lou: stuart, thank you for those kind words and great to be with you at fox working shoulder and shoulder. another gut twisting night, battleground states that will be fought state to state. a consensus dead heat across the last round of national polls and neither of these candidates this hour can feel comfortable with what now appears to be a presidential contest that can and likely will run late into this evening. a battle between president obama and governor romney has long expected by political strategist and professionals to be one of the closest, dirtiest contest ever. after nearly $2 billion, hundreds of fundraisers and campaign events for both candidates and closely watched

debates, america chooses who will lead the most important democracy for the next four years. the first set of polls in the nation to close will be in indiana and kentucky, but all eyes are on the swing states, many believe it will decide the election. polls in virginia close at 7:00 eastern with north carolina the subject of the battle for ohio and parts of florida behind. they close at 7:30. the results will come fast on on battleground states indicative of how independent voters ultimately all voters will decide this race. as tight as they have been nationally, four years ago president obama became the first democratic and 44 years to win virginia. going into election day today, virginia's 13 editorial votes are considered to be in play and virginia remains a state both campaigns deemed critical to the

editorial college victory. governor romney's path to victory narrowing considerably without virginia. sending the first lady for last-minute rally yesterday. the home of this year's democratic national convention and the 15 editorial votes could easily move to the republicans. remember two weeks ago the obama campaign aide claimed the president had given up on north carolina. the two met campaigns have spent $170 million on campaigning in ohio. a romney victory could mean a president so-called midwest firewall is cracking. ohio is so important to these candidates that the president spenpresidentspent parts of thee days there. governor romney taking challenger working hard to extend his campaign into election day today stopping in

ohio and pennsylvania as the president spent the day in chicago. >> people are making calls to get folks out to vote because they know we will have the real change we need this country. and i'm so excited about the prospect. i am grown by the support, enthusiasm, energy. just amazing. thank you. [applauding] lou: the president today in chicago playing pickup basketball for a string of satellite interviews and hitting the campaign headquarters to thank his staff. >> drawled tv ad, all the debates and all election in, it came down to this. one day and these incredible folks working so hard making

phone calls, making sure they were going out after them. i want to say thank you to the american people. lou: the house of representatives taking control, 33 of the 117 seats being voted on include seven, real clear politics considered tossups. republican party looking to take back the white house, control both houses of congress as well. taking all of that tonight including a first look at the exit polls with an all-star lineup of expert analysis, reagan political analysis, columnist and michael goodwin. former u.s. investor john bolton. kt mcfarland. nationally renowned psychologi psychologist, and all among our guests here tonight to sort out what is happening. joining me, the election night

eight-teanighta-team. let's start with this race as we look at what is happening here. the president rested today, although he did a number of interviews, went to the campaign staff. still campaigning. what do you believe that signifies if any. >> nothing. part of the strategy for the obama camp was the cost of supporting a candidate. president obama doing a lot of promoting. trying to make a last-minute play. we will see what happens.

lou: what is your sense of what is happening? >> you said neither candidate could be comfortable read we saw them both assuming they had already locked up romney in virginia and florida. president obama in wisconsin of all places in pennsylvania, these were supposed to be safe. the heavy turnout is something in general you can find it favors one or the other. more people vote, the better. that will make it a better election, my bet is that romney will pull out electoral college. lou: and you mentioned the turnout. the turnout described across all the battleground states tonight is amazing, tremendous, what do you make of that because we have been told for example that heavy turnout would favor the president, but the counter to that was governor romney needed

a high percentage of voters in which to prevail tonight, what do you make of that? >> the american public on both sides saw this a in the campaign that mattered to them. you heard president obama struggling with his voice. >> the votes that began as an anti-obama vote in a gigantic crowds in the last closing days of the campaign, that is a good sign. lou: what do you expect to be the pivotal place as look at this whether it is indiana, kentucky. we will have some fractured votes in those two states. and then we moved to florida, virginia, north carolina, ohio. >> virginia is the first act

