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Return of the RoboCall; McCain Down But Not Out; What's on the Radio

Aired November 02, 2008 - 23:20   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: It is an all-out blitz through the nation's battleground states and it is not over yet. Election Day 2008 arrives one day from now and the candidates are sprinting toward the finish -- trying to round up the 270 electoral votes needed to become the next president.
They have spent most of the day in the states that matter most, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida. And for the next hour, we have the Best Political Team on Television to help us cover it all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Don Lemon.

LEMON: And good evening, everyone. Thanks for hanging with us tonight in our late edition here of the CNN NEWSROOM. The political team begins our coverage in New York. Political editor Mark Preston, CNN political analyst Roland Martin and Republican consultant Alex Castellanos. On the campaign trail we have for you CNN's Candy Crowley covering the Obama campaign and Dana Bash with the McCain campaign.

As we track the presidential hopefuls, new poll numbers are offering a snapshot of where the race stands right now. Our latest nationwide CNN Opinion Research Poll of likely voters gives Obama 53 percent to McCain's 46 percent.

Political director Mark Preston from New York.

Mark, OK. So, I have seen all of these -- we looked at these numbers, but the one that stood out to me the most was where people stand on the economy, what they think the most important issue is.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, no question, Don. There is absolutely the reason why we call the economy issue number one here at CNN. 57 percent of Americans say that it is the most important problem facing us right now. And I will tell you what. It does not show in this number, but consistently, our polling has shown that when asked, a majority of Americans say that Barack Obama would do a better job in turning it around than John McCain.

LEMON: So, if they say he will do a better job, who are they blaming for this financial mess that we're in?

PRESTON: Again, another bad news for John McCain at this point. Our new CNN-ORC Poll shows that a majority of Americans -- or almost a majority of Americans are blaming Republicans. And this is not only bad news for John McCain; it's also bad news for down-ticket Republicans. Republican strategists tell me it could be fatal to many of their candidacies on Tuesday night.

LEMON: Yes. And that's a big question there. OK, so those are the numbers. Let's go to the map now. What is the path to victory? You've seen, you know, he's got the problems there. But what is the path to victory for John McCain, Mark?

PRESTON: Well, I'll tell you what Don. Let's just look at the numbers right there. Barack Obama, 291 electoral votes. John McCain, 157. That is what CNN is estimating right now. But look at that map. In between the red and the blue right now, don, you see a smattering of yellow. John McCain needs to sweep all seven of those states, Don, immediately. He needs to do that to go on to his path to victory.

LEMON: OK. So, even if he does everything you say -- everything you say, then after that, where will he stand?

PRESTON: Well, Don, he is still short. He is still 23 electoral votes short. And we've seen him spend a lot of time in Pennsylvania. He would need to win Pennsylvania. That gives him 21 electoral votes. And then on top of that, he would have to go out, Don, and win a state such as New Hampshire, perhaps Virginia, Nevada or Colorado.

LEMON: OK. Mark Preston, thank you very much, Mark. Some people may agree or may not agree with you. And so we want to hear from them. Make sure you reach out to us on Twitter, on Facebook, MySpace and also ireport.com.

Meantime, let's talk about Barack Obama, trying to get in touch with the relative that's stirring last-minute questions about his run for the presidency. Tonight, he speaks out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: You know what, this busy campaign day has turned into a busy campaign night and it is still going on. This is the scene in Miami where John McCain has scheduled a late-night rally that's set to begin at 12:15 Eastern -- 12:15 Eastern. And you see them getting ready for that rally right now.

It is the last stop in a day-long blitz that included stops across Pennsylvania and a town hall in New Hampshire. Now, it was there, just a few hours ago that McCain said he is ready to fight to the very end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: We've got to fight for America. We've got to fight for our children. We've got to fight for freedom and justice. We've got to fight for the men and women who are serving in the military. We have to fight for America -- the things we stand for and believe in. Our best days are ahead of us. America never quits. America never gives up. We will succeed. We will win. Let's win this election and get our economy and our country going again. Thank you and God bless you.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Well, Barack Obama spent the entire day making stops in Ohio, a state that's gone Republican in the last two presidential elections. He wrapped up his day last hour with a rally in Cincinnati.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Understand this, Ohio, we are not as divided as our politics would suggest. We are not just a collection of states or collection of individuals, we're the United States. We're a community. We can steer ourselves out of this crisis with a new politics for a new time. We can build a future we know is possible as one people, as one nation. That's what this campaign has been all about. That's why I'm running for president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Candy Crowley, looks like they would be tired out there on the campaign trail, but, boy, Barack Obama really getting into his speeches lately with a whole lot of energy?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And part of it is that the crowd feeds off him, he feeds off the crowd. I mean, this is the kind of stirring up that you almost always see in the last two days of the campaign.

