for over 19 million people. [ susan ] my promotion allowed me to start investing for my retirement. transamerica made it easy. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. transamerica. transform tomorrow. vote 2014, down to the wire. and the bluegrass state, the heartland, the rockies. candidates making their final pitches. and today, new polls on the critical races. >> when you stepped into that voting booth, you are making a choice not just about candidates or parties, you're making a choice about two different visions of what america's about. >> the president with his last-minute pitch to get out the vote. ahead, a look at how this election could shape his presidency. a number of states could vote to legalize marijuana today, so what would need to happen for this to be a national trend? the right to vote, might thousands of voices be silenced

on election day with new rules in place and who is behind it. hey, there, everyone, welcome to "weekends with alex witt." with two days to go and the balance of power in the senate at stake. "miami herald." polls show rick scott and charlie crist in a dead heat. as vote nears, ernst takes seven-point lead. "the advocate," fighting for control. and in wisconsin, the leader telegram, simply capturing the view from the public's perspective in the race for governor. it's our turn. from washington to georgia, kansas and to iowa, we have reporters in place for you with the latest on all of the closest races. we'll get to all of them in a moment. but first, i want to bring in nbc news political editor and

senior political editor here in studio with me. so glad to have you there. it's so exciting. you can feel it, can't you? >> absolutely. >> it's so electric right now. talk about this new poll we have out there today. a lot of good info in here. starting in kentucky. we have republican senator mitch mcconnell, alison grimes by nine points. how is it looking for the challenger? >> pretty rough for her and good for mitch mcconnell. nine-point lead. that's a substantial lead outside the margin of error. back in september, the last time we ended up polling in kentucky, mitch mcconnell had an eight-point lead. this race hasn't budged since labor day. and mcconnell going in was seen as one of the more vulnerable republicans this cycle. everyone's so down on congress. he's one of the top republican leaders on capitol hill, the top republican in the united states senate. mitch mcconnell, of course, had a lot of money. the big take away, when you're an incumbent in a very anti-incumbent mood being at 50%

is a very good place to be heading into election. >> remember how much we talked about the fact she said she didn't vote for president obama and it was all the flap about that. the effect of that was -- >> not all that much. big in the media. a lot of the media narratives, alex, really haven't played that importantly in these races. we're focused on ebola, isis. races being decided not only locally, but some of the national currents. people's perceptions of president obama. but the biggest thing of all in kentucky. this is a republican state in federal races. often, democrats can do pretty well in state races for governor, for down the ballot. attorney general, lieutenant governor. but when it comes to races for the united states senate and the presidency, republicans have a big advantage. >> okay. let's move to the georgia senate race with you. and we take a look at that with david perdue leading nunn by four points. hypothetic hypothetical, runoff in january could happen. if that were to happen, perdue

leading by three points there. first of all, you assessment on the likelihood of a runoff. >> well, looks like a probability, although it's hard to tell. we won't know until tuesday night. there's a libertarian in this race pulling at 3%. that might be just enough to push this into a yunoff. now, michelle nunn had the momentum in the last few days. she's run a good campaign and she's been good at painting her challenger as a sort of mitt romney figure. she's emphasized his outsourcing background. remember, this is a state where unemployment is the highest in the country at almost 8%. that's really influencing this race. the economy is really, really huge on their minds. if this does go to a runoff. these are good candidates. they're first-time candidates. but thinking about what could happen if at this time the senate control and we have another two months of a runoff. it almost becomes a mini presidential election. both sides will be -- outside groups will be spending so much money there. it's going to probably change the dynamic very dramatically. >> speaking of runoffs.

you've got to talk about neighboring louisiana there. at this point, you have mary landrieu. a three-way race running right there. but in a hypothetical december runoff, you look at her leading, or cassidy leading landrieu by five points. give me a bottom line assessment, mark. >> her numbers don't move from that jungle primary that happens in november 4th in louisiana to the hypothetical runoff. and so it shows her vote is kind of locked in, which isn't good. and actually, that's normally the physics of politics. the incumbent when you end up having a runoff race, you hit the same number you got in the original election. democrats are hoping they can be able if it goes into a runoff, can change the dynamic of the race. the electorate looks different than the one we're thinking of right now. at first blush, good news for mary landrieu, she's ahead in the first round of voting. second round, the one for all the marbles, looks tougher for her. which is why when it comes to this first round of voting, the

