Captioning sponsored by WNET

>> Sreenivasan: ON THIS EDITION

FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31:

THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HIT

KEY SWING STATES IN THE FINAL

WEEKEND BEFORE ELECTION DAY.

THE BATTLEGROUND STATE OF

NORTH CAROLINA: AT THE FOREFRONT

OF A CHANGING CLIMATE.

>> IKE FOR PRESIDENT, IKE

FOR PRESIDENT.

>> Sreenivasan: AND A LOOK AT

POLITICAL ADS, IN THE MOST

EXPENSIVE CAMPAIGN YEAR IN

HISTORY.

NEXT ON PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND.

>> PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND IS MADE

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>> Sreenivasan: GOOD EVENING

AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WE ARE REPORTING THIS WEEKEND

FROM NORTH CAROLINA, THE LAST

STOP ON OUR "ROADS TO ELECTION

2020" SERIES-- BUT NOT THE END

OF OUR COVERAGE OF THE VOTE, THE

VOTE COUNT, AND THE CANDIDATES

ON THE BALLOTS IN EVERY STATE.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN,

THEIR RUNNING MATES, AND MANY OF

THEIR BEST-KNOWN POLITICAL

SUPPORTERS ARE ON THE CAMPAIGN

TRAIL IN THESE FINAL DAYS BEFORE

VOTING ENDS ON TUESDAY.

KEY EVENTS THIS WEEKEND ARE IN

BATTLEGROUND STATES INCLUDING

PENNSYLVANIA, MICHIGAN, FLORIDA,

AND RIGHT HERE IN NORTH

CAROLINA.

WHILE THE SPEECHES TOUCH ON A

WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS, ONE OF THE

ISSUES VOTERS AND VIEWERS SAY

THEY WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IS

CLIMATE CHANGE.

WE WILL HAVE AN IN-DEPTH REPORT

ON THAT FROM HERE IN NORTH

CAROLINA, ALONG WITH REPORTING

ON THE BILLIONS SPENT ON

ADVERTISING THIS ELECTION YEAR,

BOTH COMING UP RIGHT AFTER THE

NEWS SUMMARY.

♪ FROM THE LAKES OF MINNESOTA,

TO THE HILLS OF TENNESSEE ♪

>> Sreenivasan: IT'S THE FINAL

WEEKEND PUSH IN THE 2020

CAMPAIGN SEASON.

PRESIDENT TRUMP PLANNED FOUR

STOPS IN PENNSYLVANIA TODAY,

STARTING IN BUCKS COUNTY, JUST

NORTH OF PHILADELPHIA.

THE KEYSTONE STATE WAS CRUCIAL

TO THE PRESIDENT'S 2016 WIN, AND

IS A FOCAL POINT FOR BOTH

CAMPAIGNS.

♪ ♪ ♪

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN

CAMPAIGNED WITH FORMER PRESIDENT

BARACK OBAMA IN MICHIGAN TODAY,

AT A DRIVE-IN RALLY IN FLINT AND

ANOTHER PLANNED FOR DETROIT.

TOMORROW, BIDEN WILL BE IN

PENNSYLVANIA, STARTING IN

PHILADELPHIA FOR A "SOULS TO THE

POLLS" EVENT.

PRESIDENT TRUMP PLANS RALLIES IN

FIVE STATES TOMORROW.

WITH THREE DAYS LEFT TO ELECTION

DAY, MORE THAN 90 MILLION EARLY

VOTES HAVE BEEN CAST SO FAR.

THAT'S NEARLY TWO-THIRDS THE

BALLOTS CAST IN THE 2016

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

THE CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO

SPREAD RAPIDLY IN MANY STATES

THIS WEEKEND.

YESTERDAY, THE NATION RECORDED

MORE THAN 99,000 NEW CASES,

ACCORDING TO THE "NEW YORK

TIMES."

THAT'S THE HIGHEST DAILY NUMBER

SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN.

THE "TIMES" DATABASE SHOWS 14

STATES SET NEW DAILY CASE

RECORDS, AND THREE-- TENNESSEE,

MONTANA, AND NEW MEXICO--

RECORDED NEW RECORD-HIGH NUMBERS

OF DEATHS FROM COVID-19.

AS OF THIS MORNING, JOHNS

HOPKINS UNIVERSITY'S CORONAVIRUS

RESOURCE CENTER REPORTS THE

UNITED STATES HAS HAD MORE

THAN NINE MILLION CONFIRMED

CASES OF THE VIRUS DURING THE

PANDEMIC, ONE-FIFTH OF THE MORE

THAN 45 MILLION CASES GLOBALLY.

