good morning. down to the wire. president obama and governor romney in a dead heat on the final day before the election. the candidates making their last-minute pitches in battleground states >> turn out for me. we'll win ohio. we'll win this election. >> paul ryan and i will bring real change to america from day one. >> less than 24 hours to go, both have a clear shot at victory. what will decide this race? we have it all covered from our election home on democracy plaza today, monday, november 5th, 2012. from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today,"

decision 2012, with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from democracy plaza. >> and good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning, and welcome to democracy plaza. i'm mate lauer. >> and i'm savannah guthrie. this will be our home for a couple of days. after a year of campaigning, a billion dollars spent, maybe more, it's anyone's guess who will come out on top tomorrow night, if we have a decision. >> if you don't like to fly you wouldn't like to be a presidential candidate. governor romney and president obama logging a lot of stops, president planning stops in iowa, wisconsin and ohio while the governor will be in florida, ohio, new hampshire and virginia. >> while both men have a number of different ways to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win, we call that the path to victory, but who has the clearer

path this morning? we're going to break it down with nbc's chuck todd. >> and as residents of the northeast move forward with their cleanup from hurricane sandy, we're going to ask the question how will that storm impact voter turnout in parts of the country tomorrow? >> and, of course, sandy still fresh in our minds and our hearts. people still trying to recover an dig out. there's a new storm targeting the region in the coming days. we want to get right to al roker who is on hard-hit stinld with more on that. good morning, al. >> good morning, savannah. house after house, instead of cars in the garage or the driveway, they have boats, and they are planning to get some of these boats out of here starting today, but that may be hampered by an oncoming nor'easter which normally we wouldn't be that worried about, but because of the weakened beaches and infrastructure this could be a big, big problem. let's take a look at where it's starting off. tomorrow morning around 8:00 a.m. it's in florida. so it's causing problems for

maybe the voting in florida, especially in northern and central florida. as we make our way up the day tomorrow, we see it along the carolina coastline. by wednesday morning it's making itself felt along the new jersey coltine with strong onshore winds, wind gusts of over 50 miles per hour, waves of 10 to 20 feet, and we're talking about, as we said, 1 to 3 inches of rain, maybe even more, and it's a slow-moving system. slowly making its way up the coast into thursday. it will still be felt. rainfall amounts, anywhere from 2 to 4 inches and locally as much as five. the heaviest rain, sadly, where we don't need, it along the coast, and it's drawing in cold air. behind that system we've got snow to talk about. still too early to tell how much snow, but we're talking about heavy amounts of snow into the catskills and on into the green and white mountains of new england, all the way back down again into west virginia. so this is a potentially dangerous storm only because when we're talking about tides of 4 to 5 feet, when you have

almost no beaches and no dunes, that could be big problems all along the areas, already affected by sandy and may bring some more power lines down. savannah? >> back to your forecast in a moment. a turn now to politics and a look at the state of the race today with the election less than 24 hours away now. the final nbc news/"wall street journal" poll before the election shows president obama and governor romney neck and neck nationally, and if you go to the battlegrounds the picture is the same in virginia, one of the key states that potentially could decide this election. in iowa, president obama holds a five-point lead, according to a poll over the weekend, and in new hampshire both men are locked at 47%. >> here's how all of this is playing out in the battle grounds this morning. in the "pittsburgh post gazette" say thousands rally for romney's last-ditch pennsylvania bid. no republican has won the state in almost 25 years. >> at least one poll shows pennsylvania tied and governor romney was there yesterday. meanwhile, the "cincinnati

enquirer" reports third-party candidates could tilt election. voters in ohio will find five other names on the presidential ballot, and in a tight race like that, it could make the difference in the buckeye state. >> in the "miami herald," demanding to vote, last-minute chaos, anger, after overwhelmed election officials in one city halted early voting force begun 200 people to wait in long lines. now, governor romney is beginning this morning in florida. nbc's peter alexander is traveling with that campaign. peter, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you. just one more day. it sounds pretty good, doesn't it? this is the last day of campaigning in president barack obama's political career. could well be the last day for mitt romney as well. these two men are leaving nothing on the table trying to drive their voters to the polls in the last 24 hours to. give you a sense, there are eight events between the two of them today. mitt romney beginning his day here outside orlando and the president in wisconsin to. give you a better sense of just how they are fighting over

similar territory. for a couple hours today both men will be in columbus, ohio. after a marathon campaign. >> are you ready to go vote? >> reporter: an exhausting last lap. >> if you're tired of being tired, not just tonight, but all the time. >> reporter: the president rapping up his sunday sprint in the wee hours of monday morning. >> turn out for me, colorado. we will win this state. we will win this election. >> reporter: in the campaign's closing weekend, mr. romney, like his opponent, raced across seven states. >> we're going to keep america the hope of the earth with your help, pennsylvania. >> reporter: including traditionally democratic pennsylvania, a state the romney campaign insists will help it expand its electoral map, a claim the president's advisers call a desperate ploy. at every stop governor romney seized on this recent comment from the president. >> don't boo, vote.

vote. voting's the best revenge. >> president barack obama asked his supporters to vote for revenge, for revenge. i ask the american people instead to vote for love of country. >> reporter: with voters deeply divided, president obama was briefly interrupted by hecklers in cincinnati. >> it's okay, guys. >> reporter: but he encouraged his audience not to give up hope. >> i know what real change looks like. it's because i've fought for it. we can't give up on it now. we've got to keep on going and bring some more change to america. >> reporter: on sunday new jersey governor chris christie, who praised mr. obama's response to hurricane sandy, reiterated his support for governor romney. >> i'm voting for mitt romney because i think he's the best guy for the job, but it doesn't mean that i can't turn to the president of the united states of america and say to him, thank you, sir, for providing good leadership in this crisis and for helping the people of new

jersey and to extend my hand of friendship to him. >> reporter: over the weekend a wistful moment in colorado, ann romney hiring her husband and later rallying supporters in cleveland. >> you know what, i'm feeling it? are you feeling it? >> reporter: and behind the scenes this weekend, perhaps another sign of confidence from the romney campaign, traveling with mitt romney this weekend, former utah governor mike levin, the man in charge of overseeing the romney transition team. he told me it's like building a ship that you hope will set sail. we should find out tomorrow night. >> peter alexander traveling with the romney campaign. we're joined now with strategists from both sides, republican mike murphy and democrat hillary rosen. nice to see you. let's go to some numbers. our latest numbers have it obama 48 and romney 47 and the "new york times" averaged the battle

ground polls, president obama leading in 16 out 261 of them. is it that close? >> yeah, and it always has been. you know, there's been a lot of talk about the volatility of the polls, but really the volatility has been more for mitt romney. president obama has been fairly steady. it's romney who has kind of gone up and down over the last couple of months. >> the biggest challenge is the ceiling obama has in the mid to high 40s. if you haven't decided what you are thinking of him now, the undecideds might not break his way. margin of error, three points on each number. >> a lot of the polls are well within the margin of error. >> every poll says the same thing, a tied race. >> one poll, of all the information you're seeing, all the numbers, is there one poll that says to you wait a second, that's the information i need for tomorrow? >> yeah. well, generally i'm looking at internal polls that i feel more confident about, but, you know, one of the things that i've started to think about today is everybody's talking about ohio. ohio is going to be the only thing that matters. you know, when you look at something like the nbc poll in

virginia where obama's just up by one point, again, within the margin of error, president obama has a path that mitt romney doesn't have to win without ohio. he just has to win, you know, nevada, wisconsin, new hampshire, and either north carolina or virginia. that's extremely doable. >> mike, what poll jumps out at you? >> "columbus dispatch," highly accurate, two points, margin of error, statistical poll, a mail-in poll, a better sample with a long tail. >> i've been hearing people saying they are tired. want this to be over. they are tired of the commercials. tired of the phone calls. tired of the coverage in some cases. will voter fatigue play into this, and if it does, who does it help and who does it hurt? >> i think romney has the intensity advantage, but my guess is a lot of people will grumble and vote. hell, i'm in the business and i'm tired but i'm going to vote. >> hillary? >> i was in florida a couple weeks ago and just the assault on simple tv watching is

