Return to Transcripts main page

Ballot Bowl 2008

Candidates Make More Appearances and Speeches

Aired November 02, 2008 - 16:00   ET

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

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. I'm Candy Crowley coming to you from Cincinnati. In just a couple of hours, Barack Obama will be here. He is spending this day stumping across Ohio, a key battleground here. So, this is your chance. This is the last weekend before the election, 48 hours, just two days left to go to give you a chance here to listen to these candidates unedited, raw, in their own words, much as we get to see them along the campaign trail. It is time to pay strict attention here if you haven't voted, and even if you have voted, these are exciting speeches. You can feel the tension out there on the campaign trail. So, it is great fun to watch, as we do this countdown to election day. I want to bring in my colleague, CNN's Dana Bash. She is in New Hampshire with a look at what's ahead. Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Candy. Well, what's ahead for John McCain where I am is in Peterborough, New Hampshire, is a walk down memory lane and a bit of sentimentality or maybe even superstition. This is the place where John McCain has ended his primary run in this very important state for him historically, the state of New Hampshire, so it is here he is going to hold a town hall in just a couple of hours, a way to certainly campaign in the state because it is an important state, but I think it's more of an issue of him trying to have kind of a grand finale, if you will, that is one of the reasons why John McCain is going to come here. And we will hear from him later on but let me give you the game plan for this particular hour.

This hour, we're going to hear live from Joe Biden, the vice presidential hopeful from the democratic side. He is going to be in the state of Florida, in (Gator) country. Gator country is of course Gainesville. We're going to bring that you as soon as that begins and until then I'm going to pass it back over to Candy Crowley. Candy, take it away.

CROWLEY: Thanks. Again, Barack Obama spending his entire day here in Ohio. He has been in Columbus giving a speech there. He is giving the same speech from town to town, whether it's in Ohio or Florida, as he hits these key battleground places. But there is one thing that changes all the time, and that is the date.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ohio, I have just two words for you - two days. Two days. After decades of broken politics in Washington, after eight years of failed policies from George W. Bush, you don't need a vote. You just need to vote. After 21 months on a campaign that has taken us from the rocky coast of Maine to the sunshine of California, we are two days away from changing America, and it's going to start right here in the great state of Ohio. In two days, you can turn the page on policies that put greed and irresponsibility before the hard work and sacrifice of ordinary Americans.

In two days, you can choose policies that invest in our middle class and create new jobs, grow this economy so that everybody has a chance to succeed from the CEO to the secretary and the janitor, from the factory owner to the men and women who work on the factory floor. In two days, in two days, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election, that tries to pit region against region and city against town, republican against democrat, that asks us to fear at a time when we need to hope.

In two days, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change that we need. That's what you can do, if all of you are willing to get organized and mobilized and march and knock on doors and make phone calls. That's the change you can bring. You know, be began this journey, not on a beautiful day like today. It was cold that day, seven degrees, in the depths of winter, two years ago, on the steps of the old state capitol in Springfield, Illinois. And back then, we didn't have much money, we didn't have a lot of endorsements. We weren't given much of a chance by the polls or the pundits. We knew how steep our climb would be. But I also knew this - I knew that the size of our challenges had outgrown the smallness of our politics.

I was convinced that Americans of every political stripe, that they were hungry for new ideas, new leadership, a new kind of politics, one that favors common sense over ideology, one that focuses on what we have in common instead of what divides us. In other words, I knew the American people were decent and generous, willing to work hard and sacrifice for future generations, and I was convinced that when we would come together, our voices are more powerful than the most entrenched lobbyists, the most vicious political attacks, the full force of the status quo in Washington that just wants to keep things the way they are.

That was my belief. That was the premise of this candidacy. And 21 months later, my faith and the American people has been vindicated.