RESCUE WORKERS IN THE TURKISH

CITY OF IZMIR PULLED THREE WOMEN

ALIVE FROM UNDER THE RUBBLE OF A

COLLAPSED BUILDING TODAY, AS THE

SEARCH CONTINUES FOR SURVIVORS

FOLLOWING YESTERDAY'S POWERFUL

EARTHQUAKE IN THE AEGEAN SEA.

THE EARTHQUAKE TOPPLED SEVERAL

BUILDINGS AND AT LEAST 37 PEOPLE

WERE KILLED AND 800 INJURED

ALONG TURKEY'S WESTERN COAST.

THE QUAKE, WHICH WAS ALSO FELT

IN GREECE, LEFT TWO PEOPLE DEAD

ON THE ISLAND OF SAMOS.

TURKEY'S DISASTER AGENCY SAID

TODAY THE AREA HAS EXPERIENCED

MORE THAN 450 AFTERSHOCKS.

>> I ADMIRE YOUR LUCK, MR....

>> BOND.

JAMES BOND.

>> Sreenivasan: SEAN CONNERY,

THE SCOTTISH ACTOR BEST KNOWN

FOR PLAYING THE SMOOTH-TALKING

CHARACTER JAMES BOND, HAS DIED.

BORN IN 1930 IN EDINBURGH,

SCOTLAND, CONNERY WENT ON TO

WORK A SERIES OF JOBS, INCLUDING

A COFFIN POLISHER, MILKMAN AND

BODY BUILDER, BEFORE LANDING HIS

BREAKOUT ACTING ROLE AS AN

INTERNATIONAL SPY.

HE LIT THE SILVER SCREEN FOR

MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, STARRING

IN SEVEN JAMES BOND MOVIES, AND

IN FILMS INCLUDING "INDIANA

JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE" AND

"THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER."

IN 1987, HE WON AN ACADEMY AWARD

FOR HIS PORTRAYAL OF A CHICAGO

COP IN THE FILM "THE

UNTOUCHABLES," AND,

IN RECOGNITION FOR HIS

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ARTS, WAS

KNIGHTED BY BRITAIN'S QUEEN

ELIZABETH IN 2000.

CONNERY'S SON SAID HIS FATHER

DIED PEACEFULLY IN HIS HOME IN

THE BAHAMAS.

SEAN CONNERY WAS 90 YEARS OLD.

>> Sreenivasan: FOR MORE

ELECTION COVERAGE AND THE LATEST

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS,

VISIT www.pbs.org/newshour.

>> Sreenivasan: EARLIER THIS

FALL, WE ASKED YOU WHAT ISSUES

WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON THIS

ELECTION SEASON.

THE ANSWER OVERWHELMINGLY WAS

THAT YOU WANTED MORE COVERAGE OF

CLIMATE CHANGE.

SO, ON THIS WEEKEND BEFORE

ELECTION DAY, WE'RE REPORTING

FROM NORTH CAROLINA, A SWING

STATE WITH CONSEQUENTIAL RACES

UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT, BUT ALSO

A STATE THAT, HAVING BEEN

BATTERED BY MULTIPLE HURRICANES

IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, HAS BEEN

AT THE FOREFRONT OF EXPERIENCING

THE CHANGING CLIMATE.

THIS STORY IS PART OF OUR

ONGOING SERIES "PERIL AND

PROMISE: THE CHALLENGE OF

CLIMATE CHANGE."

WHEN HURRICANE FLORENCE MADE

LANDFALL NEAR WILMINGTON IN

SEPTEMBER OF 2018, IT WAS ONLY

A CATEGORY ONE STORM.

BUT WHAT FLORENCE LACKED IN

SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS, IT MADE

UP FOR IN RAIN.

>> IT JUST RAINED AND IT RAINED

AND IT BLEW AND IT RAINED.

BUT ALL THAT WHILE, YOU HAVE TO

TRY TO MAKE SURE YOUR ANIMALS

ARE SAFE.

>> Sreenivasan: GINA MARASCO IS

THE OWNER OF HUMPHREY FARMS, A

500-ACRE FARM ABOUT 30 MILES

FROM THE COAST IN PENDER COUNTY.

AFTER AN ESTIMATED THREE FEET OF

RAIN OVER THREE DAYS, SHE AND

HER HUSBAND, ROBERT, NEEDED A

CANOE TO CHECK ON THEIR

LOW-LYING HOG HOUSES.

>> FLORENCE, YOU STINK!

WE WENT BY THE HOUSES SO WE

COULD SEE THE ANIMALS AND WE

COULD SEE THAT THEY WERE ALIVE,

WHICH WAS A BEAUTIFUL THING.

BUT WE COULDN'T EVEN TURN OFF

THE POWER.

SO WE'RE JUST, "PLEASE LET

EVERYTHING BE OKAY,"

BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING WE

COULD DO.