really worth watching. if mitt romney does not carry virginia, in much tougher map for him to get 270. you have to assume romney may have the upper hand in the voting history, but the bottom line is virginia will be very critical. we go to ohio. it will be in a suburban regions. that is why they're counting on a white vote for mitt romney will not be sufficient. i think standing up for president obama. he will get 303 electoral votes when this is all over. lou: somebody has to expand. what do you make of that, can you see one of these candidates, you believe it will be governor romney, 300 sounds like a lot to

a race looking down at all of these polls say is as tight as it can possibly be. >> it is very hard to imagine either one of them getting to 300 inuit oral college. if there is a tie, five, six, seven-point margin as we saw 2008, 2010, you have a landslide in one direction, but if we have a very tight popular vote tonight, it is tough to see all of the states will go in one direction, they will split a lot of the swing states and so whoever wins the total vote will be mitt romney, i believe it will be a very close outcome. lou: it is clear the country is divided on the issue of if were on the right track or the wrong track. what do you make of that?

this country is split down the middle on issues that seem so utterly clear but divisive. right down the middle. speak to the president has gone out to turn the economy getting better when there is no signs it really is and to certain extent romney offered his solutions on experience. i think the critical thing is people today want a change. i thought they were getting a change four years ago, i think they're willing to try something different. at this point in time that will leave romney in the middle. >> when it comes to polling coming to look at the trend, not just the final number. many people believe we are moving in the right direction. one thing we should keep an eye on, independent voters. should be focusing on moderate voters.

>> i had to bring it up eventually. >> the real extreme and radical element has been the obama record. the dead, the deficit, unemployment issues, all of these things, the foreign policy, the weaknesses, this is the radical in the race. if this were a drug trail a pharmaceutical company was doing, sorry, doesn't work. we have to cancel the trial. buthat is when the country will vote for a change. >> i have seen no new options on the table. i think romney is moving to the

edge. lou: as we sit here discussing this, this is an election that right now is divided right down the center as even as it could possibly be. thank you very much, good to have you. much more on election 2008 with the eight-tea a-team later in t. we will have a live look at early voting results from cheryl casone in moments. did the pollsters get it right? and the deadly december 11 attacks are certain to affect our national security. no matter who wins the election. what lies ahead for the united states in the middle east? next.

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lou: the result of today's election sure to affect the way the nation conducts itself on the world stage. our foreign policy. judith miller, kt mcfarland, ambassador john bolton here with us in just moments. first we want to talk to what happened on wall street today. the stocks rallying on this election day. finishing the day however off their highs. up 133 points, up about 1% and the nasdaq rose 12, the nasdaq up 11. trading slightly lighter than the average today 330 billion shares traded. investors are simply relieved the decision day has finally arrived saying he does not think it matters who wins. wall street simply wants a clear winner at this point.

whichever way it goes, whatever the reason, there's no doubt the past four years have been good for stocks. dow jones industrial with the s&p up 60 years, the nasdaq doubled since the beginning of 2009. after the market closed, they reported earnings including news corp. complet, the parent compaf this station. reporting in line with wall street's targets. the stock up 1.5% trading up now more than 2% in after-hours trading. just under an hour into the first election results reported regardless of the outcome, the deadly attacks in benghazi certain to affect our searc natl security options. joining us now, judith miller, kt mcfarland, former u.s.