We have seen some of the Palin crowd, some of the McCain crowds, while not nearly so big, certainly are passionate. So, when you're within 48 hours of the voting, it always is really exciting, both for the candidates and for the crowds. And it's really what you want. You want that picture on local TV. You want that picture on national TV, because what it does is it helps you drive out the vote. People look and go, wow, oh, wow, yes, I'm going to be there Tuesday. So, that's the chief task really of any candidate at this point in the campaign, and that is to drive out the vote.

LEMON: At this moment, you know, the polls keep shifting, but at this moment it appears that Barack Obama has the wind at his back, and really gaining ground in some of those battleground states. But he is dealing with an issue now that some believe may not be a big deal or could have been a big deal. He responded yesterday, Candy, with just a statement, but spoke out on a CBS interview about his aunt living in the U.S. illegally. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: She has violated laws and those laws have to be obeyed. You know, we are a nation of laws. And, you know, obviously, that doesn't lessen my concern for her. I haven't been able to get in touch with her. But I'm a strong believer that you obey the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Very similar to what he released in a statement yesterday, except for the part where he says I have not been able to get in touch with her, I'm concerned about her, because according to the statement yesterday, he hadn't been in touch with her for years and didn't know her status.

CROWLEY: Right, exactly. And this is a paternal aunt and someone that he does, in fact, speak fondly of in his book. So, it's certainly someone that has been a part of his life in the past. He says, of course, he's been trying to get in touch with her. So, listen, it's really hard to tell, but this is not something that is directly about Barack Obama.

We saw in the Bush campaign in 2000 when we went into that final weekend, just about right now, it came out that he had had an old DUI in Maine. And what we saw later and what we found out after Tuesday is that some of his support began to drop. But I think this is a wholly different thing. I think this is about a relative and we all know that relatives, no matter who they are, you don't have control over.

LEMON: Oh, yes. We all have them, right?

CROWLEY: That's something people can relate to. Exactly. So, it just really seems to me doubtful that this is something that's going to tamp down the enthusiasm of his voters.

LEMON: Yes. And I mentioned all the candidates out and about, and I'm sure they're tired. And the Best Political Team, a little tired, too. I'm sure. But, Candy, stay strong, just a couple more days left.

CROWLEY: Absolutely. Like them, we are running on adrenaline so it's all good.

LEMON: Thanks, Candy.

From Candy Crowley now to Dana Bash. She is in Peterborough, New Hampshire, tonight, where John McCain held a town hall meeting and really the energy in this campaign also has been amped up. And he got a very interesting question from one questioner in the audience. Take a listen, Dana.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I may be jumping a little ahead. Mr. President, I have a question for you.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

MCCAIN: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, Dana, that was a very funny moment, and you know he is full of -- a crowd of supporters there, so he knows his audience. But really, that questioner went on to talk about the economy. And ever since it became about the economy, when the economy started going south, John McCain's campaign started going south in some ways as well. DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And they will admit that. I mean, they actually can pinpoint the date, September 15th, when it was really the collapse on Wall Street. And that, just like you said, equaled what was the collapse of the McCain campaign. Up until then, he was doing pretty well.

What they are seeing and what they are insisting right now, Don, is that since things have -- that has gotten out of the news a little bit. And since John McCain has been plugging away on this issue of the economy over and over and over again, specifically hitting Barack Obama on, you know, frankly, an old-fashioned issue -- the idea that he is going to raise taxes and John McCain says he won't do that, that they are seeing some traction.

They're seeing traction in some of these key states like Pennsylvania, for example. Ohio, he seems to be doing a little better, Florida. But the question is whether or not there is enough time with just, you know, under 36 hours until the polls open, enough time to keep that going and, you know, that is -- who knows, who knows. They are definitely feeling better.

