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The Candidates Prepare; Obama and Romney Debate Tonight; Early Voting Will Happen In Ohio; Supreme Court Takes up Arizona Voter I.D. Law; Polls Show How Ohio is Expected to Vote; Opinion Piece Shows How Politicians Manipulate Debate Questions; Vikings' Chris Kluwe Same-Sex Marriage Advocate

Aired October 16, 2012 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Just before we leave you, live pictures coming to us from JFK, John F. Kennedy Airport and you know that is. Air force one arriving in New York. Marine One is not far away, the helicopter that will take the U.S. President to Hofstra University for the big debate tonight against governor Mitt Romney. That town hall debate moderated by Candy Crowley, if you didn't know. We'll keep an eye on those pictures as both the governor and the President head to the debate scene at Hofstra University. Meanwhile, I'm going hand over to CNN NEWSROOM with the lovely Ashleigh Banfield.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Michael Holmes. And hello, everyone. Welcome to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ashleigh Banfield, sitting in for Suzanne Malveaux today. Let's get right to it. It's debate night in America, the sequel. But can Mitt Romney keep up the momentum? Can Barack Obama get back on track? That is what a lot of people are going to be watching to see tonight when these two meet for their second showdown. The town hall debate at Hofstra University is set to be moderated by our own Candy Crowley. And at this hour, our reporters and our analysts are looking ahead at what's at stake and also what to expect tonight.

We're going to have live reports from Dana Bash with the Obama campaign, also Jim Acosta is covering Mitt Romney and his team. We're going to get some insight on how the female vote is shaping the race from a Republican strategist, Ana Navarro and a Democratic strategist, Donna Brazile. A lot of great minds are going to weigh in on all of this, and we are exactly three weeks away from election day. So, it is handy to have smart folks to help weigh in on this. The second presidential debate, it will be a lot different from the first one, particularly in terms of the format. And you can bet that President Obama is hoping for a different outcome this time around, too. He spoke with reporters a short time ago, actually just as he was leaving Virginia, and heading for the debate site where he just landed here in New York, in fact. However, he did not talk about Libya, although it is almost certain to come up tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, are you ready for tonight? How are you feeling about tonight?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I feel fabulous. Look at this beautiful day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you going to say?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: It's gorgeous. I hope you enjoy the weather.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you aware Michelle voted for you yesterday?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank goodness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is Hillary to blame for Benghazi?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Aha, he hears some questions and does not hear other questions and that is not unusual. Our political director, Mark Preston, standing by live now at the debate site at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island. And, obviously, Mark, he just arrived in New York, so he's headed your way actually as we speak on Marine One soon. But is this, what we just saw, a preview of things to come tonight? Do we expect that the questions coming from the audience are going to be as hard hitting as those reporters yelling from the rope line?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, I certainly don't think we're going to hear the audience members refer to secretary Clinton as Hillary necessarily. But I would be very surprised if we didn't hear some discussion about Benghazi. Now, whether that is brought up by one of the audience members and one of the questioners that will occur behind us, but it could be brought up by Mitt Romney. His campaign has hit hard on this issue of what happened in Benghazi, why the embassies were not adequately staffed when it comes to security and also why the story keeps on changing about what actually happened out there and how they're going to move forward. So, I'd be very surprised if it is not brought up tonight -- Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: So, talk to me a little bit about the expectations game, because as we were heading into the first presidential debate, everybody was trying to lower expectations for their guy. But we had a busy news cycle since then. We've had that debate, we've had a vice presidential debate, we've had the lead up to this debate, and I'm not so certain that I've been hearing as much of the expectations game being played this time around.

PRESTON: Well, you know, Ashleigh, they have to do an effective job of telling their plan. They can't be too aggressive. A town hall debate style we'll see tonight, questions primarily coming from voters themselves, undecided voters picked by the Gallup Corporation. But in addition to that, these candidates are going to be able to walk around the stage, actually walk right up to the questioners as they're answering questions. But, yes, the expectations game certainly not being played out as high as it was during the first debate. But we did hear from Mitt Romney's son last night on "PIERS MORGAN" talking about his father. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TAGG ROMNEY: Yes, I think this format, though, is going to make it tough for anyone to win. I think it will most likely be a draw. I mean, it's a town hall format, so.

PIERS MORGAN, HOST, "PIERS MORGAN": Why lower expectations? Why not go the other way? My dad's going to crush him.

