Perspective Podcast - November 2, 2012

In this edition of Perspective...

Sandy Stalls the Campaigns
Normally this close to a presidential election, the candidates would be involved in non-stop campaigning. But President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney called off their pep talks and rallys this week....as vicious Hurricane Sandy took over.

The Obama Campaign
On Thursday.....with FEMA in the process of helping with cleanup and donations from those loyal to both parties coming in....the campaign went on.  ABC's Ann Compton is traveling with the president.

The Romney Campaign
ABC's Vic Ratner is on the campaign trail with Governor Mitt Romney

The Polls
For more on the presidential election we turn to Gary Langer, Director of Langer Research Associates who conducts polling for ABC News.

The Debates
This year, the presidential debates were more important than ever, with millions of americans tuning in on the radio, on television and online....to see how each candidate performed.

Micro-targeting
Do you subscribe to H-B-O?  What kind of beer do you drink? Inquiring minds, including the presidential campaigns, want to know, because of something called *micro-targeting*.  It's a new frontier in personalized campaigning, and it works by finding subtle correlations between the things you like... and who you're likely to vote for.  ABC's John Donvan has the details.

Possible Outcomes
With the election just days away and the presidential race as tight as ever, there are some whacky scenarios that could lead to an unexpected electoral victory, or even a tie.  When you crunch the numbers, there are several unlikely possibilities that start to look possible.  Here with the details is ABC Senior Washington Editor Rick Klein and ABC Senior Political Director Amy Walter.

The Fight for Congress
There are several House and Senate seats up for grabs on Tuesday night.  

The Senate MA Race
Now to the marquee Senate race this year.  In Massachusetts, Democrat Elizabeth Warren is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Scott Brown.  It's a match-up that's especially important to Republicans keen on recapturing control of the Senate.  ABC Senior Political Correspondent Jonathan Karl spoke to the candidates about the tight race, beginning with Senator Brown.

World View of the US Election
The international community is watching the U-S election closely and the next president will have to deal with major changes in how the rest of the world sees America.  Opinion polls are tracking how citizens will likely cast their vote on Tuesday, but what does the rest of the world think about the U-S elections?  Let's start in the U-K.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

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Perspective Podcast - October 26, 2012

In this edition of Perspective...

The Last Debate
This week President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney went head-to-head in the last round of presidential debates.  The race is as tight as it gets and millions of early ballots have already been cast with just over a week before election night.  For more on the final debate here's ABC's Terry Moran.

The Running Mates React
With the last debate in the books, we now turn to the running mates.  ABC's George Stephanopoulos sat down with Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan for their reaction to Monday's showdown.  He began by asking Vice President Biden about how both candidates seemed to agree on numerous foreign policy issues.

Debate Party Crashers
A heated political season like this can divide a nation.  This late in the campaign, many are firmly entrenched in the Barack Obama or Mitt Romney camps, and we gave two such Colorado voters an inside look at the *other* side.  Here's ABC's David Wright.

Conservative Folk
With the election just around the corner, it seems the entire country is divided into liberal and conservative.  Think it's bad now?  Imagine what it was like back in the 1960s, one of the most divisive eras in our nation's history.

JFK Security Breach
How can a lost jet skier in dripping wet swim trunks and a life jacket manage to easily bypass a multi-million dollar security system in one of the busiest airports in the country.  ABC's Jim Avila explains.

Airport Confidential
For big, crowded airports like Miami International, the pressure of delivering a hundred thousand stressed-out passengers safely to their destination every day makes for no shortage of human drama.  ABC's Bill Weir has the details.

Caught in the Crossfire
In the neighborhoods of Chicago gang violence has taken over 400 lives this year, including many innocent victims.  It's left some parents scared to let their kids play outside.  ABC's Alex Perez, who himself grew up amid gang violence in Chicago, has the story.

Florence and the Machine
She was nominated for Best New Artist only last year, but Florence Welsh, of Florence and the Machine fame, has already learned to party like a rock star.  Back in January, she chipped her tooth and lit her hotel room on fire with Kanye West.  Since then, she has stopped drinking on tour and showed a different side when she spoke to ABC's Cynthia McFadden.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

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Perspective Podcast - October 19, 2012

In this edition of Perspective...

The Presidential Debate
It was a heated showdown this week between President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, meeting for a town hall-style debate at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York.  The president was looking to make a comeback after his lackluster showing in the first debate, while polls across the country shifted in Romney's favor.  ABC's Terry Moran reports both candidates came out ready for a fight.

Debate Fact Check
The candidates didn't pull any punches in their debate, but were they accurate?  Here to check the facts from Tuesday night is ABC's Steven Portnoy.

Psychoanalyzing the Candidates
Psychoanalyzing someone you have never met is unorthodox and may be beyond the bounds of profession.  But when it comes to presidents, politicians and world leaders, some say their inner psyche is fair game.  Now one psychiatrist is breaking down the minds of Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama.  ABC's Jake Tapper has the details.

Wasteful Government Spending
One U-S senator known for combating wasteful spending now says that Congress itself is a waste of money.  A report from Senator Tom Coburn's office highlights dozens of examples of government waste in 2012.  ABC's Jonathan Karl has more.

Victim Number One
We now turn to the Jerry Sandusky case and our interview with the young man known as Victim Number One.  His allegations against the former Penn State football coach triggered the investigation that led to Sandusky's trial and sentencing to a life behind bars.  Now Victim Number One is going public in a book titled "Silent No More."  He spoke to ABC's Chris Cuomo.

The Boy Scout Perversion Files
Now to another sex abuse scandal.  The so-called "Boy Scout Perversion Files" have been released to the public.  Since the beginning of the Boy Scouts they've kept files on troop leaders suspected of abusing boys.  Now in the release of close to 15-thousand pages we find out thousands of boys have allegedly been abused at the hands of troop leaders, and in some cases the Boy Scouts of America did nothing about it.  More from ABC's Alex Stone.

Oprah
For 25 years Oprah Winfrey ruled daytime T-V, with the power to instantly transform authors into best sellers or a doctor into a famous medical figure.  But it was off screen and in a far away place that she pursued another dream.  Winfrey tells ABC's Juju Chang about the girls she thinks of as her own daughters.

The Fight Against Salt
A spicy, crunchy snack wildly popular among America's kids has some schools considering banning it.  They're called Flamin' Hot Cheetos, and the movement to turn them into lunch room contraband is part of a growing concern about how much salt kids are eating and the serious health problems it can cause.  ABC's Linsey Davis explains.

James Patterson
In the past three years, James Patterson has sold more books than any other author, and in total, his books have sold an estimated 260-million copies worldwide.  Patterson is best known for his series about fictional psychologist Alex Cross, a character who is now the subject of a new movie starring Tyler Perry and Matthew Fox.  ABC News Entertainment Correspondent David Blaustein sat down with James Patterson to discuss the film.

Host:  Cheri Preston
Producer:  Colin Tipton

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