ambassador john bolton. let me start, if i may, with you, judy. the president saying it is nonsense, yet here we are eight weeks to the day from the nazi and would still no benghazi and we have not heard the response. what do you make of it? speak we have heard a lot of different narratives. we get one story from the cia, it is not our fault, another from the pentagon that says no, that's not our fault, and the white house isn't saying anything. lou: is that not the definition of stonewalling and a cover-up to resist informing the american public of what has happened when four americans have been killed? narrative is a nice word. >> a lack of transparency. they are hiding behind this

independent investigation i have got going. lou: an investigation by the agency of the justice department, the fbi. is that right? >> they are, and they will stick to that because they know there is not a good and happy story that comes out of this for them. i think we're now going to hear it after the election. lou: john bolton, your thoughts. >> i think the administration's ideology was fundamentally challenged by this terrorist attack if you believe the war on terror is over, al qaeda has been defeated, arab spring brought democracy to the middle east, you cannot even comprehend what happened in benghazi was anything other than a demonstration that got out of control. the fax overwhelm them but they have been successful with the complicity of the mainstream media who did not want to cover the story at all.

lou: governor romney did not bring it up in a debate either. but on the mainstream media. i am not in any way inflated responsibilities of a candidate for president with that of the national media. the media is responsible for what they have failed to do. treated by history, governor romney with the opportunity did not confront the issue. >> he brought it up twice. the day of the attack and he was roundly denounced by the democrats and the media. he brought it up in the final presidential debate and candy crowley jumped in to take obama side. so this has been a very difficult issue for governor romney and i think others were certainly raising it in his absence. if he wins today, we will find out what happens. lou: your thoughts as we are in the midst of this election, does it matter to the direction of the country's foreign policy

which of these men is elected president today, we hope today? >> absolutely. one of the reasons the cover-up happened was because the president's foreign policy in the middle east has been an abject failure. going after dictators one after another benefit of having a pro-american government that comes in, they have been anti-islamic government. al qaeda is running eastern libya. the other thing is not just president obama for president romney, is which president romney. we'll president romney be george bush preemptive military attack and potentially get us into another war in the middle east or will he be reckoned president romney? >> i think you have to keep your eye on iran. if president obama is reelected, i think we will see a deal with the iranians enabling them to

enrich low levels in exchange for added surveillance and inspections. that is not a good deal for the united states. >> i think president obama reelected would be a lampshade. >> if barack obama is reelected, iran would get nuclear weapons and so will saudi arabia, egypt and turkey. lou: thank you so much, john. i appreciate it. thank you very much. coming up next, the campaign has been one of the dirtiest in history. twitter exploding with death threats aimed at governor romney and a nation bitterly divided. the good doctors join us to psychoanalyze the nation and these candidates. the polls close in virginia at the top of this hour the campaign is done, the voting just about done on the east

coast. cheryl casone will have a preview of what is on board. we are talking exit polls next.

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lou: fox news conducting exit polls throughout this election day. the polls still open, but we are receiving some early insight into how voters feel about some very important issues. cheryl casone joins us now and has the live analysis from our virtual studio. good evening, cheryl. >> good evening to you. all night long right here at fox business were working in the studio bringing viewers insight into how voters are feeling immediately after they cast their ballots. they're just about a half an

hour before the first wave of polls close. let's take a look at how voters are feeling about issue number one come everybody, the economy. a question we asked, with a top economic problems facing people like you and hear the results. the biggest issue, unemployment and a bit of a surprise, 39%. rising prices, 36%. taxes 14%, and the housing market coming in at 7%. and then the next question we asked voters, who do they blame for the u.s. economy current problems. take a look at this one, more of them actually blame president bush than they do president obama for the issues facing them right now. 51% saying they blame president bush, 40% blame president obama. all about taxes, whether or not to extend the bush tax cuts. a huge issue for both candidates

but what do american voters think about increasing those taxes? here is what they to say. should taxes be increased? only 14% said it should be increased, but if those are making more money, higher earners 46% polled so far, they will continue to change 46% saying higher should be taxed. and 35% say nobody should be paying more taxes. the polls will be closing in 30 minutes from now, the data is just the beginning for the viewers tonight. next hour the battleground states. the polls in north carolina, virginia and of course ohio. you don't want to miss those numbers coming out of those particular states and that is where we will turn our attention. lou: these are obviously preliminary exit polls in these numbers we are looking at are fascinating because they give us insight into which campaign

messages took with the american people. very surprising to see bush ranked so high above president obama and responsibility and blame for the state of the economy which is issue number one. fox business will have far more reports on these exit polls throughout the night as the results begin to come in.