TAGG ROMNEY: (INAUDIBLE) Chris Christie. You know, I did enjoy watching him at the last debate. I think it was a chance for America really for the first time to tune in for 90 minutes and hear Mitt Romney you know from his own mouth unplugged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRESTON: And there you have Tagg Romney last night talking to Piers Morgan, talking about the expectation, certainly trying to lower them for his father. You know, the big question tonight, as you said at the top, Ashleigh, can President Obama come in, try to turn things around from really lackluster debate performance two weeks ago? And can Mitt Romney build upon the momentum? But look at this Pew Research Poll that came out when voters were asked just two weeks ago before the first debate who they think would do better in that debate. Look at how far ahead right there that Barack Obama was. He had 22- point lead when asked two weeks ago from the American voters.

Well, now, heading into tonight's debate, because Mitt Romney did so well, look how much that's turned around right now. A little bit more confidence in how Mitt Romney will be able to perform tonight. In some ways, that's not good for Mitt Romney because a lot is riding on how well he can perform tonight. If he does well, Ashleigh, that's quite the momentum going into the final three weeks and President Obama will certainly not be liking that very much, no doubt -- Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Let me ask you a little bit about somebody who becomes a target quite often in these debates and it's the moderator and usually it's after the debate. But Candy Crowley -- our own Candy Crowley from here at CNN, is the moderator tonight. And both camps were coming at her pretty tough yesterday about how she's going to actually handle the question and answer. Here's how she addressed it on "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf yesterday. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm trying to just know what the facts are, what the positions are so that when something comes up that maybe could use a little further explanation might be as simple as, but the question, sir, was oranges and you said apples. Could you answer oranges? Or it might be as simple as, but, gee, that, you know, how does that fit with the following thing? So, you try to know and study up on as much as there is out there, knowing that, you know, hopefully you're getting close to, you know, 90 percent of the knowledge you need, knowing that you're only going to use one percent, but you don't know which one percent you're going to need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: All right. So, Mark Preston, this tweet from CNN's political gut check caught our eye, it's from Jay Rosen with NYU, New York University. I love this one, it says, wow, the Obama and Romney campaigns are both upset that Candy Crowley may commit journalism during Tuesday's debate. But be honest with me and explain as best you can why there is this problem. Why both campaigns are upset about the possibility of follow-up questions or God forbid even a change of the question or a redirection of the question?

PRESTON: Yes, and we should frame this up in this way. This is not a personal attack on Candy Crowley or any other journalist who is moderating this debate. What this is about is trying to limit liability. And when you have both campaigns coming together in a rather extensive agreement about how they will act in these debates, it says something about them not wanting to get caught in a very bad moment and they both feel that in this town hall format they can be put in a situation that they don't want to be. However, that agreement that both campaigns agree to was not agreed by the commissioner of presidential debates nor was it agreed to by Candy Crowley. We shouldn't be surprised by this. Again, it's not a personal attack. It's more about the campaigns trying to control, trying to script as much as they can about the debates. Now, we should say there will be 80 of the questioners that will be available to ask questions. They are actually being held in a sequestered location right, kind of like Dick Cheney was, at one point, after 2001 terrorist attacks. But the fact of the matter is they are being held aside. The campaigns don't know who they are. The commissioner of presidential debates will not be picking questions. They will be chosen by Candy, and she will be asked -- to be allowed to answer follow-ups. A lot of this is a lot to do about nothing other than the campaigns, Ashleigh, trying to control every minute, every second of debate.

BANFIELD: Boy, are they ever. I wonder if they have the guys from the Oscars carrying out questions in the briefcases. Mark Preston, thank you so much, my friend. I know you have a late night coming.

This race is tight. These stakes are high as both of these candidates head into this debate. Both President Obama and Mitt Romney are going to be trying to sway every voter that they possibly can and it is the ladies who could make the difference. I don't know if you saw "USA Today," front cover today, actually an article says that women have helped Mitt Romney gain an edge. Here's the headline. Take a peek. Women push Romney into the lead. So, what's happening? Is President Obama losing ground among all those female voters? There were so many in back in '08.

And what does that mean three weeks before the election? Can he change that? Is it done? Donna is joining me now to talk about that. Two people who know a lot about women, because they are women, Republican strategist Ana Navarro and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile. Thanks to both of you for joining in on this. I'm not going to limit this just to the discussion of women but I do want to start there. There's a brand-new Gallup poll out that shows Mitt Romney has virtually tied with President Obama among women voters. But there you have it, it's certainly within the 4.6 statistical sampling range.