>> Sreenivasan: IN 2018,

HUMPHREY FARM HAD ABOUT 7,500

HOGS.

WHILE MARASCO SAYS THEIR WELFARE

WAS IMPORTANT, SHE WAS ALSO

WORRIED ABOUT THE FARM'S EIGHT-

ACRE HOG LAGOON.

THAT'S WHERE WASTE FROM THE PIGS

IS STORED.

RUNOFF FROM THE LAGOON, WHICH

HAS HIGH LEVELS OF AMMONIA AND

NITRATES, CAN HARM AQUATIC LIFE.

>> 36 INCHES OF RAIN BROUGHT US

OVER THE TOP.

THANKFULLY, THOUGH, THE AMOUNT

OF WATER WAS SO GREAT THAT THE

DILUTION WAS ENOUGH TO KEEP IT

FROM BEING A TOXIC SITUATION.

>> Sreenivasan: THE HIGH WATERS

FROM FLORENCE DAMAGED OR OVER

TOPPED NEARLY 50 HOG LAGOONS, A

RELATIVELY SMALL FRACTION OF THE

STATE'S 3,000.

BUT THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF RAIN

AFFECTED HUGE SWATHS OF NORTH

CAROLINA.

>> MY NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS

FLOODING ACROSS THE ENTIRE

STATE.

>> Sreenivasan: KATHIE DELLO IS

THE STATE CLIMATOLOGIST FOR

NORTH CAROLINA.

SHE'S ALSO ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF

THE STATE'S CLIMATE SCIENCE

REPORT, AN INDEPENDENT

SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT RELEASED

THIS YEAR ON PAST CLIMATE

TRENDS, AND HOW CLIMATE CHANGE

WILL AFFECT THE STATE AS HUMANS

CONTINUE TO EMIT GREENHOUSE

GASSES.

THE REPORT FINDS THAT NORTH

CAROLINA HAS ALREADY WARMED ONE

DEGREE FAHRENHEIT OVER THE LAST

120 YEARS, AND THAT HEAVY RAINS

FROM HURRICANES AND OTHER

WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL BECOME MORE

FREQUENT AND INTENSE.

THAT'S ALREADY BEING FELT HERE

BY NORTH CAROLINIANS.

>> FOLKS EXPERIENCE THREE BIG

HURRICANES IN FOUR YEARS AND

TRULY SAID, "SOMETHING'S GOING

ON HERE.

THIS ISN'T THE NORTH CAROLINA

THAT I GREW UP IN.

WE DON'T SEE HURRICANES LIKE

THIS WITH THAT MUCH RAIN.

WE DON'T SEE FLOODING LIKE

THIS."

PEOPLE HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCES

WITH THE CLIMATE AND THEY'RE

NOW SAYING, "OKAY, CLIMATE

CHANGE IS HERE AND IT'S REAL."

>> I CAN TRUTHFULLY SAY IN MY

LIFETIME, I'VE NEVER SEEN

ANYTHING LIKE THE DEVASTATION

THAT FLORENCE CAUSED.

IT WAS A CATASTROPHIC EVENT,

THERE'S NO QUESTION.

>> Sreenivasan: REPUBLICAN STEVE

TROXLER IS NORTH CAROLINA'S

AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER, AND

HE'S RUNNING FOR HIS FIFTH

CONSECUTIVE FOUR-YEAR TERM,

OVERSEEING THE STATE'S $92

BILLION AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY.

AFTER FLORENCE, HIS OFFICE

HELPED DISTRIBUTE MORE THAN $230

MILLION IN AID TO FARMERS.

HE SAYS COMPARED TO HURRICANE

FLOYD, WHICH HIT NORTH CAROLINA

IN 1999, THE STATE'S AGRICULTURE

INDUSTRY WAS BETTER PREPARED.

>> DURING HURRICANE FLOYD, WE

LOST 28,000 HOGS IN NORTH

CAROLINA TO DROWNING.

DURING HURRICANE FLORENCE, WHICH

WAS, YOU KNOW, MUCH, MUCH WORSE

THAN THAT, WE LOST ABOUT 5,000.

>> Sreenivasan: SINCE 1999, THE

AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO

RUN A VOLUNTARY BUYOUT PROGRAM

FOR HOG FARMS LOCATED IN

100-YEAR FLOODPLAINS.

THE STATE SELECTS THE MOST

AT-RISK FARMS FOR A ONE-TIME

PAYMENT THAT CANNOT EXCEED THE

VALUE OF THE OPERATION.

IN EXCHANGE, THE FARMER AGREES

TO END CONCENTRATED ANIMAL

FEEDING OPERATIONS.

43 HOG FARMERS HAVE

PARTICIPATED.