closer she is to 50%. if she's at 47%, 48%, 49% on november 4th. that's good news for her. anything that's 45 and lower, not so good and our poll has her at 44. >> in terms of the poll, what did you find the most surprising or biggest take away? >> republicans seem to have shifted the momentum in their favor a little bit. the kentucky race had been breaking this way, but also seeing in georgia, seeing cassidy, pardon me, david perdue, seemed to kind of break michelle nunn's momentum. she seemed to have a lot of steam going into the last couple of weeks. we're going to have to see on tuesday. but it's maybe that republicans are starting to shift the national mood is starting to shift into these state races. >> okay. thank you, guys. busy couple of days ahead. joining me now from des moines, iowa, luke russert. with a good day to you there. there's a new des moines register poll.

do you think the race is over? >> well, that's the question, alex. is this race now moving from a toss-up to lean republican or maybe call the race right now. democrats would say not so fast, my friend. but there are two things in this poll that are -- and we should say is the gold standard of iowa polling. there are two things in the poll that are troublesome for bruce braley. for the next two days, he's going to try to get out the vote in eastern iowa, essentially his home area, try to get voters that know him to show up to the polls. number two, though, when it comes to the question of caring about people like me, braley the democrat trails ernst. usuallien of this question, republicans do poorly and democrats seen as caring more about the common america, or common iowan. whatever. because of the attacks that painted him as a washington lawyer out of touch with this agriculture-rich state.

specifically comments he made about charles grassley. the most popular politician. comments that were caught on camera in march where he said that if he were to lose this, grassley could become senate judiciary chairman and he's -- she's a veteran, she would be the first woman sent to washington from iowa if she were to win in the house or senate. so there's powerful personality narrative seems to be doing well. what democrats can count on. and this is what they say. they go, look, that one des moines register poll is an outlier, other polls show us closer. and our get out the vote effort is superior to republicans and we believe that accounts for a few points difference. but it's hard to see how get out the vote if it is, in fact, seven to overcome that. >> you mentioned powerful personality. and in terms of that, one of the most, which is bill clinton to come and campaign.

>> well, clinton no doubt has been helpful to braley because in the bill clinton way, he can take an opponent's strength and make it a weakness. so ernst talking about cutting pork. she's had ads with pigs. bill clinton said, yeah, she might cut pork, but she also cuts people. that's the common sense, down to earth campaigning that braley hasn't done. but at the end of the day, it seems he can't -- he can't get effective attack against her. she's a little bit teflon, if you will, on the personality side. people seem to gravitate toward her. >> okay. thank you for that report. from there, let's go to georgia now, and casey hunt who is in atlanta for us. good day to you. the big question surrounding the senate race, what happens if there's a runoff? i discussed it with carrie and mark. but your perspective? >> reporter: sure. alex, both sides at this point are preparing for a runoff, which in some ways is unexpected considering this is georgia and

considering that republicans got their preferred candidate out of the primary with david perdue. they thought he was one of the stronger ones to be able to take on michelle nunn. for michelle nunn and the democrats. it's all about if they need it to reflect the changing demographics here in georgia, the state's getting more urban. it's becoming more african-american. and if democrats can turn those voters out, then they have a shot at landing themselves in this runoff. now, there was a point where democrats were optimistic that michelle nunn could pull out more than 50% of the vote and avoid that runoff. i'd say at this point, both sides are acknowledging that, yes, this is going until january. >> okay. what about the governor's race there. that one is also super competitive this year. you've got republican incumbent, nathan deal fighting to keep his seat. check out the last name there, jason carter, the grandson of former president jimmy carter. key factors at play here are what? >> reporter: so republican

governor nathan deal has a little bit more -- he's been a little bit more successful in weathering some ethics issues than a lot of people expected. but on the other hand, jason carter has really polled strongly. there wasn't a lot of expectation he was going to be able to, you know, sort of win this in a big way considering the national dynamics it's harder to beat an incumbent. but you have seen jimmy carter out on the campaign trail here in georgia the last couple of days. and jason carter himself was campaigning in florida yester y yesterday, which only really makes sense when you understand that yesterday was the florida/georgia game. >> he was attending that. >> i was thinking, what? oh, now i get it. makes sense. thank you so much for that from atlanta. >> thanks, alex. >> there are some storm stories. they are strange and unexpected. we have record lows across parts of the country. also, snow where you wouldn't imagine this early. we have also learned one critical piece of information already from the investigation into that space plane crash in the mohave desert. ke my homemad.