But if you look at every other recent poll, and these are all done right around the same time, there's a discrepancy here. The "ABC News" "Washington Post" and the politico, George Washington University poll have the President up by seven points. And the ARG poll has the President up with 11 points. So, take that for what it's worth. Polling ain't the most exact science but we do like to think that it shows a trend. Donna, does this show the president's in trouble or does this show that there's a blip? And I kind of have an idea what you're going to say.

DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, let me just say, this is someone who managed a presidential campaign. You can take a look at these polls every which way you can. They often contradict themselves. But the focus should be on what do women voters want? They want a president who will not only continue to fix this economy so that it heals for all Americans, but they also want a president who will be a champion for women's equality. That means that they want a president who will support issues like equal pay for equal work. They will want a president who will allow women to make those personal decisions. So, I think when you get away from the sauce, and you see a lot of sauce with Mitt Romney, he has reinvented himself so many times, I don't know what he's serving on his menu.

BANFIELD: Well, I don't want to get into the talking points of the campaign yet. But --

BRAZILE: I don't have a -- dear, I don't have talking points today because I just got here.

BANFIELD: I just heard three. Donna Brazile, what do you take me for? I'm 25 years at this job. It's Ashleigh, you can call me Ashleigh. Let's start at a --

BRAZILE: No, you should take me as somebody -- Ashfield, you should take me as somebody who has run a campaign or two or three.

BANFIELD: I do.

BRAZILE: I do know that women voters --

BANFIELD: That's exactly why I just said --

BRAZILE: -- women voters --

BANFIELD: -- let's not go to talking points. I want to get Anna Navarro in.

BRAZILE: That's not talking points. They want issues, not sauce.

BANFIELD: I hear you.

BRAZILE: And that's what the media is giving him now, sauce. OK, I'll say it again.

BANFIELD: OK, Donna, thank you for that. Hold it on a minute -- no, you can't say it again because I am going to Ana Navarro. She's got some time here, too. That was a headline I held up on the "USA Today" front page because for a lot of people would think, wow, it's over. But it was only one poll, Ana Navarro. Is that something where you would spike the football with the -- with the Romney camp? Or do you realize that there are blips in polls?

ANA NAVARRO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Listen, really only naive people in politics three weeks to go would spike the football on anything. Anything can happen in three weeks. I think we saw that the debate two weeks ago had a huge changed. Ashleigh, women have ears and eyes, too. They watched the debate. We've seen that this debate has had an effect on practically every demographic group and every geographic area.

BANFIELD: (INAUDIBLE) brought up a great point. She said that women, among every other voter, wants issues. They want to know what's go on. But then, when you actually watch them in practice and focus groups, et cetera, they do behave differently. It's a little like people who say, well, I don't watch car chases and they're absolutely glued to car chases. And when it comes to how these candidates behave and what it is about their personal lives and their character, it tends to end up being very important. And with that in mind, I want to get you both to weigh in on this. Ana, I'll start with you. Mitt Romney canceled his appearance on "The View." A lot of women watch "The View." A lot of women watch "The View." Was that a smart move?

NAVARRO: Well, a lot of people watch the debates. I was amazed to see 70 million people watched the first debate.

BANFIELD: I asked you if it was a smart move that he canceled his appointment with "The View" this week?

NAVARRO: I think it was -- you know, I think it was a good -- I think it was a good move. But I think -- I love the women of "The View." I love the women of "The View," because they have a political view. He has done "The View" before. We're now seeing -- and we're seeing a softer more human side of Mitt Romney. So, a lot of the things he would achieve by going on to "The View," he's being -- he's doing on the stump. We're seeing him tell personal stories. We're seeing him get emotional. It's the first time we've seen him do that during this entire campaign.

BANFIELD: Donna weigh in on that. Canceling "The View" after the president on "The View," and there was criticism of the President going on "The View." And also, Mitt Romney even said he worried about "The View," because he called at least Whoopee Goldberg sharp tongued in that 47 percent surface of video. So, good idea or bad idea to walk away from that many eyeballs?

NAVARRO: This is a guy who said he is going to be tough on Iran and China, but yet he's afraid to go on "The View." I think that speaks for itself.