AND AFTER FLORENCE IN 2018, THE

AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT OPENED UP

THE PROGRAM AGAIN FOR

APPLICATIONS.

BUT SINCE THE PROGRAM STARTED

OVER 20 YEARS AGO, MORE THAN 100

FARMS THAT HAVE WANTED TO

PARTICIPATE HAVE BEEN TURNED

AWAY.

>> THERE HAVE NOT BEEN THE

RESOURCES AVAILABLE, YET, BUT

YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BE ABLE

TO DO THIS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE

VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND AND

OPERATIONS TODAY.

>> IT LEVELED THIS HOUSE PRETTY

GOOD, AS YOU CAN SEE.

>> Sreenivasan: GINA MARASCO

APPLIED FOR THE BUYOUT PROGRAM,

BUT HER FARM WAS NOT CONSIDERED

ONE OF THE MOST AT-RISK, SO

NORTH CAROLINA WON'T PAY.

>> WE'RE IN GROUP B AND THEY'RE

LOOKING FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN

GROUP A, WHICH WAS VERY

DISHEARTENING.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL

OVER IT.

ELEVATIONS CHANGE...

>> Sreenivasan: BUT EVEN WITHOUT

THE BUYOUT, MARASCO DECIDED TO

END THE HOG OPERATION THAT HER

FATHER STARTED MORE THAN 50

YEARS AGO.

>> IT WAS A DECISION MADE WITH A

VERY HEAVY HEART BECAUSE, "GOSH,

DAD, WE'RE GOING TO STOP DOING

WHAT YOU EXPECTED US ALL TO DO

INTO PERPETUITY.

I'M SORRY, YOU KNOW."

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE CAN'T

AFFORD TO, JUST TO BE VERY

HONEST WITH YOU, WE JUST

COULDN'T AFFORD THE REBUILDING

PROCESS.

AND IT WAS SAD, YOU KNOW,

BECAUSE MY DAD WAS THE HOG MAN

AND I WAS THE HOG FARMER'S

DAUGHTER.

>> IT'S OUR CHILDREN WHO HAVE TO

LIVE WITH THE BRUNT OF OUR

INACTION IN ADDRESSING CLIMATE

CHANGE, UNLESS WE BEGIN TO ELECT

LEADERS WHO FROM DAY ONE ARE

UNAPOLOGETIC IN THEIR COMMITMENT

TO ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE CRISIS

HEAD ON.

HEY, HOW ARE YOU?

>> Sreenivasan: JENNA WADSWORTH

IS A DEMOCRAT RUNNING TO BE

NORTH CAROLINA'S COMMISSIONER OF

AGRICULTURE.

>> SO I ACTUALLY GREW UP ON A

FAMILY FARM NOT FAR FROM HERE.

>> Sreenivasan: FOR THE LAST TEN

YEARS, WADSWORTH HAS BEEN ON THE

WAKE COUNTY SOIL AND WATER

CONSERVATION DISTRICT BOARD OF

SUPERVISORS.

AND SHE'S MADE CLIMATE CHANGE

ACTION FRONT AND CENTER IN HER

CAMPAIGN.

>> I'VE LOOKED AROUND AND I SEE

THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF SO MANY

OF THE ISSUES THAT OUR FARMERS

ARE FACING DEALS WITH CLIMATE

CHANGE OR STEMS FROM CLIMATE

CHANGE, BE IT CHANGING HARVEST

DATES, CHANGING YIELDS,

UNPREDICTABLE YIELDS, KNOWING

THAT THERE ARE SEVERE WEATHER

EVENTS.

YOU KNOW, STORMS ARE GOING TO

GROW MORE INTENSE AND MORE

FREQUENT OVER THE COMING YEARS.

>> Sreenivasan: WADSWORTH HAS

BEEN ENDORSED BY THE SUNRISE

MOVEMENT, THE YOUTH-LED CLIMATE

CHANGE ACTIVIST GROUP.

SHE HAS ALSO SIGNED ONTO A

PLEDGE NOT TO TAKE ANY MONEY

FROM THE STATE'S TWO ELECTRIC

UTILITIES, DUKE AND DOMINION,

AND TO NOT SUPPORT ANY NEW

FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE.

>> MY OPPONENT DIFFERS WITH,

DIFFERS WITH ME WHEN IT COMES TO

UNDERSTANDING THAT CLIMATE

CHANGE IS REAL AND IT'S AN

URGENT PRIORITY THAT WE HAVE TO

ADDRESS IN ORDER TO ENSURE A

LONG-TERM FUTURE IN AGRICULTURE.

>> Sreenivasan: TROXLER

ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE CLIMATE

HAS CHANGED, AND SAYS THAT

FARMERS ARE ALREADY DOING A LOT.