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new today, the ntsb says that commercial space plane's deadly break up in the desert happened during its flight and not when it hit the ground. the investigation at the scene of friday's virgin galactic disaster is expected to last 4 to 7 days. the full investigation could take a year. two pilots were onboard. michael asbury was killed in the crash, his co-pilot was injured but he was able to parachute to safety. more for us from mohave, california. >> reporter: the surviving pilot is awake and talking, and he may prove to be an integral part of this investigation. meanwhile, the ntsb released the first day findings and we got the first up close look at the massive debris field. >> the debris field is scattered

across the mojave desert. pieces of composite materials. this is as far as they want me to go so as to not interfere with the investigation. they don't want us touching any of the pieces of what's left of spaceship 2. >> landed some 20 miles from the space port. >> of course, it was a lot bigger, 60 feet or so long, a wingspan of about 30 feet and 18 feet high. this is what would've carried six people, plus two pilots. >> after the first day in the first of its kind investigation, the ntsb is confirming what photographs of the accident appear to show. that virgin galactic space plane came apart during flight. >> and then, of course, the question is why did that happen? that's what we are exploring. that's what our investigators are examining. >> friday's explosion killed michael asbury, now the first person to die during a commercial space flight. the pilot parachuted out in time

and was badly injured. >> the bravery of test pilots generally cannot be overstated. nobody underestimates the risks involved in space travel. >> this is the downside of pushing the limits of human achievement. those involved in industry say this is sometimes just what happens. >> more than 700 people have already paid $250,000 each for a ticket aboard the space plane. jim clash is undeterred. >> when i heard about it, it was shocking. it was like a punch in the gut. but it doesn't really give me any pause other than the fact that i know there's going to be a couple of years delay in my flight to space. >> and nbc news has an agreement to televise the inaugural flight with paying passengers. richard branson says he's cooperating with this investigation, which we now know will take four to seven days on site and up to a year to release a full report.

and potential recommendations for change. alex? >> all right. thank you. other news now in southern california, officials are still searching for the driver and passenger of an suv that struck and killed three teenage trick-or-treaters. the black honda suv was abandoned a short distance from the accident. police traced the registration to an address, but the owner had since moved. the victims were all 13-year-old girls, two were twins. a syrian border town of kobani as the forces continue to fight isis militants. earlier today, officials say extremists lined up and shot dead at least 50 iraqi men, women and children near ramadi. it's estimated 150 people have been killed by isis in that area in recent days. the united nations panel on climate science says climate change is happening and it's almost entirely due to human activity. u.n. secretary general ban ki moon said in copenhagen today,

the leaders must act now. emissions may need to drop to zero for the world to avoid a quote, irreversible impact. to the weather now and the record cold and hitting parts of this country. new lows were set in missouri on saturday while parts of north carolina had to dig out after one surprise of a snowstorm. in boone, fans did not let 3 inches of snow get in the way of some football. >> the hardest part is probably the wind. if the snow is coming straight down, it wouldn't be a problem. but it's in your eyes -- kind of hurts almost. >> yeah. it should. well, the cold friends continue today with record lows expected in florida. and alex wallace is here with the forecast. hi, alex. >> well, good sunday to you, alex. tracking our coastal storm up into new england for the rest of the afternoon. we've got the snow that we'll find here across a good chunk of maine. up around the boston area, even south, a burst of snow for a few hours. could see some accumulation there. but no doubt, the bulk of the

snow will be up into maine. although, starting to see it by this evening calming down. snow through tonight, there you go. we've got it. a foot possible here into maine where we could see around boston south maybe up to an inch, a couple of inches possible there, as well. the good news, though, is as we head into next week, things are going to warm up. yeah, this cold air that's infiltrated the eastern half of the country, that will change as winds become a little bit southerly. so warmer conditions are going to set up. case in point in d.c. 50 for your high today, look what happens as we head into next week, 70s out there will be above average. that warm-up is taking place. out ahead of the next system. here it comes early week, that brings moisture and the chance for showers and a few storms. we'll watch these areas here in the plains next week. could see beneficial rains, alex, as we head into parts of texas. >> thank you. new voter i.d. laws. hundreds of thousands could be denied their constitutional