BANFIELD: Donna Brazile and Ana Navarro, good to see both of you, and I look forward to more conversations with you in the future. Thanks to both of you.

BRAZILLE: And no talking points from you.

BANFIELD: You -- girlfriend, listen to you. I can't get a word in edge wise.

BRAZILLE: I'm coming up to New York and meet you personally on this one, oh yes.

BANFIELD: I've been waiting, I've been waiting.

BRAZILLE: Well, let me tell you something, we're the three ladies where the -- of the political view, and I'm not missing that conversation.

BANFIELD: I do believe have our own coach show coming right now. All right, ladies, thank you so much. Also, don't forget, you can watch tonight's debate. It's not going to be nearly as exciting as this conversation, I think, but it's moderated by our own Candy Crowley. It starts live right here on CNN at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time.

OK, here's what we're working on for you this hour, proving that you have got the right to vote. This is an issue that is going all the way to the Supreme Court, and it could change the course of elections now and in the future.

Also, the art of the dodge. We're going to tell you what works and what does not work when a politician tries to wrestle away the question and answer something he or she decides instead. And also, the all-important undecided voter. They are out there, and there are a lot of them. Find out just what exactly it is they're waiting to hear with three weeks left to go.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: The Obama and the Romney campaigns are cramming right now, working on style, substance, and the best way to walk away from tonight's debate as the winner. Since President Obama and Mitt Romney met at their first debate in Denver, the race has gone from a clear advantage for President Obama to a dead heat between the two of them. Dana Bash joins us from the debate site. She's live at Hofstra University.

Dana, both candidates spent the last few day prepping and doing everything they can with their support staff to hone their skills once again, but how are they spending these last few hours before the big event?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Ashleigh, you talk to anybody who has worked with a candidate on preparing for a debate, they all say that being mentally in the game, and that means being mentally relaxed in the few hours, meaning right now leading up to debate, that is really, really key.

President Obama just got here within the last hour. He did come from Virginia, whereas you said he did have some pretty intense debate camp for three days. Our understanding is that he is just going to do that. He's, you know, he obviously is still president, so he's got some work to do. But beyond that, trying to get his head in the game.

When it comes to Mitt Romney, he got here last night. He did come from Boston. And he also had a couple of days of pretty intense debate prep, mock debates with his core group of about half a dozen aides. But today he is here. He has all five of his grown sons here with him. And I've talked to so many people who are involved currently in the process with him and those that have worked with him in the past and they say that that really is the most important way for him to get mentally prepared is to just be around his family as much as possible the day of a debate.

BANFIELD: Well, let's talk a little bit about the kinds of questions that they'll be preparing for as they gear up for these last few hours. This is an audience of undecided voters and they are very proximate. I mean they can walk right up to them and touch them if they want. Are they appealing to the people in the room, because that's critical and the camera catches everything, or is their focus, does it pointedly have to be more towards the millions who have -- tens of millions who are going to be watching? And how do you strike that balance knowing that you must reach the greater masses, but at the same time you can't ignore that guy in front of you?

BASH: Talking to people who are coaching these two candidates and have coached other presidential candidates in the past, what they say is that the key -- those who do exceptionally well make the connection with the audience member asking the question and that, by nature, makes the connection with the person watching a -- you know, at home on television. If you're watching television, or if somebody's watching you and me, they know that you and I have a connection. That we have a rapport. And they get that. That's not unlike what's going to happen behind me in this town hall.

But one thing that is really interesting, which I never thought of but a debate -- a Republican debate coach, Brett O'Donnell, told me about, because he was aware of this preparing John McCain four years ago, and that is that there are two audiences inside the debate hall. And that could make for some uncomfortable moments if the candidates don't understand that. Listen to what he was talking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: When you prepare for a town hall, it really gets technical in terms of where the candidate need to focus.

BRETT O'DONNELL, FORMER ROMNEY DEBATE COACH: Sure. Absolutely. In the presidential town hall, there's really two audiences. And then a third if you count the television audience. But there is the audience that's actually on the set. The 100 or so people that are surrounding the candidates. But then what most people don't realize is there's another audience above watching that town hall debate. And as a candidate, you've got to make sure that you play to the audience that is on the set, rather than the audience that's up above watching the entire event. So it's quite an interesting dynamic. And there have been times where candidates have lost a sense of who the audience really is and I think it causes a disconnect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And one example of that, Ashleigh, was Al Gore in 2000. You could sort of see, if you look back at the footage, that he was kind of searching for where to look in the audience. Is it the -- what we call maybe the fake audience, those who were -- have come and they're part of the set, or the audience watching the whole event. And that does make for a disconnect on television.

