>> today on power politics, turning out the vote. >> the choice and let's hope that it's a better choice. >> and boosting the likability. >> you know, maybe this isn't such a bad idea. >> and here come the celebrities from television. >> and violence and guns will keep us here. >> and politics. >> you are a state of the future. >> star power that is unbelievable. >> but the final campaign issue. >> he spends the majority of his career outsourcing jobs. >> i'm proud of my career at

dollar general. we saved thousands of jobs. >> i think the president needs some friends in the senate. i would be a friend of his in the senate. >> the desperate campaign ads. >> the taxes are so frightening, it scares people who scare people for a living. >> and short circuited. >> sit down and shut up. >> all that and more. >> get yourself out to the polls this november 4th and vote. >> now on power politics. >> hello everybody, i'm david shuster. just hours until midterm election day 12 million americans have now cast their ballot. early voting in 36 states, and th they have analyzed the data. republicans are out pacing early voting expectations in florida. across the country party leaders have been trying to energize the faithful in close races. president obama campaigned in a

milwaukee with candidate mary burke. she is in dead highway heat with governor scott walker. >> the wealthy americans are doing fine right now. they don't need another champion. you need a champion. opportunity for the few is not what wisconsin is about. opportunity for all is what wisconsin is about. >> in the colorado senate race former president bill clinton tried to energize voters from embattled mark udall. clinton ridicule cory gardner but now supports letting women buy contraceptives. >> hello, that's been legal for several decades now. like i said, there is a very low standard for what counts as moderate in the republican party. >> and in georgia mitt romney,

the 2012 republican presidential nominee tried to help david purdue promote his experience creating jobs. >> to be able to build more jobs, as david has done, is something that is really admirable. i would like to see a few more people in washington who understand where jobs come from, understand how hard it is to create it and what it's like to compete. >> joining us is michael shure. welcome to the show. >> it's great to be here. amazing to see mitt romney standing next to david purdue, essentially the same guy in some respects. >> that was going to be the first question. david purdue is being hammered for outsourcing, to bring in mitt romney, what is the calculous? >> i can't tell you, but getting recognizable names to help motivate the electorate there is probably what is behind it. romney lost the primary in georgia in 2012, but he lost to newt gingrich, and he didn't lose by as much people thought. maybe there is a

built-in bloc of loyal republicans in georgia who want to see mitt romney in that house. >> a lot of democrats consider president obama loyal to them, and they said don't come, accept you, governor races in wisconsin. what is the cal the the calculous in terms of bringing the president in? >> bringing the president in comes with a huge benefit. it gets out the vote, whether or not it gets out the other team is what you have to be careful of, but going to these governor races, we emphasize on this show all campaign season long how important governor races are, winning those state houses, helping to dictate how congressional districts are made. but also because in names specifically there is a third-party candidate who ran last time, eliott cutler who said in an unusual press conference for senato senate, he said, listen, i'm not telling you not to vote for me, but it's

okay if you vote for the democrats. >> that's weird, indeed. candidates are trying to project a warmer imagine even if they deliver somewhat of an attack ad. scott brown is running for senator of massachusetts, republican, he delivers an attack but he has a fireplace in the shot. >> on issue after issue, the senator continues to vote with president obama 99% of the time. she promised to be independent, but washington changed her. the president is not on the ballot, but he said his policies are. we need to change senates. >> it's the first holiday ad of the season. here's why it works in new hampshire specifically. he is liked by a lot of people. she's known as a nice woman, as a governor, people like her. as a senator people like her. scott brown has to come in and get that vote. people cho like jean chahine,

but don't like her policies. >> a senator in kentucky people don't like, but they may hold their nose and vote for her is mitch mcconnell's opponent , so mcconnell in a light-hearted ad. >> this may not be such a bad idea. i'm mitch mcconnell and i approve this message. >> it works because no one has ever seen mitch mcconnell laugh before. that for a lot of voters is a good thing. it's kind of goofy but it makes him seem normal and regular. >> i might have said massachusetts and referred to scott brown but he's former running for senator. mark pryor spends half of his ad talking about puppy love. >> he'll say that i hate puppies.