CROWLEY: Barack Obama in Columbus, Ohio. You're hearing pretty much the same speech he is giving in these final days. It hits on three major themes. One, it hits on John McCain as a third Bush term, as Obama sees it. It hits on the high rhetoric that tends to make people hopeful, and he hopes drive them out to the polls. And then there is, as you heard at the beginning, the very definite, you need to keep working, you need to take nothing for granted, you need to talk to your neighbors and you need to get out there and vote. So sort of three messages as he moves into these final 48 hours. I want to bring in my colleague, Dana Bash, who is in New Hampshire. And I am assuming, Dana, that there is the same kind of excitement in those crowds greeting McCain as the crowds greeting Obama at this point.

BASH: There definitely is. There's definitely that kind of excitement. But to be honest with you, a very different kind of crowd in terms of the size. I mean, John McCain is getting a couple of thousand people at each rally maximum, but there is no question that the enthusiasm that you're seeing and hearing and feeling at those crowds is very high. And a lot of what John McCain is trying to do is very similar to what Obama is doing, candy, in trying to generate enthusiasm, not saying don't be complacent but sort of the flipside of what John McCain is trying to do is saying, you know, don't give up, it is not over. You've got to get out there. You've got to fight. Trying to make clear that he thinks that there are those, "late breakers," those undecided voters, even those who maybe think they're going to vote for Obama but aren't necessarily sure. That's definitely who John McCain is trying to appeal to at this point, with just 48 hours left.

Now, John McCain is on the plane in Pennsylvania. His next stop is where I am here, in Peterborough, New Hampshire. But he did have two rallies in the state of Pennsylvania, and that's where our Brian Todd is. Brian, you're actually in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Scranton has really become ground zero inside Pennsylvania for both of these campaigns, particularly for John McCain. As you well know, Scranton, Pennsylvania, during this democratic primary in that state was huge for Hillary Clinton. I think she got 70-plus percent of the democratic primary votes there. That is the place that John McCain was hoping to pull some of those democrats, those Hillary voters, over to his side. That's why he's been there several times. Palin has been there several times. I think if they could get those rural, working-class, blue-collar voters. I assume that's what you heard from John McCain, at least the pitch you heard from John McCain was geared towards those voters today.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely it was, Dana, and he is targeting those socially conservative democrats that Hillary Clinton won over in the primaries. They've been focusing on those pockets all throughout Pennsylvania. You're right, Scranton is ground zero for that. At this rally just a moment ago, like he has in recent events, John McCain hit on themes of his own experience versus what he perceived as Barack Obama's lack of experience. He again focused on Joe Biden's comments that Barack Obama would be tested in the first six months that he was in office. John McCain saying that he himself can stand up very nicely to that test.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we are going to change Washington, we need a president who has actually fought for change and made it happen. Senator Obama has never taken on the leaders of his party on a single issue. The next president, the next president won't have time to get used to the office. We face many challenges, here at home and many enemies abroad in this dangerous world. In the face of these threats, we've heard the democratic answer. Barney Frank recently proposed - proposed to cut defense spending by 25 percent.

My friends, we have troops fighting in two wars, and their answer is to lower our defenses and raise our taxes? No! Our national security is dependent on our economic security and plans for the democratic- dominated Washington would harm both. You know, just the other day, Senator Biden, Senator Biden, the Joe, you know, he's the gift that keeps on giving. He warned, and he said, "mark my words, that Senator Obama would be tested in the first six months with an international crisis" because of his youth and inexperience. What do you think the reaction would have been if Sarah Palin or I had said that? My friends, I have been tested. Senator Obama hasn't. Senator Biden - Senator Biden referred to how Jack Kennedy was tested in the Cuban missile crisis, and I have a little personal experience in that. I was on board the "USS Enterprise," and I sat on the cockpit on a flight deck waiting to take off. We had a target. I know how close we came to a nuclear war, and I will not be a president who needs to be tested.

And we know - and we know Senator Obama won't have the right response to that test, because in the short time he's been in the Senate, we've seen the wrong response from him over and over during this campaign. He said he would sit down unconditionally with the world's worst dictators. When Russia invaded Georgia, Senator Obama said the invaded country should show restraint. He opposed the surge strategy that has worked in Iraq and will work in Afghanistan. He's been wrong on all of these. When I'm president, we're going to win in Iraq, win in Afghanistan. Our troops will come home with victory and honor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: McCain then alluded to what he said was Barack Obama's sense of overconfidence, saying Barack Obama is measuring the drapes in the White House. But clearly the democrats very concerned with Pennsylvania. The polls showed the race in this race is tightening, that Barack Obama now in our poll of polls has a lead of seven percentage points over John McCain. That lead was double digits just a couple of days ago. So the race is tightening here, Dana. They think that they're within striking distance as the republicans do and they are again going to push hard, John McCain coming back here to Pittsburgh tomorrow.