LEMON: That's a real question. I mean, it's late momentum. And the question, is it too late, because you said they are getting some traction. He is in -- spoke today in Peterborough, New Hampshire, but you know, in just a short time, he's going to be making a late-night speech in Miami, on his way now, and so he is really under the gun, even in Florida now, which is in Barack Obama's column.

BASH: He is under the gun for sure. I mean, the truth of the matter is if John McCain hasn't been doing what Barack Obama has done all week, and that is have these late-night rallies, he is going to have -- believe it or not, his first one tonight in the City of Miami. But tomorrow, if you just look at his schedule, it really does tell you, Don, where they are with regard to this campaign.

He is going to hit seven states in one day. The last full day of campaigning. And all of them, except one, are Republican states. So, he is for sure playing defense and playing defense in a big way. And that really does give you an illustration of just how hard this is going to be for John McCain, because he has to battle all of these states and many of them, like the State of Virginia and the State of North Carolina that were very comfortably in George Bush's column and many Republicans columns in the years past.

Don?

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And you said seven states, and that means seven states for you as well, Dana, or at least many of them, because you have been traveling with him. It's been a very long campaign, and they don't waste a minute, Dana. The speech barely over and they're breaking down behind you. Our Dana Bash joining us now.

BASH: You can hear that?

LEMON: I can. We can see it as well, Peterborough, New Hampshire tonight. Thank you, Dana. BASH: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: And also, the Republicans co-opt the words of a high- profile Democrat to make the case for John McCain. We'll explain that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: So, with the election a couple days out, both campaigns want to seal the day, of course. It's obvious. So, McCain camps, ace in the hole, the infamous robocall with the familiar Democratic voice on the other end.

Joining us tonight, Alex Castellanos, Republican consultant and John McCain supporter, of course. Next to him, Roland Martin, CNN political analyst and Obama supporter.

So, before we get started, guys, I want you to listen to this robocall and say if you recognize the voice here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOICE OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC. Listen to what Hillary Clinton had to say about John McCain and the Barack Obama.

(VOICE OF HILLARY CLINTON): In the White House there is no time for speeches and on-the-job training. Senator McCain will bring a lifetime of experience to the campaign and Senator Obama will bring a speech that he gave in 2002. I think that is a significant difference.

VOICE OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This call was paid for by the Republican National Committee at 866-558-5591 and authorized by McCain-Palin 2008.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Roland Martin, all is fair in love and war, or is it a low blow?

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Dude, that was Amy Poehler. That wasn't Hillary. That was Amy.

LEMON: You haven't gotten any sleep, Roland. Come on.

ALEX CASTELLANOS, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: Hillary's gone over to the other side, Roland.

MARTIN: Well, look, first of all, the moment she made that comment, anybody who was a Democrat or Republican, you can be a journalist or whatever, we all said the exact same thing. You're guaranteed to hear that and see that in an ad.

So, I mean, is it negative campaigning, no, it's not. It's not surprising. But here is the problem with that. John McCain took the experience argument off the table the moment he named Sarah Palin as his VP. They were doing so well with that. I still think that was a mistake because it was an argument that he was winning. Granted, the economy took over but it was a successful one that was taken off the table.

LEMON: I can't believe you're just sitting there, Alex, quietly and you're letting him bring Sarah Palin into this. I'm sort of dumb struck that you're not jumping all over him, or Tina Fey.

CASTELLANOS: As long as the ads are out there working, then Roland can say whatever he wants. Look, Hillary Clinton skipped the first caucuses. We know that. She fell behind in the first and second quarter, but in the third and fourth quarters of the Democratic primary process, she was beating Barack Obama. She was beating him using this argument. And this kind of call now, in these critical states, should have been working in the Democratic primary. Don't you think it will work in the general?

If John McCain can pick up just a couple of thousand votes in Pennsylvania, it might make the difference.

LEMON: Well, you kind of answered my next question but not really, because in Ohio, there is early voting, and many people have already voted. So is it going to make -- this is playing in Ohio and Pennsylvania -- is it really going to make a difference this late into the campaign?