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you know, one job or the other. the moment i could access the retirement plan, i just became firm about it -- you ow, it's like it just hits you fast. you know, you start thinking about what's really important here. ♪ lou: we are awaiting the first closing of the polls in six states. having a half-hour from now. georgia, indiana, south carolina, vermont and the swing state of virginia closing oclose inthe polls at 7:00 p.m.. virginia state with 13 electoral votes could be pivotal in the candidate who wants to reach the all-important 270 votes. we're told both candidates are

interested in achieving that goal. joining us to psychoanalyze these candidates after a very close campaign. you and me and the rest of the voting public, good to have you both here. let me start with you, this is quite something. president obama in chicago playing a little pickup basketball, working the satellite interview. we have governor romney just continuing the campaign into the final hours. >> direct reflection of their personalities. we know barack obama is physical, he likes to be the ice man and the best way to do it is to destress by playing basketball.

i heard this is a superstition for him, by the way. he has to do it at this particular time and this particular kind of event. for governor romney, this is a businessman, type a personality, win, win, win, do it up at the last moment. >> i agree. they're both feeling nervous and not exactly sure what is going to happen, so they're handling their anxiety in a way that works for them. lou: i should point out governor romney gets up at 5:00 in the morning. he works out every day. he is not exactly -- >> he does it like a businessman, before he goes to work so he can be charged up to do the job. >> i really think romney is an intellectual. he is focusing on the states he has to focus on to win and he is, as you said, type a personality.

he is in it to win it, he has to focus on those swing states. lou: aren't both men type a personality? >> obama is a little bit more laid back. lou: watching this contest on wind, for debates, how will this affect the country? we are divided down the middle for the issues and on the candidates. one half of the country will be sorely disappointed tomorrow. >> is a lot more angst and anxiety because people are emphasizing, putting their hopes on the candidates and so people will take this very, very personally.

we have seen this before but even more this time because one president represents social change, another s economic change. the cat is out of the bag, they're trying to do the best to change this country and make it more positive. >> in the general people don't take it well when the candidate they vote for does not win. there's a strong feeling of disappointment or being impotent. if the candidate doesn't. >> this has been a very divisive race. one candidate or present the middle class, another president is seen as representing upper middle, upper class so a lot of hopes are riding on them. lou: those who see representation for one candidate. the other, the wealthy. those are identifications that are not necessarily positive for either candidate, and it is interesting.

the middle class continues to be the group of people struggling the most, divided the most in this contest, also shrinking losing $4500 in household income. there isn't resolution because there has not been enough debate of specific ideas. will there be a price we pay as a society, you mentioned social change, it is positive. there is tremendous economic change. >> as i as to the middle class k between a rock and a hard place. many wants to see the social change and they're hurting as far as their pocketbooks. women who are clearly for president barack obama at one point now also looking at their own pocketbooks trying to weigh what do we want now, more social change or do we want to have a job?

>> i agree, i agree. both men and women are looking at the candidate they think can create the jobs successfully and bring us out of the economic slump quicker. lou: and there is a division between men and women. that's division looks like, i don't know what it takes because when two candidates refuse to engage, it is the stuff of american politics even though there is this polarization, the great divide, these candidates have avoided some of the biggest issues i and play to the wedge issues, businesses, politics as usual. thank you for being here. up next, one prominent former new york politician says the federal government's response to hurricane sandy is actually worse than that of katrina. how will wall street react to the results of this election?