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when americans head to the polls on tuesday, many will be seeing for the first time controversial new voter i.d. laws. texas has one of the strictest laws and democratic critics say it will have a big impact on african-american and hispanic turnout. in a new interview on this morning's "meet the press," rand paul talked about his efforts to reach out to african-american voters. >> and you know what i'm sensing when i do show up in the african-american community in the biggest cities, they say this to me time after time, we're being taken for granted, the democrats don't show up. haven't seen my congressman lately. so i think there's a huge opportunity for us, and while not everybody says they're ready to become a republican, many people say they're glad i'm there and they want us to compete for their vote. >> joining me now, former

republican senator from texas, kay bailey hutchison and howard dean. welcome to you both. i'm glad to see you. and we'll go, ladies, first here, senator. one thing for senator paul to show up. but policy matters, too. and the perception and experiences we're hearing from voters is that voter i.d. laws hurt these very demographics. the gop wants to bring in those kinds of demographics. so where do the real priorities lie? >> well, i think the priorities lie in what we are offering in public policy in education, in balanced budget, in the standing of america and the world. national defense. i think the election is turning on the national issues that affect people's lives. and i hope that the differences are seen, of course, and i think the trend is showing that they are. >> but, senator, justice ginsburg wrote in her dissent of

the texas voting law that could prevent 600,000 texans from voting. the statistics of voting fraud are minuscule. a five-year investigation found virtually no evidence of it existing. so is the prevention of the possibility of fraud worth those 600,000 votes? >> i disagree completely with that number. that's pulled out of the air. people have seven different options to provide the picture that would show they are the person that is on the voter registration so you assure people are not voting twice or people who are not citizens aren't voting. and i think the integrity of the voting process is very important in our country. and i think that if someone wants to vote and doesn't have a driver's license, which is the usual one used, that they have six other options that they can use. >> but -- >> big picture -- >> that's -- i can't imagine where she pulled that number

from. >> all right. >> do you -- do you see the findings of the bush administration, research and the study that they did showing there's basically no, a minuscule number of fraud. >> well, there have been great efforts made at having people at the polls that are able to witness everything that happens in the polls to assure that people are not voting more than once or that their voter registration hasn't been stamped. and i think that has made a great improvement. but we have had a history in texas of voter fraud going way back and up to and including in the past 25 years. so i think it's very important just as a general purpose that we have a confidence in our election system that it is right, and that people are not allowed to vote twice.

we've seen in other states, not texas, but other states where judges have increased the hours of voting. but people have used voter registrations more than once. and i think it's important to have the integrity of our voting system something that is trusted by our people and accurate. >> and i don't think people at all, you know, question that, the integrity of our voting system. we all want that. governor, let me talk with you about senator paul whom you talked about the democrats. we've all seen the predictions that turn out among african-american and hispanic voters is going to be significantly down from 2012. does senator paul have a point? >> not really. unfortunately, senator paul as he often is mostly talk and no action. in fact, these laws, voter restriction laws were designed. and a republican official in pennsylvania that was gleeful about this. they passed theirs in pennsylvania.

they were designed to disenfranchise members of minority groups and especially young people and those ma might be voting democrat. that's what they were designed to do by this right wing legislative group. passed in a lot of the conservative states. the senator is true -- it's true that texas has a long history of voting fraud. but that history of voting is in the counting, not in the voting. there's almost no evidence whatsoever, i'd be interested to know what states she's talking about when she talked about multiple registrations. the only ones i know of were a republican oriented company in arizona that weren't accurate. that's not the only problem. the biggest problem that rand paul's going to have in appealing to african-american voters is the success of the republicans in this election is based on making barack obama the issue. the only african-american president we have ever had and the only issue that republicans are talking about is vilifying the president of the united states. now, i grant you, he has not

