 U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign rally at Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Thursday, November 1.  U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney greets policemen who were part of his motorcade as he prepares to board his campaign plane in Roanoke, Virginia on Thursday.  Supporters wait to hear President Obama during a campaign rally at Austin Straubel International Airport on Thursday.  Mitt Romney holds a baby during a campaign event at Meadow Event Park on Thursday.  President Obama speaks during a campaign rally at Austin Straubel International Airport.  A Mitt Romney supporter holds an American flag during a campaign event at Meadow Event Park.  President Barack Obama greets and comforts victims of Hurricane Sandy at a shelter in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Wednesday, October 31.  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney holds a campaign rally on Halloween at Metropolitan Park in Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday, October 31.  President Barack Obama speaks about the federal government's response to Superstorm Sandy at the headquarters of the Red Cross in Washington on Tuesday, October 30.  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney accepts a food donation for storm victims at an event in Kettering, Ohio, on Tuesday.  Supporters listen as Romney speaks at an event to collect food and supply donations for storm victims in Kettering, Ohio, Tuesday.  Romney talks with advisers on his campaign bus while en route to a rally at Avon Lake High School on Monday, October 29, in Avon Lake, Ohio.  Obama makes a statement in the White House briefing room following a briefing on Hurricane Sandy on Monday in Washington. Obama returned early from a campaign trip to Florida and has canceled several other campaign events to monitor the storm.  Former President Bill Clinton speaks during a campaign rally with Vice President Joe Biden on Monday in Youngstown, Ohio. Obama had planned to attend the event but canceled to monitor Hurricane Sandy.  Obama steps off Air Force One on Monday upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.  People line up in the rain for a campaign rally with Clinton and Biden on Monday in Youngstown, Ohio.  Democratic supporters listen during a campaign rally Monday with Clinton and Biden.  Romney greets supporters during a campaign rally at Avon Lake High School on Monday in Avon Lake, Ohio. Romney canceled other campaign events planned for Monday and Tuesday due to Hurricane Sandy.  A young girl looks on during a campaign rally for Romney at Avon Lake High School on Monday.  Romney speaks during a campaign rally at Seven Cities Sod on Monday in Davenport, Iowa.  Romney gets into his SUV after landing Monday in Vandalia, Ohio.  Romney holds a giant cinnamon roll on Monday en route to Dayton, Ohio.  A supporter of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan wears a campaign sticker on his shoe during a campaign rally at the Celina Fieldhouse in Celina, Ohio, on Sunday, October 28.  Obama delivers remarks during a campaign rally at Elm Street Middle School in Nashua, New Hampshire on Saturday, October 27. With 10 days to go before the presidential election, Obama and his opponent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, are criss-crossing the country from one swing state to the next in an attempt to sway voters.  A young Romney supporter holds a homemade sign during a campaign rally at Ranger Jet Center on Saturday in Kissimmee, Florida.  Obama speaks at a campaign rally in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Saturday.  Romney emerges from his SUV at Akron-Canton Regional Airport on Saturday in Canton, Ohio.  Romney and his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, hold a campaign rally at Canton Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio, on Friday, October 26.  Obama chats with firefighters after dropping off doughnuts for them at a fire station in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday, October 25.  Romney, center, poses for a photo with workers at First Watch Cafe on Thursday.  Volunteers make phone calls seeking support for Romney at his Arlington Victory Center in Virginia.  Obama kisses a baby during a campaign rally at Byrd Park in Richmond, Virginia, on Thursday.  Supporters take photos of Obama during a campaign rally at Ybor City Museum State Park in Tampa on Thursday.  Supporters look on as Romney speaks during a campaign rally at Jet Machine in Cincinnati.  Romney says goodbye to Ryan at Denver International airport on Wednesday, October 24.  Supporters cheer as Obama speaks during a campaign event at Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday.  The president speaks with residents during a lunch with a group of Obama for America volunteers at an unanounced stop at Antonella's Pizzeria in Davenport, Iowa, on Wednesday.  Romney holds a campaign rally at the Reno Event Center in Nevada on Wednesday.  Obama greets people at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, Wednesday.  Romney gestures to the crowd during a campaign event at the Reno Event Center in Reno, Nevada on Wednesday.  Romney talks with his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin aboard their campaign plane on Tuesday, October 23, en route to Denver. A day after the final presidential debate, Romney is campaigning in Nevada and Colorado.   Obama and Romney hug their wives on stage after finishing their third and final presidential debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, on Monday, October 22.  Romney and his wife, Ann, try to relax backstage with members of their family before the start of Monday's debate.  Obama reads briefing material while meeting with advisers inside his cabin on Sunday, October 21, at Camp David, Maryland.  Republican candidate Mitt Romney plays with his grandson while having dinner on Sunday in Delray Beach, Florida.  Bartek Wawruch stands between cardboard cutouts of Obama and Romney at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, on Saturday, October 20, as the campus prepares for Monday's presidential debate.  