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The Final Countdown; Joe Biden Holds Rally in Missouri; Barack Obama Campaigns in Jacksonville
Aired November 03, 2008 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
The final countdown. The candidates running those last grueling laps to the finish. The marathon presidential race nears the end.
Barack Obama starting the day in Florida. He holds a rally in Jacksonville, set to begin any time now. You will see it live right here.
John McCain on a nonstop swing through seven states. He also started the day in Florida with a rally this morning in Tampa.
The running mates running hard, too. Joe Biden campaigns in three king swing states. Sarah Palin hits five battleground states on the way to Alaska.
The best political team on television has you covered in these final hours leading up to the election.
Suzanne Malveaux is with the Obama campaign in Jacksonville. Ed Henry covering the McCain campaign. He is in Tampa.
Let's start with Suzanne Malveaux and the Obama campaign.
And Suzanne, Obama is on a last-minute blitz. You're in Jacksonville. Why did the campaign choose this city and this state for its final push?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, you know Florida is really critical to the Obama team, but I have to say, a lot of people here are taking it very, very personally. They remember eight years ago, and as one person put it who was speaking in front of the group, they're going from bitter to better.
The Florida debacle, there was 26,000 of those ballots that were invalidated for one reason or another. The punch to the hanging chads, the whole bit. And some of the communities around Jacksonville, Florida, Tony, up to 40 percent of those ballots were thrown out. And those were a lot of predominantly African-American communities. So there are a lot of people here who are saying, look, we want our ballot to count, we want our vote to count.
Barack Obama really kind of tapping into that sense of responsibility and optimism. And at the same time, there's a little bit of fear. There's a little bit of anxiety here. You talk to folks here, you talk to a lot of Obama supporters who say we're excited, we're confident, but we're also a little bit anxious that something may happen to disrupt all of this. It's almost like they can feel it right on the tip of their fingers, that this is something that could happen for them.
We heard from Barack Obama just yesterday saying, you know, maybe we will actually win this. But there is that anxiety. So they're trying not to take anything for granted. They're trying to tap into really that kind of energy and a little bit of that anxiety to get folks to the polls in 24 hours or so -- Tony.
HARRIS: All right.
Suzanne Malveaux for us in Jacksonville, Florida. That rally about to begin any moment now. We will take you back to Jacksonville live when it begins.
CNN's Ed Henry is covering the McCain campaign. McCain on a 17-hour swing through seven states as he makes his final push.
And Ed, good to see you. Lay out the pretty clear strategy for the McCain campaign here.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, good morning. The clear strategy from the McCain camp is twofold.
Number one, they have to hold the Republican red states that George W. Bush had in 2004 like right here in Florida. And secondly, they believe if they can do that and they can get around to about 260 electoral votes, about 10 short of the number of 270, and then they believe it's all about Pennsylvania, secondly. Get those 21 electoral votes. They think obviously that puts John McCain over the top and could offset some losses in some red Republican states.
The problem, though -- John McCain heading back to Pennsylvania later today; he was there on Saturday and Sunday as well -- he's been consistently behind in the polls there. And he's also been consistently behind in some polls in states like here in Florida.
Now, he got a little bit of good news this morning. CNN's latest Poll of Polls show John McCain is now down only by two points here on the eve of Election Day. Here in the key state of Florida, 27 electoral votes. So that's good news, obviously.
Bad news, though, this rally that wrapped up just in the last hour, there were only about 1,000, 1,100 people here. And local reporters were noting that back at the end of the 2004 election cycle, President Bush was here for his re-election near the same spot in front of the Raymond James Stadium, and had about 15,000 people, compared to about 1,000 for John McCain. So if that's one barometer, the enthusiasm level might not quite be there in this state.
But again, the Poll of Polls for CNN showing John McCain is closing the gap here. So you're seeing some conflicting signals. I'm in front of Raymond James Stadium. They're having the Super Bowl here early next year. Obviously, we're now deep, deep into the fourth quarter of this election -- Tony.
HARRIS: All right. Good to see you.
Ed Henry for us in Tampa, Florida.