i admit it took me awhile to warm up to cowboy. just joking. i'm tom cotton, i do love puppies. >> okay, he loves puppies. so what, what about his position on minimum wage. >> tom cotton, again, you see dogs, you warmth, you see a soft side of a candidate, and that has always played well. tom cotton, a military guy, a little standoffish. he's running well in that state, and this helps him a little bit. >> this is the final weekend before the 2014 midterm campaign. what should the voters be wary of in terms of candidates and what happens in the end? >> the most important thing is to see in this day and age to look at the early balloting. that information is available on the constant basis. you can see how early whether early ballots are being returned, how many, the last

midterm election. get out the vote organizational positions of these candidacies are, and i think that is the most important thing to look at. >> and it does seem perhaps the early voting is larger than some of the experts projected. michael shure we'll see you later in the show. but as we mentioned the clintons and obama are campaigning for midterm democrats. the bushes are out there helping republicans. jeb bush is considering a 2016 presidential run has been helping dozens of republican candidates. his mother, barbara bush, has cut an ad for paul le page. >> paul is blunt, direct, like me, on november 4th vote for paul le page for governor. he's moving maine in the right direction. >> and if elected he would be the first openly gay candidate to win a gubernatorial race.

as michael mentioned eliott cutler could play spoiler, but he just told supporters to choose between le page. >> i don't think that any voter whether a supporter of mine or not now needs or ever has needed my permission or my blessing to vote for one of my opponents. >> from the progress mattic politics of maine to the cutthroat politics of florida where the race for governor there is the most expensive and nastiest gubernatorial race this year. rick scott attacked his democratic opponent charlie crist for accepting $90,000 from strip clubs, featuring images of a prostitute. >> i call on you to return that money if for no other reason the sexism of taking money from a sex club owner. why have you not returned that money. >> we got it from a management

company. >> now that you're aware of the source of the money, do you feel it important to return it? >> no, i don't. >> and then charlie crist attacked him over the issue of rape. >> with the stroke of a pen, scott said the centers weren't needed, they helped ove florida women get care, counseling and legal help. these centers were a place for women who had nowhere else to turn. and rick scott turned his back on every one of them. >> we wonder why voters hate political ads. from david young, boehner described democrats and president obama as weak. >> anybody here believes that vladimir putin marched into ukraine had george w. bush been president of the united states? no. even putin is smart enough that

bush would have punched him in the nose. >> with president obama's approval ratings around 40%, republicans in senate races are also trying to make the campaign on obama referendum. >> even' joni ernst. i approve this message, and i'm asking for your vote because it's time to change direction. >> they're locked in a dead heat. outside groups are pouring money and resources into the campaign this final weekend. here's the latest add from the national education association. >> joni ernst is leading the fight to take funding from public school students and give it to private schools instead. >> that's not right. >> and cutting $1 billion from iowa schools. >> ernst said she will not cut the budget. she would give it directly to the state. it's a hot-button issue in the end. in the battle over the control of the senate the campaign in north carolina is now the most expensive senate

race in u.s. history. the candidates in outside groups all together have spend $100 million, most of the money has gone into negative ads. democratic senator kay hagin was trying to hold on to her seat, reprized her main line of attack against tom tillis, the state house speaker. >> leading the fight to defund planned parenthood. tillis stopped equal pay for equal work bill for women and cut $500 million from our schools and teachers all to pay for more tax breaks for the wealthy. >> and for his part the republican tillis is trying to link hagin to president obama. >> senator hagin is a rubber stamp for president obama. she does everything he wants. i think we need a senator who votes conscience ahead of party and taxpayers ahead of government. >> and in the battle for the house of representatives do you remember louisiana republican advance mcallister.