tremendous, but, you know, i actually think that something like hurricane sandy brings home to people in a very tragic but important way how important government is, and i think that matters and people will vote. >> real quickly, just both your answers to this. what are the chances wednesday morning americans wake up and after a year of campaigning and well over $1 billion spent we have the status quo, democrats in the white house, democrats in the senate, republicans in the house? >> very good chance, i think. >> i think the house and senate aren't going to change and the presidency is a coin toss right now. >> mike and hillary, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> long days ahead of you. appreciate your time. >> savannah. >> chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent, and this morning he is mapping out the paths to victory for both president obama and governor romney. chuck, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. got my toys all ready to go. >> we'll run through some scenarios. the first one is the situation with the candidates neck and neck nationally. the president with a slight lee in key battleground states sets

up a scenario potentially where governor romney could win the popular vote and lose the electoral college. lay that out. >> i have the ten battleground states here, you watch these numbers above me change and also we'll have a map in the foreground that will change. the very narrow path for the pennsylvania means pennsylvania stays where it is and nevada stays in his column because of hispanics and he wins wisconsin and ohio and that's it. he does it by one electoral vote, 271. this would mean all of these other states, all the southern states, florida, north carolina, virginia, colorado, savannah, iowa over here and new hampshire could all go to mitt romney, and he's short. that's the narrow path. that's the popular vote split in my guess. >> let's move on. we'll look at comfortable path and the narrow path for each candidate. let's start with the president. what's the best case scenario that's realistic for him on tuesday night? >> the best case scenario means

he carries basically most of the swing states, colorado, virginia. you saw our poll with one point over here. probably also iowa, and then the difference between him getting over 300 electoral votes, savannah and under, would be the state of new hampshire in my opinion, the difference between 3030 and 299. i think florida and north carolina at this point probably end up in the romney column, but those of those are close, too. >> you have ohio in the president's column. >> that would already be there in this comfortable path for the president. >> if you take out ohio, what's the president's path to 270? >> without ohio it is doable but it's unrealistic. the thing is, if you take ohio out and he's at 281, he can afford to lose wisconsin and ohio, if he somehow carried virginia. there are other ways for him to get to 271 that are not out of the realm. this one, for instance, would include virginia. >> let's stay on ohio for a moment. no republican has won ohio without the state of ohio.

show us how romney could win without ohio. >> without ohio. let's put it back over here, keep it here with florida and north carolina, colorado over here and give him virginia, and that should do it, right at 271, an of these states over here, this is without -- to me the key will be wisconsin, right? that would be the real difference. that would be the real upset. it goes to the midwest firewall. got to pick one of those off. >> the romney campaign says they have enthusiasm, intensity on their side. show us the big night for governor romney, what that would look like. >> i think the big night to be honest would include ohio and would include a pennsylvania and would probably include iowa. i don't think under any scenario nevada makes it over to him. i think the ceiling for mitt romney is 315. >> all right. another scenario, we'll prep for the 269-269. >> i can do it fast. >> let's just hope it doesn't happen or maybe talk about it tomorrow. >> all right, fair enough. >> and a reminder nbc's election

night coverage right here in democracy plaza kicks off at 7:00 p.m. eastern, 4:00 p.m. pacific time. >> i need to borrow that thing for college basketball and march madness. officials hard hit by sandy are hoping voting will move forward without major disruptions. mara schiavocampo is in highlands, new jersey, more on the storm's aftermath. mara, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. the big concern now is cold weather. temperatures are expected to dip to near freezing tonight, and more than 1 million people are still without power. this just one day after new york city cancelled its most famous race in the wake of the storm. for the first time in over four decades, sunday's new york city marathon was cancelled. as the marathon project of recovering from superstorm sandy continues under the threat of cold weather moving in. >> there's growing consensus

this will be a coastal storm by the middle of next week. >> reporter: into new york and new jersey lines for gas with hours long. >> i've been here for two hours. never seen it this long. here every day and it's never been this bad. >> reporter: thousands are struggling for a hot meal, a warm bed and a roof overhead. in new jersey power outages are still an issue, but governor chris christie pointed out that progress is being made. >> we're down to under a million in less than six days of work. ♪ meet me in a land of hope and dreams ♪ >> reporter: on friday night, bruce springsteen, christina aguilera, billy joel, sting and a collection of stars performed a benefit concert on nbc raising close to $23 million for the recovery effort, chipping away at the storm's estimated $50 billion price tag. the national guard, the red cross and good samaritans continue providing essential supplies, from water to phone calls. also people whose lives have been totally turned upside down.

>> our house is condemned. we don't know where we're going, but we have each other and we have stinld. >> reporter: the new york city marathon is an international testament to the human spirit. in that spirit thousands of people who planned to run the race on sunday took to the streets in spite of the cancellation, some running, many volunteering in the neighborhoods that make up the marathon route. >> i can't imagine losing everything, so if i can do something to help, whatever i can do, i'll do it. >> reporter: those affected by superstorm sandy will need a runner's endurance in the months to come. now as for the morning commute, more buses and trains in the tri-state area are up and running again, but they are expected to be very crowded, especially with the gas shortages making it harder for people to drive. matt? >> mara schiavocampo in new jersey, thanks very much. >> a check of the day's other top stories with natalie morales over at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning, everyone. despite gas shortages in the storm-ravaged northeast,

nationwide prices at the pump are actually dropping according to the latest lumbering index. gas prices have dropped about 21 cents a gallon over the past two weeks to an average of 3.54 a gallon. in nuclear and new jersey, long lines continue at the pump. new jersey is even rationing fuel based on license plate numbers. homeland secretary janet napolitano says as more refineries come back online more fuel will be available. more on the gas shortage coming up. the u.s. soldier charged with the grisly massacre of afghan soldiers appears in court today. he's accused of carrying ought a pre-dawn raid batch in march killing 16 villagers, 9 of them children as they slept. the 39-year-old father of two faces a court-martial and could ultimately receive the death penalty. parts of the proceedings will be held at night to allow witnesses in afghanistan to testify.

a horrific accident at the pittsburgh zoo where a 2-year-old boy was mauled to death when he fell into a den of african painted dogs. the by's mother had put him on a railing overlooking the exhibit 11 feet below. federal officials have launched an investigation into what caused an atlanta police helicopter to hit the top of a power line and crash into a city street saturday night, killing both officers on board. the two officers were searching for a 9-year-old boy who had run away from home. the boy was later found unharmed. no one on the ground was injured in that crash. now let's head to wall street and the new york stock exchange. good morning to you, kayla. >> reporter: a tepid reaction from wall street on friday's job numberses largely because they showed companies are favoring part-time hiring over full-time workers largely to save money on things like benefits. investors and companies are sitting on their hands, not wanting to put any more money on the line until they see how

issues like whether the u.s. will fix its debt issues as well as corporate tax rates before putting that money to work. historically the stock market rises falling an election year. >> thanks. it may sound like science fiction, but sheer will power makes it fact. sac bodder became the first person ever to climb the top of hick's willis tower using a mind-controlled prosthetic limb. he lost his leg in a motorcycle accident but uses a robotic leg that responds to his thoughts to climb 2,100 stairs or 103 stories right to the top. talk about an amazing accomplishment. it's 7:20 right now. let's go back over to democracy plaza for matt and safe in a. >> thanks. that's an inspiration for sure. we want to go back to al in stin staten island and we'll get the rest of his forecast. >> a severe storm in the gulf coste. part of a system making its way

there. risk of strong storms from houston, texas all the way to new orleans. damaging winds, a lot of rail and heavy rain, 1 to 3 inches of rain. rest of the country, showers in the northern plains. wet weather making its way all the way up into the mid-mississippi valley. that weather will reform off the southeastern coast and become our nor'easter. we've got record highs throughout southern california. los angeles today, 96 degrees. medford, oregon, will see a high of 65. that's what's going o >> good morning. it will be another chilly day. the weather should stay quiet. a mixture of sun and clouds. temperatures about 10 degrees below average

>> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thanks very much. just ahead, the most memorable moments from this long and sometimes tense presidential race and tom brokaw weighs in on what he thinks will happen tomorrowifying. but first, this is " so, maybe you're trying to figure out question seven. well, let me give it a shot. if you're ok with marylanders spending five hundred and... fifty million a year gaming in other states, fair enough.

but if you think we should keep that money here... add twelve thousand jobs, and generate millions for schools... well you should probably vote for question seven. because if it doesn't pass, all of this goes away. that's why the post called seven, common sense. but decide for yourself.