such great numbers and they'll probably be successful in picking up a few seats. but i don't think voters are going to forget what this party has done to the first african-american president. >> may i ask you about what happened at the white house this past week, considering granting protections to some undocumented immigrants to cut deportations. could some fairly interpret that as pandering? >> yeah, look. no question about the fact that the president needs to do more on immigration reform. and there's -- this is an election issue. and i think -- this is -- i don't believe for a minute that anybody in the democratic party takes african-americans for granted. they have been too important voting block for our party for many, many, many years. i do think sometimes that we have not been as responsive to the latino and latino community as we should have been. and i think although the president's been far better on immigration than the right wing

republicans have. and certainly hasn't used the hispanic population as a whipping boy as the really conservative republicans have done, not the ones in texas, i might add. we could've and should've done more on the immigration reform. >> well, you know, on the heels of that, senator. this is certainly an interesting issue there in texas. tough stance on immigration. that traditionally plays well with republican base. but there is a very large hispanic demographic. that both sides want in their corners. how do you expect this move to play out on tuesday? >> well, i think that -- i think governor dean was acknowledging that texas is very open to immigration reform. that we have certainly included and worked with our hispanic population in many ways. and we have also been pro-immigration reform. we need to have a balanced immigration reform system. i introduced legislation to try to help these undocumented young

people who were brought here before they were 16, to be able to be regularized so they will be able to go to college and get the jobs they deserve to have. and so, you know, we have reached out and i think in many ways this is a bipartisan failure that we have not dealt with the security of our borders as well as welcoming immigrants as we have in our country throughout history and bringing in high-tech workers as well as workers in jobs that are not filled by americans. i mean, i think there's a common sense approach here that if the republicans and the president will just sit down and talk it through, we could take the steps that would be right. and texas has actually been leading the way in doing that. >> governor, i don't want to let you go. >> let me give senator hutchison full credit. first of all, i wish she was back in the senate compared to

some of the folks they've got there now from texas. and she speaks from her heart on this issue and in general, she was a very positive influence. as george w. bush was on immigration. i do not think, however, this is a bipartisan problem. i think you've got enough republicans who are playing the hard line immigration problem so that we can't get to -- we can't get to yes on this. but i do think, i thank senator hutchison on this. and rick perry, who i don't agree with much on has a much more reasonable, thoughtful approach to immigration than most people in his party do. i'll never forget romney looking at the camera last election cycle and saying, i will veto the dream act if it gets to my desk. >> i do appreciate you calling it as you see it. and you always do. but i want to ask you about this. democratic party groups in georgia, north carolina and arkansas have distributed those flyers that are warning voters if they fail to turnout on

tuesday, there could be another ferguson, do you think it's appropriate to use the deaths of two teenagers to drum up voter support? >> no, i don't think so. and i think there's been a lot of bad stuff in these campaigns. i thought what mcconnell did the other day, was equally dreadful. i can't wait for this session to be over. and i hope the american people put a stop to this stuff. in part, because of citizens united. but in part, you know, politics is due for an uptick. we've had a pretty low political morals in the last few years. and it'd be nice to see the uptick. we've seen this before, reconstruction was bad, the no-nothing era, the 1840s. i think it's time things got a little better in politics. and hopefully they will after the election's over. >> bringing back the party's strength will be a big help in that. right now, we have groups that have -- we don't know who their contributors are.

we don't know where their money's coming from. they are able to put on ads t t that -- that things that you're just talking about. leaflets that are just outrageous. and i think we need to bring the parties back so there is some accountability. >> i do appreciate this conversation, senator hutchison, governor dean, have a good one. thank you, both. >> thank you. money-saving milestone starts today's number one. the price of regular gasoline has fallen below $3 a gallon. the national average less than $2.99. about 34 cents less than a month ago. and that's a big saving for motorists. >> in a month, i would probably save $20 because i fill up twice each week. >> well, i think people are pouring a little bit more fuel and they definitely have extra money to spend on other stuff. >> motorists are saving about $100 million a day from lower prices and gas buddy says south carolina has the lowest statewide gas prices just under $2.74 a gallon.

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yei could come by your place. my place? uhh... um... hold on. introducing the all-new volkswagen golf. plenty of room for whatever life throws at you. welcome back to "weekends with alex witt." two days to go and new reaction today from two candidates in georgia. this was on "meet the press."

