know your rights, if you believe you have experienced housing discrimination, contact hud. ♪ çó welcome to an all new sean of çó"our world with black enterprise." today we talk with a panel of experts to discuss the 2012 presidential election.[o >> this is the most abrupt pivot we have seen in recent memory, and i think forñi a lot of obam followers, it's hard to see him tired or disconnected -- >> come on, this is the leader of the free world -- ♪fá

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♪'%;q >> with the presidential election less than four weeks fá away. the race to the white house has welcome a horse race. heading into the home stretch, leading. gop challenger mitt romney has

gained momentum, but president obama also got a boost thanks to the unemployment rate falling t/ 7.8%. >> after losing about 700,000 jobs a month, our businesses have added li5.2 million new jo. on friday, we learned that the unemployment rate is now at it's lowest level since i entered office. more americans are entering the workforce and getting jobs. >> the romney campaign continues to claim thatok america is wors off under the obamañiq administration. the battle continues. here is recap is1eñ tara wall. dr. james peterson, and kelly goff, political contributor to theroot.com. >>çó two months ago people were saying president obama was going to run away with it. >> we said it all along,

it will be a knife fight in a foon boot.ne iñ think that was the expectatin with both camps. you see with polls as they do they go up and down depending on the weather. this happens to be a good week for the ñrcampaign, but we do continue to expect this to be a robust competitive race going into the election. at the end of the day, we do hope that governor romney comes out with a win. >> the only person morectp exci than tara is myself and every other member of the media. i think we were worried that people were reading stories, what else would you read other than obama is increased by several points. so who knows if it will stay this tight down to the wire, but everyone is a little more excited than they were a couple weeks ago. >> and this is the nature of campaigns. i hope this isfá what people wa,

you know, the back and forth, to hear both sides, and for it to really be a race if you will. >> both camps haveoosaid it's a close election all along. >> maybe the reason it's tighter is the presidential debate. president obama's performance in that debate caused many to say >> well, i think even michelle obama told him that night, it's not like hebcp>h$it it out of t park, right? i frankly thought he was exhausted. i'm not saying that to be funny or dismiss it. one of my girlfriends said i can't imagine having a job where you're notfá allowed to look psh or tired. unfortunately, voters tuning in for the very first time, because this is when voters start paying attention. and i want to give credit where credit is due. governor romney had a very good night.

the best thing he did was come across as more accessible, likable, approachable and human. and the other thing that i thought was the best, is that he gave his answers in a very distinct way. whether or not they were all truthful is another matter. >> one of the things that people said is that for the first time, mitt romney offered answers, concrete steps, and in a way that people could access. what about the content? >> well, i wouldn't say it's the first time. >> we all understand the trajectory of presidential campaigns. once you get out of the primaries, this is the most abrupt and kbere pivot we have seen in recent memory, and for a lot of obama followers, it's difficult to see him tired or disconnected in the face of theá manipulation, facts, and truth -- >> come on, this is the leader of the free world. the pivot is very, very hard. it's the way he adjusted himself

politically to appeal to the center. i think the bar is very, very low for authenticity. >> you think he was taking a political position? >> i believe thatfá mitt romney was returning more to where he actually is, but when he had to play to the right throughout the campaign, he was living in the wheel house. as he made the move back, he had to change so many positions. >> listen -- however thefá medi and pundants what want spin it, you can't change the facts, and we are worse off after four years. those are absolute facts. you have povertyçó at it's hight level, you have chronic unemployment, and black unemployment is at record levels. so -- [ talking atfá once ]

>> listen, no matter how you spin it, the fact isxd governor did a . he laid out what the choices were to the candidates. even obama's camp says he failed miserablely. and that's the expectation of the american people with a little different on that end. with that said, this was an opportunity, outside of all of the soundbytes that we hear -- i said early on when we get -- i'm talking about during theñ -- >> but romney and obama --ú >> this is a time when the iserican public is actually really engaged in the election, and the debate was a first opportunity for them to hearxd full, more than a full sentence of soundbites between the two candidates. we can sit here and mince words

over what you think is special and what's not, but the point is -- >> but you made a good point, you said that evidence shows rpíqu-q worse off now than we were four years ago. james, kelly, what do you saym/o that? >> i don't represent the obama ç campaign, but it's not factual information that everyone is worse off. >> i did not say everyone.b.ñ >> the numbers have -- are dramatically different. black businesses have declined dramatically. you talk to the national black chamber of commerce. even urban league's own report talks about how it's gotten worse for blacks -- >> i want to respond to that. >> i just want to say there is a predicate to all of the numbers and things you're talking about. the financial class, the policies of the pm hols that led us down that road. we have to allow for the concept

that things could be worse than what they are right now. and look at the policies this president and administration put in place to support black business. unemployment is slowly turns around, jobs are slowly coming back. if we weren't getting so much obstruction on the right i think we could do more. i understand this is a difficult political argument, but things could be worse. >> things could be better -- >> i want to jump in, because i want you to speak to what they both said. the most important thing being the current date of the nation is not just because of obama's decisions as a leader, but also because of the prior administration. >> it's not fair -- >> he is the president now, that was four years ago. >> they're both right, how about that? >> and obama is -- >> let me just explain what i mean by that. one of the things you find in