coming up, we're going to talk to christina aguilera about her upcoming break from "the voice," her fellow coaches and upcoming album. >> plus much more on tomorrow's election live from democracy plaza on a breezy morning here in the northeast. but first your local news and weather. for months, i had this deep pain all over my body.

it just wouldn't go away. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can plan my days and accomplish more. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica.

don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. a very busy weekend for baltimore city police with seven reported shootings. both tappin on sunday night. a man was shot in the 1900 block of west fayette street at 9:30, and at two hours earlier, officers responded to the 3100 block of order on place for another shooting. both of those incidents are

under investigation. let's get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> if you are traveling in the next few minutes along eastbound 32 at frederick road, we have an accident. he speculates developing on 70. 29 in the southbound direction, 175, we have an accident clearing. washington boulevard and whiskey bottom road, we have an accident, and heavy delays towards 175. all that is left over from earlier accident. eastbound 50 and 80 area of -- i can't even show to you because might map froze, but there is an accident there. northbound and southlawn traffic is ok here, but southbound, watch for delays in the area. 795 and owings mills, southbound delays towards the beltway because of the website volume from 795-. >> computer gremlins get in the

traffic department, too. we don't expect precipitation. 37 in part in. 38 in jarrettsville. you look at sunshine to break through the cloud deck eventually. high temperatures between 48 and 53. the average high is 61. 10 degrees below average today. dry in chilly with a high- temperature near 54 election day. we will watch the storm coming we will watch the storm coming up the coast and w well, let me give it a shot. if you're ok with marylanders spending five hundred and... fifty million a year gaming in other states, fair enough. but if you think we should keep that money here... add twelve thousand jobs, and generate millions for schools...

well you should probably vote for question seven. because if it doesn't pass, all of this goes away. that's why the post called seven, common sense. but decide for yourself. maryland, it's time. time for marriage equality. question 6 strengthens protections for our churches and guarantees the civil right to commit to the one you love. while there are those trying to divide us, presidents obama and clinton stand with us. pastors, business leaders, newspapers, democrats and republicans are all coming together for question 6. because it's about fairness-- treating everyone equal under the law. and who could be against that?

>> i'm not going to shut up. it's my turn. >> i love you women! >> with all due respect that's a bunch of malarkey. >> ah, just a few of the unforgettable moments on the presidential race that took a long time to get here, but we've now reached the eve of election day. i know a lot of voters are there are relieved from that. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer. we'll check in with tom brokaw and he'll tell us where we stand and what he'll be looking for tomorrow night. >> and the fallout from sandy. gas lines stretching for miles all around the northeast over the weekend, so when will drivers see some relief? when will gas deliveries pick up? we'll talk about that coming up as well. >> all right. also ahead.

christina aguilera stops by to talk about her new album, her fellow coaches on "the voice" and how the upcoming fan vote is going to shake things up on the show, but we'll start this half hour on the trail with the presidential election just a day away, and at times it did feel like this was a race that would never end. here's a look at the long and winding road to get to where we are today. >> i'm newt gingrich. >> i am michele bachmann. >> i'm mitt romney. >> i'm jon huntsman and i'm running. >> i'm running. >> i am running. >> for president. >> for the presidency. >> for president. >> for president. >> for president of the united states. >> i'm running for president of the united states. >> the 2012 presidential race is already intensifying. >> reffing up. fresh off her win in the iowa straw polls. >> don't look now but michele bachmann may be the legitimate front-runner. >> newly minted front-runner rick perry. >> rick santorum now leads the national polls. >> newt gingrich surges to the top of the gop field. >> campaign in full throttle mode. >> on the attack, the gloves come off and the candidates come

out swinging. >> can we drop a little bit of the pious baloney. >> rick, again. >> i'm speaking, i'm speaking. >> contentious gop presidential debate. >> she says you asked her, sir, to enter into an open marriage. would you like to take some time to respond to that. >> i am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that. >> 10,000 bucks. >> i'm not in the betting business. >> okay. >> my 999 plan is a bold solution. >> three agencies of governor when i get there that are gone, commerce, education and -- and let's see. oops. >> the newest claim of sexual misconduct against herman cain. >> i am suspending the campaign. >> suspending the campaign. >> i have decided to stand aside. >> a better america begins tonight. >> mitt romney wanted to shake up his candidacy, and he has. >> next vice president of the united states, paul ryan. >> we won't duck the tough issues. we will lead. >> is paul ryan going to be a

game-changer? >> the threat of isaac has forced the republicans to have to rearrange their convention schedule. >> i love you women. >> $716 billion funneled out of medicare by president obama. >> would you concede that while many of the things you said were effective, some were not completely accurate. >> no, not in the least actually. >> mitt romney makes an impassioned case for the presidency. >> my country deserves better. >> but it's clint eastwood's appearance that's getting much of the attention. >> i'm not going to shut up. it's my turn. >> this was extremely strange. >> change is hard, but eventually we get there. >> no one could have fully repaired all the damage that he found in just four years. >> president obama closes the democratic national convention with an impassioned speech. >> the path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better

place. >> 47% are with him. >> secretly recorded tape of mitt romney at a private fund-raiser. >> 47%. >> 47%. >> 47%. >> 47%. >> it's not elegantly stated, let me put it that way. >> open rebellion. conservatives circling mitt romney's campaign. >> romney's wife ann fired pack at her husband's kritics. >> stop it. this is hard. you want to try it. get in the ring. >> an energetic mitt romney comes out firing with a strong performance in the first presidential debate. >> you're entitled to your own airplane and own house but not your own facts. >> where was president obama tonight? >> governor romney had a good night. i had a bad night. >> joe biden and paul ryan come out swinging. >> with all due respect that's a bunch of ma larky. >> had all the makings of a prize fight, president obama and mitt romney trading jabs and then circling around each other, getting in each other's faces. >> not true, governor romney. >> you'll get your chance in a moment, i'm still speaking. >> with the election just five days away. >> this race is about as close

as you can get. >> let's begin that future for america tonight. >> your voice must be heard in this election. >> let's take back america. >> and reaffirm the spirit that makes the united states of america the greatest nation on earth. >> may god bless you. may god bless the american people. >> god bless the united states of america. >> and tom brokaw is an nbc news special correspondent. tom, good morning. a walk down memory lane. when you look back at the campaign that was, do you think we did a good job of debating the issues that mattered? >> actually i do think that the people have a very clear choice going into tomorrow. it's about the size and the shape of the federal government and its place in our future. i think a number of things were left out. there was almost no discussion about the economic connection this country has to the european union, for example. that did not come up. we didn't really have as much of a discussion as i think we need to have about the doctrine of the two men when it comes to foreign policy.

in the middle east especially and more broadly speaking about the new china leadership that is about to take office. i did wake up this morning though with a phrase ringing in my mind. i was there the day that gerald ford assumed the presidency and looked into the camera and said our long national nightmare is over after watergate, and i think a lot of people feel that way. the problem with the election process in america, it goes on too long. it deadens the minds of a lot of people and drives them away from the process more than to t.having said that, i think in the closing week people have gotten reinvolved again, and there is a lot of passion in these romney rallies around the country that could change some things. >> let's talk about the day after election day. one thing is clear, whoever wins, we have a starkly fractured country, very polarized, very did i sided. what does that say about our ability to get things done in washington with the fiscal cliff looming? >> well, i'd like to believe that wherever you are in the political spectrum, you do not want this time in your life and in your career to go down in

history as the most fractured part of america where you have an 11% approval rating for congress, for example, a lot of unhappiness with the president. i do think that there are also people out there outside of washington who are beginning to put pressure on the various political factions to get something done. i think a year from now the federal government will look much different, whoever wins, and to what degree, i can't say, but i do think it will be a much different federal government in how regulations are put in place, the size of it and how we do business, much more public/private stuff going on. >> i'll let you handicap the race real quick. mitt romney says he has enthusiasm and intensity on his side. president obama says they have organization and that their campaign is about to execute what it was built to do on the ground. >> here's what i'm prepared to say. tomorrow morning this will be an election. >> way to go out on a limb, tom. >> wow. this is why we bring you here. thank you so much. a long night ahead tuesday night. thank you. we want to take a turn and go out to staten island and go

