>> thisi s battleground vir ginia. >> five days to go until election day. the battle for bridging and has reached a new level. >> welcome to our battleground virginia special. the next five days will be available to the candidate. president obama started in nevada. he picked up a big endorsement from new york mayor michael bloomberg. he will be back with bill clinton and musician dave matthews on saturday. >> mitt romney spent his day i wrote -- in roanoke.

ending in virginia beach. showing just how important to virginia's to winning the war. >> their schedules are intense. >> you can see why. a policy poll shows president obama leading. with the margin of error and undecided voters, it is a statistical tie. >> we what is at stake in virginia. the team fighting to win the stage again. >> the president ended his campaign in virginia and kicks off this campaign. it is where he takes his wife for ballantine's -- valentine's.

you have the city behind me. >> are you fired up? are you ready to go? >> the chant is the same. >> four more years! >> how do you accomplish that? aside from constant visits. we have had 20 since june. dance with the one who brought you, an age old adage. that is women, young voters, and minorities. >> i do not believe we can get far with leaders of that right off half addiction -- half the nation as a bunch of victims. i see hard-working virginians. >> the president has relied on women and with the first lady's help also holds a double-digit

lead thanks to the commitment by supporters. >> we have to realize that the next president could very well choose a couple of supreme court justices. >> there is synergy among the young. >> i think that at my -- kids my age are not going to go like they did in 2008. >> as we discussed in my interview with the president. the only one he has given to a local station. maybe some enthusiasm dropped? >> this was the first time around. in some ways it was lightning in a bottle. there were so many young people who automatically got involved and we have gone through three and a half tough years. but what i have been incurred about is we're still seeing tons of volunteers getting involved. >> to remedy hit college

campuses and often. we stopped at george mason university twice in two weeks. >> there are better apps and web videos. the administration says he is making serious economic progress. despite all that it is neck-and- neck. we asked what is the so-called agent of change? >> i do not think there has been a lot of change because we had a plan for many months that we believed if we executed well we would do well in places all over the country including virginia. >> how confident are they is the question period yesterday, david axelrod said he is willing to bet his mustache that will win minnesota, pennsylvania, michigan. he will shave it off if they

lose those. i asked him if he was willing to make the same bed for virginia. he said he was extremely confident but he was not willing to wager his facial hair on this one. >> let's go to rebecca cooper who will take us inside the romney campaign fight for va. >> mitt romney had one focus. it was a virginia. the candidate canceled events planned in virginia for last weekend to allow law enforcement to prepare for hurricane sandeep. the campaign was quick to rescheduled and he was back here with three big rallies. this is a state he wants to win on tuesday. with the battleship behind him mitt romney unveiled his new running mate. in the final weeks of the campaign, the commonwealth had been a frequent stops for the campaign. >> a great virginia welcome. >> thank you, virginia. >> great to be here.

>> the campaign knew this would be a key battleground. from the beginning, the strategy has been to come early come often san high-profile surrogates, set up a strong ground game, and most of all sticks to the message. barack obama had his chance. it is time for mitt romney to fix the economy. that has been the message in manassas. >> these are critical times in this country and so you have a choice. america is going to have a choice. he city cannot fix washington from the inside. we will give him that chance. will have 40 straight months of unemployment above 8%. there were fewer new jobs created this month than last month. >> paul ryan has also made frequent visits to virginia. >> do we want to stay on the path that president obama has placed a son? i take it as a no.

>> ryan brought the message back to jobs. >> he said this would create jobs and prevent unemployment from getting about 8%. >> another circuit has been his wife ann. he hasshe insists women also need to focus on the economy. >> as we now this economy has had women harder than men. it has been much tougher on them. >> virginia has been the selected site for other major romney messages. he chose emi for his foreign policy address. >> i know the president hope for a safer and prosperous middle east. i share this hope but hope is not a strategy. >> as he did in the debates romney asserts -- inserts the economy into every visit.

talking to us after the american legion visit. >> we did not cut our military budget. it will kill 137 jobs in virginia. unacceptable. >> after trailing obama, polls in virginia show the race is a dead heat. >> we need to take back america. it is up to you guys in virginia. >> it has been that way ever since campaign advisor say his first debate performance -- when the candidate came back he showed new confidence. the volunteers were energized and they saw of the bomb in the polls. it remains neck-and-neck in the state. a state mitt romney very much wants to change from blue for barack obama back to read with the win for the republicans. it will be three other names under the virginia ballot.

