now, that speculation has shifted to probably yes. >> all right, rick klein with the bigger picture. rick, thank you. >>> we're going to turn to that other headline out of washington this evening. the national zoo, breaking the news on its facebook page, announcing, quote, we are broken hearted to share that we have lost our little giant panda cub. the cub born just a week ago, has died. and we know these newborn pandas are so fragile. seven years since the national zoo had success. tonight, what happened? here's abc's reena ninan now. >> reporter: it was the wailing of distress from the mother panda, mei xiang, that alerted zookeepers at the national zoo in washington, d.c., that the cub was in trouble. >> this is devastating. this is devastating for all of us here. it's hard to describe how much passion and nrmg and thought and care has gone into this. >> reporter: staffers entered the panda habitat an hour after hearing the mother's cries this morning. cpr was performed on the cub, but with no effect. there were no signs of wounds or trauma, and the cause of death still is unknown.

rick klein with us. rick, as always, thanks for the bigger picture. >>> we move on to the mystery outside seattle. the surprise thud from the sky in a normally quiet neighborhood there. look at this huge piece of dented metal about the size of a refrigerator. it is actually the door to a jumbo jet. abc's john schriffen working the phones. so far they're unwilling to say where it came from. >> reporter: seemed like a regular morning when suddenly this massive object, the size of a refrigerator door, came plummeting down from the sky. >> we heard a big crash like a slap, slap, and it did sound like a big large piece of metal. >> reporter: turns out that object was a landing gear door from a 767 according to the faa. but where did the door come from? just moments before it crashed friday, neighbors described what looked like a cargo jet flying unusually low. >> it sounded a little -- maybe it was -- yeah,istressed or vibrating. >> what could have happened in this instance as the aircraft was coming in to lan

. >> i want to bring in rick klein tonight also in charlotte. we just learned that clint eastwood will not be part of the mash-up of speakers at the republican convention that they've posted online. but in all that talk about how that empty chair went, there's a political opportunity being missed here. according to matt dowd. i want to get your reaction to what he said. >> to me the empty chair that matters in all this, the which neither side has talked to, is the empty chair of the man or woman that didn't come home from iraq. their husband or wife is gone or daughter is gone. it's the empty chair of a woman working two shifts because she doesn't have flex time. who will provide that for her? it's the empty chair of a grandfather with alzheimer's that can't be there because they're in a home and the family can't manage them. >> i wonder if both campaigns are listening tonight. do democrats have an advantage after hearing what the republicans said in their own convention? >> president obama gets to spend the week trying to fill clint eastwood's

>> rick klein looks at the impact of all that political stagecraft. >> reporter: president obama and the democrats get to spend the week filling the chair presented by clint eastwood on stage last week. national security and foreign policy almost nonexistent from the rhetoric voiced by republicans in tampa. the president has natural advantage there, only one commander-in-chief at a time. >> to me the empty chair which matters, neither side talked to the empty chair of the man or woman that didn't come home from iraq, people are sitting around the table, their wife, daughter is gone. the woman who has to work two shifts. isn't able to have flex time. empty chair of a grandfather with alzheimers can't be there, because the family can't manage them. >> reporter: the white house on a lighter note released recipe for the secret brew of the white house, beer recipe. an effort to reach white working class voters. the secret to the election, perhaps, president obama trying to sent message he is ready to occupy the seat next to you even if it is a bar stool. rick klein, abc news, charlotte. >

i want to bring in our senior political editor rick klein tonight in washington. we were talking about "snl" last night, the opening sketch. the actor playing the president acknowledging it's a rough economy, the job market bad, too, but -- >> i'm not worried. not in the least. should be. our campaign has a secret weapon. and that secret weapon is speaking right now in tulsa, oklahoma. >> hello, i'm mitt romney. and i understand the hardships facing ordinary americans. for example, this summer, one of my horses failed to medal at the olympics. so, i know hardship. >> "snl" last night. we've heard conservative voices saying that the challenger, in this job climate, ought to be running away with this by now. did they hit on something? >> reporter: this is devastating in a quiet sort of way. this likability gap is not going away. and the fact is for romney, there is no policy description or attack ad strategy is going to change it. the only thing that romney can hope for is that people see hi policies and a lot of conservatives, they are not getting the message out t

