On Wednesday's NBC Today, political director Chuck Todd seized on the latest CBS News/New York Times poll showing narrow leads for President Obama in Ohio, Virginia, and Florida as "evidence, potentially, to back up the Obama spin" that "Romney has run out of routes to 270 electoral votes...so they are throwing Hail Marys in new states." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
However, the poll Todd so eagerly cited, used voter samples significantly slanted in favor of Democrats, using turnout models resembling Obama's win in 2008, a highly unlikely scenario in 2012.
The Obama campaign's "Hail Marys" line against Romney was in response to the fact that polls have tightened in what Todd referred to as "normally reliable Democratic states" like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Minnesota. Somehow Obama being forced to campaign in such states is a sign of Romney's desperation.
Here is a full transcript of the October 31 report:
7:14AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Well, there's another huge story going on in this country, hard to believe that the presidential election is just six days away now. And the storm has forced several states to take a closer look at their election day plans. NBC's Chuck Todd is NBC's political director, chief White House correspondent. Chuck, good morning to you.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: The Aftermath of Sandy Today; Storm's Impact on the Race for the White House]
BARACK OBAMA: My message to the federal government: no bureaucracy, no red tape, get resources where they're needed as fast as possible.
TODD: Mitt Romney also suspended campaigning Tuesday, but still traveled to the battleground state of Ohio to encourage donations to the Red Cross.
MITT ROMNEY: And I appreciate the fact that people right here in Dayton got up this morning, some went to the grocery store I see and purchased some things that these families will need.
TODD: Governor Romney is back campaigning today, holding three rallies across Florida. But the President remains in disaster response mode. He'll survey storm damage with New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie. Among the issues Christie plans to bring up, how to rebuild a more weatherproof Jersey shore.
CHRIS CHRISTIE: One of the things I'm gonna be talking to the President about tomorrow is bringing the Army Corps in immediately to talk to us about how's the best way to rebuild the Jersey shore.
TODD: Despite election day on the horizon, Christie didn't seem very concerned about how his state would hold an election.
CHRISTIE: I don't give a damn about election day, it doesn't matter a lick to me. So let the politicians who are on the ballot worry about election day. It's not my problem, I'm not dealing with it at the moment.
TODD: But local officials in New Jersey and other states are worried about next Tuesday. In New York City's Nassau County, loss of power may force votes to be counted by hand, delaying the results. In Connecticut, officials will consider whether to relocate polling places, and West Virginia may deploy generators to keep lights on and voting machines humming.
[FOOTAGE OF DUELING CAMPAIGN ADS]
Meanwhile, the two campaigns continue to battle over the perception of which campaign has the momentum. Both are now advertising in three new normally reliable Democratic states, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. The Romney campaign says it's evidence they have expanded the map. The Obama campaign says it's a sign that Mr. Romney has run out of routes to 270 electoral votes, the number needed to win, so they are throwing Hail Marys in new states. A little evidence, potentially, to back up the Obama spin on that front, Savannah. Three new polls out this morning from the New York Times and CBS show the President leading narrowly in Florida, Ohio, and Virginia.
GUTHRIE: Well, in six days we'll know. Chuck Todd, thank you very much.