>> YOU KNOW, I WOULD ASK, WHAT

MORE CAN AGRICULTURE DO RIGHT

NOW THAN THEY'RE DOING AS FAR AS

CLIMATE CHANGE?

WE'RE THE ONES WHO PLANT THE

GREEN CROPS THAT SEQUESTER

CARBON.

WE'RE THE ONES THAT PLANT TREES

THAT SEQUESTER CARBON.

SO WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AFTER

THE LAND AND THE ENVIRONMENT

BECAUSE WE FARM OUTSIDE AND WE

DEPEND ON IT.

>> Sreenivasan: TROXLER ALSO

WARNS THAT ADDRESSING CLIMATE

CHANGE CAN'T COME AT THE EXPENSE

OF FARMS SURVIVING.

>> ANY TIME THAT WE CAN DO

ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO HELP

LONG TERM, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.

BUT WITH THE CAVEAT THAT FARMERS

HAVE GOT TO REMAIN IN BUSINESS

IF WE'RE GOING TO EAT.

>> IF WE DO NOT ADDRESS CLIMATE

CHANGE, THERE WON'T BE A FUTURE

IN AGRICULTURE, SO WE HAVE TO

MAKE MEANINGFUL ACTION IN

ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE,

MAKING SURE THAT FARMERS HAVE

THE TOOLS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO

MOVE INTO SUSTAINABLE,

REGENERATIVE, AND ORGANIC

PRACTICES, PRACTICES THAT

PRIORITIZE SOIL HEALTH AND

CONSERVATION AND ALLOW FOR THEM

TO BE VIABLE IN THE LONG TERM.

>> Sreenivasan: FOR HUMPHREY

FARMS, LONG-TERM VIABILITY MEANS

A BIG TRANSITION.

THE HOG HOUSES ARE EMPTY NOW,

AND THE EIGHT-ACRE WASTE LAGOON

IS SLOWLY BEING TRANSITIONED TO

A FRESHWATER POND.

( COWS MOOING )

AFTER FLORENCE, MARASCO HAD TO

SELL OFF PART OF THE FARM'S

CATTLE HERD, BUT SHE IS NOW

BUILDING IT BACK UP.

16 CALVES WERE BORN THIS SEASON,

INCLUDING A FEW JUST THIS WEEK..

>> THE MIDDLE OF THE BUILDING IS

THE ONLY THING THAT WAS LEFT

INTACT.

>> Sreenivasan: MARASCO IS ALSO

BANKING ON TOURISM.

SHE'S TURNING AN ALMOST

100-YEAR-OLD TOBACCO BARN TO A

YEAR-ROUND FARMERS MARKET, ART

GALLERY, AND LOCAL GOODS STORE.

>> WE EVEN HAVE THE OLD

ELECTRICAL BOX.

>> Sreenivasan: MARASCO IS A

STRONG SUPPORTER OF STEVE

TROXLER FOR REELECTION AS

AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER, AND

CITES HIS EFFORTS HELPING FARMS

RECOVER FROM FLORENCE.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMATE

CHANGE, SHE SAYS IT'S A BIG

FACTOR IN THINKING ABOUT THE

LONG-TERM FUTURE OF HER FARM AND

MOVING AWAY FROM HOGS.

>> WE DON'T WANT TO BE THAT ONE

THAT CAUSES OUR WATER SYSTEM TO

BE COMPROMISED.

AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU

JUST HAVE TO REALIZE YOU JUST

CAN'T FIGHT IT.

YOUR SAIL IS NOT BIG ENOUGH TO

GET THROUGH THAT STORM.

AND SO WE JUST FELT LIKE IT WAS

TIME TO DO SOMETHING NEW.

>> Sreenivasan: HERE IN NORTH

CAROLINA, AS IN PREVIOUS

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, THE

STATE HAS EMERGED AS AN

IMPORTANT BATTLEGROUND.

BOTH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND

VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

HAVE BEEN MAKING FREQUENT STOPS

HERE, AND THERE IS ALSO A CLOSE

SENATE RACE.

THE TARHEEL STATE ALSO FINDS

ITSELF FACING ISSUES OF RISING

COVID-19 CASES, INCREASING COSTS

OF HEALTH CARE, AND ECONOMIC

LOSSES, SOME DUE IN PART TO A

CHANGING CLIMATE.

FOR MORE ON HOW THE ISSUES MAY

PLAY OUT HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA

ON ELECTION DAY, I SAT DOWN WITH

RUSTY JACOBS, POLITICS REPORTER

FOR WUNC, NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC

RADIO.

>> THERE'S A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM

AND A LOT OF ATTENTION IN

GENERAL, AND YOU'VE SEEN SOME

REALLY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS IN

THE TURNOUT SO FAR IN NORTH

CAROLINA.