CASTELLANOS: Well, right now, it's, you know, grab any rock lying around, pick it up and throw it, so any vote John McCain can get. Would it have been better to have done this a little earlier? Yes, but by the way, the RNC did have some ads with Hillary Clinton on them making this very case earlier.

So -- and by the way, Roland, you know, taking the experience argument off the table, what do you mean? Let's face facts.

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: Don't go there.

CASTELLANOS: Whatever questions -- whatever questions you have about Palin, guess what? It still doesn't give Barack Obama more experience.

LEMON: OK, Roland, hang on. Hold that thought, Ronald, because we don't have a lot of time. You know we got preempted so hang on one second.

MARTIN: You betcha.

LEMON: We're going to get back to you. Roland and Alex, stick around, because we want to try to figure out if Mac can come back. He's done it before.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now let me give you a little straight talk about the state of the race today. There's just two days left. We're a couple points behind in Pennsylvania, the pundits have written us off just like they've done before. My friends, the Mac is back.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, you know, John McCain says he likes being the underdog but he wouldn't mind losing that distinction in a couple of days. CNN contributor Roland Martin and Republican consultant Alex Castellanos. OK, guys, he said it earlier this week to our Larry King. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: It's not a matter of worry. It's just, you know, -- you and I have been together long enough. You know, I love underdog status. I just want to leave that status by the time the polls close.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: You know what, he has come back many times. He had no money. I guess about a year ago, Roland and Alex, he had no money, virtually no staff, he was flying commercial.

Alex, should we not count out John McCain because he is saying, you know, the Democrats are measuring for the drapes in the White House already?

CASTELLANOS: Americans are going to vote anyway, even if everybody has called this election over. And sure, it looks tough. And if McCain wins this thing, his next action would be turning water into wine. It is going to be tough.

But there -- here is how what would have to happen, and I think it's three things. One of them is turnout. We have to have big turnout. Not just young people coming out, black Americans coming out, but everybody coming out. Well, that looks like it may happen.

The other thing that has to happen is that he is -- Barack Obama, 60 percent of Americans say he is more liberal than they are, and say he is liberal. Only 20 percent of Americans say they are. He is left of center. So, ideologically out of touch is something that Americans would have to register. And I think the other thing, there's the kind of the paper bag factor right now.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: What is the paper bag factor?

CASTELLANOS: Well, Republicans are -- is it not the best year to be a Republican. Republicans are kind of going out to vote with a paper bag over their head. But they may be telling pollsters the same thing. Nobody -- I mean, we've all figured out, it's not cool to say, hey, I'm going to vote for George Bush II. So, is there a hidden vote out there?

LEMON: OK.

MARTIN: Hey, he is George Bush II? Wow. The Obama line is working even on Alex. Look, Don, look, I think Obama is here. At this point in the stage -- this stage of the campaign, it's not about message, it's not about what works, it boils down to -- as Alex said, a turnout. Can you get your people to the polls?

What we have seen is that for Democrats, there is a huge enthusiasm level on their side and as -- not a lot on the Republican side, there is a huge gap there.

(CROSSTALK)

CASTELLANOS: I would disagree with you, Roland.

LEMON: OK.

MARTIN: Who's excited about going to vote for John McCain?

CASTELLANOS: No. No. No. There is not a lot of enthusiasm for Republicans, but there is a lot of enthusiasm against Barack Obama.

MARTIN: Oh.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: You know, Roland, I have to disagree just sitting -- sitting here, just watching people, watching those rallies. I think there are -- and talking to people -- I think there are some people who are excited about going out to vote for John McCain. You shouldn't count that out. But listen --

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: No, I'm not counting it out. I'm saying, 1,000 at his rally, 200,000 with Obama, I'm just saying it's a little imbalance.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: All right. There are 1,000 people who at least maybe excited about voting for him. You know, --

MARTIN: A thousand on my Facebook.

LEMON: I've got to go. Can you give me a yes or no on this? If, let's just say that John McCain does pull it off, when you see all the polls and everything, with Barack Obama being ahead and the battleground states -- will people bring up race for the Bradley Effect? Will this play a role?

MARTIN: Of course. First of all, if John McCain wins this race, folks are going to bring the Jesus, Allah and Buddha.

LEMON: OK. Alex --

MARTIN: Call on all three of them to win.