BASH: That's right, Brian. It's actually interesting. That is the one democratic state that he is going to hit in seven states, seven states tomorrow in his final day of campaigning. All of them are from a defensive posture, meaning all of them are republican states except for the state where you are. It's actually also very interesting to see that the public polls as you just mentioned in the state of Pennsylvania are tightening. That's what we've been hearing, you know, constantly from McCain aides behind the scenes saying you've got to listen to us, you've got to believe us, they are closing. That's what they're saying internally.

And now they're saying, you see, we told you it's happening in terms of the public surveys, as well. Obviously with just you know 24 to 48 hours left to go, it's going to be interesting to see if they have the enough time to keep the momentum to shrink that to the place where they can win that state, because as you well know, you've been listening to democrats and republicans in that state for I think at least I think a week now, Brian. That is the place where John McCain has to win. He doesn't want to win, he has to win if he wants to win the White House. So, Brian, thank you very much. We'll definitely be checking back with you.

And we're bringing Candy Crowley now. And Candy, I think you know just sort of looking ahead to where I am here in Peterborough, New Hampshire, I'm sure you'll agree with this what McCain is going to do is not hold a rally like he has been. Just like Obama, he's kind of been repeating the same thing over and over. He's having a town hall meeting. He's going to open it up to questions which is very John McCain but also a little bit risky to do for any campaign that is really wanting to stay on message. I mean, that's the name of the game right now, stay on message and get out your vote. He's going to risk that here, isn't he?

CROWLEY: Absolutely. And that what's really interesting, though, is I think that in these final couple of days, that politicians really do get nostalgic. And we know that John McCain's career was made on top of those town halls and not just that venue but in New Hampshire. So, I think this looks like a nostalgic tour. In fact, Barack Obama had one of his own. He went back to Iowa yesterday, the state, of course, the first contest in the primary season, Barack Obama won that and it really put him in play as a big contender. And the rest has been history. So, he went back to Ohio, a state that he is right now in the polls winning pretty handily. But there have a lot of nostalgia to it. Sounds like that is what John McCain is doing, as well.

Speaking of the polls, and we always do, and when we do that, we bring in our Bill Schneider, who is up in New York for us at this point. Bill, I know you've got some new numbers out there. Do they give us a change in the picture or is it pretty much the same?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I can answer that in one word - no. They do not give a change in the picture. It's pretty much the same as it's been for the last month, really since the financial crisis broke. When we asked people in our final poll, who do you intend to vote for if you had to vote right now, the answer is Obama leads John McCain by seven points, 53 percent to 46 percent. This is what it's been now since late September. Now, in some state, not every state, there are different third-party candidates. There's Bob Barr, the libertarian, Cynthia McKinney. I think she's the green party candidate. Ralph Nader, who's an independent. They're on the ballot in various states. So when we included those three independents and asked people once again how do you vote if this is your choice, you can see it didn't change much. Obama is still leading in this case by eight points with a combined total of four percentage points going to Barr and McKinney and Nader. So, they don't seem to make much difference if they are on the ballot.

CROWLEY: You know, I find, Bill, at this point in the campaign, in the crowds, what you hear most often is to look ahead. Well, when he becomes president, whether it be Obama or McCain, depending on which rally you're at, when he becomes president, this will happen, that will happen. What do we know about the expectations of voters as they look beyond Tuesday to what comes next?