Democrat Joe Biden live this hour in Missouri. We will listen in when he takes the stage.
The next stop for John McCain, Blountville, Tennessee. The media market there reaches into the battleground state of Virginia. We will take you live to the McCain rally set to start at the half-hour.
Well, the clock is ticking as decision day draws near. Watch his story unfold with the best political team on television on CNN's worldwide networks. That's tomorrow, November 4th.
We will start getting our first election results in as soon as the polls start closing tomorrow. Here's the breakdown. All times local here.
Closing at 6:00 p.m., Hawaii, Indiana and Kentucky. Then at 7:00 p.m., polls close in most of the southern states, plus Vermont, Illinois, Missouri, the Dakotas, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, Kansas, Arizona and New Mexico. At half past 7:00, Ohio, West Virginia, Arkansas and North Carolina close their polls.
For most of the rest of the country, closing time is 8:00 p.m. That includes almost all of the remaining northeastern states, the Great Lakes area, the rest of the western states, plus Louisiana and Alabama in the South, as well as Alaska.
Then at 9:00 it's over. Polls close in the last remaining states: Iowa, New York, and Rhode Island. Of course, anyone standing in line at quitting time will be allowed to cast their ballot.
Lines are long, the wait can be longer. Early voting in Florida on one side. North Carolina you can see here on the other.
This historic presidential election driving voter excitement well before Election Day. Thirty-one states permit some sort of early voting. In North Carolina, for instance, the state board of election says more than 40 percent of registered voters have already cast a ballot.
Pennsylvania scrambling to head off potential Election Day hiccups. The battleground state dispatching 50,000 people to polling places. They'll deal with everything from expected record turnout to cranky voting machines. By the way here, those 50,000 poll workers and overseers, observers, equal the population of the capital, Harrisburg.
And once again, we're asking you to help us track any voter problems. We'll report the trouble in real time.
Here's the number: 1-877-462-6608. That's 1-877-GO-CNN-08.
And check out CNN.com/hotline for in interactive map showing your state and how many calls were received. We're keeping them honest all the way through the election and beyond.
The race for the White House -- why didn't race play a bigger role? We will ask our guests next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Democrat Joe Biden live this hour in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Let's listen in.
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Whoa!
(APPLAUSE)
Well, Claire, you draw a crowd.
Claire McCaskill, Senator McCaskill.
AUDIENCE: Joe! Joe! Joe! Joe! Joe!
BIDEN: Thank you, folks. Thank you. Thank you.
Claire -- I owe Barack really big. Claire knows me pretty well, and knows Jill. And I'll tell you what, this is worth the trip for one reason. I never heard my wife say so many nice things about me in public.
(LAUGHTER)
Jill, baby, Jill.
(APPLAUSE)
I tell you what, they may not be sure about me, but they're going to love this woman. And Claire said Jill made -- I made a choice, Barack made a choice, and Jill made a choice.
Well, Claire, the truth is, I had to ask this woman literally five times to marry me. Five times before she said yes. And finally, you know what did it? The two boys said, "Dad, why isn't Jill marrying us?"
Well, Jill, thanks for signing on.
And Jill very straightforwardly said, "Well, I love the boys so much." But 34 years later, we're still hanging together.
Hey, folks...
(APPLAUSE)
You know why I think Jill likes Claire McCaskill so well, Senator McCaskill? Jill is one of five sisters. Claire is one of three sisters. And I'll tell you what, you women raised with sisters are different than women raised with brothers.
My sister is smart, runs every one of my campaigns, is beautiful, graduated with honors from college, was homecoming queen. But she's a -- she is what I call a girl/boy growing up. You know what I mean? And I'll tell you what, girl/girls are tougher than girl/boys.
But there's one important thing I noticed. The great thing marrying into a family of five sisters, there's always one that loves you. There's always won that loves you.
So -- because you can count on splitting them a little bit. You know what I mean?
I shouldn't be going off like this. But, hey, folks, 37 more hours. Thirty-seven more hours until change!
(APPLAUSE)
And after that, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, who I think is going to be spending a lot of time on the phone with Barack Obama getting this agenda finished, is going to have a different path for us.