Romney boards his campaign plane at Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday, October 19.   Romney speaks with campaign staff on board his campaign plane at Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, on Thursday, October 18.  Obama speaks during a rally at Veterans Memorial Park in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Thursday.  Jack Bunn, 51, and Jane Cookson, 57, cast their votes at the Board of Elections early voting station in Wilson, North Carolina, on Thursday.  Barack Obama and Jon Stewart speak during a break in the live taping of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on Thursday.  Supporters of Mitt Romney attend a campaign rally in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Wednesday, October 17.  Mitt Romney is seen backstage through a campaign flag as he waits to take the stage at a rally in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Wednesday.  Supporters of Obama listen to him speak during a rally at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, on Wednesday.  President Barack Obama arrives at Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, Ohio, for a campaign rally Wednesday.  A group of men watch the presidential debate on television screens at an electronics store in Miami on Tuesday, October 16.  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney talks with aides aboard his campaign plane en route to Ronkonkoma, New York, on Tuesday.  A worker cleans a sign for the Commission on Presidential Debates before the second presidential debate in Hempstead, New York, on Tuesday.  Members of the production crew ready final preparations for the second presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney on Tuesday.  First lady Michelle Obama greets supporters during a campaign rally at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, on Monday, October 15.  Supporters of President Barack Obama cheer during the campaign rally at Ohio Wesleyan on Monday.  Obama jokes about a telephone with campaign volunteers Alexa Kissinger, left, and Suzanne Stern as he makes calls from a campaign office in Williamsburg, Virginia, on Sunday, October 14.  Dolls depicting Obama and Mitt Romney are on display at a gift shop at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland on Sunday.  Romney holds up a baby as he works the rope line after delivering remarks at a rally in Lebanon, Ohio, on Saturday, October 13.  A supporter holds an American flag in front of the Ohio logo on his shirt as he stands with a crowd at Shawnee State University to hear Romney speak on Saturday.  Mario Orosa, left, and Ron Cathey, right, chat with Obama during dinner at Smith Commons restaurant in Washington on Friday, October 12. Obama had dinner with contest winners who contributed to his re-election campaign.  Romney, right, and GOP vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan greet supporters as they arrive at a rally in Lancaster, Ohio, on Friday.  Students walk past a political mural near Centre College in downtown Danville, Kentucky, where Vice President Joe Biden and Republican vice-presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan faced off Thursday, October 11.  Ryan greets his son Sam after the debate in Danville, Kentucky, on Thursday.  Romney, left, speaks with the Rev. Billy Graham during a visit to the Graham cabin in Montreat, North Carolina, on Thursday.  Obama greets supporters at a campaign rally at the University of Miami on Thursday.  Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie talk with supporters at Buns Bakery and Restaurant in Delaware, Ohio, on Wednesday, October 10. Romney is campaigning in Ohio with less than a month to go before the general election.  Christie, left, and Romney walk up to the stage at Ariel Corporation in Mount Vernon, Ohio, on Wednesday.  Centre College students Ben Boone, left, a stand-in for U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, and Tommy Munoz, a stand-in for Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, wave during a rehearsal for the vice presidential debate in Danville, Kentucky, on Wednesday.  Members of the media watch as President Barack Obama arrives aboard Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, October 9, in Washington. The president was returning from a two-day campaign trip to California and Ohio.  Obama addresses supporters during a campaign event at The Ohio State University on Tuesday.  Two Obama supporters, one holding a Big Bird book and the other clutching a picture of the president, listen while he speaks at a rally at Ohio State on Tuesday.  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney departs a Wendy's restaurant with his dinner order in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on Tuesday.  Supporters cheer as Romney delivers remarks on the James Koch Farm in Van Meter, Iowa, on Tuesday.  Allan Banojakedjian, left, and Jesus Romero fill out their voter registration forms at the Miami-Dade Elections Department on the final day of registration for the upcoming presidential election.  Rain doesn't keep Romney from campaigning in Newport News, Virginia, on Monday, October 8.  Obama holds a campaign event Monday at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.  Obama takes the stage at a campaign concert at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 7. The president has been on a three-day trip to California and Ohio.  Air Force One leaves a shadow as it passes over the Forum on approach to Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday.  Obama leaves the White House on Sunday to board Air Force One.  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, greet workers at the Tin Fish restaurant following a rally Sunday in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  Romney casts a shadow on a banner as he speaks during a campaign event in Apopka, Florida, on Saturday, October 6.  A supporter holds a photograph of Romney in Apopka on Saturday.  Jon Bon Jovi performs at an Obama for America event at the House of Blues in Las Vegas on Saturday. It was the last day people in Nevada could register to vote in the upcoming presidential election.  Romney speaks during a campaign event in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Friday, October 5.  