TUFTS HAS BEEN DOING SOME

RESEARCH ON THE TURNOUT OF YOUNG

VOTERS, 18 TO 29.

NORTH CAROLINA IS RIGHT UP AT

THE TOP, RIGHT BEHIND FLORIDA

AND TEXAS, AS HAVING THE BIGGEST

NUMBER OF THAT YOUNG VOTER AGE

RANGE TURNOUT ALREADY.

JOE BIDEN MAINTAINS AN EDGE

RIGHT NOW, MAYBE THREE OR FOUR

PERCENT OVER DONALD TRUMP.

AND YOU SEE IN THOSE NUMBERS AN

ADVANTAGE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC

TICKET FROM WOMEN, A MAJORITY OF

WOMEN, ACCORDING TO RECENT

POLLS, SUPPORTING THE BIDEN

HARRIS TICKET AND BLACK VOTERS,

VERY KEY BLOC HERE IN NORTH

CAROLINA.

AND THEY ARE OVERWHELMINGLY AT

THIS POINT THROUGH POLLS

INDICATING SUPPORT FOR BIDEN AND

HARRIS OVER DONALD TRUMP AND

MIKE PENCE.

>> Sreenivasan: THERE'S ALSO A

TON OF MONEY THAT'S BEEN POURED

IN ON BOTH SIDES ON THE SENATE

RACE.

WE ALSO HAD IN THE MIDDLE OF

THAT RACE, OR LATE IN THAT RACE,

A REVELATION THAT THE

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE HAD AN

EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR.

HAS THAT PLAYED INTO WHAT'S

HAPPENING NOW?

>> NOT SO FAR.

LET'S PUT IT THIS WAY: CAL

CUNNINGHAM, THE DEMOCRAT

CHALLENGING FIRST-TIME...

FIRST-TERM INCUMBENT THOM

TILLIS, MAINTAINS AN EDGE.

KIND OF LIKE JOE BIDEN, HE'S IN

THAT THREE TO FIVE PERCENT RANGE

RIGHT NOW OVER THOM TILLIS,

ACCORDING TO RECENT POLLS.

BUT AS YOU NOTED, THAT'S KIND OF

SURPRISING, CONSIDERING THAT

JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, IT EMERGED

HE HAD BEEN ENGAGING IN

INAPPROPRIATE, SEXUALLY

SUGGESTIVE TEXTS WITH ANOTHER

WOMAN, NOT HIS WIFE.

HE'S BEEN VERY DISCIPLINED ABOUT

NOT ANSWERING QUESTIONS ON THAT

SUBJECT.

HE'S AVOIDED ANSWERING

QUESTIONS.

HE SAID IT'S A PRIVATE MATTER.

HE HAS CONSISTENTLY STUCK TO THE

ELECTION ISSUES THAT SEEM TO BE

RESONATING THE MOST WITH VOTERS:

ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH

CARE, HANDLING OF THE

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.

IT ALSO DIDN'T HURT CAL

CUNNINGHAM THAT AT THE SAME TIME

THE SCANDAL EMERGED, THOM TILLIS

CONTRACTED COVID-19.

AND YOU GOT TO REMEMBER, HE

ATTENDED THE NAMING CEREMONY FOR

THEN-NOMINEE AMY CONEY BARRETT

FOR THE SUPREME COURT.

A LOT OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

OFFICIALS AND THE PRESIDENT

CONTRACTED COVID-19.

THAT IN A WAY NOT ONLY

COMPROMISED THOM TILLIS' HEALTH,

BUT IT MAY HAVE COMPROMISED HIS

PRINCIPLES.

AT ONE TIME HE WAS SEEN AS

SOMEWHAT INDEPENDENT.

THERE WAS A TIME HE FAMOUSLY

OPPOSED EMERGENCY FUNDING FOR

PRESIDENT TRUMP'S BORDER WALL.

HE THEN INFAMOUSLY FLIPPED ON

THAT ISSUE AND CAST AN IMPORTANT

VOTE SUPPORTING THAT FUNDING.

SO HE'S TIED HIS FATE TO DONALD

TRUMP, BUT HAS CONTRACTED

COVID-19.

AND THAT, IN A WAY, SYMBOLIZES

FOR SOME PEOPLE AND MAYBE SOME

KEY VOTERS, SUPPORT FOR A KIND

OF A RECKLESS POLICY WHEN IT

COMES TO HANDLING OF THE

COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

>> Sreenivasan: SO IT SOUNDS

LIKE IT IS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS.

IT IS ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP.

AND THOSE ARE THE SORT OF

PRIMARY DRIVERS AND HOW YOU VIEW

THOSE TWO THINGS IS IN PART

RESPONSIBLE FOR WHY NORTH

CAROLINA'S BECOME SUCH A

CONTENTIOUS BATTLEGROUND.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

LET'S LOOK AT THE GOVERNOR RACE

IN NORTH CAROLINA RIGHT NOW.