he served in virginia state senate as a member of congress between 1997 and 2009. carey johnson was the republican governor of new mexico. a representative of the green party. he she is a position focused on the environment. she was arrested for taking supplies and food for activists in texas. this could make a difference in the tight race. >> another big competition on the ballot is the senate race between tim kaine and george allen. the numbers show the lead is shrinking. the latest poll shows 50% and allen at 46. 4% are undecided. allen has gained since the beginning of october. they know d.c. and virginia and

both are focused on the economy. >> the one thing to do is not raise taxes. that would only cause more job losses. >> that -- i want to make sure the sacrifice is shared. >> in the final days of campaigning, both are leaning on big virginia names for some help. senator mark warner and republican gov. bob mcdonnell. >> we see what is making voters take in different parts of the state. >> with a growing number of latino voters could be an even bigger factor for it this election than four years ago. >> with five days to go, how hurricane sandy will affect the

pamela howze: it just seems like such an... infringement on our lives. how dare they step into my life that way. it's none of their business. he's trying to restrict us again. he's taking us backwards. george allen is the last thing we need in washington. anncr: the democratic senatorial campaign commimittee is... responsible for the content of this advertising. [ minto ] you know,

those ads saying mitt romney would ban all abortions anand contraceptraion seemed a bit extreme. so i looked into it. turns out, romney doesn't

oppose contraception at all. in fact, he thinks abortion should be an option in cases of rape, incest, or to save a mother's life. this issue's important to me but i'm more concerned about the debt our children will be left with. i voted for president obama last time but we just can't afford four more yes. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. >> virginia is made up of people with many points of view. you may get a different field for this election. >> who better than gordon peterson to set out on the road to get a feel for which way the state might go. what did you learn? >> i do not have a clue which we will go. it is that tight. this time reaction is in -- the action is in northern virginia. you do get a sense of how

divided the state is. in 2008, the counties went for obama. the west went for mccain. >> president obama is going to win. >> to close to call. >> this is not your grandfather 's virginia. especially northern virginia where ruling hills and fields have given way to suburban sprawl. in prince william county, michael is trying to hold on to the family farm. how much longer can you hold out? >> i have no idea. i have to make this form stay and work and it does not work right have to go west. >> prince william county went for obama four years ago and the county has picked a winner in every statewide election over the past decade. >> judging by reaction it looks like it will be pretty even. >> if you head south you hit

falquier county. >> it might just go for romney. >> they do not likely affordable care act. thomas is from loudoun county which went for obama four years ago. >> people are ready for change. there are too many unemployed. to many children out of work. too many living at home and they see the role of government is becoming almost a police state. >> mr. thomas is a democrat. you voted for, four years ago? >> i did. i cannot do it again. my wife would shoot me if she heard me say this and she might. >> he is a good man. drive south and you come to culpeper which gave john mccain 54% of the vote in 2008.

it received a memorable visit from lyndon johnson. during the 1960 presidential campaign lyndon johnson delivered to the south and he succeeded. the first stop on the whistle stop train tour of the south was culpeper, virginia. as the train was leaving johnson ran to the rear and shouted, "what did it nixon ever do for culpeper?" you can register for in person absentee balloting. it will vote for, because for them, this election is about hope and jobs. >> i am still blessed to have a job but there are millions who do not have jobs and they need jobs. >> nobody we talk to was willing to say for sure that their candidate would win. it is that close.

because of hurricane sandy, some counties have extended voting hours through saturday. you'll have to check to see how late they will go. >> there is another battle going on and it has nothing to do with the presidential election. >> 77% of registered latino voters say they will go to the polls on tuesday. that could

we had a good group of people. good group of employees out there. this was a booming place. and mitt romney and bain capital turned it in to a junk yard. i was suddenly, 60 years old. i had no health care. mainly i was thinking about my family. how am i going to take care of my family. he promised us the same things he's promising the united states. and he'll give you the same thing he gave us. nothing. anncr: priorities usa action is responsible for the content of this advertising.