One more thing I should tell you. It might be loud all of a sudden. I just saw Marine One -- or what we believe is Marine One land not too far from here. So the President is very close.

BANFIELD: Oh, good to know. Thanks for letting us know. And just as a quick addition to what Dana Bash was just reporting, that's 1,000 people that will be in total in that debate hall at Hofstra. We'll be watching just the ones mostly that are going to be asking the questions, which are just a few dozen. So it is a big difference. And then, of course, as Dana was just mentioning with Brett O'Donnell, there is that massive audience. The last debate brought in 70 million people when the two candidates met for their first match. So, 70 million people. You can't forget that audience and that might be the most critical.

And as we're sort of listening to Marine One landing, that's pretty exciting, too, as it brings itself into the landing pad. Apparently there's a nice landing pad right there at the university. There we go. Nice live pictures for you as the President's Marine One lands. It's just come straight from Virginia, in fact. That is the Hempstead Landing Zone. The motorcade will be taking the President from -- isn't it a bummer when a tree just blocks the view? Rats. Hopefully it will just move a little bit further forward so you might be able to actually see. No, I don't think so. That's too bad. Just out of the -- just out of the purview of the camera. But Marine One landing and the motorcade will take the President likely to the debate hall unless there's a stop in the middle. Our folks haven't been told that. But almost every intersection now in this area has been blocked in Nassau County with the Nassau County Police have to put on extra folks to make sure that is a safe route.

How far should you have to go to prove your an American citizen? Especially before you're about to cast your ballot. That is a big question and it is headed all the way to the Supreme Court. This could change the shape of how we vote in American politics. More in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Got some breaking news to bring your way about the election. Just a few moments ago, the Supreme Court gave the green light to early voting in Ohio. Now, this is a big deal and it's been going on for quite a while, too, with a real deadline, too. Ohio, as you know, is a key battleground state. No Republican has ever taken the White House without taking Ohio. So the court's decision is an important one and it went in the favor of the Obama administration which had sued the state because of some regulations that they had put in place to back off on some of those early voting days, specifically those days leading right up to Election Day. One of those days in particular is a significant day. It's Sunday. And for a lot of African-American churches, it's called "Souls to the Polls" days in which a lot of preachers get their congregations out and get them to vote on those early days. So without those days, some had argued not a lot of African-Americans might have been going to the polls.

Let me bring in our Joe Johns to talk about some of the significance of this particular ruling. And, Ohio, it couldn't be more critical that this was the state that had to get this quick and emergency ruling from the Supreme Court. But you need to clear it up because this could still be a problem for people in Ohio. They still might not get to go to the polls on those days. Can you explain it?

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's true. And what you're talking about is different counties still have the leeway to try to decide what hours are OK and what days are OK for voting.

But in the big picture, Ashleigh, there still is a big court decision that could have a real impact on the election this November. This time, as you said, it is advantage Obama. In a short statement, the Supreme Court decided to allow early voting for everyone in Ohio on the last Saturday, Sunday and Monday before the year's election. In an important state like Ohio that could be a real impact.

The battle got started when Ohio's Republican secretary of state said he would allow early voting on those days only for members of the military and residents living overseas. The Obama campaign said everybody, every registered voter in the state should be allowed to vote early, not just certain groups. Went to court to fight it. They won in Ohio. In a bunch of other states, Democrats have been fighting changes to voting laws like this because they say Democrats are more likely to vote early than Republicans. Republicans say military voters and families ought to be allowed special voting privileges because of their unique situation. So went back and forth through the appeals courts and here we are.

BANFIELD: And so let me -- yes, so to be super clear, and this can be very complex for those trying to follow every machination in Ohio, where military members and their families can vote in those last three day before the election, if that policy is allowed to continue in Ohio, then the Supreme Court is saying then everyone must be afforded the same right.

JOHNS: Right.

BANFIELD: And thus, if Ohio decides well then military families and military members may not vote in those three days, then no one else can either, correct?

JOHNS: Right. Exactly right, yes.

BANFIELD: OK. All right.

JOHNS: And that's where we are, equal protection kind of question there.

BANFIELD: OK. And just quickly, the Supreme Court has also agreed to take up the Arizona voter ID law as well.