SCHNEIDER: Well, when we asked them what do you think will happen in Iraq in four years, if Obama wins or if McCain wins, there was a big difference there. You can see it right here. Two-thirds of the voters say if Obama wins they think it's likely that the United States will not be in Iraq four years from now. If John McCain wins, they're kind of split. They think that we might - 50 percent say they think it's unlikely we'll be out of Iraq. 47 percent say it's likely we'll be out of Iraq. They don't know what to expect. What's interesting is when we asked this question about the economy, will it be better, people, whether McCain or Obama win, they think the economy will be better. They're optimistic. What about their taxes? They think it doesn't make any difference who wins. Their taxes are still likely to go up.

Finally, one of McCain's strongest arguments has been you've got to be careful because the democrats control Congress. Suppose Obama wins. Right now, voters expect Obama to be the next president when we asked them that. But if he is, do they want a Congress controlled by the democrats or the republicans? And the democrats very, very narrow. It's 50 percent say if Obama wins congress should be controlled by the democrats so they'll cooperate with him, but almost as many, 48 percent, say no, they think if Obama is the president, they'd rather see the power balanced by a republican congress. So, voters aren't sure. But it's pretty clear from this question there are no huge coattails that if Obama wins people want to see a democratic Congress elected with him. Not clear.

CROWLEY: Our Bill Schneider. Thank you so much, Bill. Anytime there's a number, we know you can explain it. We appreciate it. Thank you.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

CROWLEY: This seems like a very good time to remind all of you that Tuesday night CNN will be all over this election. You're going to want to tune in to primetime for that matter. You don't want to tune in all day. There is more at stake here than the presidency, although obviously that's where all the excitement has come, but there are governors, senators, congressmen all up for re-election. Stay tuned to CNN and you will learn about all of it. I will be in Chicago that night, and my colleague, Dana Bash, as I bring her in, I judge, is going to be someplace in Arizona Tuesday night.

BASH: That's right. In Phoenix, Arizona, with John McCain. You're absolutely right. Phoenix, Arizona, by the way, that had been relatively actually a very safe state actually up until a week or two weeks to ago and had now it looks like there's a little bit of worry inside the McCain camp about John McCain's home state. So that's obviously not just a place where he'll be celebrating. It's a place where he's going to be campaigning now. So that's going to be very interesting, Candy. But you know, we're going to take a quick break and we're going to look at both of the running mates, John McCain's running mate and Barack Obama's running mate. They are going to be - actually, Barack Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, is going to be speaking live very shortly. We're waiting for that. He's going to be in Florida. But we're also going to hear from Sarah Palin, who has been barnstorming the state of Ohio. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Welcome back to CNN's "Ballot Bowl." I'm Dana Bash in Peterborough, New Hampshire, where we are waiting for John McCain to arrive and this evening hold his final town hall of this election cycle. But while we wait for that, we want to go to John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin. She has been campaigning in the very, very important state of Ohio today. She has been echoing all of the themes that we have been hearing from John McCain over and over again, specifically on the economy and specifically hitting Barack Obama on the issue of taxes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Finally, light is being shown and it's in the nick of time because it's right before the election, his commitment to increase taxes never changes. And you just have to look at his record to understand this. And, Ohio, there is nothing mean spirited or no kind of negative campaigning. When you call someone out on their plans, their record, and their associations. It's not negative campaigning. It's in fairness to the American electorate that you understand what his record is all about. So, we call him out on this.

He voted 94 times for higher taxes, even on - even on hardworking, middle-class individuals making just $42,000 a year. 94 opportunities he had to be on our side, and instead, he chose the side of bigger government and taking more from you, what you earn and produce, and then wanting to dole those dollars out according to his own priorities. And now, Barack Obama has committed to almost a trillion dollars more in new government spending, but he won't tell you where those trillion dollars are going to come from to pay for these proposals. You can either do the math or just go with your gut. Either way, you draw the same conclusion.

Barack Obama, based on his record, is for bigger government and raising taxes. Now - his whole tax plan is really - it's so phony that it's starting to unravel now. And, again, I'm so thankful here, though it's the 11th hour, that more American voters are understanding this. It seems like every few days now we're getting a new definition of the middle class whose taxes he promises not to raise. Remember it started off at $250,000 a year. And then it went down to, well, if you make $200,000 a year, then you won't be slammed with a tax increase. And then it went down to $150,000. And now we hear that the Obama tax plans would define middle class as making $120,000 and under, which would hurt the small businesses all across this great land.