And I'll tell you what -- I mean this sincerely, folks. You know, when you sent Claire McCaskill to the United States Senate, most freshmen come like I did. You are seen and not heard. Your opinion is not sought for a considerable amount of time.
That was not the case with Claire.
(APPLAUSE)
Barack Obama has no better friend than Claire McCaskill! And I have no better colleague than Claire McCaskill!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I also want to thank your state auditor, Susan Montee. She's here. I think Susan's here somewhere.
Susan, thank you for being here.
I also want Anna Burger, president of Change to Win.
Anna, where are you?
Anna, by the way, there's a woman who knows how to get things done.
Thank you. Thank you.
And I also want Fred Grogan, president of Metropolitan Community College.
Where are you, Mr. President?
(APPLAUSE)
Thank you, Mr. President. I appreciate you. What a beautiful campus, by the way. As I came across and came up, I saw a lake behind us. I haven't gotten a chance to see the whole lake. What a beautiful, beautiful campus.
And as Jill pointed out -- Jill keeps track of these things -- you picked number one. That's pretty darn good, man. Congratulations to you.
You know what it means, though. If you're number one, it means you have got the best students in America. That's what it means.
(APPLAUSE)
Look, folks, it surely is great.
Hey teamsters, thanks for being here, guys.
(APPLAUSE)
I understand that this town's name comes from the fact that it's the highest point between Kansas City and St. Louis. And from this vantage point you get a pretty good view. And there's one thing I can see very clearly. It is change is on the way.
(APPLAUSE)
Today, today no matter where I am in America -- and I imagine Claire, who has been all over the country for us, has found the same exact thing. Today in America people are asking, no matter where it is, the same questions. They are simple as they are profound.
Is my house worth what I paid for? Or do I now have an upside down mortgage, where I owe more than it's worth?
Will my company continue my health care? As a matter of fact, are the rumors about my company going abroad true?
How are we going to be able to retire now that our 401(k) has been cleared out and all that equity in our home we counted on seems to be gone?
Will we will able to send our kids back, let alone in the first place, back to college? Conversations are taking place.
You students, you're asking yourselves questions. Some of you will be graduating from here and going on to four-year schools. You're finding it hard to go out there and borrow that money. You're finding it difficult.
Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, the questions are profound, but they're everywhere.
Claire, this is the first presidential election I've campaigned in where, whether I was in Montana or Florida, whether I'm in Missouri or Maine, whether I'm in Texas or I'm in New Jersey, the questions are the same. It is the most uniformly, how can I say it, intense election I've ever been a part of.
Because Ladies and Gentlemen, people have been hurt. Hardworking people who played by the rules have been hurt.
There have been more than 700,000 jobs lost just since January. And Ladies and Gentlemen, more than two million homes have been foreclosed on so far this year. And last month, 235,000 people in America, hardworking Americans, got foreclosure notices.
Folks, for too many families, people who played by the rules, the American dream is literally -- they see it slipping from their grasp. And Ladies and Gentlemen, that's why I believe with a greater degree of confidence than I've ever had before that we are on the cusp of a new brand of American leadership. Because that's what we need, a new brand of American leadership.
(APPLAUSE)
Because folks, if we want to answer all those questions being raised around that kitchen table, we need to get out and elect Barack Obama president of the United States tomorrow!
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: All right, Dan, let's split the screen here, because we've got obviously a couple of events right now.
On the left you see Joe Biden continuing his speech, Lee's Summit, Missouri. On the right, Barack Obama is on the stage in Jacksonville, Florida.
If you would like to continue to watch Joe Biden's event, just go to CNN.com/live.
But let's take you now to Jacksonville and Barack Obama.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... a broken politics in Washington, eight years of failed policies from George W. Bush, 21 months of a campaign that's taken us from the rocky coast of Maine to the sunshine of California, we are one day away from changing the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
Tomorrow you can turn the page on policies that have put greed and irresponsibility ahead of hard work and sacrifice. Tomorrow you can choose policies that invest in our middle class, create new jobs, grow this economy so that everybody has the chance to succeed -- the CEO and the secretary, the factory owner and the men and women on the factory floor.