terms of african-americans and other americans think about that question, and think about economic woes, you keep hearing the reagan line, are you better than you were four years ago? what a lot of african-americans ponder on is will i be worse off four years from now. that's what i mean by they're both right. >> and on this path they will be. >> to tara's mypoint, if there were another candidate did was not rich andño'xd out of touch, saying borrow money from your parents to start a business, i think we would be able to talk about this more in terms of our community. the other thing i have to really say though is when you have republican senators who retire, wh which is what happened, and say say i will not work with this president, the blame has to be

shared. >> they've want to block obamas process. >> i haveñ not heard that criticism honestly. >> there are republicans that said -- >> others say they have tried to work with this president. >> but i'm saying when you more than one political senator saying i was not to work with him in any circumstance. >> that's what i mean by the bar is so low about authenticity in politics. to suggest that he -- can we just tryt to compromise? and come to the middle? or come to the right even with the republican congress. it's just not true. >> we have a lot more to talk about when we come back. we'll be back with more "our world." >> i think the question mark is which governor romney is up for president now?

we're back with "our world with black enterprises"ñijf president obama has gotten some feedback from republicans, some of them, saying they're not going to participate, and you see how that can underprogress, right? >> the president is a leader, he has majority, and he has had

opportunities as a leader to open the door, walk across the isl aisle and make things happen. i don't think you allow ajf handful of senators to stop you have fromming things. >> the things romney has been saying throughout the campaign, andfá from the primaries, is ve different than what he said in the debates. so for someone to make that sharp of a pivot. >> such as? >> for him backing off the $5 billion tax cut. for someone who follows politics, that's really an excruciating position.çó and he had social positions asça

governor that was somewhat fair, and then -- >> on what? >> on abortion -- u position. >> he did not change his position on women's rights at all? didn't hexd support a woman's right to choose? >> that informs massachusetts. >> no, no. listen, if -- since he has been a candidate over the past several years, he has not changed his position in that regard. >> i think there is a miscommunication -- >> he was saying as governor. >> but he has not changed his been pro-life. >> to tara's bigger point, i think that most americans would agree that governor romney, as in the governor he informs massachusetts, would make a fabulous president who would, his positions would represent a broad swath of americans, but

the question is which governor romney is a candidate forc president now? it's many people who think what an amazing governor he was, and their perplexed for what 9 that took place during the primary. so when president obama made jokes like there was a very interesting fellow who turned up at the debate claiming to be machinery. >> gun control, abortion -- >> he did not change -- his position is d not change. you can say that -- >> are you saying since he was now, that he has not changed position on any major issues. >> i would like examples. >> gun control. >> from an abortion stand point, the first issue raised, he has not changed his position as being pro-life. >> his personal position, but not his legal position. >> you're speaking -- >> in massachusetts, he wasn't

for overturning and making it legal, now he believe it's should be illegal. that's a difference in opinion. i'm not saying morally. >> if people have a problem with what they perceive as him flip-flopping, that's a perception issue. >> why should someone vote for president obama? >> there is a number of reasonsd to me it's about how you want to change and address the issues in the economy. dressing more tax breaks to folks who have been doing well the last 20 years it not the way to go. continuing the wars and starting new wars is not the way to go. we need to bring back our military, draw it in, and focus on the economy. >> what is his plan? >> the jobs plan is on the table, the question is will we invest in infrastructure, education programs -- let me finish. îi point on te jobs plan, but i'm trying to run

down the reasons why -- >> of all of the things that will affect the economy -- >> his jobs plan and infrastructure for america. focus, build, and repair fároad. that's evidence that is in place, it's about drawingoodown the military and reseeding our footprint in the world. and it's about education to the extent that this administration is invested into education and community colleges and folks moving into the green industries -- >> how does reinvesting in infrastructure -- >> i haven't seen that at all from mr. rol any or the campaign. >> it's not my job to make the case for the obama campaign, that's their job, that's the president's job. >> absolutely. >> here is what i will say, i just red something interesting. the reason that the senate race in nevada is tightening up, is because of hispanicfá voters, a

the hellor campaign is spending a lot of money. i want them to spend just as much money trying to convince me for who to vote for as they do with latino voters. that's where i want to see this countryñi get to. >> after we finish this conversax'n, we'll have some predictions. >> we don't like to call thing that's way, but we wantlp our candidate to win, we believe we're positioned to win.ñi travel advisories to small business loans.

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welcome back to "our world" talking about what happens so far. that tuesday comes in november, when the final prediction is made, who will be the next president of the united states? >> i'm starting with you kelly? >> i hate these, i think it will be a really big night for media. you know -- i really hate these predictions. i predict it will be a squeaker, maybe to the point that we haven't seen since 2000. i think that psh shoot pull it out, but i think it will be a

nail biter in a way that people are not expecting. >> i can predict one thing, i will be glad when it's over so we can get off the clock. >> you said close one? >> yes, close and obama wins. >> well, you know look, i agree with both of my friends here that it's going to be tight going into the election, obviously, until the very end, but certainly at the end of the day, it's our hope and we're confident that the romney campaign has ajf great ground game, we're getting the message out, and we believe that he will be the next president. >> i believe we will have you all back -- >> we need to make at( bet abou what happens if you're wrong, right? >> maybe off camera. >> i'm not necessarily -- i really don't like to call things that way, but obviously we want our candidate to win, and we believe we're positioned to win and we can do it. >> thank you all for being here.

stay right here. we'll haveñi another hour of blk enterprise. promotional consideration provided by --

♪ that wrap it's up for this edition of "our world with black enterprise." you can also find us on facebook or follow me on twitter. thanks for watching, see you next week.