rick klein, abc news, charlotte. >> cheers. >> good stuff. >> bottoms up. >> thank you, mr.f the president and more serious news, the president will travel to louisiana today to see firsthand the aftermath of hurricane isaac. hundred of thousands of homes and businesses still have no power this morning nearly a week after the storm hit. many people are still being kept from their homes because of all of the widespread flooding in parts of the state. those who have been able to go home still face misery once they get there. >> everybody has been hanging out on their front porches. pretty much the only place we can get a breeze. and not -- you know, be sweltering in your own house. so -- it's been sort of miserable. we are hoping that around the corner they will get the power on by today. >> there is new worry about west pearl river in mississippi. it could top its banks and threaten 5,000 homes in that area. amazing a week later still talking about watching rivers cresting and all that. just the widespread impact off a minor hurricane. >> 400,000 still without power, of any k

. >> speaking of that rick klein is the senior he had for for diane sawyer tonight.weeted this speech, meaning clinton's speech, was a living breathing organism, the hall, and speech at one. >> more like orgasm, and her like princess diana. >> and judy, said media were fawning and the democrats had a good convention. and really the same statements you made. >> they are not. >> rachel maddow, and confronted, and reviewed the michelle obama speech, oh, my god. that's a pretty good review. >> that's the president, he's god, he's god, got the wrong dety. >> jon: and the huffington post called tt king's speech. and which convention was more of a party for the political press? >> the republican convention is over. ♪ the democratic convention done, too. which party's party had the press dancing in the aisles? and cheering for a win? and what can we expect from the media now? the media now? find out nex [ female announcer ] think coarse facial hair removal has to be painful? challenge that with new olay facial hair removal duo. even coarse, stubborn facial hair gently. plent

abc news rick klein and byron york and michael crawlly. byron?thought the fourth best speech of the convention behind bill clinton, michelle obama, joe biden, the president, last. i thought joe biden was a much better speech and seemed to have the audience going with it. >> and speaking of vice president biden, joe trippi is going to be here, he tweeted vice president biden was the best of both convention autos i don't think this is a among his best. i think he's given many better speeches and i think this speech is being weighed down by the income bensy itself by the fact he's been doing it four years, it's something he tried to use as his advantage. particularly on national security. and there is the fact he's made a similar call to arms four years ago. people know promises haven't been kept. >> and did he give any indication or explanation as to why that doesn't happen? >> no. i think that there is a little bit of that. and there is a little bit about congress but i don't there is a full accounting of why things fell flat for a lot of the prom

and our analysis continues from charlotte actually when senior washington editor, rick klein, joins usments. >> as karen mentioned, 8:30, the labor department releases numbers. today's report on august unemployment predicted to show the jobless rate at 8.3%. analysts forecast there were 120,000 new hires last month compared to 163,000 in july. >>> the markets in asia are up following wall street's lead. the dow hitting a four-year high. what are investors around the world so optimistic about? abc's dan harris has the story. >> reporter: this stampede of bulls had two main triggers -- first a major concrete plan by officials in europe to rescue countries there that are drowning in debt. a crisis that has threat tuned drag america's economy don with it. and second, new numbers showing american businesses added 200,000 jobs last month. the last time the dow was this high the recession was just beginning and george w. bush was president. the four years since then have been a by turns, thrilling, soul killing, roller coaster ride. march 2009, the dow hit its low point, 6,547. 50% of its val

. >> rick klein, thank you very much. diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos will be there in charlotte, tuesday through thursday every night at 10:00 p.m. eastern right here on abc. >>> what's left over from isaac, the storm spinning off tornadoes now across the heartland. this funnel cloud, slicing across arkansas. tonight parts of the midwest and the south facing the threat of even more severe weather. let's bring in abc meteorologist ginger zee. great to have you back on the desk and out of the bad weather but there's lots still out there tonight. >> there is. that tornado there was an ef-d., a pretty intense tornado. we still see the rotation. all relevant, back from illinois, the real threat is for parts of kentucky, central tennessee, northern alabama, and mississippi. that is where we find those outer bands still interacting with other systems. a tornado watch extended till 11:00 p.m. eastern, all those areas in yellow. a lot of big cities. >> and there are others as well? >> right. this is all from yesterday. we