Tomorrow 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, city against town, Republican against Democrat. That asks us to fear at a time when we need to hope.
Tomorrow, at this defining moment in history, you, each and every one of you, can give this country the change that we need.
(APPLAUSE)
You know, we started this journey in the depths of winter nearly two years ago on the steps of the old state capitol in Springfield, Illinois.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voted for you!
OBAMA: Thank you for the vote.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Back then we didn't have much money. We didn't have -- all right, you all. Let's settle down.
Back then we didn't have much money, we didn't have many endorsements. We weren't given much of a chance by the polls or the pundits. We knew how steep the climb would be. But I also knew this. I knew that the size of our challenges had outgrown the smallness of our politics, the pettiness of our politics.
I was convinced that Americans of all political stripes were hungry for new ideas, for new leadership, for a new kind of politics that favors common sense over ideology, that focuses on what we have in common instead of what drives us apart. And most of all, I knew the American people.
I knew all of you were decent, generous people willing to work hard and sacrifice for future generations. And I was convinced that when we come together, our voices are more powerful than the most entrenched lobbyists, or the most vicious political attacks, or the full force of a status quo in Washington that just wants to keep things the way they are.
And 21 months later, Florida, my faith in the American people has been vindicated.
(APPLAUSE)
That's how we've come so far and some so close, because of you. That's how we're going to change this country, with your help.
And that's why in these last 36 hours, we can't afford to slow down or sit back or let up. Not one minute, not one hour, not one second, not any time in the next 36 hours.
Not now. Not when there's so much at stake. We've got to win Florida and win this election!
(APPLAUSE)
AUDIENCE: Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama! OBAMA: We are in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. You know that here in Florida.
Seven hundred and sixty thousand workers have lost their jobs so far this year. Businesses and families can't get credit. Home values are falling. Foreclosures are on the rise. Pensions are disappearing. It's harder for you to make the mortgage or fill up the gas tank, or even pay the bills at the end of the month.
So at a moment like this, the last thing we can afford is four more years of the same old tired economic theories, the same old theories that say we should give more and more to millionaires and billionaires and big corporations, and hope that prosperity trickles down on everybody else. The last thing we can afford is four more years where no one in Washington is watching anyone on Wall Street because politicians and lobbyists killed commonsense regulation.
Those are the economic theories that got us into this mess. They haven't worked. It's time for a change, and that's why I'm running for president of the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, Senator McCain has served this country honorably. And at the end of this long race, I want to congratulate him on the tough race that he has fought.
He can point to a few moments over the past eight years where he has broken from George W. Bush. But when it comes to the economy, when it comes to the central issue of this election, the plain truth is that John McCain has stood with George Bush every stay step of the way.
He hasn't been a maverick. He's been a sidekick to George W. Bush...
(APPLAUSE)
... voting for the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy that he once said were irresponsible; voting for the Bush budgets that took us from record surpluses to record debt; calling for less regulation in a time we needed more regulation. He called for less regulation 25 times this year. Those are the facts. After 21 months and the three debates, John McCain still has not been able to tell you, the American people, a single major thing he would do differently from George Bush when it comes to the economy.
I mean, the Republicans are spending a lot of money on ads here in Ohio. But if you watch those ads, you don't know -- Florida, I've been traveling too much. Listen, they've been spending a lot of money in Ohio, too.
And let me tell you, let me tell you, Jacksonville, you have to ask yourself, is there one different thing that you have heard in these ads that would tell you what he would do for the economy in the future?
AUDIENCE: No! OBAMA: He's spent most of his time talking about me. You know, I mean, the truth is John McCain just doesn't get it.
Remember what he said when he was in Jacksonville on December 16th. That day, more than 5,000 jobs were lost, more than 7,000 homes were foreclosed on. The day before, former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said we were in a once-in-a-century crisis.
And yet, despite our economic crisis, John McCain actually came here to Veterans Memorial Arena and repeated something he said at least 16 times on this campaign. He said, and I quote, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong."
You don't need to boo. You just need to vote.