Romney supporters listen during Friday's campaign event in St. Petersburg.  Obama smiles as he speaks during a campaign rally in Fairfax, Virginia on Friday.  Obama is assisted with putting on a raincoat onstage during a campaign rally at Cleveland State University on Friday.  Romney speaks in Fishersville, Virginia, as Secret Service members keep guard on Thursday, October 4. A day after the first presidential debate in Denver, Romney headed to Virginia to continue campaigning.  Romney supporters bow their heads in prayer during Thursday's event at the Augusta Expoland in Fishersville, Viriginia.  Obama addresses the crowd at the University of Wisconsin in Madison on Thursday.  Romney greets police officers before boarding his campaign plane in Denver on Thursday.  Obama speaks at a campaign rally in Denver on Thursday. He accused his Republican challenger of dishonesty over tax policy and other issues brought up in Wednesday night's presidential debate.  Audience members cheer as Obama makes his way onto the stage at Sloan's Lake Park in Denver on Thursday.  Reporters watch the final minutes of the debate between Romney and Obama in Denver on Wednesday, October 3. The first of four debates for the 2012 election -- three presidential and one vice-presidential -- was moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS.  A member of the U.S. Secret Service keeps watch from the top of a building as Obama takes part in a debate walk-through at the University of Denver on Wednesday.  A seat is assigned to first lady Michelle Obama prior to Wednesday's debate.  Obama stands at the podium as he speaks during the debate on Wednesday.  Michelle and Barack Obama, left, join Mitt Romney and his family at the conclusion of the first presidential debate.  University of Denver student Sam Garry sits at the moderator's desk before a presidential debate dress rehearsal at the University of Denver on Tuesday, October 2.  Volunteers sit in for on-air television reporters on Tuesday in preparation for the first presidential debate in the Ritchie Center at the University of Denver.  Romney greets a father and his daughter after having lunch Tuesday at a restaurant in Denver.  Obama stares at the Hoover Dam in Nevada during a visit Tuesday.  Romney boards his campaign plane in Bedford, Massachusetts, on Monday, October 1. The Republican candidate was heading to Denver for the first presidential debate on Wednesday.  Obama hugs Chasstiry Vazquez after she indroduced him at a campaign event at Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas on Sunday, September 30.  Obama supporters cheer during Sunday's event in Las Vegas.  Romney leaves his campaign headquarters in Boston on Sunday.  A boy reaches out to shake hands with Obama on Sunday in Las Vegas. The president was in Nevada ahead of Wednesday's presidential debate in Denver.  Romney arrives at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Belmont to attend Sunday services.  Obama talks on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in the Oval Office on Friday, September 28.  Romney speaks during a rally at Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Pennsylvania on Friday.  Romney talks to journalists aboard his campaign plane about his phone call with Netanyahu on Friday.  Cadets listen to Romney speak at a campaign rally Friday at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania.  Romney addresses Friday's rally at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College.  Vice President Joe Biden hugs U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, as he arrives for a campaign event Friday in Boca Raton, Florida.  Romney speaks at a Veterans for Romney campaign event in Springfield, Virginia, on Thursday, September 27.  Obama supporters cheer at a campaign rally Thursday in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  Veterans at the American Legion Post 176 pray before Romney speaks Thursday in Springfield.  People listen to Obama speak at the Farm Bureau Live arena in Virginia Beach on Thursday.  Obama delivers remarks Thursday in Virginia Beach.  Supporters cheer as Romney speaks at SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday, September 26.  Romney speaks during a roundtable discussion on manufacturing at American Spring Wire in Bedford Heights, Ohio, on Wednesday.  Supporters wait to see Obama on Wednesday at Toledo Express Airport in Bowling Green, Ohio. Air For One aborted an initial landing attempt in Ohio due to weather conditions.  Obama addresses supporters at Bowling Green State University on Wednesday.  Romney delivers remarks during a campaign rally Wednesday at Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio.  Former President Bill Clinton introduces Obama during the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York on Tuesday, September 25.  Supporters cheer during a Republican campaign rally Tuesday with Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio.  Ryan speaks Tuesday in Vandalia as Sen. Rand Paul, from left, Sen. Rob Portman and Romney listen.  Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush hugs a waitress as they wait for Ryan's arrival during a campaign stop at a restaurant in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood on Saturday, September 22.  Supporters cheer as they listen to Romney speak during a Juntos Con Romney Rally at the Darwin Fuchs Pavilion on Wednesday, September 19, in Miami.  Romney shakes hands with supporters during the Juntos Con Romney Rally in Miami on Wednesday.  Obama and David Letterman speak during a break in the taping of the "Late Show with David Letterman" on Tuesday, September 18, at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York.  A crew member opens the door to Air Force One after the jet arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on Tuesday.  From left to right: Romney, his wife Ann, and son Tagg watch one of Tagg's sons play soccer in Belmont, Massachusetts, on Saturday, September 15.  Ryan arrives onstage to address the Family Research Council Action Values Voter Summit on Friday, September 14.  Supporters wait for Romney to speak at a campaign rally at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, on Friday, September 14.  