>> we need to mention the battle in maryland and that is expanded gambling in the state. bard bell shows is what this issue is controversial. >> check the facts for yourself. boad question 7. >> you have seen the ads. >> vote for 7. >> politicians claim question 7 money will go to education. >> the battle over the expansion of gambling has become the most expensive campaign in maryland history.

more than $70 million has been spent. $35 million by the pennsylvania gaming company which operates casinos in west virginia and northern maryland and $35 million by mgm which wants to open a casino at national harbor. >> there's a lot of money in it. the people who stand to gain quite a bit. >> you have to accompany spending. the money. if their shareholders want them to go ahead. >> they certainly have. compare that to the $11 million total spent on the 2010 maryland gov.'s race. >> this is a stunning amount of cash. >> donald kennel thinks the spending may be clouding the debate. >> the question has to do with how much you think about gambling and how much cash is coming from out of state to shapes the way voters will respond? >> at this early voting center what we heard was even though

this spending on the campaign has been historic, their focus has been not on the dollars but rather on the issues. >> the money on the campaigning is wasted. i did not pay attention to any of that. >> this will bring a lot of jobs to the area. and that is what it needs right now. >> i voted against it. because i think the casinos are a bad influence. >> their opinions that give credence to another school thought. since the arrival campaign spent roughly the same amount, neither gained an edge with the fortunes they have spent. >> there are two other divisions of the ballot that have been overshadowed by the gaming issue. question 6 is about the state's same-sex marriage law that was signed earlier this year. the referendum will let voters decide if gay and lesbian couples will be able to marry in maryland. question 4 allowing

undocumented immigrants to pay in state tuition rates as long as they meet a list of conditions including graduate from a maryland high school and file income taxes and their intent to apply for permanent residency. >> latinos make up the fastest- growing population in the u.s. so it is no surprise their vote will count more than ever. especially in battleground virginia. we talked to local latino voters about what is important to them. >> the the election is a popular topic of conversation. >> ism gordon. >> a record of 24 million latinos are eligible to vote tuesday. a 20% jump from two years ago. the of latino vote is important for success.

she has been paying close attention to both candidates. >> too many people become u.s. citizens and do not vote, she said. the latino community needs to be more united. >> it could be a deciding factor and it is important for elected officials of all stripes to make sure the i understand in this growing portion of the community this is a group that cares deeply about education immigration reform about entrepreneurship. >> a community with a percentage of families that tend to live with lower incomes. they have leaned heavily on and supported democratic candidates. some say the image of the typical latino voter is changing. >> have become more educated and more aware and they pay more attention. >> immigration reform is a key sticking point as well as the dream act which will give legal

status and college education to many undocumented young people. virginia has 38,000 who would qualify. >> will have a pass to citizenship. >> that child will learn to become educated. >> while many are finding success perhaps perceptions are changing. the party stands -- some believe the party stands for the rich. latino voters are more inclined to vote on conservative issues. >> use of a sophisticated approach to wait awhile and see what this is about and not just jump in lockstep and people did look at the plans. >> president obama adopted the phrase "si se puede," yes we can. he is helping the registered voters help him win again.

that number has jumped 76% since 2000. still ahead an october election surprise. who could have predicted that the surprise would come in the form of a super storm? >> the large military population appears cuts. how that could affect their vote on tuesday. >> the technology in presidential campaigns has changed. the strategy remains largely the same. i will have a live report on how

>> welcome back. the last week of the campaign is usually full of handshaking and baby kissing. >> this election has been touring damaged towns and collecting supplies for survival. it is all about hurricane sandy. how the storm is still affecting this race today. >> people have been asking me all week. it is a political reality. both are careful and considered in their handling of the aftermath of sandy.

whether dropping in on the red cross or situation room photos or the the president has appeared presidential. >> there are no democrats to republicans during the storm. their fellow americans. >> as the incumbent, it is easier. you have power to channelchallenge. >> i want you to cut through red tape and bureaucracy. >> if handled well the country's misfortune can also mean a moment to shine. >> i never have seen a guy so focused. that does not mean that mitt romney cannot appear as a leader. he turned his campaign rallies into relief efforts. the politics, just pleas for food or money. >> if you have an extra dollar

or two, along. >> do not be fooled. pundits will tell you all the photo ops are still wrapped with a voter in mind. paul ryan surveyed supplies in wisconsin. >> we're doing this in victory centers around the country especially on the east coast. >> there is no danger on how you handle devastation. >> i can hear you. the rest of the world hears you. >> and stumbled with hurricane katrina. >> it is in many ways a tightrope act. they canceled campaign events but not the constant commercials. scaling back for the sake of sensitivity is a kinder approach. >> the facts are that romney will say anything, anything to win. >> they are back in campaign

mode. some are buying up batteries and ordering generators to make sure they are ready for election day. military trucks are deployed to serve as polling places in some areas. >> week no virginias have seen the cameras quite a bit. there is something else that they are seeing more of. that is volunteers. rebecca cooper joins us to show us how the game on both sides has escalated to new levels. >> they have changed some of the technology they use in campaigns now. both sides know that volunteers getting out the vote, and campaigning to the grass roots could be the key to winning. you see the volunteers behind me making phone calls and the same scenario has played out in romney field offices. both sides wanted to win the

ground game. it is super saturday at the fairfax county republican headquarters. >> volunteers shoulder to shoulder showing their allegiance to team romney and the republican ticket. both sides say this is an unprecedented round game in virginia. more volunteers, and more boaters contacted than ever before. >> he really wants to vote for mitt romney. you will get some people who are irritated but that is life. >> their armed with questions to ask and the answers will go into computer models tracking however member of the household might vote. >> they do not do this for a living. they support our republican message. that is what works best.