rick klein, and rick, how do you fine a successful convention?>> i don't think that exists in this campaign. i don't think it's realistic to expect a balance. i'm sure they'd love a balance. and there is about answering questions and laying foundation for the six or 7% of voters that haven't made up their minds so. this is your opening argument. and the first opportunity you have to have a argument for them z you hope it goes well. i just don't think that there is anything that happened these last two week that's changes this race. i think lots of folks pointing to makes our arguments stronger but there is so much more to do to close a deal. >> and this is interesting to go back down. the interesting thing is that they didn't believe goitsing to make a difference anyway. because they looked carefully at undecided voters and people who probably voted for barack obama in 2008 and they say they've discounted his flourishes and speaking ability when they evaluate him. so he talks really well and this is what he's done that is a problem for us. if he

. >> indeed, abc's senior washington editor rick klein is live this morning in charlotte for us. ck, we know that going second can be an advantage because you kind to get to retort everything said, but was incumbency an advantage for the sitting president? >> reporter: incumbency is the biggest advantage the president has, by its nature. i tell you it was weighing all over this arena throughout the week, particularly in president obama's acceptance speech. big anticipated moment because the promise of what he offered four years ago was everywhere to be seen. the adoring crowds, all of the big rhetoric, hard for him to reach back into the bag of tricks knowing he has been in office for four years. it is harder to ask for hope and change when you brought the change, you are holding the white house. so very hard to fire up your supporters when you are the occupant of the white house. >> some critics will say there wasn't enough meat and potatoes, not enough substance in the speech. it was several speeches jammed into one. where did he hit his stride? >> reporter: look, he told people

good morning, rick klein. >> reporter: rob, paula, ohio is the key. here is why. according to abc news latest race projections president obama in line for 207 electoral votes to 206. if you add in ohio's 18. 255 of the 270 he need. he would need one or more states to take it all. if romney doesn't win ohio he would have to win every other battleground state. the president getting one of the photo-ops on the campaign trail. visiting a pizza shop. >> good to see you. >> he got a literal lift. not bad coming out of the convention again. doesn't hurt that it was in florida. rob, paula. >> that gay actually, president sapresident -- that guy actually, president said look at those guns, he said he will vote for him again, never saw the leader of the free world, bear hugged and picked up in a pizza joint. rare moment on the trail. >> no republican candidate ever won the presidency without winning ohio. the presidency in general from 1904 through 2004, the candidate who won ohio, democart or republican, won the presidency, 24 out of 26 times. ohio, uber important. 17 or 1

michael carly, washington bureau chief and rick klein at abc news. k, the governor has just given a surprise press conference. >> it's a surprise to a lot of folks. >> to the networks especially. >> and everyone was scrambling. he feels like he has to get it out because the video has been out a couple hours and he feels he needs to clarify what he's saying at the fundraiser. it is a difficult thing to explain away. i think for a lot of folks tuning in right now, the folks that aren't part of that 47%. if they are independent and see this come out of his mouth, it's a hard thing to explain away. >> one of one of you two gentlel us what it's about. >> he was at a fundraiser earlier this year in florida and he was discussing who would vote for him and who wouldn't vote for him and he talked about 47% of the country does not pay federal income taxes. he said they want to be dependent on government, they want the government to provide for them and they aren't going to vote for me. they are going to vote for obama no matter what. >> is this worse than somet

. >> speaking of that rick klein is the senior he had for for diane sawyer tonight.ed this speech, meaning clinton's speech, was a living breathing organism, the hall, and speech at one. >> more like orgasm, and her like princess diana. >> and judy, said media were fawning and the democrats had a good convention. and really the same statements you made. >> they are not. >> rachel maddow, and confronted, and reviewed the michelle obama speech, oh, my god. that's a pretty good review. >> that's the president, he's god, he's god, got the wrong dety. >> jon: and the huffington post called tt king's speech. and which convention was more of a party for the political press? >> the republican convention is over. ♪ the democratic convention done, too. which party's party had the press dancing in the aisles? and cheering for a win? and what can we expect from the media now? find out nex >> the republican convention shortened by a day because of a hurricane threat held the media spotlight for three days and that spotlight then moved to charlotte for the past week for the covera