LEMON: Alex, real quick, yes, do you believe that?

CASTELLANOS: You now, I don't think so. This year, the economy is taking that off the table. If somebody wins this race, it's going to be because people thought, hey, he can solve the biggest problem we've got.

LEMON: Alex, Roland, thank you. Roland, I don't know, you need to get some sleep, man. You got a long --

MARTIN: Hey, hey.

LEMON: He was just singing "Return of the Mac."

MARTIN: Return of the Mac

CASTELLANOS: 1997.

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: Yes, one hit. "Return of the Mac," the new theme song for John McCain.

LEMON: All right.

(CROSSTALK)

CASTELLANOS: He's back on the charts.

LEMON: All right, guys, thank you very much. Enjoy. Best of luck to you the next couple of days.

We were talking about race. Of course, race front and center this election season. And it's being filtered through the media's lens. So, how are we doing? I posed that question to one of the most prominent voices on social issues, Dr. Cornel West.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, no matter the outcome, this election gives us a sense of how far America has come, and the mainstream media walked an interesting tight rope with the coverage.

I want to introduce you to two people who have been getting an earful about what the media are and aren't doing in this case. On the right, Martha Zoller, host of "The Martha Zoller Show."

Why are you sitting to his left?

MARTHA ZOLLER, RADIO HOST, "MARTHA ZOLLER SHOW": I don't know. That's where they put me. LEMON: Warren Ballentine, nationally syndicated radio host. Warren Ballentine, for "The Warren Ballentine Show."

Before we get started, I want you to listen to -- I went to speak to Cornel West. We know, he is a prominent -- very prominent person who speaks out about social issues. He's also a prominent author as well.

I talked to him about the role the media has been playing when it comes to race in this election. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, you've been -- we've been talking about the media. In this whole political cycle, this cycle that we've been in since this election has been going on, how are we doing?

DR. CORNEL WEST, PROFESSOR, AUTHOR, LECTURER: For the most part, I think the media has been caught unaware. Because the media has an impoverished imagination about talking of race in relation to democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And then he goes on to talk about other ways that the media. He's saying, you know, he realizes that we have -- that the media is also part of -- we have to -- we are in business as well. But he thinks that we should be very honestly elevating the conversation a little bit more than pitting people against each other.

Martha?

ZOLLER: Well, I think there is this image, and I write about it in my book "Indivisible," that when you have one person on the left and one person on the right, the image is that everything is split straight down the middle, 50/50. And it's not necessarily that case.

But as far as race goes, I think that -- in white America, and most of my listeners are predominantly white, they are afraid to talk about race. They are afraid to bring it up, especially if people going to know who they are, because they don't want to be seen as racist.

I mean, racist is kind of like, you know, when did you stop beating your wife? You know, when did you stop being a racist? There is no way you can win in that discussion.

LEMON: But just because you're afraid of something, does that mean you don't engage in a level where you can actually learn something or --

(CROSSTALK)

ZOLLER: I think we should engage in it, the media should. But you can understand sometimes when listeners, viewers, that kind of thing, they don't want to do it, because it's kind of like the folks you know you don't feel racist about, but sometimes the people you don't know, you do.

LEMON: But most times when you grow, right, there is a certain degree of discomfort. You have to stretch in order to grow?

ZOLLER: Oh, of course.

LEMON: OK, so, your listeners, because I'm on your show often and other shows, are not afraid to talk about race at all. And in fact, during this election season, feel that they have a freedom, like they've never had before, to talk about those issues, Warren.

WARREN BALLENTINE, RADIO HOST, "WARREN BALLENTINE SHOW": That's exactly right, Don. And they are talking more about race, more so than ever, I think, because they understand that we are in a very historic point in time and place, and we need to have this discussion so we can't all be together.

See, the one thing about my listeners, they understand that, you know, hey there is always going to be a hint of racism in some form, shape or fashion, but that's going to be the minority. It's not going to be the majority.

ZOLLER: But I think in this election, sexism has been a bigger issue than racism.

LEMON: You know, I talked to Dr. Cornel West about that and he agrees with that. He said, simply because there are more women on the planet percentage-wise, sexism is worse than racism. And you know, and the reason I ask you all about that is because we were talking about -- we were talking about hope, we were talking about reaching across the aisle and bringing people together. But there has been so much dissension between these camps and race has played a big factor. Are we even going to be able to bridge that and come together? That's the question? That's why I wanted to talk to you, guys, about this.