And we're afraid if we give him a little more time that Obama is going to be back to raising taxes on folks earning just the $42,000 a year, as his record showed he supported. So, he calling this taking more and then spreading your wealth, according to a politician's priorities, he calls it spreading the wealth. Joe Biden calls higher taxes patriotic. But good old Joe the plumber in Toledo, Ohio, who called him on it -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: That's Sarah Palin speaking earlier today in the state of Ohio. You know, as much as things change, they stay the same. And Candy, it's very interesting, isn't it, after all this time we're hearing a very familiar argument from the republicans. The democrats are going to raise your taxes. We're going to keep your taxes low. It's pretty remarkable how you can kind of play that back for any campaign over the past I don't know how over many years. It would be the same argument. But I want to ask you, did you catch "Saturday Night Live" last night? And wasn't it remarkable how John McCain was you know in the skit with Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin and participating in some pretty tough stuff? Maybe a little close to home that Tina Fey was saying about Sarah Palin going rogue and holding up her t-shirt that said 2012. Close to home, huh?

CROWLEY: Absolutely. You know, these politicians have got to show they have a little sense of humor here, and for John McCain to go on I think is one of those walks that these politicians now seem to want to go through because they see a different side of a candidate. As you know, there has been the rap on John McCain that he's seemed mean or that he's seen as negative all the time. So, it gives him a chance to kind of lighten up a little bit. You're right, it was pretty edgy stuff and hit very close to home about what's been going on on the campaign trail, but that's what "Saturday Night Live" is all about. So thanks, Dana.

Joe Biden. We expect him live from Gainesville, Florida, not too long from now, so of course we're going to bring that to you when he begins to start talking. The other thing, the redistributionist in chief, we're going to tell you what that means. And I can tell you it's a lot simpler to explain than it is to say. So stick with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: Welcome back to CNN's BALLOT BOWL. I am Dana Bash. We are in Peterborough, New Hampshire, where we are waiting for John McCain to arrive and hold a town hall meeting here in a very small but very important place to John McCain. It is a place where he actually has held town hall meetings to end his primary runs, both this year in the 2008 election cycle and back in 2000. Both times, he won this state and particularly in the last primary, this election cycle, it is what gave him a new breath of life and launched him to win the Republican primary and put him right where he is right now.

But this is one of those few Democratic states that we think that were won by the Democrat John Kerry in 2004 that John McCain is competing in. For the most part, he is playing defense, big time playing defense, and even doing it in the state of Virginia, that state that has not gone for a Democrat since 1964. But he had a couple of stops there yesterday, and just like he has been doing at just about every single rally that he is hitting, he hit Barack Obama on the issue of taxes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As you know, as you well know, we've learned more about Senator Obama's real goals for our country over the last two weeks than we've learned over the last two years. And that's only because Joe the plumber asked him a question. That's when Senator Obama revealed he wants to, quote, spread the wealth around. Now, Joe didn't ask Senator Obama to come to his house, and he didn't ask to be famous, and he certainly didn't ask for the political attacks on him from the Obama campaign. Disgraceful. Joe's dream is your dream, to own a small business that will create jobs, and the attacks on him are an attack on small businesses all over this nation. We shouldn't stand for it. Small businesses employ 84 percent of America. We need to support these small business, taxing small businesses create jobs. Senator Obama's plan will tax 50 percent of small business income. We can't let that happen in America my friends and I won't let it happen as president of the United States.

Now, Senator Obama is running to be the redistributionist in chief. I'm running to be commander in chief. Senator Obama is running to spread the wealth. I'm running to create more wealth. Senator Obama is running to punish the successful. I'm running to make everyone successful. You know what's interesting is he's made promises. First he said people making less than $250,000 would benefit from his plan. Then last weekend, he announced in an ad that if you're a family making less than $200,000 you'll benefit. This week, Senator Biden, the gift that keeps on giving, said tax relief should only go to middle-class people making under $150,000 a year.