(APPLAUSE)
Florida, you and I know that not only was John McCain fundamentally wrong, it sums up the fact that he's out of touch. This out of touch on your own economic philosophy that says you should give $700,000 tax cuts to the average Fortune 500 CEO, $300 billion to the same Wall Street banks that got us into this mess. A philosophy that says we shouldn't give a penny of relief to more than 100 million middle class Americans. It's a philosophy that will end when I am president of the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
Look, we have tried John McCain's way. We've tried it George Bush's way. It hasn't worked. And deep down, John McCain knows that, which is why his campaign said that "If we keep talking about the economy we're going to lose," which is why I keep on talking about the economy.
(APPLAUSE)
That's why John McCain doesn't want to talk about it. He spent the last few weeks calling me every name but a child of God, because that's how you play the game in Washington. When you have run out of ideas, then you try to distract and make big elections about small things.
So we may see a little more of that over the next 24 hours, more of the slash-and-burn, say-anything, do-anything politics that's calculated to divide and distract, to tear us apart instead of bringing us together. That's not the kind of politics the American people need right now. Florida, at this moment in this election we have a chance to rebuke that kind of politics. Not just in the short term, we can end it once and for all.
We can prove that the thing that's more powerful than negative campaigns is the will and determination of the American people. That's what we're fighting for. We can change this country. We can prove we are more of a collection than the red states and blue states. We're the United States of America. That's who we are. That's the country we need to be right now. Now Florida, I know these are difficult times. I know a lot of you are struggling. But I want you to remember we have faced difficult times before. The American story has never been about things coming easy. It's been about rising to the occasion when the occasion was difficult. It's about rejecting fear for unity of purpose. That's how we've overcome war and great depressions. That's how we won the great struggles for civil rights and women's rights and workers' rights. That's how we'll write the next great chapter in the American story starting here in Florida, starting here in Jacksonville, tomorrow. Understand if we want to meet the challenges of this moment, we're going to have to set aside the old ideological debates. The divisions between left and right. The old arguments that date back to the '60s. We don't need bigger government or smaller government, that's the old argument. We need better government, smarter government, more confident government. A government that fights for you, that's what we need.
The choice in this election isn't between tax cuts and no tax cuts. That's an old argument. Both McCain and myself want to give tax cuts. The difference is, who do we want to give tax cuts to? I believe we have to reward not just wealth, but also work. And the workers who create it. And that's why I want to give a tax break to 95 percent of Americans who work every day, get taxes taken out of their paychecks every week. And I'm going to help pay for this by asking the folks who are making more than $250,000 a year to go back to the tax rates they were paying back in the 1990s. Now, let me see a show of hands, how many people are making less than $250,000 a year. Raise your hand. Now that includes 98 percent of small businesses and 99.9 percent of plumbers. So, under my plan no matter what John McCain may claim, here are the facts, 95 percent of you will get a tax cut. If you make less than $250,000 a year, your taxes will not increase one single dime. Not your income tax. Not your payroll tax. Not your capital gains tax. No tax because you need a break and that's what I intend to give you when I'm president of the United States.