>> my opponent is against closing tax loopholes that actually incent businesses to take jobs overseas. >> a lot of people are critical about this outsourcing idea. but the issue is that dollar general, for example, we created almost 20,000 jobs, in a very short period of time. and we outsourced all of the products and services we sold in the stores. >> president obama spent some time in detroit last night campaigning for democrats there. senate candidate gary peters and gubernatorial candidate. >> grab somebody you know, get them the vote. get them to vote for gary. this election's too important to stay home. don't let somebody else choose your future for you. >> the president also touted the economic policies during that rally. president obama makes stops in connecticut and pennsylvania later today. stumping, of course, for democrats. we now go to kansas and kelly o'donnell with the latest on that state's senate fight for us. with a welcome, i know the latest numbers from our nbc marist poll show a tight contest there. orman holding a one-point lead over roberts.

roberts has been pulling out all the stops. he's got chris christie, bob dole, mitt romney. bottom line, will it help him? >> reporter: well, one of the things that has made kansas so interesting is that this state usually isn't in the conversation in the final hours. it's usually predictably republican territory. and this time, wow, what a difference. an independent candidate who, of course, republicans say is more democratic than republican is changing the dynamic here. in part, tapping into the frustration that many people feel about long-term incumbents and washington and dysfunction. so the answer for pat roberts has been bring in every big-name republican to try to show solidarity to make the case to voters here about a republican senate needing pat roberts to return. that prompted the remark from greg orman who said seeing all those big names come to town is like a washington establishment clown car. that, of course, set off some

bruised feelings where you had some pat robertson. you can't put bob dole in that category, he is an icon and a beloved figure here in kansas. we're at a location where he'll be appearing with senator roberts today. and what is tough for someone like greg orman not being with the democratic party officially. he is unable to sort of tap into their ground game. republicans are using their money and operation to try to drive people to the polls. so how can orman do this? part of what aides say is they are trying to target voters who turn out in presidential years but typically aren't the ones as motivated to come out in a midterm year. looking to get those people who are, perhaps, softer in their support for the republican pa y party. democrats, certainly, who maybe don't always turn out and to drive them to the polls. orman made a big splash here. he's a likable person, an accomplished person, new to politics. a time when people are saying maybe there's been too much of the same in washington. it's one of those tough races because it's hard to predict

when you're not talking about two traditional candidates. the problems that pat roberts has had. could they be overcome by the support of the party? we'll have to see. >> given the fact he is relatively unknown, what to we expect if he does win? >> well, that's one of the real questions. because i've had a chance to spend time with him and talk to him. and what works in an election season can sometimes be very different if you're successful and get to washington and you have to work with the organization there. and one of the questions is, he says he doesn't really favor either party. he voted for obama in '08 but mitt romney in '12. he will not tell the party now. but in the workings of the senate, you have to choose a party. why? because the senate organizes itself that way. to get your committee assignments. to get kind of the front stage, if you will, in the party. it helps to have the party structure.

that's just the way it's been. independents are not the typical thing you find in the senate. so that will be a question mark. orman says that's a tool that voters can have from kansas because he can be with the party that is in the majority, whichever that might be. or he can try to be sort of a power broker. we'll have to see how that plays out. but many voters find that appealing. republicans are saying, don't take a chance. if kansas conservatives don't want more of the obama policies, you've got to stick with roberts. >> kelly o'donnell, thank you for joining us. here's a program reminder for all of you. we invite you to watch special coverage tuesday night on msnbc. rachel maddow and chris matthews will be anchoring. we'll bring you up to the minute analysis and turns. it is the lead of weed. the states that want to experience its own rocky mountain high. and walking a tight rope. what one man will try to

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now to new initiatives to legalize pot. measures on the ballot in three states and washington, d.c. on tuesday. in alaska, voters will decide whether to legalize the drug for recreational use. measure 91 would legalize and tax it, as well. floridians are going to vote on amendment 2, which would legalize medical marijuana. and in washington, d.c., initiative 71 would allow residents to possess up to 2 ounces of the drug. joining me now is daily beast senior political correspondent with a welcome to you, david. i know in 2012, oregon narrowly rejected an initiative that would legalized recreational marijuana. you think it's on track to pass this time around? and if so, what's different? >> well, i think it's interesting. in 2012, my understanding, it didn't make it on to the ballot. they didn't get the signatures for it. but i think, you know, these