. >> greta: joining us our political panel, rick klein, michael crawley, and justin sink. rick? >> find me a voter for voted for mccain four years ago and now says obama. it's a small segment of the population. this is the kind of message. it's an invitation to the former obama voters, the one-time obama voters who may be supporting him right now, on the fence right now, to say join us on the other side, you don't have to hate the guy, that he's the wrong direction for the country, we're giving up on him, moving the other direction. it's a powerful message, something the romney campaign would have liked to tap into a few months ago. >> greta: michael? >> how are the people in the middle, willing to vote for either party, not strong partisan, how are they going to break at the end of the day? they could decide it. >> the romney party will break overwhelming against obama. if he hasn't closed the deal yet, they'll get the voters. the cautionary note in 2004, john kerry was banking on a similar dynamic. he was hoping a lot of people that voted for george w. bush would say, i don't

. >> greta: joining us, our political panel, rick klein, washington examiner, byron york and time magazineeau chief, michael crowley. times latest cover story, on the trouble overseas. rick, first to you, governor romney tends to shoot first and aim later. >> this is teed up for him because mitt romney decided to make a bold play and it bagfired to acan extent because of the events that happened after that statement went out. these campaigns present opportunities to candidates. mitt romney has gotten a lot of criticism for not being bold and taking a strong stand. here on foreign policy, where he has a deficit, his campaign decided to take an opportunity with a strong statement that he decided to reiterate today, the obama campaign cease -- seizes an opportunity. >> greta: when i hear things like that, the first thing i think, there is a tendence tow shoot first and aim later. i thought of the beer summit that the president had to have because he took sides with his friend, the professor and he gets the police, saying they acted stupidly before they heard facts. that seems like shooting fi

. >> senior washington he had core rick klein and michael crawly is here and bob.tarted, do any of the three of you have think doubt that these two take place came from the campaign and it wasn't like sort of the media locating these? >> it's just chance they came out when they did, right? >> and coincidental. and we are so being used in this. all right. but we will talk about it anyway. let me go to you first, rick. redistribution, are we going to see this in an ad? >> sure, any doubt the romney people will try to take advantage of it. but a 14-year-old tape, that's kind of a long time. he's been president for four years and if this was his policy and goal, we would have seen it already. but there's a fundamental truth there, the power of government, the idea of government is a force for good and democrats and the president obama believe that at a base level and republicans and mitt romney tend to de-emphasize it at a base level. >> it's not surprising to me at all the tax code is redistribution. people at the higher end pay more and people at the low end pay less

>> joining us our political panel, senior washington editor rick klein and chief political correspondenceron, we have the complete quote, the president had a lot more to say. >> what does he mean? i don't really know. you run for president as an outsider the first time. you can't run for re-election as an outsider. the thing that struck me as odd is he said that's how we got healthcare done, as an outsider. the public was actually opposed to obamacare for months and months and months after it was first introduced. the way he got it done was an inside job. by handing out favors, by persuading people, bytisting their arms. this is the man who passed national healthcare, who passed financial reform, and who passed a nearly $1 trillion stimulus. he got a lot done from the inside. >> a. b., this is going to be used against him, although it's not the complete quote. go ahead. >> i think the most significant thing that president obama said today, that is really alarming, is that his biggest failure that he didn't help enact immigration reform with 23 million people out of work. i think that was

. >> abc's washington editor rick klein joining us for a preview. 43 days and counting from election day. >> good morning, rick. >> reporter: paula and t.j., the debates have become all important and romney is going into them because he has so much more to gain. it's a chance for a big moment standing toe to toe with the incumbent to take the argument directly to president obama, but one thing worth remembering, yes, mitt romney has more experience recently, but he went into almost all of the primary debates as a favorite. this time he'll be the underdog, needing to score some points. meanwhile president clinton wailging in on a big question on 2016, the big question about hillary clinton's possible candidacy. it will become the biggest question the day after the election. >> she's an extraordinarily able person. i never met anybody i thought was a better public servant, but i have no earthly idea what she'll decide to do. >> reporter: and i'll tell you the conventional wisdom on this has shifted among the democrats. six month ago, a year ago the answer was probably not when it comes