>> this family physician canvases neighborhoods. >> would you be interested in a yard sign? >> i would be, my dad would not. go ahead and put one out there. >> this is a great opportunity to test our ground game. >> this is something the mccain campaign did not do well enough to win in the last election. michael shore heads of the communication efforts in virginia. >> we have learned from the obama campaign and started our efforts in virginia earlier than ever. this is the largest program in virginia history. we are approaching 4 million voter contacts which is unprecedented. >> the obama campaign offices are also crowded with volunteers making calls. >> would like to know if you can

be counted on to support the president. that is great. >> she could not wait to become an american citizen to vote for barack obama. >> i just wish that -- i am nervous and that is why i am here to get extra people to come out. this is a critical state. >> many foot soldiers armed themselves with clipboards but others use smart phones packed with information. both campaigns try to canvass every block in virginia. >> people are optimistic. we're going to turn virginia blow again. it is wonderful. >> she is telling her job search with volunteering full-time. >> our -- everyone is doing

their part. >> of these thousands of volunteers insist they're not exhausted from the fight. even in the final days of the most intensive round game in virginia history. >> it is something more passionate. it is not something i am getting tired of it all. >> the washington area has been inundated with advertising mostly aimed at virginia voters. >> thank you. gordon pederson will be back with a round table of political all stars to break down the last minute push in virginia. >> what happens to members of the military who are focused on defense cuts? a look at [ mitt romney ] there are

two very different paths the count can take. ones a path represented by the pre ident, which, at the end of four years, it'd mean we'd have $20 trillion in debt. i'll get people back to work with 12 million new jobs. i'm gonna make sure that we get people off of food stamps not by cutting the program but by getting them good jobs. i'll work with you. i'll lead you in an open and honest way and to make sure that we all together maintain america as the hope of the earth. i mitt romney, and i approve this message.

>> welcome back to our battleground for special. we're breaking down this close race with the correspondence from politico. we just saw a piece on the ground game. who has the best ground game? >> that is good question.

it will be better for republicans than 2008. we do not know whether it will be gold standard good or what. it is hard to match the obama campaign. >> who was the best in virginia? >> the obama campaign because they have been at it longer. they have the luxury of two years, arguably for years to build this machine. at the same time romney was trying to win primaries and that is why governor romney has been more holistic and has been trying to sell big idea. they're trying to turn out every last voter including in battleground virginia. >> it was not like they were going to walkin and in and win easily. as opposed to some of the other states appearing on the map. it might not have been as

important. >> i can't tell you which way it is going to goal. i looked at the polls on the website. i cannot tell you which way is going to go. >> you cannot tell if the polls are right. you do not know if voters will be more like -- a big turnout or tthe typical election. we're not sharure. the reason the romney people are worried is not -- every poll is not wrong. >> we all know these guys. we know peter hart and the nbc news polls. we are saying we do not trust the polls? >> past performance is not an

indicator of future performance. it can do all you want to to put in the variables. what is the white vote, the female vote, the hispanic vote. using templates from other elections, we do not know what the electorate will look like on election day. there will always be some variance. >> let me ask you about the senate race. what are the chances of ticket splitting? >> i have people telling me -- what if tim kane wins but president obama loses virginia? >> it is more likely to find a romney-kain voter.

>> this state has changed dramatically. it is a totally different state. can you talk about that, how different it is? >> we have seen a lot of changes in the south but where we have seen dramatic change is the suburbs but especially northern virginia. those are places that were solidly republican. all the sudden they become very competitive. that is the dramatic impact. >> which one tells us who wins the state? the winner of either of those is one of the big indicators.

"they're going the same way every four years? >> not only is it important in terms of being an indicator it is that much more of an indicator. >> when you move west is a different story. i want to talk about hurrica

man: to some people, social security is just a number. but to me, it's money that i earned. i count on social security. and i don't want washington politicians like george allen... privatizing it. if george n allen wants to risk his own money on wall street... that's fine. but i don't want him risking mine. george allen just isn't watching out for us. anncr: the democratic senatorial campaign committee is... responsible for the content this advertising.