(CROSSTALK)

ZOLLER: You know, I think with these two candidates, the answer is yes. Because whoever wins -- I believe John McCain has had a great record of reaching across the aisle. And Donna Brazile said earlier today in an interview that she thinks that Obama should reach across the isle.

LEMON: OK. I want to get Warren the last word. But I do have to say-- I've got to challenge you that. And people who say that they are afraid to talk and engage in -- speak about race or conversations, because they're afraid that they're going to be deemed racist, that's wrong. You've got to do it. That's the only way that you will learn about it.

ZOLLER: Well, and I'm not saying, I'm not doing it. I'm just saying sometimes listeners are afraid to do it.

LEMON: OK.

(CROSSTALK) BALLENTINE: I think -- I think white -- white America is afraid to talk about it because they think they're going to be viewed as racist as talking about it because of what happened in the past. But the only way you can fix what happened in the past is if you talk about it, to heal those wounds.

Now, as far as what my listeners think about this, my listeners just point blank understand we may have come here on different ships, but right now we are all in the same boat. We are all Americans. We all love this country. We all have to come together no matter who the president is and support this country so we all can be here together.

LEMON: Very well put, Warren Ballentine.

ZOLLER: Good point.

LEMON: And I just have -- if you can just give me one word each of you, talking about tomorrow, just the election and the run-up in the lines?

BALLENTINE: I'm talking about tomorrow -- also I will be running an interview that I have with Senator Barack Obama. I will be running that on Tuesday.

LEMON: Martha?

ZOLLER: Yes. We'll be talking election and updates from the campaign.

LEMON: Thank you both of you for joining us throughout this election process.

ZOLLER: Sure. Thanks.

LEMON: Some of the best segments on our show have been with you guys. Thank you very much.

ZOLLER: Thank you.

BALLENTINE: You bet.

LEMON: And again, as we have been saying, this is the final stretch.

And we can't talk politics without talking weather. Jacqui Jeras in the CNN weather center with your Election Day forecast.

She is working on it right now, Jacqui?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, the big question -- what will the weather be like on Election Day. Inclement weather causes problems with at least one party we know, right, Jacqui?

(WEATHER REPORT) LEMON: I don't want to put you on the spot. I voted early. I think you may have voted. But real quick --

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I have not.

LEMON: Do you know, Ohio -- we're going to have inclement weather because our iReporters are on. One of them voted, one has not. I think, Zach, voted, Franco, did not. All right.

JERAS: No problem.

LEMON: (INAUDIBLE). We can't get them up. Woke them up. Can we see them, real quick? There they are. Go vote, guys. They're watching our broadcast. Thank you.

October is officially history. And anyone with a stock portfolio has to be relieved, but what can we look forward to in November?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: No doubt about it. October was a wild month for stocks. Stephanie Elam takes a look at what's ahead this week in "GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Stocks posted gains last week. And last Tuesday, the Dow delivered its second biggest one-day point gain ever -- 889 points of fitting in to one of the most volatile months in stock market history.

Next week the Labor Department will release its monthly jobs report for October. The September report showed unemployment at 6.1 percent. 760,000 jobs have been lost this year. And economists expect that to climb above one million before the year is out.

Last week, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates again, dropping the federal funds rate to one percent. The goal is to loosen up credit for home loans, business loans and credit card in the coming week.

There could be an unexpected (INAUDIBLE) of consumers during this crisis, less junk mail. The "New York Times" reports budget conscious credit card issuers will mail an average of 13 fewer card offers per household this year.

Of course, next week's biggest news will come on Election Day. The stock market will be as it has been every Election Day since 1984.

But here's some trivia for you. For the first 193 years the market existed, it was closed during presidential elections. That's this week's "GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS," Stephanie Elam, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Tuesday is election night in America. Make sure you watch our coverage all day and all evening here. In fact, CNN is live nonstop beginning tomorrow morning 5:00 a.m. Eastern with "AMERICAN MORNING."

I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for joining us tonight. I'll see you back here next weekend. Enjoy Election Day as well.