THAT, IN A WAY, THAT RACE WHERE

GOVERNOR COOPER HAS A BIG

ADVANTAGE RIGHT NOW, IS IN A

WAY EMBLEMATIC OF THE

PRESIDENTIAL RACE.

THE VERY ISSUES THAT LT. GOV.

DAN FOREST IS RUNNING ON, SAME

AS PRESIDENT TRUMP, HE TRAILS

THE DEMOCRAT, ROY COOPER, WHO'S

RUNNING ON A LOT OF THE SAME

ISSUES THAT JOE BIDEN IS.

>> Sreenivasan: RUSTY JACOBS,

THANKS SO MUCH.

>> YOU'RE WELCOME.

>> Sreenivasan: THE 2020

ELECTION CYCLE IS BY FAR THE

MOST EXPENSIVE CAMPAIGN YEAR IN

HISTORY.

ADVERTISING SPENDING ON

CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR FEDERAL

OFFICE ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAS

REACHED TOTALS OF AT LEAST $2.5

BILLION SO FAR.

SINCE JANUARY OF LAST YEAR,

CLOSE TO FIVE MILLION ADS FOR

PRESIDENT, SENATE, AND CONGRESS

HAVE AIRED ON TELEVISION

AIRWAVES ALONE.

THAT'S MORE THAN TWICE THE

VOLUME OF ADS IN THE PAST TWO

PRESIDENTIAL CYCLES.

NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S CHRISTOPHER

BOOKER SAT DOWN WITH ERIKA

FRANKLIN FOWLER, CO-FOUNDER OF

THE WESLEYAN MEDIA PROJECT,

WHICH TRACKS POLITICAL

ADVERTISING, TO FIND OUT MORE.

>> ♪ IKE FOR PRESIDENT,

IKE FOR PRESIDENT.

♪ YOU LIKE IKE, I LIKE IKE,

EVERYBODY LIKES IKE FOR

PRESIDENT. ♪

>> POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS HAVE

COME A LONG WAY SINCE THIS 1952

DWIGHT EISENHOWER COMMERCIAL.

WHILE EISENHOWER'S CAMPAIGN WAS

THE FIRST TO USE THE TELEVISION

LIKE THIS, NEARLY 70 YEARS

LATER...

>> CHANGE IS WHAT WE GOT.

>> CHOOSE A PRESIDENT WHO

BRINGS OUT OUR BEST.

>> TELEVISION IS STILL

PLAYING A PROMINENT ROLE IN

CAMPAIGNS, EVEN AS NEW PLATFORMS

CAPTURE MORE AND MORE OF THE

PUBLIC'S ATTENTION.

>> WHEN WE GOT IN TRACKING

TEN YEARS AGO, PEOPLE WERE

ALREADY AT THAT POINT PREDICTING

THE DEMISE OF TELEVISION.

AND IN EVERY YEAR THAT WE'VE

BEEN TRACKING-- THERE WAS A

PLATEAU, BUT PRIMARILY VOLUMES

HAVE ONLY GONE UP.

>> ERIKA FRANKLIN FOWLER IS THE

CO-DIRECTOR OF THE WESLEYAN

MEDIA PROJECT, WHICH BEGAN

TRACKING BROADCAST ADVERTISING

IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS TEN YEARS

AGO, AND DIGITAL ADS TWO YEARS

AGO.

THIS YEAR, FOWLER CO-AUTHORED A

STUDY COMPARING HOW CANDIDATES

ADVERTISED ON TV VERSUS FACEBOOK

IN THE 2018 MIDTERMS.

>> TELEVISION ADS ARE REALLY

THERE TO PERSUADE.

DIGITAL ADS HAVE A WHOLE WIDE

VARIETY OF DIFFERENT GOALS.

SO YOU'LL HAVE ADS THAT ARE

SEEKING TO GET CITIZENS TO SIGN

UP FOR THEIR MAILING LIST SO

THAT THEY STAY INFORMED.

YOU'LL ALSO HAVE ADS THAT ARE

ABOUT DONATING TO A PARTICULAR

RACE.

DIGITAL ADS IN A LOT OF WAYS

DRIVE FUNDRAISING AND CAN DRIVE

MORE MONEY TO SPEND EVERYWHERE,

WHICH CAN INCLUDE MORE MONEY

ON TELEVISION.

SO IN SOME WAYS, THEY FEED

EACH OTHER IN THIS WAY.

>> SINCE THE GENERAL ELECTION

BEGAN IN APRIL, FORMER VICE

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS OUTSPENT

PRESIDENT TRUMP ON TELEVISION

ADS BY MORE THAN 69 PERCENT.

