk about -- we haven't talked about this before, but as I went to the number of polling places, I noticed it and so did my producer and photographer.
Most of the people who were first time voters because when they come in, they say first time voter, everyone in the room applauds. It wasn't an 18-year-old or 20-year-old or even a 30-year-old, most of the time it is 40, 50, 60, older people who are first time voters who are coming in.
And that says a lot about -- these are people who their targeting who they may not normally get. I want to move on to that nightmare scenario that everyone is talking about on Election Day.
BORGER: Well --
LEMON: That we have been -- which is popular vote versus the Electoral College. Go on.
BORGER: Sure. I mean, you know, in particular talking to Republicans about this, they think there is a possibility that the popular vote could go for Mitt Romney and yet the Electoral College could go for President Obama.
In which case, I would also have to add that the president of the United States would be re-elected because that's how we run elections in this country. But it is -- it is very clear and it has been clear from day one that the president has had an easier way through the Electoral College given the way the west and the Midwest are these days.
So there are some Republicans who believe that there could be that kind of a split. Personally, I also believe that particularly given what you were showing there in the state of Ohio that in these very close battleground states, it may take a lot longer just to count the ballots than we thought.
So either we may not know until a long time perfect when the polls close or maybe not for a little bit, you know, days.
LEMON: Yes.
BORGES: We'll have to see. We could be sitting around for a while.
LEMON: In Ohio's case, it could be weeks with the whole provisional ballot thing. That is a whole other show that we talk about, two weeks until the 17th you may not know. We'll see much more of that. I'm sure you'll be covering it and we'll bring it to you from Ohio. Gloria, thank you. Appreciate it. BORGER: Thank you. Stay warm.
LEMON: All right, thank you.
You know, the most important mission following Hurricane Sandy, the devastation, the search for survivors by air and also by land.
And our Jim Clancy just got back from a ride along with the National Guard, searching for those in need of help, wait until you hear what he saw.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Long Beach Island is an 18-mile stretch of land on the southern end of New Jersey Island is a neighborhood they called "Whole Gate" and since Sandy has hit, it has been inaccessible, well, that's until now. Today, the National Guard arrived by sea and by foot as well.
Teams are now sweeping this area, they are searching for survivors. You see them there. CNN's Jim Clancy joins me now with more information on that.
So, Jim, you were just with the search team, the search and rescue team, what are they finding out there, what did you see, survivors? What is going on?
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know what? They didn't find anybody survivors who wanted to be rescued. There are some people that are still living on the island. Not particularly in this area, this area has been devastated.
The whole topography of it has changed. Sands from the beach, has been washed away, undercutting some of these homes. The water has damaged other homes. They were going around knocking on doors, looking through windows, searching around a house to see for any signs of life.
You see somebody might be trapped inside, few mobile homes that were parked up there that are just crushed and in those, they went in and broke some windows, double-checking to see, because obviously somebody was inside, they could have been trapped.
The goal is to go to every single house and marked off when they checked it so they can ensure nobody who wants to be evacuated is being left behind. But not everybody wants to be evacuated.
In fact, they were met by one man, Carl, and Carl rode out the storm and he said he doesn't want to be rescued. Listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL CLARK, LONG BEACH, NEW JERSEY RESIDENT: Well, we have been here for a long time. This is our home. We never expected it this bad. Had we known it to be this bad, we might have elected to leave, but we didn't. We're here and now we'll pick up the pieces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: Picking up the pieces, what a storm it was, wildest ride of his life. Got to tell you, Don, he told the story, everything was going fine. He had his big black SUV up on blocks, to keep it clear of the water.
He said he felt pretty good, even though the river -- looked like a river outside of his house. He said everything looked good until the house came down the street and took his car with it.
So a lot of people learned some hard lessons here, but there are hardy folks out on this island, and we met one of them today. Back to you.
LEMON: My goodness. Jim Clancy, thank you very much. Appreciate that. Now this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUIE ANDERSON, COMEDIAN: -- hard to be excited about Obama if you have not worked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, you recognize, there is comedian, Louie Anderson, he tells it like it is. Of course, in the state with the highest unemployment rate in the country, but find out why there are positive signs in Nevada, just days before the election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As this county goes, so goes Nevada --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, four days until Election Day and the economy is front and center on the minds of swing state voters, of course, on the minds of everybody especially in Nevada.
Nevada's six electoral votes are looking more important than ever and the race there, of course, all the races around the country, tight, very tight.
This American Research Group poll has Obama edging Romney 49 percent to 47 percent. Despite the state having the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 11.8 percent, people in Nevada say they are starting to see signs of recovery, believe it or not.
Well, CNN's Miguel Marquez picks up the story from high above, high above the Las Vegas Skyline.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here we are top of the Stratosphere in Vegas, baby. About 70 percent of the votes in the state are right here in Clark County as this county goes, so goes Nevada.
(voice-over): In a city that fell harder and faster than just about any place in the country.
(on camera): This better be a very close election.
(voice-over): The Stratosphere like all of Vegas suffered the worst of the recession.
