"Face the Nation" transcripts, October 28, 2012: McCain and Emanuel

So when I talk to the married women what they say is on the one hand they say think Romney can handle the economy, but they're worried about Republicans being too extreme. And they go back and forth. What the Obama campaign is trying to is drop this and get them to think about this at the last minute.

And there are a small number of independent voters -- and going back finally on the question of women with trust. What was the president talking about this week above all else, he was saying trust is a matter central to the presidency, more important than anything else, and trying to tie that to this notion of Romney changing his positions. That was also a pitch to women.

Romney's pitch, bipartisanship.

SCHIEFFER: Let me just bring up this, I spent Friday, spent a good part of the day with Stu Rothenberg and Charlie Cook, separately. These are two bipartisan -- and I would say the most respected analysts going today. Both of them told me separately they could not remember a time this deep into the campaign when they said they had no idea how this was going to come out.

I want to go around the table, I'll just start with you, Bob. What do you think is going to happen?

SHRUM: I think the president is going to win. I think he has a big advantage in the electoral college. And I also think in terms of what John and Ruth were saying that the Republicans as friend of mine who ran Republican campaigns, has said to me they backed themselves into a demographic cul-de-sac, with women, with Hispanics, with younger voters who are repelled by a lot of what they say on social issues.

SCHIEFFER: So you think it's Obama?

SHRUM: Yes.

FUND: I think independent voters continue to move away from the president because he has not been able to convince people the economy will be better in the next four years than this four years. And the president remains under 50 percent. And I have to...

SHRUM: No, doesn't. In many of the states. I'm sorry, John. You want to do the Real Clear Politics - in many of the states, in many-- it didn't. In many of the states he is at 50 percent.

SCHIEFFER: I'm going to give the reporters here a pass on that if you think it's inappropriate. Go ahead.

FUND: I do believe we do have a danger, though, of going to recount. And I hope that we can control the passions that have been exercised..

SHRUM: That's not a passion. You ought to get factual, that's all.

FUND: And one of these days, I won't be interrupting you, but you will continue to interrupt me.

SHRUM: Yes, I will, when you're not factual, I will, actually.

SCHIEFFER: 30 seconds, John.

DICKERSON: The president has demographic advantages and ground game advantages. The question is whether those allow him to hold back the Romney surge that started after the Denver debate but that is now waning and that most analysts think has now, kind of, come to a standstill. The question is whether what the president builds up with his ground game and his demographic advantages help him.

SCHIEFFER: I'm going to have to stop right here. You're not going to have to say who you think...

(UNKNOWN): I didn't have an answer anyway.

MARCUS: Then we can't be wrong.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

SCHIEFFER: Back in a second. Thank you all a lot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHIEFFER: In today's world, when everyone comments on everything, even debate moderators get reviewed. So in the interest of full disclosure and fairness, we pass on the following, which is our "Face the Nation" flashback.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON": The final presidential debate was held tonight in Boca Raton, Florida, and was moderated by 75-year-old Bob Schieffer from CBS News.

That's right...

(LAUGHTER)

... 75-year-old Bob Schieffer, yeah, 75 years old, or as Florida residents call that, a 'tween.

(LAUGHTER)

Yeah, when the ladies of Boca got a look at Bob, they're like, "Who's the fresh meat?"

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": I thought Bob Schieffer did a great job. Before the debate, Bob Schieffer instructed the audience not to clap for any reason because, in his house, that makes the lights go on and off...

(LAUGHTER)

... you know...

(LAUGHTER)

Well, this was not Bob Schieffer's first time. No, no, he also moderated the Bush-Kerry debate in 2004 and the Lincoln-Douglas debate in 1858.

(LAUGHTER)

You know, in today's world, I can take that.

(LAUGHTER) l

We'll be right back with an update on Hurricane Sandy. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCHIEFFER: And we're back now with David Bernard of our Miami station, WFOR, for a final update on Hurricane Sandy. David?

DAVID BERNARD, WFOR METEOROLOGIST: Bob, we're looking at a really big storm here. This is the latest information just in from The Hurricane Center, and the storm is moving northeast at 14. It's about 500 miles south of New York City, and the track remains the same. We're looking at a landfall tomorrow night, early Tuesday morning, somewhere between the Long Island Sound and Ocean City, Maryland.

And along and just north of there, there's going to be a tremendous storm surge. Look at the size of the hurricane, already those bands affecting portions of the East Coast. It's really gigantic and the wind field with it is incredible. The tropical storm- force winds by tomorrow morning will reach from Boston all the way to Wilmington, North Carolina, and during the day tomorrow, the hurricane-force wind gusts will overspread most of the I-95 corridor. And those damaging winds are probably going to stick around right into Tuesday. When we see those kinds of winds, Bob, we're going to have to worry about widespread power outages and a lot of downed trees as well. And of course, right there at the coast, the coastal flooding could be quite severe. This is an enormous storm and one that people need to take seriously.

SCHIEFFER: OK. Well, thank you very much, Dave. And we'll stay with you. We'll invite all of you to stay tuned to CBS News and cbsnews.com. We'll have the very latest on the storm. That's it for us here. We'll see you next week right here, if the creeks don't rise, on "Face the Nation."

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[Alliston1]

Why does nobody ask David Axelrod if he had any input, directly or indirectly in the creation of the Susan Rice talking points before the Sunday shows? If the answer "no" withstands scrutiny we can drop the coverup discussion. All "message" matters go through Mr. Axelrod. The only reason for a coverup was to protect the President's foreign policy narrative. If Mr. Axelrod was not involved you can be sure State came up with the video story by themselves. On the other hand if the answer is that Mr. Axelrod was involved in the creation of the Ambassador's talking points it becomes clear that the video story was designed to deflect and mislead. A coverup