When it comes to jobs, the choice in this election is not between putting up a wall around America or standing by and doing nothing. The truth is, we won't be able to bring back every job that we've lost. That doesn't mean we should follow John McCain's plan to do nothing. To keep promoting unfair trade agreements or give tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas. I will end those tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas, I'm going to give those tax breaks to companies that invest right here in the United States of America. We will create 2 million new jobs. Rebuilding crumbling roads and bridges and schools. We'll invest $15 billion a year in renewable sours of energy. In wind and solar power. In the next generation of bio fuels. We'll invest in clean coal technology. Safely harness nuclear power. We'll create 5 million new energy jobs over the next decade, jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. We will build the fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow. Not in Japan. Not in South Korea, but right here in the United States of America. When it comes to health care, we don't have to choose between a government-run health care system and the unaffordable one we have now. If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we're going to lower your premiums. If like 45 million Americans you don't have health care, then we are going to let you get the same kind of health care that members of congress give themselves. We'll put more money into prevention and information technologies to drive down costs for everybody. And as somebody who watched his own mother spend the final months of her life arguing with insurance companies because they claimed her cancer was a pre existing condition and said we don't want to pay, I will stop insurance companies from discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most. That's the change we need. That's why I'm running for president of the United States of America. [ cheering ]
When it comes to giving every child a world class education, we don't have to chose between money and reform, our schools need both. That's why as president Ill invest in early childhood education. We're going to recruit an army of new teachers. Give all our teachers higher salaries. Give them more support. Raise standards. Increase accountability. And I will make a deal with every young person in America. If you are willing to invest in national service, serving in our armed forces, serve in the peace corps, work in a veteran's home or homeless shelter, whatever your choice of national service, I promise you that we will make sure you can afford to pay your tuition. No ifs, ands, or buts. We're going to make sure you're getting the education you need. And when it comes to keeping this country safe, we don't have to choose between retreating from the world and fighting a war without end in Iraq. It is time to stop spending $10 billion a month in Iraq while the Iraqi government sits on a surplus. As president, I will end this war. As president I will end this war. I will ask the Iraqi government to step up for their future. I will finish the fight against bin Laden and al Qaeda, those who attacked us on 9/11. I will never hesitate to defend this nation and I will make sure our servicemen and women have the best training, the best equipment when they deploy into combat and the care and the benefits they have earned when they come home. That's what we owe our veterans. That's what I'll do as president of the United States.
Now, Florida, I won't pretend that any of this is going to be easy, especially now. George Bush dug us a deep hole, now he's trying to hand off the shovel to John McCain. The costs of this economic crisis, the cost of the war means that Washington is going to have to tighten its belt. Just like families and businesses are having to tighten their belts. We're going to have to put off spending on things we don't need. As president I'm going to go through the federal budget line by line, ending programs we don't need. Making the ones that we do need work better and cost less. But as I said from the day we began this journey, the change we need won't come from government alone. It will come from each of us doing our part in our own lives, our own communities. Each of us looking after ourselves and our families but also our fellow citizens. Government has to lead the way on energy independence, but everybody here can do their part to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient. That will make a difference. We can put more money into our schools but government can't be the parent who turns off the TV set and makes sure your child does their homework, that's your job. We need a return to responsibility and a return to stability. So yes we can argue about our positions passionately, but all of us have to summon the strength and the grace, the humor to bridge our differences, to unite in common effort. Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, native American, democrat, republican, young, old, rich, poor, gay, straight, disabled, not disabled. All of us have to come together. We can't afford the same political games, the same tactics that pit us against one another. That make us afraid of one another. Despite what our opponents may claim, there are no real or fake parts of this country. There's no city or town that's more pro-America than anywhere else. We are one nation. All of us proud. All of us patriots. The men and women who serve on our battlefield, some are democrats, some republicans, but they fought together and bled together. Some died together under the same proud flag. They did not serve a red America or a blue America, but they served the United States of America.
It won't be easy, Florida. It won't be quick. But you and I know it's time to come together. It's time to change this country. Some of you may be cynical. Some of you may be fed up with politics. You have every right to be but despite all of this, I ask of you what's been asked of Americans throughout our history. I ask you to believe. Believe not just in my ability to bring about change, but believe in yours. I know this change is possible because I've seen it. In this campaign I've had the privilege of seeing what is best in America. I've seen it in the faces of the men and women I've met at countless rallies and town halls across the country. Men and women who speak of their struggles but also their hopes and their dreams. I remember we had a rally in Ft. Lauderdale and a few days after the rally I got an e-mail from a woman named Robin who had gone to this rally. Sometime after the event her son, who was in high school, nearly went into cardiac arrest, was diagnosed with a heart condition that could only be treated with a procedure that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Her insurance company refused to pay. The family didn't have that kind of money. So Robin wrote me an e-mail and she said this, she said I ask only this of you, on the days where you feel so tired you can't think of uttering another word to the people, think of us. When those who oppose you have you down, reach deep and fight back harder. Florida, that's what hope is all about. That's what kept some of our grandparents and parents going when times were tough. Hope, that's what led them to say maybe I can't go to college, but if I save a little bit each week my child can go to college. Maybe I can't have my own business, but if I work really hard maybe my child can have one of their own. It's what led those who could not vote to say if I march, if I organize, maybe my child or grandchild can run for president some day. That's what hope is.