how different will congress actually be? ron christie will join us as well. stay with us, the polls are closing with results now minutes away. we're coming right back. 0t[h7

lou: some good news for coastal residents the northeast still cleaning up after hurricane sandy and under a lack of power and gasoline shortages. forecasters say a nor'easter that has been expected to hit the region tomorrow will be weaker than originally forecast the storm ravaged areas in new york and new jersey still could see high wind gusting 50 miles per hour and storm surges again reaching only 3 feet. mayor michael bloomberg now

asking residents of low-lying waterfront areas to evacuate ahead of the storm. meanwhile eight days after the hurricane slammed into the northeast nearly 900 homes and businesses remained without power. rudy giuliani blasted obama and fema over the handling of the hurricane. >> their performance has been abysmal. the president has the least kick them in the backside, people do not have water. lou: in a separate interview, said fema's response to hurricane has been worse than their response to katrina. several election day controversies in philadelphia today. pennsylvania largest city, member of the black panther party controlling a philadelphia polling site once again, there you see him. the same group that sparked such outrage in 2008 holding clubs

trying to intimidate voters. it was the response in philadelphia. voters in other polling site had to cast their ballot next to a giant mural of president obama with the words of hope and change before it was partially covered up, took hours to do that. you have to love philadelphia. the pennsylvania judge had to reinstate dozens of elections officials reportedly thrown out of polls across the city for democratic voting chief judges. voters across this country are busy choosing the next president but that is not the only important matter on the ballot. also many key initiatives in here are a few. maine, maryland and washington voting on whether to legalize same-sex marriage. minnesota votes on whether to place a ban on gay marriage in its constitution.

washington, oregon and colorado on whether to legalize recreational use of marijuana. massachusetts deciding to allow physician-assisted suicide. californians are voting on whether to repeal the death penalty. 176 measures on the ballot in some 38 states. a little comic relief from the 42nd president during obama campaign event yesterday. though clinton went off i run the ad suggesting g. to his moving jobs to china. >> you're laughing but who wants a president that will knowingly repeatedly tell you something that he knows it's not true. when i was a kid i got my hand caught in in the cookie jar wod wasn't supposed to be a turn red in the face i took my hand out of the cookie jar. lou: i cannot even believe the sense of irony. anyway, this is former president who was impeached in its 98 on

account of perjury, that structure of justice for lying over his affair with monica lewinsky. up next we are moments away from the first polls closing in of the results being released in a criticainthe critical swing staf virginia. north carolina and ohio, election day is here. we are just so to counting those votes. the a-team here to react, analyze and project. joining us here next. you see us, at the start of the day. on the company phone list that's a few names longer. you see us bank on busier highways. on once empty fields. everyday you see all the ways all of us at us bank are helping grow our economy. lending more so companies and communities can expand,

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lou: well, to analyze what is happening here, we continue with our a-team on election night.

also with us, good to have you with us. looking at these exit polls come in. going down the analysis, does that surprise you? >> yes and no. we have known all along. lou: republicans and democrats would agree all along on that. >> for president obama has to get the young people out. if it were not for young people he would not even be tied with mitt romney. it would be a blowout. mitt romney beat president obama every single age group except young people. so explains the ads that will target the young people making the rest of us say that is odd.

maybe you disagree with me, but a bigger challenge was that this time around than four years ago. lou: that challenge to this point they are as tight as they can be. they seem to be meeting the various challenges that have confronted them. do you agree with the younger people? >> i do not agree with that at all. one of every eight jobs in ohio comes out of the auto industry, very significant. the president spent an awful lot of time there. they're just obama's natural vote.