initiatives are not as popular as many young people, many marijuana activists think it should be. it's running neck and neck in oregon and florida, as well. >> speaking of alaska. they legalized pot back in 1998 for medicinal use. but this would make it legal for recreational use. and it could bring in $7 billion in taxes in the first year alone. is that what drives it? tax revenue? >> i think so. i think that money is hard for states to pass up. there's also a sense that the there -- they're really misallocating the criminal justice resources by locking up marijuana users. the rhetoric has shifted a lot. it's no longer about kind of personal freedom and it really is about, is this the best use of our money? >> yeah. here's what's interesting in d.c. the measure there would not create a legal market for the drug but then it would allow possession of up to 2 ounces. let me know what critics are

saying about these initiatives. >> yeah. d.c. is an interesting case. it's sort of like de-criminalization to the furthest degree. i think what critics say about it, why do this now? it's starting in colorado and washington. we don't know how it's going. there are some statistics that show that marijuana use is up among teens, that driving under the influence is up. and so why not just wait and see how these things turn out. >> what about medical marijuana. that's the initiative in florida. needs at least 60% of the vote to pass in that state. what does it mean if it passes? >> well, 30 states or so. something interesting about florida. it's really mixed up in the politics of the governor's race there between rick scott and charlie crist. charlie crist, the democrat favors the initiative. at one of his former law partners is backing it and he opposes it. >> do you think we'll see more initiatives like this in other states and 2016? and ultimately, do you think that's where this is headed?

>> absolutely. they're calling this the marijuana midterms. and i think if these pass this year, which is likely, there's a slight chance they will. i mean, a better chance. then, i think '16, we'll see a lot of them. >> you think there are other clear states that are going to head toward legalizing for recreational use? >> well, california is the big one. that's the one everyone's wondering about. once california falls, people think other nations will begin to take a look at this. >> okay. all eyes on california, the golden state. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> so who was that lady on alpha house? oh, yeah, guess who. anyway, the show's executive producer joining me to talk about what's going to happen in the show plus what will happen tuesday in the midterms. (boys screaming) totino's pizza rolls... ready so fast, ...it's scary! for most people, earning cash back ends here, at the purchase. but there's a new card in town. introducing the citi® double cash card.

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here are your fast five headlines. it's a devastating scene in pakistan where a suspected suicide bombing has killed at least 45 people. that blast occurred today near a paramilitary check point. in iraq, officials say isis militants massacred at least 50

men, women and children today. they were reportedly lined up and shot to death. isis accused of slaughtering about 150 sunnis in mass killings over the last few days. a new u.n. report on climate change today says emissions from fossil fuels need to be totally eliminated by the end of the century to prevent dangerous levels of global warming. investigators in maine are searching the rubble of saturday's apartment house fire that killed five people. it's the state's deadliest fire in three decades. and a fireworks display is suspected of igniting some fake grass near a ride at disney world. firefighters managed to put out last night's fire before it could spread to a nearby ride, though. and those are your fast five headlines. down to the wire, the final hours before the latest stunt in the windy city. a simple question: in retirement, will you have enough money to live life on your terms? i sure hope so.

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control of congress in less than 48 hours, america decides who has the edge, new polling

out today provides new insights. >> at the heart of everything that's wrong in washington. from hypocrisy, to greed, to gridlock. >> when i get to washington, i'll know how to cut pork. >> the attack ad impact. how will almost $500 million in senate campaign ads play at the ballot box? the latest on the campaign trail coming up. it's not just a sunday stroll. it's a balancing act of courage and perhaps craziness, we're previewing the high wire walk in the windy city. and a cameo appearance featuring a familiar face. yep, that's show business. >> hello, everyone. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." here's what's happening right now out there. we have some brand new poll numbers in several key races. this just two days before election day. first up to kentucky.

senate minority leader mitch mcconnell has opened a nine-point lead over the democratic challenger. in georgia, republican david perdue is leading michelle nunn by about four points. but if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held in january. the louisiana senate battle could be headed for a runoff. in a hypothetical runoff, leading 50% to 45%. and looking at the big picture, republicans and democrats nationally are deadlocked. 46% of likely voters feature a gop-controlled congress, 45% want democrats in control. from kansas, georgia, and iowa, we have reporters covering the races with less than 48 hours before the voters head to the polls. we'll start in iowa where a new poll --