Obama arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Thursday, September 13. Obama returned to Washington after a two-day campaign trip with events in Nevada and Colorado.  Supporters cheer as Romney speaks at a campaign rally in Fairfax, Virginia, on Thursday.  An Obama supporter attends a rally in Las Vegas on Wednesday, September 12. Obama focused on economic policies during his two days of campaigning in Nevada and Colorado.  Former President Bill Clinton speaks in support of Obama during a campaign stop in Miami on Tuesday, September 11.  Obama is lifted up by Scott Van Duzer, owner of Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant, during a visit to the restaurant in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Sunday, September 9. Obama was on a two-day bus tour across the state.  President Obama greets supporters during a campaign stop at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.  Mitt Romney walks through the garage area during a rain delay before the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 8, in Richmond, Virginia.  Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, waves to the crowd before speaking at a rally in Leesburg, Virginia, on Friday, September 7.  Supporters try to stay dry in between rain showers while waiting for President Obama to speak at the University of Iowa on Friday. It was Obama's first day of campaigning after accepting the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.  A girl listens to President Obama speak at the University of Iowa on Friday.  Vice President Joe Biden, first lady Michelle Obama, President Obama and Biden's wife, Jill, wave after Friday's campaign event at the University of Iowa.                                                                                                                                                          
Washington (CNN) -- After years of planning and months of campaigning, the most expensive presidential race in history comes down to a final five-day whirlwind of speeches and television ads in the eight states still up for grabs. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney plan to hold virtually nonstop events between now and the Tuesday election considered too close to call. The focus is on battleground states worth 95 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Both sides are trying to close the deal with a dwindling number of uncommitted voters, while making sure supporters actually cast ballots. That means a game of campaign chess that started Thursday, with appearances by the candidates and their surrogates as well as advertising dollars allocated to the places considered most vital to success.   Obama: Romney betting on cynicism  Romney decries 'shrinking' administration  Battle for Ohio goes door to door Concluding a race expected to cost more than $6 billion overall, Obama and Romney and their running mates will hit all the battleground states -- Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin. The campaigns also are unloading a blast of television ads and mailings that threaten to overwhelm voters already saturated with politicking. Obama, Romney paths to victory cross in Iowa Perhaps no one said it better than 4-year-old Abigael Evans of Fort Collins, Colorado, who -- according to NPR -- cried after listening to more election coverage on the radio and told her mother: "I'm tired of Broncobama and Mitt Romney." In a sign of the strategic maneuvering at hand, Romney surrogates and super-PACs supporting him are targeting two states considered likely to go for Obama -- Michigan and Pennsylvania. On Thursday, Romney' s campaign announced he will visit Pennsylvania on Sunday, a major commitment that signaled it believes he can win the Keystone State. His running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, will campaign in Pennsylvania on Saturday. According to Romney's team, both Pennsylvania and Michigan are in play due to what it calls a surge of momentum that emerged after the first presidential debate on October 3, which analysts and polls scored a solid victory for the former Massachusetts governor over a lackluster Obama. In response, the president's campaign pointed to his lead in polls in both states and argued the money and time spent in them by the Romney campaign amounts to a bluff to try to depict nonexistent momentum. Republican candidates claiming late momentum made a final push in Pennsylvania in the last five elections, and lost the state every time, according to the Obama team. At the same time, Obama's camp and supporting groups have devoted some new attention to both Pennsylvania and Michigan, which are crucial to the president's strategy for nailing down the electoral advantage. In an example of the advertising battle, a Romney campaign ad broadcast this week in Florida seeks to link Obama to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Cuba's Fidel Castro -- leftist leaders reviled by much of the state's Cuban American population. The ad spotlights endorsements from Chavez and Mariela Castro, the niece of Fidel, who both said they would vote for Obama if they could. While non-Cuban Latinos overwhelmingly support Obama, according to polls, Romney and Republicans hold an advantage among more conservative Cuban-Americans. Another Romney ad released Thursday attacked Obama's suggestion in an interview with MSNBC that he would consider consolidating government agencies under a new "secretary of business" in a second term. The ad portrayed the comment as more big government, saying Obama's "solution to everything is to add another bureaucrat." Romney echoed the ad in his first stop Thursday in Virginia, ending a temporary cease-fire in direct political attacks this week due to Superstorm Sandy by saying, "we don't need a secretary of business to understand business, we need a president who understands business and I do, and that's why I'll be able to get this economy going." In America: Parallels to country's racist past haunt age of Obama The Obama campaign, meanwhile, released new television and radio ads that featured the endorsement for the president by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican. The