these kind of things don't work. talking about where cars are made, that doesn't work in ohio. >> unemployment still hovering about 8%, this president, i have no answers for this. you have to take note of this, something sarah palin has been talking about. they may be underestimating the strength of the evangelical vote in terms of the turnout. and who we think are evangelicals and religious people because i can make a big difference in romney's favor. >> large numbers of evangelicals andgrowing populations. they may turn out in big numbers, no question. lou: the catholics have been quiet. one would expect what has transpired we would hear far more vocal response by the

catholics, but we are seeing a real movement in the exit polls it seems about catholics disaffected with the movement. how significant is that if it turns out to be significant? >> if it is serious, it will be significant. however, my phd research was all about this subject. i can say without question the disengagement with the hierarchy is less than what the president of the united states. >lou: there's another statement, more people surveyed in the exit polls blaming bush for the economy than they do obama. >> given that is all he has

talked about, the excuse for his failures, but that doesn't necessarily mean they think obama is the guy. they may say this is all his fault. he is not missing it, that means nothing. it means absolutely nothing if obama should not fix it. lou: really quick. >> this could be the end of the coalition determining outcomes and we will know tomorrow morning whether that is the case. lou: not a single obama campaign worker at my voting place like in '08 when it was over 100. people should vote like they are stranded in benghazi and obama is their lifeline. imagine fema in charge of our health care. you get a good idea for what the obamacare will look like.

well that is it for us. stay tuned for a special 2012 election coverage led by neil cavuto right here on fox business. good night from new york. we have you cover for what could be a very, very long night. this case scenarios, the wee hours of tomorrow morning. we have covered the route.

glazes over the nasdaq monitoring foreign market reaction to my teachers market reaction. ashley webster house in virginia. keep in mind, that is a crucial must win for mitt romney if he is to reverse the wind that barack obama had there we will see what happens now. melissa frances in tampa, florida. it fared in its 29 electoral votes, one of the tantalizing prices. jeff flock in columbus ohio. eighteen votes, lawsuits, lawyers. man-to-man, it will be dramatic. rich edson at obama headquarters if you were to say that nevada, six electoral votes could be a deal changer, a little more than a few weeks ago there would have thought you crazy. that was then, this is now. the battle for every single electoral vote, where you need to run in 72 when an addict and it seems to have a going in, you get an idea that every state counts, every little town --

county and town councils, and that is why these guys are fighting in l.a. the night to see if it goes their way. first step rich edson. >> reporter: well, they are expecting says that. they say, as they have expected for some time, it is going to be a very close race, but one they predict it will carry in the end. that is the feeling around the obama camp. they say that if you look at the swing states, the particular selling states out there, they are in play and have a modest lead, but a consistent lead. the majority of them, and enough to put their candid over the top. they're electoral map looks a lot better than mitt romney's. and they believe that the president has made a very good closing arguments over the last few days, something we have seen service, there is still an element that people blame president george w. bush for the economy, and that is the case that president obama has been making almost as saying that his economic policies are basically

those of president bill clinton's, that the economic proposals of government romney are those of george w. bush. this is turning into a bit of a proxy election pitting clinton against george w. bush. from here tonight they're saying and expecting a very late night. of course positive vibes coming out of the campaign, but still early here. they have not quite even let their supporters in yet. we are expecting near shortly. neil: let's switch over to romney headquarters in boston. >> well, i have to tell you, people are streaming into this room right now. you can see over my shoulder, the states they have been setting all afternoon long. we have as many as 5,000 folks who have volunteered for mitt romney who are on hand. the candidate himself just came into this building actually in the hotel attached to this area. we will not see him for some time to come. here's what people are telling us about what is going on across the country in polls, ballots. it is all about voter intensity.

it's all about the excitement, about the campaign, and we are hearing from the attorney general in virginia and florida that they are seeing a lot of momentum on this side of the republicans. and just like rich said, a little talking of your book, we hear people on wall street talk. we hear that tonight. we are not really expecting romney to be here until much later. you can bet that these crowds are going to grow as the evening goes on. of course their is a cash bar up front just in case. neil: thank you very much. we are not too far away from the first polls closing. keep in mind, we have broken this down by not only our, but how many electoral votes are up for grabs. about 30 seconds away from polls closing in georgia, indiana, kentucky, south carolina, vermont, of course viejo probably the most scrutinized the vault. they represent collectively 60 electoral votes. soon afterwards, and 7:30 p.m. eastern time bowles wil