Hurricane Sandy Helps Coordinate Campaign Strategy

The pull for Ohio is shaping up to be fundamental to Governor Romney's potential presidency.

Polls currently show a tie at 49 percent among voters. But, with a margin of error at over three percent, it's anybody's game.

Republican Sen. Rob Portman, on Fox News Sunday, said the energy, momentum and enthusiasm is on his side.

Obama campaign manager, Stephanie Cutter, said on ABC, "we feel pretty good about Ohio and think we're going to win it."

President Obama rescheduled his Orlando rally this weekend due to the latest trajectory of Hurricane Sandy.

Romney was also forced to cancel a rally in New Hampshire.

Both candidates have had to suspend campaign duties along the East coast, including fundraisers in New Jersey, Virginia and North Carolina - all anticipated to receive Sandy's wrath.

A CNN report shows Hurricane Sandy expected to make landfall near the Jersey shore the evening of Oct. 29.

In response, the New York City Stock Exchange, the Subway, the U.N. building and the Broadway Theatres have all closed in anticipation of the storm.

Written by: Justin Chandler Porter

Face the Nation

Election Day is two weeks away, and Monday’s debate will be the last opportunity for President Obama and Governor Romney to make their case for America.

According to a Sunday poll from NBC News / Wall Street Journal, both candidates are tied at 47 percent, while a Politico tracking poll shows Romney slightly leading, 49-47.

An enduring performance could mean a significant bump in the polls, while a gaffe could spell the end of a hard-fought brawl with very little time to recover. Either way, this could be the most important 90 minutes of the election.

The candidates have previously argued about domestic issues, like border-control, healthcare and social programs.

Major talking points for Monday’s debate will likely revolve around details of the Benghazi attack in Libya, mounting discord in Syria and sanctions against Iran for its nuclear pursuits.

The final debate will take place at 9 p.m. EST at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. It will air on NBCNews.com and NBCPolitics.com.

Moderator and veteran journalist Bob Schieffer will take the middle seat for the night’s debate. He told CNN.com he was ready to endure the scrutiny of being caught in the crossfire of the heated debaters.

Schieffer has, since 1972, covered every presidential race and convention. He has been the host of CBS’ “Face the Nation” since 1991.

Huffington Post reporter Paul Abrams said in a report that Schieffer should not focus too much on Benghazi, but rather on heavier issues.

“Benghazi is neither the most important, nor a symptom of the most important foreign policy matters that need to be discussed,” Abrams wrote in a report Oct. 22.

Round 2: Fact or Friction

President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney met Tuesday night at the Town Hall in Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

The venue, much different than the first two, featured undecided voters asking questions directly to the participants.

Much of the heated back-and-forth between the incumbent and the GOP nominee revolved around the loss of Ambassador Chris Stevens, three American soldiers and the confusing aftermath that ensued.

“it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror,” Romney said. Moderator Candy Crowley acknowledged that argument.

Although, the day after the attack, Obama spoke at the Rose Garden with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, where he said,  “no acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation.”

U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, went on several networks less than a week after the Benghazi attack, saying the incident was uncoordinated and unplanned.

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice addresses the U.N.

Obama fired back by saying, “The suggestion that … my team … would play politics … when we’ve lost four of our own … is offensive.”

The event was a fun chance for both men on stage to dole out archaic gaffes and regrettable one-liners.

We saw cameos from Romney’s “47%” line, as well as his line about “letting Detroit go bankrupt.”

Before the Benghazi issue, Sen. Rob Portman said foreign policy was in the president’s favor.

“That has changed now,” Portman said on CNN.

Decisive Denver Debate

Squaring-off at the University of Denver, the incumbent Barack Obama and the GOP nominee Mitt Romney met face-to-face for the first of three presidential debates Wednesday night.

The event, hosted by moderator Jim Lehrer, focused on domestic policies, including the deficit, Medicare and education.

Post-debate polls immediately went to Romney, citing his aggression, passion and energy, but with his all-to-familiar lack of detail. The same polls cited Obama as underwhelming; even cold.

Romney introduced a five-step process that diverges from the President’s current “top-down” policies. It included getting America energy-independent, opening up more foreign trade, balancing the federal budget and championing small business.

Romney also urged America to crack down on China, “if and when they cheat.”

Romney said the role of government is not to be the economic player, picking winners and losers, but to make the private sector more efficient and effective.

Obama persistently referred to Romney’s $5 trillion tax cuts, accusing the nominee of exacerbating the problems that have devastated the economy over the past decade.

“If you believe we can cut taxes by $5 trillion and add $2 trillion in additional spending the military is not asking for,” Obama said, “then Governor Romney’s plan may work for you.”

Obama said asking how we pay for that without dumping costs onto middle-class Americans is a central question of the campaign.

The Brooking Institute’s Tax Policy Center determined large tax cuts to high-income households while increasing the tax burdens on middle-class families under the Romney plan.

Despite the finding, Romney acknowledges, “You’ll never balance the budget by raising taxes.”

ObamaCare, the President’s signature health-care law, was an issue of contention. While Romney aspires to cleave the program if elected, he lacked specifics on how he would replace the program.

Liberal comedian Bill Maher tweeted during the event, “Obama is not looking like he came for a job interview; Romney does.”

Democratic strategist James Carville said it looked like Obama did not want to be there, but expected a big pushback from the President.

This is reflective of the mounting pressure, as absentee ballots are already being filled just weeks before the election.