That's the thing inside us that insists despite all evidence to the contrary that there are better days ahead. If we're willing to work for it. If we're willing to shed our fears. If we're willing to reach deep inside ourselves when we're tired, when we're discouraged and come back and fight back hard. Florida, don't believe for a second this election is over. Don't think for a minute that power will concede anything without a fight. This is going to be close here in Florida. This is going to be close all across the country. We're going to have to work like our futures depend on it for the next 24 hours, because it does. Understand at this point, I've made the arguments. Now it's all about who wants it more. Who believes in it more. Florida, the time for change has come. It's all up to you. We have a righteous wind in our backs, but if in these final hours you will knock on some doors with me, make some calls with me, go to vote, if you'll stand with me and fight with me I promise you we will not just win Florida, we'll win this election. You and I together, we'll change this country, we'll change the world. Thank you, everybody. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: There you have it, Barack Obama in Jacksonville, Florida. Huge rally there. The race for the White House. What were the defining moments? I will ask my guests, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: We are so close now. We are on the doorstep of a historic presidential election. One last chance to give this amazing race the once over. Special correspondent Frank Sesno covered the Reagan White House for CNN and later worked as our Washington bureau chief. Frank, good to see you, sir.
FRANK SESNO, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you Tony.
HARRIS: Thanks for sticking around, and Susan Page, is a Washington bureau chief for "USA Today," Susan as always good to see you. Thanks for your help throughout this campaign.
SUSAN PAGE, USA TODAY: Hey, Tony.
HARRIS: Again, the last full day of this amazing race. Let's talk about high points for each candidate. Susan, let me start with you. What are some of the high points, you think, for John McCain.
PAGE: I think John McCain's high point came 18 months ago in July. This is when his campaign imploded and he went back to New Hampshire and he built himself back up again. He showed qualities of resilience and persistence and ability to connect with voters. That has carried him a long way that is why he's kept this race so close, so long.
HARRIS: Frank, what about you. High points for John McCain in this campaign?
SESNO: I'll bring the high point a little bit closer. I actually think John McCain did pretty well this past August going into the conventions. I think he had Obama very much on the defensive. I think he was setting the agenda. Some of it was tough. Some of it even nasty. It's where we started hearing the Jeremiah Wright stuff. But McCain was remarkably competitive. Some of the polls showed it very, very close. For a republican running against these times that we've talked about endlessly, it wasn't a bad thing. In fact it was surprisingly strong.
HARRIS: Susan, high points in this campaign for Barack Obama.
PAGE: You know I think we learn so much more about candidates in people in times of adversity. So I would say January 8th of this year he lost the New Hampshire primary. It was a big surprise against all the polls. He was completely unflappable. He gave a beautiful speech, very much the speech he had planned to give when he thought he was going to win. No public recriminations about his campaign. I think those are the qualities that has brought him as far as he has gone this year.
HARRIS: Frank, what do you think?
SESNO: Two high points I would give Obama. I mean the there are several of course, for each of these candidates but two I would mention. One was at the end of the primary season when Hillary Clinton was clearly flaming out, the numbers weren't there. She wanted to play it forward and he let her with a great deal of dignity and total discipline from the campaign. No leaks, no kind of back fightings. Let it play out with a certain equanimity I think. And then at the convention, his speech there was forceful, it was clear, it was personal. A lot of people feared that the whole Hillary Clinton thing was going to lead to divisions in the party. And he and the choreographers there rather successfully brought it together and brought the election to where we see it today.
HARRIS: Gosh that seems like a lifetime ago now.
SESNO: It was.
HARRIS: Susan, I guess, I want to go to low points, but let's just call it the most challenging moments maybe of the campaign for John McCain.
PAGE: For John McCain, I think September 15th. He said the fundamentals of the economy were strong. Started an 11 day period from then until the first debate where he floundered on the biggest issues of this election, the economy. I think his fate was sealed during that period.