most republicans may recognize him from this surveillance video when a married congressman was caught making out with a staffer. mcallister has been forgiven by his wife and has a shot of winning re-election. they have enlisted help from a cousin who happens to star on the tv show duck dynasty. >> hey, louisiana, bibles and guns brought us here, and bible and guns will keep us here. zach dasher believes in both. that's why i'm voting for him. >> bibles and guns. well, on this show we believe in halloween, and in the pennsylvania governor's race. pennsylvania republican incumbent tom corbett is now using a halloween-themed ad to frighten voters about the tax policies of challenger tom wolfe. >> voting for wolfe is like vote

to go dramatically cut your own take home pay. and that's just plain crazy. tom wolf, his higher taxes are so frightening, it even scares people who scare people for a living. >> funny ad, well done. just ahead in their politics we will continue the halloween theme and show you the candidate in ukraine who dressed up as darth vader. he refused to take off his mask at the polling booth. big mistake. plus short circuited. >> sit down and shut up. >> we have new reporting on new jersey governor chris christie's epic meltdown.

>> hundreds of days in detention. >> al jazeera rejects all the charges and demands immediate release. >> thousands calling for their freedom. >> it's a clear violation of their human rights. >> we have strongly urged the government to release those journalists. >> journalism is not a crime. >> saturday on tech know. a brutal killing. a thorough investigation. >> we're pushing the envelope. >> but this is no ordinary c.s.i. >> what went on right before that animal died? >> hunting the hunter. >> we're gonna take down the bad guys. >> solving the crime. >> we can save species. >> tech know's team of experts show you how the miracles of science. >> this is my selfie, what can you tell me about my future? >> can affect and surprise us. >> don't try this at home. >> tech know, where technology meets humanity. saturday at 7:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. >> welcome back. with early voting under way voters in texas are scrambling to get i.d.s while others have given up out of frustration.

texas law requires voters to prove identity at the polls. voters say it disenfranchises minorities. heidi zhou castro has one man's story. >> erik knows the streets of austin, texas, well. he was born here 46 years ago and says he's never left. not even once. >> i was born and raised in austin. been here all my life. >> he leads a simple life. >> sifting through garbage to collect melt he sales to the scrapyard for $20 a day. he considers himself a good citizen. and he delights in performing his civic duty to vote. he said he has cast a ballot in almost every general election since he turned 18. >> one day i was sitting down with my grandpa, and he said it was very important for you to vote. >> reporter: why? because at the polls no one judges kenny for what he wears, his lack of a permanent home or what he does for a living.

he said it's one of the few places he's counted as an equal. >> your voice is just as important as anyone else's in that moment. that must have made you feel good. >> it did. >> but not any more. kenny is among the 600,000 texas voters who do not have a form of photo i.d. now required at the polls. for him it's not for lack of trying. >> what's wrong with this i.d.? >> it ain't no good. it's 14 years old. >> it's expired. >> it's expired. >> then you went to the state department of public safety looking to renew this. what did they tell you? >> they told me i had to go get a birth certificate j. >> which you didn't have. >> which i didn't have. >> then you finally got your birth certificate. >> i got my birth certificate. >> what's wrong with this birth certificate? >> i got a different name than my i.d. card.

>> and because it has the wrong last name your birth certificate, and it doesn't match your expired i.d. >> so therefore i can't get my i.d. >> you're stuck. >> kenny's birth certificate lists his mother's maiden name as his, a mistake undiscovered until now. so to vote on tuesday kenny would have to legally change his last name. he said he has too much pride in and too little money to do that, so he'll have to sit this election out. >> i've seen a lot of people voting, they do it. i wanting to vote, but there is nothing i can do. all i can do is just look at them. >> he finds himself shut out of a democratic process. his voice tossed aside. heidi zhou castro. al jazeera, austin. >> now to their politics, and we take you to a tiny west africa nation of burkina faso.

the country's president set fire to the parliament building, and the citizens were infuriated at president compaore at trying to extend his 27-year rule. at least five people were killed, and president blaze has now resigned. in the ukraine seriously a candidate changed his name to darth vader and dressed that way throughout the campaign. on election day he went to the polls representing the internet party. poll workers didn't know if he was luke's father for an i am poster. when they asked darth aggravated for take off his mask, he said--no.