Just yesterday, Governor Bill Richardson said it applies to families making $120,000 a year. You get the trend here? Huh? Huh? It's the classic liberal left, tax and spend, redistribute the wealth. My friends, that's interesting how their definition of rich has a way of creeping down. And Senator Obama voted 94 times for tax increases, against tax cuts, and at this rate, it won't be long before Senator Obama is right back to his vote that Americans making just $42,000 a year should get a tax increase. We're not going to let that happen, my friends. And we're not going to take -- we're not going to take money from one group of Americans, especially small businesses, and give it to another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And that was John McCain speaking in the critical state of Virginia in the critical area of that state, northern Virginia, or suburban Washington, where it has really been trending Democratic, which is a part of the reason why the McCain campaign, just like other Republicans in that state, has been having a lot of problems. And they are certainly quite worried about the state of Virginia, which is why John McCain was there twice yesterday and he will be hitting that state as one of his seven final stops before going back to his home state of Arizona.

Now, we are here at BALLOT BOWL bringing you as you just heard large chunks of the candidates and their running mates speaking. And right now, we want to actually take you to a live event. Joe Biden, Barack Obama's Democratic running mate, is speaking right now, and we want to bring that to you live. Let's listen.

JILL BIDEN, JOE BIDEN'S WIFE, (D) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, the Obama/Biden --

BASH: Excuse me. Jill Biden is speaking.

BIDEN: You know, this is known for many wonder ever things. BASH: That is Jill Biden speaking, Joe Biden's wife who is speaking, warming up the crowd for her husband. We are monitoring that live event. And as soon as the candidate takes the stage, we are going to bring that to you live. Stick with us we will bring it right back to you. We are going to take a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CROWLEY: Welcome back to BALLOT BOWL. I'm Candy Crowley. We are here in Cincinnati awaiting Barack Obama. He will be here in a couple of hours campaigning all today across Ohio. We are also standing by for Joe Biden. He is getting ready to speak in Gainesville. We are, of course are monitoring that event, and as soon as he gets up to speak, now being introduced by his wife, we will bring you to Joe Biden.

Right now, though, we want to go back to the top of the ticket, Barack Obama. One of the enduring themes of the Obama campaign has been to link John McCain with George Bush, linking any candidate with an unpopular president they believe would do them a lot of good. They think it has been quite effective. They have never passed up a chance on the Obama ticket to tie John McCain and George Bush together.

So of course, when Dick Cheney came out yesterday and endorsed John McCain, it simply was something Barack Obama was not going to let go by without saying something, and he said something last night in Springfield, Missouri.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now, President Bush is sitting out the last few weeks of the election, but, but, earlier today, Dick Cheney, Dick Cheney -- no need to boo, just need to vote -- Dick Cheney came out of his undisclosed location and he hit the campaign trail. He said that he is and I quote Dick Cheney here -- he is delighted to support John McCain. So, so, I would like to congratulate Senator McCain on his endorsement. Because he really earned it. That endorsement didn't come easy.

John McCain had to vote 90 percent of the time with Bush and Cheney to get that endorsement. He had to serve as Washington's biggest cheerleader for going to war in Iraq. He had to support economic policies that have gotten us into this mess. So, Senator McCain worked hard to get Dick Cheney's support. It finally paid off. But here's my question for you, Missouri. Do you really think that Dick Cheney is delighted to support John McCain because he thinks John McCain is going to bring change?

Because he thinks that somehow that McCain is going to really shake things up and put Halliburton on the sidelines and get rid of all the lobbyists and the old boy's network in Washington? Come on, Missouri. We know better. We're not going to be hoodwinked. After all, it was just a few days ago that Senator McCain said that he and President Bush share a common philosophy. And we know that when it comes to foreign policy, John McCain and Dick Cheney share a common philosophy that thinks he can just talk to us and somehow that's going to fix all our problems. And a war without end in Iraq is the way to defeat Bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorists who are in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where we should have been focused on in the first place.