to al and more on the cleanup from sandy and a check on the forecast. >> and, you know, this boat right here behind me, a 32-foot sailboat. one of only 17 in the world. it was made in 1969, chris-craft. it is a replica, a duplicate really of the same boat that ted turner won the america's cup in. so it's quite the collector's item. the owner rode the boat out from the marina out here on to manchin avenue. amazing stories of survival. let's see what we've got as far as the rest of the country's weather is concerned. record heat down through southern california. 50s and 60s in the pacific northwest. tomorrow, election day, we've got heavy rain developing with this nor'easter. the battleground state of florida is really going to be affected by this. eastern north carolina as well. showers will stay to the west of

ohio. we've got rain in the pacific northwest. clear skies and cold in the northeast on into new england and record highs continue on election day into california. ghat's what's going on around good morning. the weather will be quiet. clouds will mix in with sunshine. high temperature >> that's your latest weather. more ant latest on the nor'easter from the sandy-ravaged area a little later in the hour. >> thanks very much. how long will the gas shortage

from sandy y last, and will it have an impact on prices nationwide? the answers right after this. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ girl ] hey! [ both laugh ] ♪

people and companies who take us places. excite our imagination. make life better. brighten our days. ♪ at jcp, we don't want to be another store. we want to be your favorite store. we're creating a whole new way to shop for the brands you love. at values you can believe in. jcp has a bold new look that will look even better on you. ♪

why use temporary treatments when you can prevent the acid that's causing it with prevacid24hr. with one pill prevacid24hr works at the source to prevent the acid that causes frequent heartburn all day and all night. and with new prevacid24hr perks, you can earn rewards from dinner deals to music downloads for purchasing prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours with prevacid24hr. [ male announcer ] can a car be built around a state of mind? ♪ announcing the all-new 2013 malibu from chevrolet. ♪ with a remarkable new interior featuring the available chevrolet mylink infotainment system. this is where sophisticated styling begins. and where it ends? that's up to you. it's here -- the greatest malibu ever.

♪ back now at 7:43 with pain at the pump being felt by a lot of drivers here in the northeast in the wake of hurricane sandy. many people spent the weekend waiting in long lines for the chance to fill up. when will they see some relief, and why has the price of gas actually dropped 21 cents over the past couple of weeks? john hofmeister is the former ceo of shell oil and founder of -- and founder and ceo of citizens for affordable energy. mr. hofmeister, good morning, good to see you. >> good morning, thank you. >> so down 21 cents over the last couple of weeks.

why? >> well, generally this time of year there's less driving overall, and so we have a seasonal decline in price which is normal, but in addition the economy is really quite weak, and we're down about 10% demand year over year which has affected the crude price, and because the prospects of growth as the business community and the society in general don't reflect much new demand coming, the crude price is down so the gas price is down. >> i think a lot of people look and think, wait a second, after hurricane katrina the price of gas went up, but that's because that storm struck in a different region of the country. >> well, yes indeed. 25% of the nation's refining capacity is on the gulf coast. katrina was a category 5 storm which meant refineries near the coast took a lot more wind, a lot more water, although sandy was properly named a super storm, it didn't have the sustained wind that we see on the gulf coast with a category

5, and so you didn't have anywhere near the damage to the production facilities. but what makes the new york area, new jersey, new york, connecticut so complicated, matt in, terms of the supply system is you don't have that many refineri refineries. therefore you rely on pipelines and ports, and the ports took quite a bit of damage. you couldn't get barges and ships in there right away. >> right. >> the refineries weren't too badly damaged, but the pipeline was also shut down for a while because it exits on the water. >> let me ask you this then as someone who knows the industry and the delivery system very well. how long do you think this situation is going to last, john? how long are people going to be waiting in the kind of lines or going in the odd-even rationing system, for example, that they are seeing in new jersey today? >> well, odd-even was a good decision because it reduces demand by mandate, and what the region faced was unfettered demand which led to chaos, and i think we're into probably once the electricity is all

connected, stations and depots can operate normally. it will take around five days or so to get everybody's tanks to normal. what really drives the behavior to go line up to fill up is fear, fear of the unknown, fear of when you need gas you won't have it. >> right. >> and people trying to protect their family, trying to get to work, and so they put excess demand on a system that is undersupplied, and that's what leads to the lines and to the rationing, but i think once we get to the electricity back, the problem will go away really quickly. >> real, real quickly. was there anything that stayed in federal government could have done in advance of this storm, as it was coming up the coast to have alleviated some of these problems. >> no. because nobody knows how much electricity will be lost. the companies pre-position tanks, but if the tanks can't go to stations that have electricity to offload, it doesn't make any difference. i think government did a good job. i think the industry is doing a good job. it's just a very, very hard time, matt. >> john hofmeister, john, thanks so much for your input.

i appreciate it. >> thank you. >> up next, how tomorrow's presidential election is playing in other parts of the world, and a little later on why the popular band no doubt was forced to pull its new music video and issue an apology, but first these messages. [ female announcer ] i found the best cafe in the world. ♪ nespresso. where there's a coffee to match my every mood. ♪ where just one touch creates the perfect cup. where every cappuccino and latte is made with fresh milk. ♪ and where clothing is optional. nespresso. what else? [ female announcer ] sometimes, all you need is the smooth, creamy taste of werther's original caramel to remind you that you're someone very special. ♪ werther's original caramels.

with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions.

talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbaa.lt dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. back at 7:49, and as voters here in the u.s. prepare to head to the polls, tomorrow there's a lot of interest in the outcome of the presidential race

overseas. nbc's michelle kosinski is in london with more on that story. michelle, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, savannah. it has been fascinating here to see their fascination. how people around the world are watching virtually every detail of this election and analysts say there's no equivalent in the u.s., we as americans don't have that feeling of looking up to another power as a source of growth and stability for ourselves. newspapers, web, television, the local cafe has been full of, fascinated by the american contest, from speculating on potential nightmare recounts down to first lady fashion. this clip from britain makes fun. >> are you a lawyer? a failed actor? did your dad already have a go. then this could be the job for you. >> reporter: while russia today carries a typical quote, the whole process of american elections is fundamentally anti-democratic. in rural kenya a bull fight, one named obama, the other romney.

but make no mistake, many the world over see this election as hugely important to them. >> america is the powerhouse of the world, and the sooner that america is about thor the sooner the world is better. >> i'd love to see growth pick up in the u.s. more than anything because europe has stalled. >> reporter: does this really affect business on day to day internationally. >> this is very seriously importantly indeed, not just for business, but for the markets and it's all about confidence. it doesn't even matter who wins. it's making sure we get a clear decisive decision one way or the other. >> reporter: and on security many see the american stance as directly affecting them. >> the u.s. with a traditional role one of the policemen in the world is something that might have to be rethought, particularly a question of whether or not it's affordable. >> reporter: in europe, one survey showed 75% of voters would choose obama and in germany 92%. in israel polls strongly favor

romney who has vocally supported potential action against iran's nuclear facility. continuity and aid have been important to nations in transition. >> there are people that are worried that the muslim brotherhood is going to run amuck and not sure what they expect america to do or how gentle they want that american president to be but see something as to potentially save them from an islamist in egypt. >> reporter: what about china, on the break of an important party election of its own. >> how the work will be going in china. >> reporter: analysts say the reason so many europeans might be so reluctant to see an administration change in the u.s. is because they worry about what's forging that new relationship would mean to them, and politically speaking to them change doesn't necessarily have a positive connotation. in some of their own experiences lately, it's only worsened problems like with youth unemployment. savannah. >> michelle kosinski in london this morning, thank you so much. just ahead, how well does

christina aguilera really know her fellow coaches on "the voice." we'll put her to the test after your local news. living with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis means living with pain. it could also mean living with joint damage. help relieve the pain and stop the damage with humira, adalimumab. for many adults with moderate to severe ra, humira is clinically proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. so you can treat more than just the pain. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections or have symptoms such as

fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist about humira, to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage before they stop you. the toy chest aisle at petsmart... toys for all kinds of dogs... big... or small. find exclusive toys from bret michaels, toys r us® pets, martha stewart pets™ and a wide selection of holiday toys. only at petsmart®. happiness in store.™

yay! come get into bed. this is a story about jingle the husky pup. and jingle was a good dog. ruff! ruff! jingle loved to bark hello. ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! jingle even loved to sing. ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! jingle! let's read the book to him. jingle, stay. and jingle did. ruff! ruff! [ female announcer ] hallmark interactive story buddies. when you read key words, jingle responds.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. sarah caldwell. >> still tracking a few problems. southbound 29 just past 175, we have an accident there. looking at delays to and from 95 on 100 washington boulevard at whiskey bottom road, watch for an accident. in the city, baker street, watch for a crash. southbound j.f.x., filling up quickly, with a volume from the public down towards 28th street, the delays on the north side outer loop on the west side, the same situation.

f136 in bel air, accident just coming in to us. padonia road, southbound delays on the harrisburg expressway did not too bad heading down to the beltway. route 24, we are moving very well southbound pri once you get beyond mountain road to the 895 split, expect normal volume- related delays. >> we are starting out with a little bit of cloud cover, but we don't expect precipitation today. we will continue the trend with temperatures being way below average. we will only make it into the low 50s. right now, upper 30's and low 40's. 44 degrees in annapolis. mixture of clouds and sunshine, and it is a going to be chilly but dry. no weather problems expected tomorrow for election day. a few clouds thickening up again in the afternoon. during the middle of the week,

we will see what happens with the storm off the coast. 50% chance for a chilly rain with possibly a little snow mixing in. nice weather next weekend.