JOHNS: Right.

BANFIELD: Currently the federal court said, the ninth circuit said, you can't do this. You can't have this kind of a voter ID restriction. It disenfranchises a lot of people. The Supreme Court's decided to do that. That's not going to happen in time for this election, right, Joe?

JOHNS: No, no. We have to make difficult differentiation, what voters need to show at the polls in order to cast their ballot. The case in Arizona that we're talking about, now the Supreme Court has decided to take up is about what's required for voter registration. Arizona passed a state initiative, called Proposition 200, you have to show proof of citizenship in order to vote. Federal law requires you to sign a registration form that says you are a United States citizen and you're good to go to vote.

The question is whether the state can require more. Can a state ask you to show evidence that you're a citizen before you can vote even if the federal law doesn't require it. The law's been sharply criticized by the Latino community, especially in Arizona, and the fact that the court has decided to hear it is a bit of a surprise. But the court is not going to decide this until next year and we know that this law is not going to be in effect for the upcoming election this November -- Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: All right. Thanks for clearing all of that up. A lot of breaking news out of the Supreme Court.

Joe Johns, thanks so much.

Months of speeches, rallies, promises, political ads, and yet a lot of your friends and neighbors out there still don't know what they're going to do on Election Day. They are the magical undecided. Find out what it is they want, what they expect to hear tonight, and whether this second presidential debate's going to make any difference to them at all.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: We know Ohio is a key swing state in the election. CNN's latest poll of polls shows just how close the race really is. The president holds a three-point percentage lead over his challenger. For a clue as to how Ohio is going to go on November, you might actually look to Stark County, where the arrow points. The voters there have chosen the White House winner six of the last seven times.

CNN's Miguel Marquez went there to get a lay of the land "In Depth."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is Stark County, Ohio, a front line in this battleground state. It's so close it tracks state and national voting patterns, this place buts the bell in bellwether.

(voice-over): Kay Vaughan has farmed in Ohio his whole life. Like most people here he takes politics pretty seriously.

(on camera): May I ask you who you're voting for?

KAY VAUGHAN, MAIZE VALLEY FARMS: Yes.

MARQUEZ: Who?

VAUGHAN: I won't tell you.

(LAUGHTER)

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Like many, Vaughan is sick of political gridlock. He says the country's problem, so serious, it makes voting more important and tougher than ever.

VAUGHAN: A lot of people are hurting big. A lot of people need relief. And I'm not to sure the election's going to give it no matter who gets elected. That's the problem.

MARQUEZ (on camera): Stark County has seen the worst of the recession and best of recovery. Unemployment here shot up to 13 percent at the height of the Great Recession. It's now plummeted to less than 7.

(voice-over): Vaughn, like Stark County and Ohio, has survived by changing. He turned over the business to his kids and son-in-law. He made changes to the old family farm.

(SHOUTING)

MARQUEZ: Boy, did he ever. A fourth of the family's yearly income now comes from a few weeks in the fall when the farm and marketing winery is transformed into a country fun fair.

BILL BAKAN, MAIZE VALLEY MARKET AND WINERY: You have to be diversified enough to weather the storm, but you can't be not effective.

(SHOUTING)

MARQUEZ: A delicate balance that makes Ohio, Ohio.

BAKAN: Ohio is number one at practically nothing, but exceedingly above average at many, many things.

MARQUEZ (on camera): How quickly can one shred a car?

ED SLESNICK, PRESIDENT, SLESNICK STEEL: About 30 seconds.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Slesnick Steel has been in the recycling business for 100 years. It is a state-of-the-art scrap yard.

The boss here, Ed Slesnick, a lifelong Democrat, voted Obama in 2008. He says, this year, it's a tougher choice.

SLESNICK: This year, I'm an Independent voter. And looking at the first debate, and very keen on looking at next two debates.

MARQUEZ: A year ago, his yard could barely keep up with demand. Two months ago, he saw orders plummet.

(on camera): Is it a matter of hearing what they want to do or how they are going to accomplish it?

SLESNICK: I would say both in that question. But more importantly, how are they going to accomplish it with a $16 trillion deficit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: That was Miguel Marquez for us in Hartville, Ohio.

If you have been counting the visits, President Obama, Mitt Romney, running mates and wives, have made more than 65 stops in Ohio, and that is just since June. That's an important state.