>> welcome back. we continue our round table with our friends from politico. chris christie is making nice with the president. it can't hurt, can it? >> thisere is no way that it can hurt chris christie. it helps chris christie a lot. he is running for election in 2013 and he is embracing a

president that is about to win re-election overwhelmingly in terms of new jersey. he is raised his profile with independents and democrats that might be interested. >> does this your wrench into mitt romney's momentum? >> it has stalled. this shows what an amazing advantage of having the president does. if you would imagine what event would most appeal to the 3% 4% whatever is left, modern people or nonpartisan. it is perfect. >> what do you tell romney if you are a coach? >> he can't seem to be sharp

what we do know is they do dr4iveive motor's opinions. there is a path that elected official, a chief executive has to walk and is a delicate one. we have polls showing the president is getting high marks. there is a way for him to not look political but be helping himself politically. >> and the bloomberg endorsement, that is fine. where are these candidates on climate change, global warming? >> the last time there was a big effort on climate change was nancy pelosi when democrats controlled the house. she got her handhad handed to her.what

happens as a result is controversial. >> that shows you where the romney campaign is not as nimble as it could be. there were thinking of something -- what happened to mitt romney? he was asked 14 times about teamwork and he did not answer. there was a chance to say something the next day. >> what is the next up? on what issue do they go after? interesting to see what mitt romney has to say. it is a difficult message for the romney folks to say this, i

cannot lead in a crisis when the picture is of him doing that. >> a lot of people was changed and there is no sign of that today. the campaigns are more positive. >> i would not try for a buy on a jeep right now. >> you could have an entire round table on this discussion. that is

we had a good group of people. good group of employees out there. this was a booming place. and mitt romney and bain capital turned it in to a junk yard. i was suddenly, 60 years old. i had no health care. mainly i was thinking about my family. how am i going to take care of my family. he promised us the same things he's promising the united states. and he'll give you the same thing he gave us. nothing. anncr: priorities usa action is responsible for the content of this advertising.

>> could be argued that the military vote will be more important in virginia than any other state. >> who do voters trust most with massive defense cuts on the table? >> to some degree, the military has been a back burner issue compared to jobs in the economy. not so in virginia. there are hundreds of thousands. it is the fight over the

fighting forces. the military vote is the largest in the country. the president often lavishes praise along those in uniform. perhaps most memorable moment of the debates was this exchange over defense spending. >> we hve fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military has changed. >> polls show that holds true for romney. >> most of the military people i know are unhappy. we do not want to disparage our commander-in-chief but we think mitt romney will hear a bit more with respect to the veterans. >> the president just landed the endorsement of colin powell and

has a impressive report card. >> wind down the war renew our commitment to afghanistan and renew our commitment -- and find osama bin laden. >> it is not all in one block. my number one question is what our future is. >> nothing says future like $500 billion in the living defense cuts known as sequestration. >> is he being responsible? >> he is being responsible. we have urged him to sit down with us and avoid this. defens industries have to plan. >> some say the defense industry could lose to utter thousand jobs unless congress acts.

polls are a top concern. another x factor in this, the pentagon was ordered to open assistance offices. some worry there could be fewer overseas voters than we saw in 2008. >> we hope you are informed on where the candidates stand. >> if not you have five more days to decide. the candidates will be front and center with all the key battleground states trying to win their votes to get that magic number of to under 70 electoral votes. >> make sure you get out and vote on tuesday. >> glad to anncr: which do you believe?e? what mitt romney's tv ads say about women? or what mitt romney himself says?

mitt romney: do i believe the supreme court... should overturn roe v. wade? yes. and it would be my preference that they,hat they... reverse roe v. wade. hohopefully reverse roe. wade. overturn roe v. wade. planned parenthood, we're going to get rid of that. i'll cut off funding to planned parenthood. anncr: no matter what mitt romney's ads say.ay we know what he'll do. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message. [ mt romney ] there are two very different paths the country can take. one is a path represented by the president, which, at the end of four years, it'd mean we'd have $20 trillion in debt. i'll get people back to work with 12 million new jobs. i'm gonna make sure that we get people off of food stamps not by cutting the program but by getting them good jobs. i'll work with you. i'll lead you in an open and honest way and to make sure that we all together maintain america as the hope of the earth. i'm mitt romney, and i approve this message.