ads to run in the battleground states, as well as North Carolina, include Powell supporting achievements of Obama's first term. Another Obama ad took aim at an earlier Romney spot that implied Chrysler was shifting Jeep manufacturing from the United States to China, a claim denied by the automaker. The Obama campaign said the ad will run in Michigan and Ohio, two big auto industry states. Both candidates sought to balance their campaign stump speeches between longstanding criticism of each other with positive messaging meant to inspire voters to choose them. The challenge is to pick up any remaining undecided voters while motivating all bona fide supporters to either cast votes early or head to the polls on Tuesday. For Obama, that means overcoming disappointment with continuing high unemployment and sluggish economic recovery during his presidency. "These are the last five days of his last campaign -- ever," noted Obama campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. "So you will hear many of the themes, much about the fight that he's been waging throughout his ... career in public life on behalf of the middle class." At his first stop Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the president told a cheering crowd on the airport tarmac that Romney is trying to sell failed Republican policies that helped cause the financial collapse of 2008 as forward progress. "He is saying he is the candidate of change," Obama said. "Well, let me tell you Wisconsin -- we know what change looks like and what the governor is offering sure ain't change." Pointing to his own record of health care reform, Wall Street reform and other steps he said were intended to strengthen the middle class, the president told his supporters they know real change when they see it. Romney and Republicans were counting on the American people to be "so worn down by all the squabbling, so tired of all the dysfunction that you will actually reward obstruction and put people back in charge who advocate the very policies that got us into this mess," Obama said. "In other words, their bet is on cynicism," he added. "But Wisconsin my bet is on you. My bet is on the decency and good sense of the American people because despite all the resistance, despite all the setbacks, we have won some great fights." Maria Cardona, a Democratic strategist and CNN contributor, said she expected similar attacks on Romney in the final days of the race. Poll shows Obama edge in Iowa, New Hampshire and Wisconsin Referring to the Republican challenger, Cardona said "the dissonance between what he is saying now, what he has said in the past, and what his policies will actually do is something that voters are going to continue to hear about from the Obama campaign and their surrogates, as they should." Vice President Joe Biden followed that script Thursday, telling an Iowa crowd that Obama "says what he means and he means what he says, and no one can say that about Gov. Romney." Earlier, Romney told cheering, sign-waving supporters in Roanoke, Virginia, that Obama's policies have failed to bring the kind of economic growth the nation should be experiencing, asking if people wanted "four more years like the last four years" with high unemployment, trillion-dollar deficits and political gridlock in Washington. "I know that the Obama folks are chanting four more years, four more years. But our chant is this -- five more days," he said. He also accused the Obama campaign of "shrinking to smaller things" through personal attacks against him. His speech included now familiar references to offering a new direction for the country in what has been a more positive and personal touch for a candidate considered aloof and wooden during the Republican primaries. "It's exactly what he needs to do these last few days of the campaign -- get his base enthused, get them out to work," said Ana Navarro, a Republican strategist and CNN contributor. "It's all about the ground game right now." While Romney has been unable to overtake Obama so far in most swing state polls, some of the polling data suggests the president could be vulnerable. For example, an NBCNews/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released Thursday showed voters under 30 in New Hampshire -- an important demographic for the president -- were less enthusiastic about the election than older demographics that tend to be more supportive of Romney. Obama needs to repeat his strong support in 2008 from young voters as well as minority voters -- especially Latinos and African-Americans -- to win on Tuesday, and that means making sure the turnout on Election Day is as large as possible. Compounding the turnout issue are logistical problems along the East Coast due to the devastation by Sandy, and expected legal issues including tightened voter eligibility standards in some states that Democrats complain were intended to suppress the minority vote. Do the math: CNN Electoral Map CNN's Kevin Liptak, Simon Hernandez-Arthur, Ashley Killough, Paul Steinhauser, Robert Yoon, Rachel Streitfeld, Jim Acosta and Shawna Shepherdc contributed to this report.   |
11/01/2012
8 state push in final 5 days
Staten Island officials blast Red Cross response
 John Makely / NBC News Staten Island resident John Dellorusso looks over his backyard, which now contains debris from a nearby restaurant. His Yetman Avenue home, at right, was severely damaged. The homeowner next door and his 13-year-old daughter were killed when their house was flattened. By James Eng, NBC News Staten Island officials had some choice words Thursday to describe what they said was a feeble disaster-relief response to people left dying, homeless and hungry in the New York City borough hit particularly hard by Sandy. Staten Island's top elected official blasted the American Red Cross response as "an absolute disgrace" and went so far as to urge its residents not to donate to the largely volunteer agency. "All these people making these big salaries should be out there on the front line, and I am disappointed," a frustrated Borough President James Molinaro said Thursday morning at a press conference with other local officials to talk about the needs of the hard-hit