(on camera): At some point you had to make a decision either go big or stay home or shutdown?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was sort of the pieces, yes.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): The Vegas landmark sunk more than $20 million into upgrades including a new restaurant and that sky-jump thing, and most importantly, more than 100 new jobs.
(on camera): Do you think Las Vegas is through the worst of it?
PAUL HOBSON, GENERAL MANAGER, STRATOSPHERE CASINO HOTEL: It feels like it. You know, I mean, I drive to work every day and I see stuff going on that I haven't seen for a little while.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Things like construction and homes being built in a place that once had the nation's highest foreclosure rate. Chef, Rick Giffen, charts Vegas' decline and rise by a sort of entree index.
(on camera): At the low point of the recession, how many dinners were you doing and how many doing now?
RICK GIFFE, EXECUTIVE CHEF, STRATOSPHERE CASINO HOTEL: We were doing about 250 a night, 250 to 400. Now we're doing between 450 and 700 a night, yes, big recovery.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Comedy icon and Clark County voter, Louie Anderson who does four shows a week at the Palace Station -- says the city is struggling back, but he knows just how torn the country is.
LOUIE ANDERSON, COMEDIAN: I think it is hard to be excited about Obama if you have not worked. I love Obama. I understand the appeal of Romney in this situation.
MARQUEZ: Like voters everywhere, he is tired of the campaign.
ANDERSON: Obama has been here more than Celine Dion has.
MARQUEZ: But hopeful that results not politics tops the agenda come January.
ANDERSON: If we're going to have the great county we had once, this is not going to be a Democrat or Republican thing. This is going to be in every single American thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, so, Miguel Marquez joins us now. Miguel, I told you many times ago to jump off a bridge and you never did it. But you went and jumped off a building.
MARQUEZ: Well, anything for television. I'll jump off a -- I'll climb a mountain for CNN. I'll jump off a perfectly good building for CNN.
LEMON: My gosh, listen, let's get down to business, Brown Noser, Nevada is feeling a bit more optimistic, but the unemployment rate is still so high there. Are there really signs of broader growth?
MARQUEZ: There are. I mean, it is stunning that the president has held on to a lead, a slim lead in this state as he has because the unemployment is so bad, you know, 12.3 percent in Clark County, 11.8 percent in Nevada, the worst in the nation.
Not only here at the Stratosphere, but there are buildings across town that have been stopped, the construction stopped for more than a year now. They're starting to start up again.
The one big statistic I heard, which is a tiny statistic, the housing prices here. Since 2007, they have gone down. In the last month, they went up by 1 percent. And that, for people in the housing market here, is huge -- Don.
LEMON: Miguel, in all seriousness, great report. It makes a viewer watch. It was really good. Thank you. I appreciate you joining us. Miguel Marquez.
You know, CNN gets an underground look at the nation's busiest transportation system. Have you ever been underground the New York City subway system. It is amazing. Some parts are currently under water. Why it could take months, months for recovery.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Millions, of course, still recovering from superstorm Sandy, it left many with damaged homes no food, power, and much more. But transportation in cities throughout the northeast, a nightmare right now, and in the case of New York City subway system, of course, it is a nightmare as well, heavily damaged.
And we all know how much New Yorkers and tourists rely on that subway system just to get around. CNN's Jason Carroll got a chilling tour of Southbury Station that you're looking at right now.
He is covering that story and here is his conversation with a chief infrastructure officer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANK JEZYCKI, CHIEF INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICER, MTA: The complex itself will require significant rehabilitation due to the damage from the storm, the infrastructure.
The electrical systems, the fare collection systems, the riding systems, the stairways, the ventilation systems, the elevators, the escalators, they're all pretty much ruined from the water damage from the surge damage.
Just follow my same footsteps. Believe it or not, these timbers washed in from the ocean or the bay.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This did right here, this timber right here.
JEZYCKI: Absolutely.
CARROLL: So this washed in from --
JEZYCKI: -- washed in from the tidal surge.
CARROLL: It's incredible to think that this was a subway station.
JEZYCKI: One of our newest subway stations.
CARROLL: So were you able to -- obviously, you were able to pump out a lot of the water from where we are right now because it is dry.
JEZYCKI: It is dry to this level, but we'll take a quick look over there at the stairway where it goes down to the terminal station and you'll see the water level, where it stands today.
CARROLL: This says it all too, you look at what is left of this over here.
JEZYCKI: This is the finished surface wall with tile surface. You see it washed out from the wall coming down the stairway. So that's the level of water. That's -- this is completely flooded all the way down to the platform level and the tracks where you would typically go down and get on the train another level down.
CARROLL: At one point the water is up where we were standing here because you can tell where the steps are rusted.
JEZYCKI: Yes, at this very level the water was about -- we pumped out about 15 feet so far.
CARROLL: OK, so you've pumped 15 feet out -- 15 feet you've already pumped. Wow, OK.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Unbelievable. CNN's Jason Carroll there, that officer by the way told Jason it could be months before that station opens again.
So we're here in Ohio today, and at any minute now, Mitt Romney expected to speak, also live in Ohio. But we're about to take you on a battleground state blitz here on CNN from the state each campaign wants. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