8:00 new on a monday morning. it's the 5th of november, 2012. nice people out on the plaza on a chilly morning here in the northeast. gearing up for election tomorrow as we take a will be at our home away from home the next couple of days on democracy plaza. in the background i think you can hear the music of christina aguilera. one of her new songs, and i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie. christina helped us with the tell thon for the victims of sunday on friday night. this morning we'll sit down with her to talk about her new album, her chemistry with her fellow coaches on "the voice" and her upcoming breather from the show. >> all right. also ahead, a last-minute pitch

to get you to vote tomorrow comes from will farrell. wait until you see what he's willing to do to get you to the polls. >> all right. and later help for homeowners in the wake of sandy. if your home flooded, you had any kind of water damage, do you know how to go about fixing t t that? some really practical advice. >> first to natalie at the news desk. natalie, good morning. >> good morning, matt and savannah. good morning, everyone. more than the $1 billion marathon to the white house, president obama and governor romney will spend this last day before americans hit the polls making a final blitz of the critical swing states. both candidates visit ohio which could hold the key to amassing the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. some of the biggest names in entertainment joins forced here on nbc for the hurricane sandy coming together telethon. friday night's broadcast raised nearly $23 million for the american red cross storm relief

effort. next's mike taibbi has more. ♪ i see the lights go out on broadway ♪ >> reporter: it was partly a concert and mostly a telethon hosted by matt to benefit millions unable to watch it. most of the performers who came together in just four days of planning have homes or history themselves in the storm's impact zone, including new jersey's bruce springsteen and jon bon jovi. bon jovi visited his hometown just up the road from the boss and sang the she's theme. ♪ we've got each other ♪ that's a lot for love >> reporter: for all the life-saving heroics in the immediate aftermath of sandy, the task of recovering for so many who lost so much will take time and money and a lot of both, the reason for the telethon. >> and donate whatever amount you want. every cent counts, and we appreciate anything. >> reporter: all of that is still needed along the vast and deadly path of an historic storm

as sting sang on behalf of all of the telethon participants. ♪ i'm sending out an s.o.s. >> reporter: using the many platforms now available, broadcast and cable, digital and radio, the one-hour telethon generated record donations. >> god bless the new jersey shore. >> reporter: an outpouring of support and goodwill the red cross called extraordinary and humbling. mike taibbi, nbc news. >> james "whitey" bulger is in the hospital after complaining on sunday about chest pains. the 83-year-old massachusetts mobster has been behind bars in boston awaiting trial on allegations he played a role in 19 murders. bulger was captured last year in california after fleeing boston in 1994. and now for a look at what's trending today, our quick roundup of what has you talking online. will farrell has released a last-minute pitch to get out the vote on his funny or die website, and he says he'll do anything to get you to the

polls. >> if you agree to vote in this year's election i will personally give you a tattoo. fair warning, i do not know how to draw. >> reporter: he also gives a sneak preview of his very special voting dance. all right. looking good. well, no doubt has pulled its music video for looking hot from youtube. critics say the native american imagery in the wild west "themed video was offensive. no doubt posted an apology on its website saying it never intended to hurt or trivialize the native american culture or history. and indy filmmaker video of his kids put all other daddies with camcorders to shame. now he's mate a look at "enter the dragon" and "kill bill" with a plush dragon.

i don't know if we should adore a dragon baby or be afraid of him. there's some moves on that kid. it's 8:05 right now. back outside to matt and savannah at democracy plaza. >> very cute. >> let's go back to al now out on staten island, more on the weather and a brewing storm for the northeast. al, good morning again. >> yeah, that's right, guys. great to see video like that trying to put a smile on your face especially when you see a forecast like this for the areas that have already been so hard hit by superstorm sandy. got this low pressure developing. take a look. this is wednesday morning, and you can see already those tighter lines. those white lines, those are isobars, the closer the lines, the stronger the winds, the coastal wind gusts 45 to 55 miles per hour. tides anywhere 1 to 4 feet above normal and seas 10 to 20 feet, significant beach erosion. the big problem with this, a, a slow mover and, b, the areas hit by sandy already have eroded beaches, dunes that have been

washed out so this will have a significant effect. rainfall is also going to be a big deal, too. we're talking generally about 2 to 4 inches of rain, and this heavy rain will be right along the coast, all the way from wilmington on up into nantucket, and then on the back side of the system cold air is filtering in so we have to worry about snow. too early to give you actual snowfall amounts, but we're talking about heavy wet snow to very heavy wet snow, to the catskills and white and green mountains, down into the poconos. with that snow, when you get that heavy wet snow, that can bring down even more trees and more power lines. >> good morning. it will be another chilly day. the weather should stay quiet. a mixture of sun and clouds. temperatures about 10 degrees below average

>> the hard work of cleaning up continues, bringing cranes in to remove some of these boats and hope to get to the one behind me later on today. with the nor'easter coming, get your latest weather g.to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online 24/7. savannah? >> all right, al. thanks. coming up next, christina aguilera opens up about her new album and her fellow coaches on "the voice," right after this. [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus presents the cold truth. i have a cold, and i took nyquil, but i'm still "stubbed" up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] it doesn't have a decongestant. no way. [ male announcer ] sorry. alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms plus has a fast acting decongestant to relieve your stuffy nose. [ sighs ] thanks! [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth! [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus. ♪ oh what a relief it is! ♪

[ male announcer ] to learn more about the cold truth and save $1 visit alka-seltzer on facebook.

we test-drove the camry, took it on the freeway, and it was just like -- this was the car for me. [ ryan ] it has stuff that guys like, like the rims and the sleekness to the body. and, then, had the bluetooth and the navigation that diana really wanted. [ diana ] and it was an se, so it felt really grounded to the ground. [ man ] grounded to the ground? yes, yes! grounded to the ground. [ male announcer ] see their story and more at the camry effect. camry. from toyota. [ female announcer ] sometimes, all you need is the smooth, creamy taste of werther's original caramel to remind you that you're someone very special.

♪ werther's original caramels. [ corbett ] the holidays seem to come sooner every year. luckily, walgreens is here to help, with our new happy and healthy magazine, full of great new items for a boost of happiness, tips for staying healthy and sweet holiday deals to stay one step ahead. or at least try to. pick up your free copy and get 3,000 points right now when you buy $20 of select walgreens store brand products. at the corner of happy and healthy. it's eb. want to give your family the very best in taste, freshness, and nutrition? it's eb.