borough. "And my advice to the people of Staten Island is, 'Do not donate to the American Red Cross. Let them get their money elsewhere.'" A top Red Cross official said he understood Molinaro's frustration. At a press conference, Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro says "It's an absolute disgrace" that the American Red Cross is "nowhere to be found" during his county's time of intense need in the wake of superstorm Sandy. "He's advocating for his community in a time of extreme distress and incredible need," said Josh Lockwood, CEO of the American Red Cross Greater New York region. And a disaster-relief expert said angry outbursts aren't surprising in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. "I think obviously in any sort of disaster context there's always going to be a fair amount of frustration about how quickly things happen," said Keith Tidball, Cornell Cooperative Extension disaster education program director. Staten Island, the least populated of the five New York City boroughs with about 468,000 people, has been sometimes called "the forgotten borough" or "the neglected borough" by inhabitants who feel they're routinely ignored or shortchanged by city government. At least 19 Sandy-related deaths have been reported on Staten Island as of Thursday -- more than any other borough – and hundreds of homes have been destroyed or damaged. The deaths include two boys who were swept away from their mother during the storm surge and whose bodies were found Thursday morning. "We have the worst tragedy that's ever happened to Staten Island, and I would say New York City, since 9/11 – and we need help," Molinaro told reporters before singling out the Red Cross for scathing criticism. "I have not seen the American Red Cross at a shelter. I have not seen them down at the South Shore where people are buried in their own homes, have nothing to eat and nothing to drink," Molinaro fumed. "Yesterday I toured the South Shore with the mayor. The neighbors down there that didn't have electricity managed to put together pots of soup and they were distributed to the people down there whose homes were just destroyed -- and the American Red Cross was nowhere to be found."  David Friedman / NBC News Superstorm Sandy made landfall Monday evening on a destructive and deadly path across the Northeast. He added: "This is America. This is not a Third World nation. We need food. We need clothing. We need everything you can possibly think of." Other local officials also criticized the relief response, though not singling out the Red Cross by name. State Sen. Andrew Lanza lashed out at the city for giving the go-ahead to the New York City Marathon this weekend and for putting a priority on pumping water out of flooded East River tunnels "We're talking about getting water of the tunnel. Let's get the water out of the tunnel tomorrow, let's get the people out of the water today. There've been thousands of people who have been displaced. There are people who are cold, who are hungry, who are without a place to go, and looking for warmth.," Lanza said, according to Politicker. "There are people still trapped. Yet we're talking about marathons and tunnels." Lockwood, the regional Red Cross CEO, was visiting Staten Island Thursday afternoon. Lockwood said he spoke to Molinaro after hearing of his remarks. He said Molinaro was "doing the right thing" by advocating for his community.  John Makely / NBC News Jane Caravello pauses with her son Vincent Caravello after wading a couple hundred yards from her house on Kissam Avenue on Staten Island. "Half of it is down there and the other half is on Beach Ave." "We're certainly stretched by this event and we're trying to respond. We're all working 24/7," Lockwood told NBC News. "For the people of Staten Island, I wish we could respond more quickly but we are here now and we're here for the long haul." Red Cross spokeswoman Anne Marie Borrego in Washington said Red Cross CEO Gail McGovern also called the borough president to let him know that "help was on the way." Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter The Red Cross has five emergency response stations set up at New Dorp Lane on Staten Island, she told NBC News. "We're not going to put our people and supplies in the path of the storm. We have to pre-position our supplies in safe places," Borrego said. "We're in the same boat as all other New Yorkers in getting around with trains and bridges shut down and roads clogged. We're there, we're moving and we're on it." Tidball, the disaster-relief expert, said it's common for elected officials and others to express frustration at the level of outside help after a large-scale disaster. "Wherever people feel need to put fingers I would encourage them instead to reach out their hands and help instead," he said. Beware of charity scams in wake of Superstorm Sandy Tidball, who works with the disaster-aid relief group National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, said that, from his vantage point, local and state officials have been coordinating quite effectively with other state and federal officials. He said lessons from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Irene in 2011, coupled with the emergence of Twitter and other social-media as essential communication tools, have paid off and likely saved lives this time around. "There are a lot of places around the country and around the world that have experienced large-scale disasters but perhaps weren't able to get things going as quickly or do as good a job in preventing loss of life and key structural functions," Tidball said. "When you think of a city or metropolitan region that's experienced what they've (New York) experienced, it's pretty impressive." He said the best way outsiders can help victims of Sandy is by donating cash that would go directly to meet specific needs in flooded areas. More content from NBCNews.com:
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Generators, gadgets demand add to Sandy gasoline shortage woes