So, George Bush may be in an undisclosed location, but Dick Cheney's out there on the campaign trail because he'd be delighted to pass the baton to John McCain. Actually, Bush and Cheney they have dug a deep hole, so what he really want to do is pass a shovel to John McCain, to dig that hole deeper. Dick Cheney knows that with John McCain you get a twofer -- George Bush's economic policies and Dick Cheney's foreign policy. And that's a risk we cannot afford to take. It is time for change. That's why I need your help, so that I can bring about that change in the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: That's Barack Obama in Springfield, Missouri, hammering home, as you heard, that theme that John McCain would only bring a second or a third Bush term. Just a ps to that -- the campaign was so excited about that Cheney announcement that Obama went up with an ad announcing to everyone that Dick Cheney had, in fact, endorsed John McCain. So, that was Barack Obama in Springfield, Missouri, last night. He is now traveling through Ohio. We find his running mate, Joe Biden, however, down in Gainesville, Florida, where he has just begun to speak, and of course we want to take you there.

JOE BIDEN, (D) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Is what happened yesterday with John McCain. John McCain received a coveted endorsement. He was endorsed by Vice President Cheney.

Hey, hey, hey. It's not surprising. It's not surprising. Dick Cheney has been wrong about everything else for the last eight years. The man is on a roll. Hey, folks, don't you just love it? These rallies, we're getting down to the wire here, and I just want the press to know I know John McCain has drill, baby, drill. I got Jill, baby, Jill, and I think I got the better end. I got to tell you, I tell you, I love it when I get back to my hotel room after these long and invigorating days. They are invigorating. This is exciting, folks. This is the most exciting election I've ever been involved in. I was elected to the Senate when I was a 29-year-old kid. I went back to law school and almost by accident got elected to the United States Senate, never intended on running for it.

And the amazing thing to me is, and I mean this sincerely, as passionate about the prospects I was for America back when I got elected as a kid, I'm even more passionate now that I've served as long as I have. I believe the possibilities for this country are absolutely amazing. And stop moving the prompter. Absolutely amazing. These guys -- there's a prompter I hardly ever read here. I want you to know that. They put it up to make me sound disciplined. But, folks, look, here's the deal. Here's the deal. You know, Dick Cheney endorsing John McCain within the same time frame Warren Buffett and Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama.

Now, I call that a default. But, folks, look, all kidding aside, the truth of the matter is that endorsements and polling data, they don't determine the outcome of elections. I don't have to tell anybody here in Florida, whether it's your first time voting or your 25th time voting, the fact of the matter is only one poll counts, and that's on Election Day. And, folk, we know, we know not just in Florida but what happened -- not happened but what occurred in New Mexico and Colorado and a handful of other states where if there would have been five votes difference in precincts in each of those states, we would have had John Kerry as president the last four years.

So folks, we cannot, we cannot, we cannot let that happen again. We cannot rest till every poll in America and every poll in this state is closed. And, folks, it really is up to you. The fact of the matter is that people all over the country -- this is the most -- how can I say. This election has the most common theme and thread of any presidential election since I was on a college campus in 1968. And that is everyone, whether they're in Montana or Florida, whether they're in Texas or Maine, they're asking the same questions at their kitchen tables, they're asking the same questions in their dorm rooms. They're as simple as they are profound. People are asking themselves whether or not they are going to, in fact, be in a position to stay in their house.

Is their house worth what they paid for it? Or like so many tens of thousands of Floridians have now what they call upside down mortgages, where they owe more than their house is worth. Is the company they work for going to keep their health care? Are they going to be in a position where they'll be able to retire now that their 401(k)s have been decimated and that equity they thought they had in their home to retire on is gone?

Ladies and gentlemen, the fact of the matter is a lot of your parents literally are probably having the discussion this Sunday, asking themselves, are we going to be able to send her back to school next semester? Are we going to be able to send him back to school next semester? Our son or our daughter. A lot of you out trying to renew your college loans are finding that is not as easy as it was a year or two ago. So, ladies and gentlemen, the fact of the matter is we are in a position where there's no much at stake for ordinary middle-class, working-class people in this country.