COLLECTIVELY, THE TWO CAMPAIGNS

HAVE PUT MORE THAN $360 MILLION

TOWARDS FACEBOOK AND GOOGLE ADS.

AND FOWLER SAYS THE 2020

ADVERTISEMENT TSUNAMI IS

REFLECTIVE OF SOMETHING ELSE.

>> CERTAINLY AS A SOCIETY, WE

HAVE BECOME MUCH MORE POLARIZED.

WE'VE BECOME MUCH MORE

NATIONALIZED.

THE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT,

EVEN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

LOCAL POLITICS, ARE OFTEN MUCH

MORE ABOUT NATIONAL

CONVERSATIONS, ABOUT HEALTH CARE

AND OTHER SORTS OF PROVISION OF

THINGS THAN THEY ARE NECESSARILY

ABOUT SPECIFIC LOCAL ISSUES.

>> FOWLER SAYS PART OF WHAT'S

DRIVING THE INCREASE IN AD

SPENDING AND CHANGE IN TONE ARE

POLITICAL ACTION GROUPS, OR

PACS.

>> JOE BIDEN IS A JOB-KILLING,

TAX-RAISING DISASTER.

>> REFUSING TO PREPARE...

>> THE 2010 CITIZENS UNITED

SUPREME COURT RULING ALLOWS

OUTSIDE GROUPS AND PACS, LIKE

PRIORITIES USA AND AMERICA FIRST

ACTION, TO RAISE AND SPEND

UNLIMITED FUNDS ON ELECTIONS.

THIS YEAR, DEMOCRATIC SUPER PACS

HAVE DRAMATICALLY INVESTED IN

ADVERTISING, HITTING DONALD

TRUMP ON HEALTHCARE AND HIS

RECORD DURING THE PANDEMIC, FROM

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG'S INDEPENDENCE

USA...

>> IF TRUMP GETS HIS WAY, OVER

40 MILLION FLORIDIANS WITH

PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS LIKE

CANCER AND DIABETES COULD

LOSE THEIR HEALTHCARE.

>> ...TO FUTURE FORWARD, A NEW

SUPER PAC BACKED BY A GROUP OF

SILICON VALLEY BILLIONAIRES,

INCLUDING FACEBOOK CO-FOUNDER

DUSTIN MOSKOVITZ AND FORMER

GOOGLE CEO ERIC SCHMIDT.

>> JOE BIDEN HAS A PLAN.

>> HE ACTUALLY HAS A PLAN.

>> THE TWO PACS HAVE POURED AN

ASTONISHING $90 MILLION SO FAR

INTO TV AD SPOTS SINCE APRIL.

>> THIS SUSAN COLLINS VOTED TO

MAKE MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES PAY

MORE.

>> AND IT'S NOT JUST THE

PRESIDENTIAL RACE, THIS IS

HAPPENING IN DOWN BALLOT RACES

AS WELL.

NEARLY HALF OF THE ADS IN THE

MAINE SENATE RACE HAVE BEEN

FUNDED BY OUTSIDE GROUPS, LIKE

THIS ONE AGAINST REPUBLICAN

SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS.

>> OUTSIDE GROUPS AND PARTIES

TEND TO PLAY THAT ROLE OF

ATTACK DOG.

CITIZENS GENERALLY DON'T LIKE

NEGATIVE ADVERTISING, AND IF I

AS A CANDIDATE GO NEGATIVE

AGAINST MY OPPONENT, THAT AD

MIGHT BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING

THE FAVORABILITY OF MY OPPONENT,

BUT I ALSO TEND TO SUFFER SOME

BACKLASH FROM AIRING THE

NEGATIVITY IN THE FIRST PLACE.

>> THE NEGATIVITY IS A FAR

DEPARTURE FROM EISENHOWER'S

DANCING ELEPHANTS, BUT DOES IT

REALLY MAKE AN IMPACT ON HOW

WE VOTE?

>> AS A SOCIETY WE TEND TO

OVERSUBSCRIBE THE EFFECTS OF

ADVERTISING, AND SCHOLARS FOR A

VERY LONG TIME HAVE BEEN SAYING

ADVERTISING MATTERS AT THE

MARGIN.

IF I GO FURTHER DOWN THE BALLOT

AND I'M SEEING ADS FOR

CANDIDATES THAT I DON'T KNOW

VERY MUCH ABOUT, THOSE ADS ARE

MORE LIKELY TO ACTUALLY HAVE AN

INFLUENCE.

>> OUTSIDE GROUPS HAVE ALREADY

SPENT MORE THAN $2.5 BILLION

IN POLITICAL ADVERTISING THIS

ELECTION, NEARLY TWICE WHAT WAS

SPENT IN 2016.

>> Sreenivasan: WE WILL HAVE