 Andrew Burton/Getty Images A girl holds jerry cans while waiting in line at a gas station on Thursday in Hazlet township, N.J. Superstorm Sandy, which has left millions without power or water, continues to effect business and daily life throughout much of the eastern seaboard. By Bob Sullivan Gas station lines streching a mile or more show the next challenge faced by those recovering from Hurricane Sandy. The fuel shortage is becoming severe: In New Jersey, 75 percent of stations were closed on Thursday, CNBC reported. New York City taxi companies began pulling cabs off the street due to the shortage. But all those gas cans you see drivers filling raise a question: Are gadgets partly to blame for the gas shortage? To be sure, distribution challenges — such as blocked roads, power outages at distribution facilities and stations — are the main culprits. But pent-up demand created by gas-guzzling portable generators isn't helping. Powerful smartphones are useless without electricity, which means that millions of area residents can't make phone calls without gasoline right now. Making matters worse: Generator sales have exploded in recent years. One company estimates that four times as many households have such backup generators today, compared to 1999. Back then, storm victims suffering power outages simply lit candles and waited for power. Today, portable generators promise to keep life relatively normal even during extended outages, but not without a cost. "There is a new baseline of demand," said Art Aiello, spokesman for spokesman for Generac Power Systems Inc., the nation's largest generator seller. "In the wake of a power outage, portable generators are what everyone goes to." In some parts of the country, that means, literally, everyone, said research Manager Lucrecia Gomez of the Frost & Sullivan market research firm. She said generator sales soared in 2011, influenced by a series of weather-driven outages, and she believes that "in high-income areas, almost every house has at least one portable generator." Also read: Northeast may see long gas lines for a week A good-sized generator that can run a refrigerator and a few other appliances in a house costs about $750, Aiello said — a small price to pay for a piece of normalcy, and to avoid ruined food, during a long power outage. But it also devours gasoline. It takes roughly a gallon of gas an hour to fuel such a generator with a moderately heavy load. That means it can burn through more than one auto tank full of gas in 24 hours. One way to look at it: homeowners without power in the northeast are using as much gas to power their homes as it would take to drive from Boston to Philadelphia, every single day. All those "road trips" create a lot of demand. "It's absolutely a contributor" to the gas station lines, Aiello said, because generators need a lot of it. "That is one of the limitations of portable generators ... and we are having a run on gas now." The portable generator market rise began with Y2K, Aiello said, and every disaster since has spurred adoption — there were sales spikes after Hurricane Katrina and the New York City blackout, for example. Before Y2K, only about 3 percent of American homes had generators, according to an investor presentation by Generac. By 2011, that figure had risen to about 12 percent nationally, the company estimated, and it figures to go higher this year. In an earnings report issued last week, Generac said sales climbed 25 percent last quarter compared to the previous year during the same stretch. And it expects sales to jump 40 percent for the year. (The company's stock soared 19 percent when Wall Street resumed trading on Wednesday). Backup power may sound like a luxury for yuppies, and market penetration is higher in wealthier areas. But with the demise of landline phones, which always proved robust even in power outages, gas-powered generators are now considered essential for having access to the outside world during an outage. The National Center for Health Statistics says 27 percent of American households were "cell only," in 2010, with percentages higher in affluent areas, and the cord-cutting rate was torrid. By next year, landline penetration could fall to 50 percent. "We're a very connected world. If folks use their cell as their primary phone, that's huge if you can't recharge your phone," Aiello said. "The general fragility of the grid is a problem, but in severe weather we are asking more and more of it. We have an analog grid in a digital world." Gadget users running on fumes can take a little comfort — but only a little — in the words of Sal Risalvato, executive director of the N.J. Gasoline, Convenience, Automotive Association. He told CNBC on Thursday that he expects the gas shortage situation to linger for a couple more days, but then resolve itself with a fairly quick domino effect. "I think you're going to see some easement over the weekend," said Risalvato. "You'll see normalcy next week. You'll see things are going to happen all at once. Power is going to be restored. Roads are going to be clear. It's like you're drain is clogged and all of a sudden it's unclogged." * Follow Bob Sullivan on Facebook. * Follow Bob Sullivan on Twitter |
NYC faces grimy mess: Rotten fish, failing toilets
 Andrew Mach / NBC News In Battery Park City, a long, blue pipe snakes out of a flooded store near the 9/11 memorial. The brown water flows ankle-deep into the street past a large, yellow dumpster and under parked cars as it collects near another mound of black track bags, broken chairs and other furniture. By Andrew Mach and Maggie Fox, NBC News NEW YORK -- Fish guts flowing down a Union Square street. Untreated sewage in the Hudson River. Spoiled Haagen-Dazs dumped on a deli floor. Toilets that won't flush. Superstorm Sandy has left quite a mess behind in a city never exactly known for its cleanliness. In Manhattan, as power remained out for many customers below below 34th street, Rod Zindani, owner of the Best of New York deli on Water St., stood by large plastic trash bags filled with melted single-serve tubs of Haagen-Dazs ice cream. "That's $1,000 to $1,500 worth," he told CNBC. It's all got to go. "Everybody's throwing out food. All the cooked short ribs, cooked pork, salsas had to go," said Alfredo Vicuna, the head of kitchen at Tortaria, near Union Square in lower Manhattan. "It will stay good for about 24 hours, but after it got