And, you know, the fact also is that if you take a look at what's going on here, we know we're not running against George Bush. I know John McCain felt obliged to tell everybody, to tell everybody at the last debate that he was not George Bush. I know John McCain last week went on a bit of a tear, taking on and criticizing George Bush's fiscal policy and budget policies. The same policies he voted for and supported for the last eight years. And I know, I know that just this past Sunday on "Meet the Press" John McCain, when asked to compare himself to George Bush, said, we have a common philosophy.

It's obvious. It's obvious that we're not running against George Bush, but it's equally as obvious we're running against a man who's espousing essentially the exact same economic theories of George Bush. There's not one single, solitaire, fundamental difference that John McCain has stated relative to the economy that is not a position held by George Bush. So, ladies and gentlemen, we are running against, we are running against the failed economic policies, the failed foreign policies that John McCain wants to continue.

Over the course of three decades, over the course of 20 months of campaigning, eight years of economic policies that he's signed onto, there's virtually no difference. There's virtually no difference between where John McCain thinks the answers lie and where George Bush has taken the country. He disagrees with him on some important things, but not about the economy and not about basic foreign policy questions. Ladies and gentlemen, I love it when John McCain and Sarah Palin get up before audiences like this and they say, hey, maverick! The other one says, hey, maverick! Well, they're both mavericks, right?

Well, the truth of the matter is, as our colleague from Pennsylvania, United States Senator Bobby Casey, says, he says, you know, you can't call yourself a maverick if all you've been the last eight years is a sidekick. And, folks, it's not meant to be harsh. It's just meant to be true. So, their last rally, they should get up and say, hey, sidekick. All right, side -- look, because, look, folks, look. The fact of the matter is we need a drastic change in this country. Everybody knows it. Everybody knows it. If you give Barack Obama and me the honor of being your next president and vice president of the United States --

CROWLEY: Joe Biden down in Gainesville, Florida. Still a very hardly fought and very close race down there in Florida right now. You heard Joe Biden having a little bit of fun with his campaign at the top, mentioning that they just put the Teleprompters up there to try to keep him on message. We'll see if he goes off at some point. This is probably one of the most reporter friendly politicians in Washington, so he is not used to having that straight-on message. And sometimes just for fun, he goes off it, probably gives his advisers a little bit of a heart attack.

Nonetheless, you heard pretty much the sort of things we have heard from Joe Biden over the last several weeks, at least. We want to return to the other side when we come back after the break. What would we do without "Saturday Night Live" during a political season? John McCain was on last night, we are going to show you a bit of it right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I 'm John McCain.

TINA FEY: And you know, I'm just Sarah Palin.

MCCAIN: The final days of any election are the most essential. This past Wednesday, Barack Obama purchased air time on three major networks. We, however, can only afford QVC.

FEY: These campaigns sure are expensive.

MCCAIN: They sure are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: That was John McCain last night on "Saturday Night Live." And, of course, that was not Sarah Palin. That was Tina Fey. And it is actually hard to believe that given how really huge "Saturday Night Live" is this election cycle, particularly with the political season, that this is actually the first time John McCain has had any kind of appearance at all on "Saturday Night Live" since I think 2002.

And, Candy, that was a funny opening skit. To me my favorite is what you're seeing right now, his wife, Cindy McCain, displaying the fine gold, the McCain/Feingold that they were selling on QVC. A really funny skit last night, Candy.

CROWLEY: It's always fun to watch politicians make fun of themselves. So often everyone else makes fun of them. You have to wonder sometimes, "Saturday Night Live" is so good at making fun at politicians you wonder what politicians think. Well, we did find out that politicians do watch. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I missed it yesterday, but I saw on youtube, John McCain was funny yesterday on "Saturday Night Live." But that's part of what our politics should be about, being able to laugh at each other but also laugh at ourselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: So, apparently they are watching if not live at least maybe on tivo. We're going to take a small break here, but when we come back, back to the serious stuff. Barack Obama has just landed in Cleveland. He will be joined at a rally there by the boss, Bruce Springsteen. We are going to take you to some of that, not so much Bruce Springsteen, but Barack Obama he being the man of the hour along with John McCain. So stick with us we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)