eggland's best. better taste. better nutrition. better eggs. it's eb. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it... in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. great taste. mmm... [ male announcer ] sounds good. it's amazing what soup can do. christina aguilera does a little bit of everything. she's a grammy winning singer and songwriter, a producer, an actress and oh, let's not forget a celebrity coach on nbc's hit show "the voice." now she's coming out with a brand new album. this one is called "lotus." christina, good morning. >> good morning. love to see you today. >> good morning, how are you? >> i love the set today, thank you. i feel so special. >> do you like it? >> it doesn't spin. everything else is in working condition. >> that's all right, that's all right. five people on the team now,

right. all the teams are down to five. >> yes. >> you must know, i know you're not going to share to me, you must have an idea of who you would like to win now. >> you think you do, and depending on the songs they choose week by week you're kind of blown away. oh, i didn't know you had that capability. for instance, one girl on my team right now who, you know, i thought, okay, i know she's great. i know she can hit the notes and be a powerhouse and gets behind the piano and plays very well and shows a more vulnerable softer side of herself which was quite a surprise, so it could be anybody's game at this point. >> you like the pop singers, it seems, and blake shelton came out, and he said he thinks you've gone too much for artists of one genre, and he thinks it's going to come back and backfire. >> well, that's right. blake has been one to choose some wacky people. >> but there's a strategy here on your pop. >> you know, this year, as i always say, i press my button when i'm moved by what i hear, and it's regardless of what the sound is. last year i had a very versatile

team, happened to have the emcee, an opera singer, a soul singer, had a little bit of everybody. the first year was predominantly all female team of big powerhouse, got the rock kind of chick and really, really fun having all of that, and this year, you know, predominantly, i mean, we pick what's sort of behind us for the blinds, and so it just so happened to be they are young, they are pop and they are beautiful people. >> worked out pretty well. >> i've got the modeling agency on my team. >> you've got live playoffs now. >> yes. >> the audience is now going to get to vote. how do you think it's going to shake things up? >> i'm actually thrilled about it, because being on the hot seat to pick who goes home and who stays is so hard. i mean, it's heard breaking to see their faces and to get attached to these people as their coach. we go back and forth in e-mails and go back and forth in sound choices. in music there's so much heart and passion in what we do and the blood, sweat and tears that

it takes to have what it takes to get up on the stage. sending people home is the hardest thing in the world. i'm glad to have america weigh n.please help me choose the voice. >> i would imagine during the show it's a blur and things are going on all around you. you guys have great chemistry with the contestants, a very interesting chemistry between the coaches. >> yes. >> here's what we do. i want to test your knowledge here. i'm going read you some comments that have been made by one of the coaches on the show. you have your little handy dandy face paddles. i want you to hold up the paddle for the person who said the following, okay. >> okay. here's the quote. why don't you just come down here and punch me in the face and get it over with. who said that? >> blake. >> correct. >> i know these guys like the back of my hand. >> it was like the coolest thing i've ever seen. it was kind of like a musical pillow fight or something. who said that? ooh. >> i don't think that was adam. i think it's either -- i think blake again. >> sorry. >> that was adam.

>> i got cocky too quick. >> how about this one. we belong together. it's a match made in heaven. >> cee lo. >> gosh darn it. >> who said that? >> you said that? >> hey, i'm not up here. >> just put your face out like this. >> there you go, perfect. >> next one, she just explained it. you have to be an idiot not to push your button. >> me. >> you're 1 for 4 now, you realize that. that was blake shelton >> i want to go all day, man. >> last one. i love your swag. i love your energy. >> very good. >> you reseemed yourself. >> speaking of cee lo, speaking of you. you're taken off and i haven't gotten the definitive answer if you're taken off for good. >> mark burnett, who i really

love, said this show would be truly about supporting talent and music in general, and that's something i didn't see as a format in any other show out there as far as really truly, you know, we can take shots at each other all day being on the same playing field as coaches, but, you know, we always want to support the talent, and, again, i can only be so great for the talent. as long as i, you know, i stay true to may self as an artist, too, i go out and experience my fans, one-on-one, doing shows. the guys have already had that opportunity, and i've been busy recording my album, so finally the time is here, so "lotus" is coming. i'm excited to be back out there with my fans. i need a break to gain new experiences so i can come back and be an even better coach. >> happen we what's on the album? >> i love my album. it's very multi-dimension a. the first song actually isn't a reflection of everything else that's on there. one of the more fun, light songs and i got to portray this amazing, fun, playful character in the video, but there's a lot of great ballads and hopefully songs that will inspire the next generation of singers and

vocalists. >> a pretty good cover photo, by the way. >> thank you. >> can you imagine if i tried that cover photo. it wouldn't work. >> were you going to wear the shoes that i wore today. >> just before i let you go, last time we saw each other, you participated in nbc's benefit telethon for the victims of hurricane sandy. just tell me why you wanted to do that. >> well, it's important for me. you know, my heart goes out to anyone out there that's suffering or going through a situation on such a large scale of loss, and my songs actually are inspired by moments like this, and moments of tragedy, and hope fry i can now inspire with something that i'm going to do for the hurricane in this regard. >> we really appreciate it. >> thank you very much. >> christina aguilera, thank you, and a reminder. you can catch "the voice" monday and tuesday nights at 8:00, 7:00 central time right here on nbc. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. maybe you can be there;

maybe you can't. when you have migraines with fifteen or more headache days a month, you miss out on your life. you may have chronic migraine. go to mychronicmigraine.com to find a headache specialist. and don't live a maybe life. well, inside the brewer, there's a giant staircase. and the room is filled with all these different kinds of coffee.

actually, i just press this button. brew what you love, simply. keurig. ♪ in everything you do [ female announcer ] add your own ingredients to hamburger helper for a fresh take on a quick, delicious meal. it's one box with hundreds of possibilities.

to come home for the holidays. that's double miles you can actually use... sadly, their brother's white christmas just got 'blacked out'. [ brother ] but it's the family party! really jingles your bells, doesn't it? my gift to you! the capital one venture card! for any flight, any time! that's double miles you can actually use! how illuminating. what's in your wallet? let me guess, am i on the naughty list again? ho ho ho! let me guess, am i on the naughty list again? hershey's makes smiles. smiles make more smiles.

when the chocolate is hershey's. life is delicious. back now with more on presidential politics from here on democracy plaza. nbc's home for election day. we sent today's jenna wolfe to give us a tour. jenna, good morning to you.

>> reporter: good morning to you, savannah. tomorrow night is election night. if you don't already have plans, let me throw this out there at you, rockefeller center. thousands will be gathered here tomorrow night to watch election coverage. there will be big flat-screen tvs all throughout here. it is a byoc policy, bring your own curiosity. what is this? what is democracy plaza? how about a little show and tell. welcome to democracy plaza, or, in other words, all the politics you could possibility want shrunk down to size and speaking shrinking down to size, i'm happily standing here in new york. come election night these states will turn red or blue depending on how each state votes. love to skate you around the country a little bit but i've got the boots on so instead i'll walk you around what the rest of democracy plaza has to offer. first stop, the newsroom. ever wanted to be a tv anchor, here's your chance. what is going on here? this seems like the most popular booth on the block.

>> bringing people off the street and giving them a chance to be an nbc personality. >> reporter: okay. let's just roll this from the top. here we go. >> it's the final countdown to election night, and here at democracy plaza in rockefeller center there's electricity in the air. >> reporter: more energy. >> people have traveled from all over the country to experience. >> reporter: louder, loud er. >> now whisper. that's how we like to do it. >> this is lori hayes. >> reporter: punch it. >> signing off from democracy plaza! >> reporter: oh, wow. once you've mastered the news business, why not mingle with the news folks. not hard to do here at democracy plaza. look who we found trying to blend in with the crowd. >> oh, my god, it's you. >> reporter: a great experience for the political savvy, and, well, the future political savvy. you're not too short to vote, are you? no, you can, like, you have to be -- you have to reach this high to be able to vote. all right. you can vote.

you can vote. can you vote? you guys can all vote. i just made up the rules. it's going to be fantastic. romney or obama. >> obaromney obama. >> reporter: i think he's saying both. and anyone can end up here. months and months of campaigning. i don't see what the big deal is. i just walked into the oval office here with one simple question. can i get this picture e-mailed to me. my dad would love this. and i did. lucky me. here's the deal. this is a completely interactive environment here. can you follow everything the little interactive booths here are doing on twitte twitter @democracyplaza. follow them. they will probably follow you back. enjoy it. come on out tomorrow night. >> all right, jenna wolfe, thank you. >> a quick real quickly. what's the name of the statue you're standing next to? >> reporter: you know what, i'm having a hard time hearing you, matt. did you ask me a question. >> what's the name of the statue

there, that you're standing there next to? >> reporter: what is it? >> prometheus. of course, i thought you were pointing to that one. >> nbc's election night coverage from democracy plaza kicks off at 7:00 p.m. eastern, 4:00 p.m., and we're back right after this.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> still tracking some problems, the latest at crain highway. be extra careful to delays in that area due to a crash. possible accident at the harbor tunnel. southbound delays leading up to it. baker street, watch for crash. j.f.x. southbound from the belt way down to 28th street, dealing with those delays. west side is starting to look heavy. northbound in the area of 136

and fountain green road, we have an accident in harford county. update on 895, delays and o'donnell street predict the fort mchenry. those delays are heavy towards the harbor tunnel. live view of traffic on 95 towards route 24, not down here. southbound delays remain in place on 95. >> good morning, everyone. average high temperature at this time of year is 61 degrees. chilly right now. 39 at the airport, 38 in randallstown. 42 and stevensville. today, a mixture of clouds and sunshine. more clouds this morning and afternoon. sunset exactly 5:00. it should be no problems, weather-wise, for voting tomorrow. during the middle of the week,

we will watch the storm coming off the coast. some of the computer models give us a hit, some famous. -- some a miss. >> back with another update at 8:56.