HARRIS: Boy, Frank?
SESNO: Totally absolutely 100 percent I agree. The fundamentals of the economy are sound in the middle of a several month run that's continued going forward of rising unemployment. Of course we've seen this thing unfold. And then I'm suspending my campaign. Like a presidential candidate can suspend a campaign to come back to Washington and try to preside over a situation that he had almost no influence in. Looked erratic, looked sort of superficial. A very painful time, a very difficult time for McCain's campaign.
HARRIS: And Susan, the most difficult point in the campaign for Barack Obama, a point at which he might have really lost it.
PAGE: I think I'd give the same thing as the high point, January 8th, the New Hampshire primaries. That was proof that he was not going to be crowned the nominee. It showed that he had a long way to go to convince Americans that he was a suitable nominee that they could trust him. In a way, it's taken until now, until the last few weeks for him to complete that task. I think that's when, when he didn't win the New Hampshire primaries, that he thought he was going to, that was the point where he realized, we all realized, the steep path he was going to have to cross.
SESNO: I'd add to that. The Jeremiah Wright flap again. This was very difficult. It was kind of ugly, it certainly was embarrassing. He equivocated at the outset. The questions that were raised by Wright's sermons and by Obama's presence at them. Whether it was an agreement or not, he never really addressed that. It took him a long time to cut the chord. He finally did it with that race speech but that was a time that was very costly for Obama.
HARRIS: I can't thank you both enough for your help in helping us guiding us through this campaign with your smart thoughts, your insights. Can't wait for tomorrow. Susan good to see you, Frank as always, thank you.
Top tips in the NEWSROOM next. There's something a little different today from personal finance editor Gerri Willis.
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HARRIS: Election Day is tomorrow and with all the political chatter today, we decided to let personal finance editor Gerri Willis stray a bit from her usual topic. Gerri, good to see you.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Good to see you Tony.
HARRIS: Why don't we start here with some basics here. Some information for folks ready to go to the polls tomorrow.
WILLIS: Well you know I think people are inspired. They want to get out there, they want to vote. We're seeing that more people are going to vote in this election than we've seen in a long time, but just knowing where to go can be challenging. To find out where you have to go to vote tomorrow check out vote411.org and type in your address. You'll also be able to find out what kind of ID you need to bring to the polling place. Nothing would be more frustrating than not having the right ID. You probably need a picture ID. You can also go to your own state's board of elections website to get the same info.
HARRIS: Gerri, where else, any other places where folks can get some additional information?
WILLIS: You may want to know more about the issues. It's easy to get lost into all that the stump speeches, the rhetoric. What you want is the low down on where the candidates stand from the economy, to education, to foreign policy, go to our own cnn.com/politics. To track poll results, check out cnn.com/tracker. And look, it's not only the future president you're going to be choosing, there are a number of local offices too that you'll be able to cast your vote for. There are seats up for election in the U.S. House of Representatives, the senate, many other state and local elections too. To get voting records and bio info on your local officials go to votesmart.org or you can call them 1-888-votesmart. Tony?
HARRIS: You know this is an election. We can have some fun with civics here. Every four years, every two years for the midterms, we get a bit of a civics lesson here, don't we Gerri?
WILLIS: We do. And you know what, there's fun stuff on the web now that you can find. If you want to know who your neighbor's donating to, check out fundrace.org. See just how much your neighbors are celebrities. You just navigate their interactive map, you can find out exactly how much folks are giving and who to.
HARRIS: I like that. All right Gerri, great to see you. See you tomorrow Gerri.
WILLIS: Good to see you Tony. Thanks for getting me in today.
HARRIS: Absolutely. Can the country afford either candidates promises in this troubled economy? That's straight ahead.
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HARRIS: Ok, early voting on a record setting pace this election season. There you can see Ohio on one side there. Which side, left or right? And California on the other. This historic presidential election driving voter excitement well before Election Day. Thirty one states permit some sort of early voting. In Ohio, election officials estimate 1.5 million voters will have cast a ballot before Election Day.