>> even in a language that we don't understand it was funny. he was denied a ballot. he told reporters the fact that he did not vote does not mean that the empire will not win. but the ukraine elections the force was not with darth vader. he and his party did not get enough support to gain a seat. in the united states americans have long been interested in dynasties overseas like the british monarchy. but there is a growing class here at home. >> one look at the roster of names running for office in 2014 makes it abundantly clear that no amount of frantic fundraising or negative advertising or even good ideas can replace the power of name recognition in american politics. >> for countries founded on the rejection of royalty it seems that we sure do like hereditary leadership after all. >> the governor has apposed

letting people in all the counties in georgia vote on sundays. >> don't look now but there is a carter running for governor of georgia. not jimmy this time but his grandson, jason. and that's just the tip of the iceberg. while we're on icebergs, how about starting in alaska where senator mark begich is running for election. his dad, former congressman nick begich. allison lundgoer gran grimes is a name that you now know they also know that name in kentucky. her father is state representatives lunder green. this man's father served as fireman, governor, congressman from that state. senator mary landrieu, her father was legendary moon landriu, and her brother mitch holds that same job today.

michelle nunn is running hard to be senator of georgia just like her father sam, but she'll have to run first cousin david. with not one but two parents who served as mayor of caribou, maine, susan collins would naturally run for office. now she's running again this time as fourth term of u.s. senator. we have two udalls striving to stay in the senate. tom from mexico and mark from colorado. their dads were stewart and mo and their bads were both congressmen. the late lauten childs came from florida. but his granddaughter kay hagin wants to keep that same job only in north carolina. then there is shelly more capito campaigning to be senator in west virginia. she grew up in the state house because her father was a three-term governor.

who does she want to replace? jay rockefeller, say no more. and those are only the senate races. we've had two president adams, two harrisons, two roosevelts, and so far two bushes. we call the kennedy years camelot. for all our bluster of nepotism and entitlement we sure do like the familiar name. >> to move this country safely through the 1960's. >> next is an election that many think will pit hillary clinton against jeb bush. a match up of the version of montagues and capulets. >> jelly donuts and bears apparently are a big issue in maine. and two days left before the election. one candidate takes a controversial stance on the redskins? [music]

>> badge to power politics. michael shuore is back. and this is going to be fun. we start with the virginia senate race where mark warner in the final polls appears to be ahead republican challenger ed gillispie. during monday night football he threw a hail mary and attacked senator warner for not taking a position on--wait for it--the name of the redskins. >> why won't he answer the question? >> i'll answer the question. i'll oppose the anti-redskins bill. let's focus on creating jobs and let the redskins worry about what to call their team. >> i think coming out and saying you're in favor of that, why bother going with that? you're going to get your republicans out. you're going to get the people who back a name change away from the polls.

>> let's go to maine. question number one on the state's ballot there. on election day it would ban things like the use of jelly donuts to lure bears out of the woods so hounders can shoot them. there have been 1300 ads for and against the bear-luring restriction. >> question one continues traditional bear hunting and stops junk food baiting. no one wants problem bears in our neighborhoods so let's stop feeding them. that's common sense. vote yes on question one. >> it's okay to kill the bears, but you can't give them a sweet meal before you do it. >> not even the bears get to choose their meal. it's terrible. >> chris christie is considering a 2016 presidential campaign, he went to the jersey shore to highlight the building there. a heckler interrupted him, and christie was not happy.

>> somebody like you does not know a damn thing what you're talking about except to stand up when the cameras are here. you want to have the conversation later, i'm happy to have it, buddy. until that time, sit down and shut up. >> michael, this guy wants to run for president. he wants people to trust him with the nuclear codes? >> maybe he could be lured with a jelly donut. i think chris christie's demeanor is going to continue to hurt him. it has hurt him on the campaign front. the republican governs are in trouble right now, and he's head of the republican governor's association. that's what he is. >> al jazeera's michael shure. thank you. that's it from us with power politics. we'll be back with a special edition of the show on tuesday. michael will join us. election day results, and get out there and vote. trust us, it will make you feel better. michael shure and the entire

team of power politics. i'm michael shuster. thanks for watching. >> sa. >> once we found out what went wrong, if we can overcome it we'll make sure the dream lives on. >> despite the loss of life, sir richard branson vows to push forward with space travel. >> elections in the ukraine - why many are