8:30 now on a monday morning. it's the 5th day of november, 2012. it's a brisk start to the week in the morning here in the northeast. it's about 39 degrees. feels a little colder because you know what? there is wind on the plaza, but we've got a big crowd of people gathered here, expecting even more tomorrow as democracy plaza fills up. it is election day, if you

haven't heard. got to get out there and do a little voting. i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales, and now arrivi arriving. >> wanted coffee. >> we welcome over there democracy plaza and over here and savannah did stop to sign autographs, all the time. >> anyway. >> what's going on? >> something great actually. barefoot contessa is here, ina garten is here with comfort foods to warm us up on a chilly morning here in the northeast. >> and we've been telling you all week a lot of people have suffered great damage as a result of hurricane sandy. water damage is one of the biggest problems. we'll learn how to handle it and repair and replace things inside your house and when to call a professional. >> heard a lot of fans running in my town in hoboken this weekend, that's for sure. also a source of fascination and sometimes scrutiny when it comes to tomorrow's presidential

election. we're talking about the candidates' wives, president obama and governor romney's wives and their fashion choices on the campaign trail. >> okay. >> all right. before we get to all that. we want to go back out to al. he's on staten island. al, good morning again. >> hey, good morning, guys. as you can see, still as far as the eye can see, boats where they are not supposed to be. some folks have a sense of humor. one of the guys came over and said, hey, al, two for one, but transportation's not included. i've got to tell you, it's hard to have a sense of humor, but they have got it here. let's take a look and show you what you've got as far as the week ahead is concerned. we start off the week, again, he have rain in the south and the below normal temperatures in the east. we're looking at above normal temperatures outwest. mid-week period as that nor'easter makes its way up the coast. more heavy rains in the northeast. mountain snows out west. above normal temperatures in the western third of the country and then the latter part of the week, we get a little bit of a switch. it's going to be cooler, wetter and snowier out west.

normal condition good morning. the weather will be quiet. clouds will mix in with sunshine. high temperature b >> and that's your latest weather. matt. >> all right, al, thank you very much. when we come back, the barefoot contessa serves up some perfect comfort food for a chilly day. but first, this is "today" on nbc. so, maybe you're trying to figure out question seven.

well, let me give it a shot. if you're ok with marylanders spending five hundred and... fifty million a year gaming in other states, fair enough.

but if you think we should keep that money here... add twelve thousand jobs, and generate millions for schools... well you should probably vote for question seven. because if it doesn't pass, all of this goes away. that's why the post called seven, common sense. but decide for yourself. back now at 8:35, and this

morning on "today's kitchen," what's on the menu, a classic comfort food with a twist for a cold fall day. ina garten is out with her new cook book, barefoot contessa, foolproof." . >> nice to be here. >> we're making tomato soup. >> everybody feels like comfort food with the storm and holidays coming and i thought what better than tomato soup. >> yours has a little bit of a twist. how do we get started here? >> really easy, sauteed some onions. saute them slowly for 15 minutes and add garlic right at the end. >> how many of garl snick. >> a teaspoon of garlic and then it doesn't burn if you add it right at the end for about a minute and i'll add chicken stock. this is really fast. four cups of chicken stock and tomatoes. >> crushed tomatoes. okay to use tomatoes from a can. not against the law. >> and i love san marzano

tomatoes. and saffron, gives it a little bit of heat, salt and pepper, and a tablespoon of salt because it's a big pot of soup and a teaspoon of pepper, put that right in, and it's going to cook for about 15 minutes. >> now you have orzo in this. how do we get that ready to go? >> put in half a cup of orzo, half cooked it, and i'm going to put it in and let it finish cooking in the soup, and what happens is the starve in the orzo thickens the soup naturally. >> you have cooked the orzo. >> about seven minutes. >> and it will finish in there. >> and, of course, a little cream never hurt. >> go to town. >> a little cream in, and add it right in and that cooks for 15 minutes. it's fantastic, and i have some finished right here. you want to try it? >> of course i do. it's not comfort food yet until you have a grilled cheese sandwich with it so we'll make grilled cheese youthon. >> right up here. >> i think you may have to wait

for the whole thing. >> here's some soup. >> great. >> and i make grilled cheese youthons by taking bread and gruyere by putting them right here in in a panini machine. >> butter the bread. >> melt the butter, put it on the bread and make a gruyere sandwich. take it out of the panini press, so much easier than a pan and cut it up in a pan. >> if you don't have a panini press you can fry it the old way. >> i love that. that's a cute take on youthons. >> if i take a bite, will you tell us about our thing back there. >> i can. >> so good. >> that's great. >> what's our next one. >> the next comfort food, of course, is meatloaf, right, so this is 1770 house meatloaf from a restaurant, a wonderful restaurant near me, so delicious, and they make a sauce that's garlic and chicken stock, an they just cook it until it's

really sweet and just pour it right over the whole thing. >> i'm not used to -- i'm used to meatloaf with ketchup on top. >> this is fancier meatloaf and made actually with panko crumbs which you puree, and it really holds it together. >> the gang's all here. >> you have to come. >> that's so good. >> so happy to see you. >> excuse us. >> oh, my gosh. that looks good. >> one more. >> we have toffee date cake, i don't think anybody wants that. >> we do. >> the toffee date cake is a really moist holiday cake that you make with a caramel glaze that has a little bit of bourbon in it. i don't think anybody is going to want to taste that, right? >> i didn't think i could fall in love with meatloaf, it's happened. >> this is so good. >> delicious. >> i have some on my finger. >> thank you so much. a reminder to everybody, the

cook book is called "foolproof." >> double dipping. >> so good. >> coming back early and often. coming up next, timely advice from millions on how to clean up your house. but first, this is "today" on nbc. it's oysternomics 101. you start with a u.s. senator named ben. by helping restore thousands of acres of oyster beds, he kept hundreds of oystermen on the job... which keeps wholesalers in business... and that means more delivery companies... making deliveries to more restaurants... which hire more workers. and that means more oystermen. it's like he's out here with us. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin, and i approved this message.

as a pastor, my support for question 6 is rooted in my belief that the government should treat everyone equally. i would not want someone denying my rights based upon their religious views, therefore i should not deny others based upon mine. it's about fairness. this law does not force any church to perform a same sex marriage if it's against their beliefs. and that's what this is about. protecting religious freedom and protecting all marylanders equally under the law. join me in voting for question 6.

we're back now at 8:42 with "today's home." a lot of houses suffered water damage when sandy roared ashore. what are the best ways to tackle a flood. here with some tips is our "today" contributor, host of the syndicated show "house smarts." lou, good to see you. good morning. >> good morning. >> first of all, if you have severe, severe flooding and water damage in your home you're going to need a professional. >> you are. my concern is there's so much damage on the northeast that these professionals will be completely overloaded and people won't want to wait, so what concerns me is that they are doing this safely and taking the right precautions and doing it enough so that they don't make it worse. >> if you still have water

standing in your home, one of the things you want people not to do is go into that area, especially if the power is still on. >> correct. here's the problem. we've got electrical outlets and switch gear and mechanical systems that are down there that could be in contact with the water, and there's an electrical hazard. power needs to be out first before we enter any of those lower levels. how do you protect yourself. >> matt, this water is all contaminated. got to wear rubber boots and respirators or masks, wear eye protection. this is like a protective suit. you've got to get quality stuff. this is 3-m stuff. it's really good, and you need to wear it constantly when you're down there. you will make yourself sick if you go down there and clean up and you're not protected. >> let's talk about the home now. water in the basement or on the first floor, in the walls. got to get the carpet out of there and the affected flooring out of there. >> all that have has to come out. >> i don't want people to think they can clean the carpeting. this is contaminated water. the insulation inside under the dry wall. we need to cut the dry wall out.