You might call them artful dodgers. Politicians are experts at avoiding tough questions. A look at how it's done and we'll tell you what little tools CNN employs that just might not let them get away with it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: As both campaigns fine-tune their messages for tonight's debate, will President Obama and Mitt Romney answer questions they're being asked or will they try to dodge some of the tough ones?

That's the focus of an opinion piece on CNN.com today that was written by Todd Rogers and Michael Norton. In tonight's debate, moderated by our own Candy Crowley, the audience members are the ones who get to ask the questions.

Joining me now is Michael Norton, associate professor at Harvard University, and one of the authors.

Thank you, Professor Norton, for joining me.

I have to ask you, how does one stop a candidate from hijacking the question and moving on to something that's easier to answer or more palatable to all of us out there watching tv?

MICHAEL NORTON, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: It turns out that it's very hard and also very easy. So we know that politicians are really, really good at getting asked a question about topic A and very quickly pivoting to answering a question about topic B. We often say that it should be the moderator's responsibility to keep them honest, and we'll criticize moderators for not following up, but moderators are trying to juggle a lot of tasks moderating a debate. What Todd and I found in the research is one of the best ways to do it keep politicians honest is one of the simplest ways, simply put the question on the screen, and when viewers can see that the question's still on the screen and the candidate starts veering off topic, we can notice they're going off what we asked them to do, and it helps them understand when politicians are trying to dodge.

BANFIELD: We're animals that like to listen, and we're not good enough at keeping them on point ourselves as we listen to these sometimes fairly lengthy answers? I mean, two minutes is a long time on television. If they're veering off topic and don't have the reminder on the screen, that we do have at CNN, might we just forget what the question was in the first place?

NORTON: We absolutely do. It just the way conversations work where we like to bounce from top to topic and move along in conversations. You know, quite frankly, it just very, very difficult to keep track of everything in the debate and we're also not only judging candidates on how well they answer questions. We're trying to figure out if we think they're likable, if we think they're smart. If we think they're good speakers. Sometimes those sort of goals that we have when we watch a debate take precedence over just learning whether or not they can answer the questions that they were asked. So we miss sometimes they don't answer these questions.

BANFIELD: Let me read a one line from our op-ed piece that stood out to me, you say, "In televised debates, moderators must wrangle two of the most powerful men in the world whose goal is to assert, bloviate and evade."

With that in mind, do we actually give moderators -- not just tonight, every other moderator as well -- do we give them the tools they need to do the appropriate job in trying to get the right conversation out there, or is it just too restrictive to have a natural conversation and an honest dialogue?

NORTON: You know, I think we saw today with some breaking news that, if anything, the campaigns are trying to make sure that moderators are even less likely to be able to ask follow-up questions. So we saw a memo released today that shows the campaigns are upset when moderators follow up and they prefer, in fact, that moderators are not able to push candidates. So when someone starts to dodge a question, we, as viewers, want the moderator to push back. Clearly, the politicians and managers do not want moderators to push back because they want candidates to stick to their talking points and make the points they really want to make.

BANFIELD: Professor Michael Norton, thank you. Good reading on CNN.com. Thanks so much. Appreciate your insight today.

NORTON: Thank you.

BANFIELD: So this guy is the kicker for the Minnesota Vikings, but he doesn't punt on the tough political questions. Now this athlete is getting famous for his stance on same-sex marriage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BANFIELD: He's an outspoken advocate for marriage equality and he also happens to be the kicker for the Minnesota Vikings.

Here's CNN's Poppy Harlow with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Chris Kluwe kicking it away.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is the Chris Kluwe most football fans know. And this is the Minnesota Vikings' punter posing for a prominent gay magazine.

(on camera): What is this fight about for you?

CHRIS KLUWE, MINNESOTA VIKINGS PUNTER & SAME-SEX ADVOCATE: To me, it's about equality and human right.

HARLOW (voice-over): Kluwe, who is not gay, isn't coming out. He's speaking out, loudly.

(on camera): Where would you say this real passion to defend gay marriage came from?

KLUWE: Fact is that there are American citizens who pay taxes who serve in the military who defend the country who are not benefiting under the same legal protections and laws rest of us are. To me, that's flat-out discrimination. That's the same as segregation or suffrage.

HARLOW (voice-over): In a state divided over a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, Kluwe's taken his fight to blogs and Twitter.

KLUWE: I will defend to the death your right to say or do what you want as long as it does not oppress other people.