above 40 degrees, we can't use it. I don't even want to think about how much we had to throw out. It's not nice to see. The boss is literally crying right now about how much we lost." Nearby, Carlos Solorzano watched a restaurant worker in a white chef's coat hose away fish guts left behind in the street by sanitation workers. Along the curb, a tiny river of pink liquid, sprinkled with fish bones, blue and red octopus parts and bits of mackerel, flowed away. "When we came back after the storm, some of the food was already rotten, all of the ice cream was melted, all of the fish had already spoiled. We had to throw out about 200 pounds of meat. That's a lot of business, that's their whole menu," said Solorzano, superintendent of the building housing the restaurant. Refrigerators will keep food cold enough only for about four hours with the door closed. While bottled drinks and nonperishable foods such as peanut butter won't go bad, any meat, cheese, eggs or cooked food has to go. Freezers only stay cold enough for about 48 hours. At least one group of New Yorkers might be happy to see all that food tossed into the street: the rats. However, despite fears that rats would invade the city to feast on the garbage or that thousands would be flushed from the depths by floodwaters, a spokeswoman for the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said there's no evidence of an increase in rat activity.  Seth Wenig / AP Shopping carts full of food damaged by superstorm Sandy await disposal at the Fairway supermarket in the Red Hook section of the Brooklyn borough of New York, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. The food was contaminated by flood waters that rose to approximately four feet in the store during the storm. As wary New Yorkers eye the soggy mess left behind by Sandy, some have expressed concern about an outbreak of disease. But experts say fears of cholera or dysentery from the floodwaters likely are overblown. "The truth is, it's fairly rare" in developed countries such as the United States, said Dr. Martin Makary, a gastrointestinal specialist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. That's because people aren't putting infected sewage into the system in the first place. Even after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf states in 2005, water-borne disease was not a widespread problem, Makary said. Also, people who collected water in bathtubs, bottles and other containers ahead of the storm should be able to drink it safely even after a few days without refrigeration, Makary said. "The GI system is extremely resilient to contaminated water," he said. "Sometimes people insist on sterile water, bottled water. But the most important thing is to avoid cross contamination with sewage. Water that simply been in the tub or out on the counter for a couple of days is likely safe." Jacoba Urist, an NBCNews.com contributor, lives in Tribeca with her husband, their three-year-old son, and a dog. Her building lost power and running water on Monday night. Despite filling the tub with water and doing everything else to prepare, after hearing the following morning how long Manhattan would be in the dark, the family decided to go stay with Urist's parents in New Haven. Others in her building are sticking it out. Residents crowded around a single radio in the lobby, where they listened to the news and exchanged survival stories, she said. "We have friends who had not filled up any water. They said they were literally designating one toilet and filling up one toilet, and just using it up for days. I know, it's gross." Another couple said they were trying to "hold it in as long as possible," she said. You've probably stocked up the refrigerator in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, but if you lose power, how long will your food last? Madelyn Fernstrom, TODAY's diet and nutrition editor, talks about what foods you can save and what you should throw away. Urist worried about what the situation would be when water came back on. "I would be really curious to know what we're supposed to do when we get back. How clean is the water? Do you run the water? Do you not use it for a day or two?" Many of the restaurants and shops in Tribeca were still closed and boarded up, save for the few that had generators. But the streets were largely clear and devoid of any excessive amounts of garbage on Thursday. The scene was a far cry from only two days ago, when locals said many of the streets were completely flooded. According to the website of the New York City Department of Sanitation – which says it collects 12,00 tons of refuse and recycling on a normal day – the city was making its regularly scheduled garbage collections "as storm conditions permit." Recycling pickup was suspended; on its Twitter feed Thursday, @NYCSanitation was advising customers to "try to store [recyclables] as long as you can, please." The sanitation department was also handling hurricane debris cleanup citywide. "Hang in and we will all get through this. We're New Yorkers!" it tweeted. The waters that surround Manhattan -- The Hudson River, East River, New York Harbor -- remain filthy because wastewater treatment plants dumped untreated sewage into them. People shouldn't even touch the water, authorities said. "Activities such as swimming, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing or any other water activity that would entail possible direct contact with the water should be avoided until further notice," the Department of Environmental Protection cautions. Bacteria in the water can cause an itchy rash and could cause infections if it gets into cuts. Many residents in high-rises without electricity and people living in flooded areas still lack fresh water supplies. New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city's Department of Environmental Protection say water coming out of the taps is safe. And the department has set up portable drinking water stations to areas where water service is down, such as Breezy Point and Rockaway, which were especially hard hit by the storm and by fire. With contributions from Elizabeth Chuck. More content from NBCNews.com:
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