>> a food fot above the water l. >> take a dry wall saw like this and cut it by hand. all of this needs to come out. i need gloves. this is going to be saturated. if this doesn't come out. this is like a home for mold and mildew to grow, and you'll have all kinds of problems down the line. >> talk to me about the products. >> bleach is an awesome product but for porous materials not the best choice. you need swg more residual value that as a cleaner with a disinfectant. cleaners like pine-sol or simple green. don't mix the cleaners together, scrub like crazy and let it sit for a while after you scrubbed it so it can work and then rinse it again. >> washing it down with water after you've used it. >> we need more water to clean it out. >> okay. and then you've got to dry it out. >> now it's all soaking wet. you made me clean it. it's soaking wet. air flow is your friend. if you can find these box fans

now. >> if you have power. >> if you have power, this is going to take days to dry out, and you want to get as much air flow as possible. possible to get a window open to get some fresh air, i realize it's getting cold this, will make a huge difference. >> done a lot of segments in the past about mold hand how damaging it can be to a home. the fact that we're now in fall, is that a little bit better in terms of we don't have the heat august or something like that. >> it actually is. the silver lining is that it's a little bit cooler so we don't have the humidity where basements tend to be mist and warm which is great for mildew and mold. this has a residual value for a cleaner you can use that when you spray it on there it inhibits the growth of mold and this is by a company called natural magic. if you stick one of these in front of a fan because they work on air flow, what's going to happen is you're going to start to smell that odor which is going to grab the odor in the room and drop it to the ground and eliminate it while making it smell a little nicer. >> what do you have here?

>> a lot of cars under water, too. again, the carpeting, all of this has to come out. depending on the water damage of the car, the carpeting in that car needs to come out, but some of these carpet extractors that you can rent have these wands to help you clean the up holtzry in the car, even some of the furniture in your home this. can help. all, of course, meaning you need power which is the first thing. listen, i'm from the midwest. the rest of the country has a great amount of empathy for people in the northeast. we are helping, too. a lot of people are gathering up funds and money and racing awareness to try to help the people, so my thing is hang in there, do it safely. we're going to help everybody get through it. >> always good advice, lou. thank you very much. coming up next, the substance and style of the candidates' wives as we count down to tomorrow's election. but first this is "today" on nbc.

well, as we reach the end of this election season, there's, of course, a lot of interest in the candidates of the campaigns, but there's also some fascination with style. it's the focus of our attention every four years, who will make history? who will win over the nation? we're not talking about the presidential candidates. we're talking about their wives. and let's face it. when it comes to first ladies,

we've got a fascination with fashion, from dolly madison to mary todd lincoln, from grace coolidge to nancy reagan. many first ladies have been celebrated for their style. perhaps no one more than jackie kennedy. >> right out of the gate she hit it with her inaugural ball outfit, the way she stood out with the crowd, the freshness of that white color, new beginnings, her youth. it spoke on so many levels to so many people. >> yet, others have been criticized. >> with hillary the problem was that she didn't define her own style, and she kept changing. i mean, her hairstyle is the perfect example of that. >> for this election it's a fashion face-off between two formidable contenders with two distinctive styles. >> michelle obama wears h & m, things that the normal person could buy, even though the majority of the time she is dressed in high-end designer clothing. she still that has that relatable touch to her.

>> ann romney typically favors more high end. >> ann romney dresses in a very refined, expensive looking way. she wears a lot of designer clothing, but she still has fun with her style. she mixes prints. she loves a bright red dress. >> while both women received high praise for their convention attire, they have also faced criticism for some of their wardrobe choices. michelle obama for not wearing an american designer to a state dinner last night and ann romney ruffled some feathers when she word this $900 bird print t-shirt earlier this year, but regardless of the highs and lows, it's not just about who wore what about you how these women will leave their mark. >> well, avril graham is executive fashion and beauty editor for "harper's bazaar." good morning to you. >> good morning. >> with all the stress of the campaign it's fun to talk about something like fashion and these ladies get so much scrutiny about their choices. >> this day and age where it's a digital day and age, every angle

is scrutinized, every single thing you wear, every blogger has something to say. it's a defining role. the new first lady does have to sadly look really good. >> one thing we're not doing is comparing or making this a competition between the two first ladies, because we agree both look fabulous. >> yes. >> let's start with ann romney. what do you think of her style? >> interesting to see how she's evolved since she began the campaigning moments. wore bright jackets, a boxy looking and a bit touch unfinished. as the whole presidential situation has emerged she's really developed a much more of a polish. wearing designers that are absolutely perfect for the world stage. oscar did a la renta, wears his designs beautifully, doesn't pretend to shop at kmart. her husband is wealthy. she's wearing good clothes. this is a moment where a mistake is going to be there forever, where everybody is look back at a hideous mistake but good ones will be talked about. >> and she's willing to go

casual, too. >> she looks fabulous in a pair of jeans. for anyone age 63 to look fabulous in a pair of jeans, i salute her. swimsuits on del rey beach the other week, looked amazing, but it's not a beauty competition and it would be a hideous thing to set women back like decades to think we're judging them that way, but it's the world stage. it's a global role. >> let's talk about michelle obama, somebody who has been followed. whole blogs devoted to cataloguing her every outfit. what do you think about her that's created such a fascination? >> you know, she has been absolutely the darling of the fashion community, and i think mainly because she's championed young new designers. look at jason wu, well new in the designer set, since he designed the inaugural dress, hits have blown up. challenged a lot of young designers, home grown and foreign and wears them really well. >> also designers that you find

at the mall and high-end ones, too. >> let's not remember, she actually wore a cardigan to meet the queen, every brit gasped, a cardigan to meet the queen but she pulled it off. she looked fantastic. we have to remember that this is a role you can make your own. we remember sleeve-gate, started to wear the sleeveless gowns, great buff arms, why not. >> and both of these ladies seem to enjoy fashion. >> yes. >> that's not always the case with first ladies. >> not always, you know, but, again, you're true to your own sense of self. hillary clinton tried very hard, just at the end of the day an intellectual woman who is a brainy girl. she doesn't have to fly the flag for fashion. >> avril graham, fun to have the conversation and look at the pictures. both of them look great. appreciate it very much. and now here's matt and natalie. >> all right, savannah. thank you very much. well, the writers over at "saturday night live" did their best to find a little bit of humor in hurricane sandy over the weekend, specifically how the politicians handled the

storm. take a look. >> i want to take a moment to thank our city's first responders, the firemen, the police officers, emergency medical technicians. i'd also like to thank my staff with the special staffs to my sign language translator lydia chalis who brought some pizzazz to who otherwise would have been a dauer occasion. thanks for your pizzazz. >> hello, i'm governor chris christie. this is my interpreter roxie. things are bad, okay, they are bad, but we're new jersey, all right. we're going to be fine. we don't get sad in new jersey. we get even, so sleep with one eye open, sandy! >> that's good. >> that was very good.

anyway, it's hard to find humor in a storm like this, but they obviously did very well, and there were a lot of other cute sketches as well. >> what is "saturday night live" going to do once the political campaigns have ended? you knnoknow this has been fodd >> they will be going after you. >> somebody figuring out who will be you in the next couple of weeks. >> anyway, just ahead, we'll get you ready for the holiday shopping season. we were just talking about it on thursday. on thursday two weeks to thanksgiving so we need to get ready. >> start making your list. >> much more, but first your local news and weather.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. one week after sandy started pounding the northeast, maryland state troopers are waking up in new jersey to help with relief efforts. 25 troopers were deployed to assist law enforcement agencies in the area.

four baltimore city workers and emergency medical providers are emergency medical providers are also well, let me give it a shot. if you're ok with marylanders spending five hundred and... fifty million a year gaming in other states, fair enough. but if you think we should keep that money here... add twelve thousand jobs, and generate millions for schools...

well you should probably vote for question seven. because if it doesn't pass, all of this goes away. that's why the post called seven, common sense. but decide for yourself. >> chilly day today, but quiet. a mixture of clouds and sunshine expected as we head into the afternoon, upper 40's and low 50s. decent day tomorrow. >> thank you for joining u