HARLOW: Fellow NFL players certainly don't all agree with him, but Kluwe says attitudes are changing.

KLUWE: I think there is a very much more tolerant atmosphere in the NFL now.

HARLOW (on camera): Is America ready for an openly gay NFL player?

KLUWE: I don't know. I think until -- until someone comes out, we never will know.

(SHOUTING)

HARLOW: You've tweeted that you've like to debate any Minnesota politician on the same-sex marriage issue. I wonder, has any --

KLUWE: I'm waiting.

HARLOW: You're still waiting. KLUWE: Still waiting.

HARLOW (voice-over): It's not just same-sex marriage that gets him riled up. Ask about other hot-button issues and he goes off.

KLUWE: Citizens United, that's a huge issue for me right now. Corporations are not people. Look at the current presidential race right now. We're spending over a billion dollars to determine who our president is going to be. And to me, that says that money has an overriding influence in our politics right now.

HARLOW (on camera): On taxes? You would be part of the 1 percent.

KLUWE: I am part of the 1 percent.

HARLOW: Would you pay higher taxes to help balance the budget?

KLUWE: I would, without question. As long as I have my couch and video games, I'm good to go.

(LAUGHTER)

That's all I need. Do you really need a diamond-encrusted yacht?

HARLOW (voice-over): But don't bet on him running for office. He has zero interest. For now, this is his fight.

KLUWE: It shouldn't be news when someone speaks out for equality. It should be news when someone speaks out against equality.

HARLOW: He's not wild about either candidate, but says he'll vote for President Obama, calling him, the less terrible choice. He's not punting this election.

Poppy Harlow, CNN, Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: Do you remember the Obama Girl? Now, there is a Ryan Girl, and she's going viral online with a send up of Paul Ryan's "Time" magazine photo shoot. We'll show you the video in a moment.

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BANFIELD: Saying good-bye to a Senate legend, former Senator, Arlen Specter is being laid to rest today. Pennsylvania's longest-serving U.S. Senator was known for his independent streak and for working across the aisle. Arlen Specter died after battling cancer. He was 82 years old.

Former Senator and presidential candidate, George McGovern, is in a hospice in South Dakota today. The 90-year-old McGovern is best known for his 1972 presidential campaign against Richard Nixon. But in later years, he took up fighting world hunger and was the U.N.'s first global ambassador for hunger.

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ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there. Here on the "Help Desk," we're talking about paying down debt before retirement.

With me this hour are Liz Miller and Greg McBride.

Greg, listen to this question.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you're retired, should you get rid of credit card debt or is it OK to have some?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: We all carry credit card debt, come on.

GREG MCBRIDE, SENIOR FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE.COM: Get rid of that credit card debt regardless of your age. It is very high-cost debt. Don't fall for the misperception you have to carry debt for the credit score. I think it's important to get rid of the debt but continue to use the credit card for a token purchase every month or so. Pay the balance in full, so you can maintain a high credit card score, but don't carry any debt.

KOSIK: That's a great idea, right?

LIZ MILLER, PRESIDENT, SUMMIT PLACE FINANCIAL ADVISORS: I agree completely. It has nothing to do with age. We need to all use credit cards responsibly, no matter the age. The fact you're retiring isn't going to change that. Spending habits shouldn't change that dramatically. And if you used a credit card responsibly before, then, by all means, keep doing it. And, again, your credit score can come from a lot of different sources. I always talk to people about one of the best sources is a well-paid-off car loan to maintain a good credit score.

KOSIK: You can prove it that way, right? OK. Great.

If you have an issue you want our experts to tackle, upload a 30- second video with your "Help Desk" question to ireport.com.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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BANFIELD: Remember when the Obama Girl brought sex appeal to the 2008 campaign? You might call this the Republican's version. It's Ryan Girl. Check out the YouTube video, "Let's Get Fiscal."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP) BANFIELD: Not sure, but it looks as though Ryan Girl is playing on the "Time" magazine pictures of Paul Ryan, pictures of him working out, famous for his P90X routine. Those pictures are controversial in their own right as well.

That's it for me. Thanks for watching, everyone.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with one very special Brooke Baldwin.

(LAUGHTER)

Take the torch with those pictures to lead her off.

Hi, Brooke.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Bless her heart, as we say in the south.

Ashleigh Banfield, thank you so much.

Good to be with you all on this big day, debate day here. I'm Brooke Baldwin. And let's jump right in, shall we?