New York Times: “Through Friday, since Mr. Obama’s inauguration — his first 1,368 days in office — the Dow Jones industrial average has gained 67.9 percent. That’s an extremely strong performance — the fifth best for an equivalent period among all American presidents since 1900.”

The Wall Street Journal notes the odds of one presidential candidate winning the popular vote and the other winning the Electoral College are small, but “the makings of a split outcome are clearly there, due in part to a range of factors peculiar to this election.”

“Mr. Romney has clearly gained momentum since his strong debate performance in Denver earlier this month. For the first time all year he pulled ahead of Mr. Obama as measured by several running aggregates of national polls.”

“But many of these polls point to anomalies that could make a split outcome all the likelier. A month ago, when Mr. Obama was still ahead of his rival by seven percentage points in the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, the president was losing by a similar margin in the South, which accounted for about a third of the poll’s base of voters.”

Here are the latest national polls of the presidential race:

Gallup: Romney 52%, Obama 45%

IBD/TIPP: Obama 48%, Romney 42%

NBC News/Wall Street Journal: Obama 47%, Romney 47%

Public Policy Polling: Obama 48%, Romney 48%

Rasmussen: Romney 49%, Obama 47%

“Their economic plans are not real. I think that’s clear.”

— New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in an interview with the New York Times, on the two presidential candidates.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer endorsed President Obama for re-election.

“All politicians change positions over time — Obama in 2008 shifted his position on health care reform more to the center. But Romney’s frequent changes raise questions about his core principles and make his lack of policy details all the more troubling. They make you wonder if he would stand up to the more extreme elements in his own party, especially to the House Republicans who undercut Ohioan John Boehner’s attempts to negotiate a deficit and debt deal.”

New York Times: “The United States and Iran have agreed for the first time to one-on-one negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, according to Obama administration officials, setting the stage for what could be a last-ditch diplomatic effort to avert a military strike on Iran.”

“News of the agreement — a result of intense, secret exchanges between American and Iranian officials that date almost to the beginning of President Obama’s term — comes at a critical moment in the presidential contest, just two weeks before Election Day and a day before the final debate, which is to focus on national security and foreign policy.”

BuzzFeed reports that 10 Romney for President staffers received bonuses — as much as $37,500 — in September, according to new Federal Election Commission filings.

Romney political director Rich Beeson scored the largest amount, taking in a combined $75,000 in two payments on August 31, after the Republican National Convention, and September 13.

“You guys are the ones who keep saying, ‘Oh, he’s not approachable.’
That’s not what the American people say. I think maybe you guys should
evaluate where you’re coming from. Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s the elite
journalists who aren’t all that approachable.”

— Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, quoted by the Tampa Bay Times, pushing back on the media narrative that Obama is aloof.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) — being treated for bipolar disorder and depression and headed back to the hospital — sent out an automated phone call to voters in his congressional district pleading for patience 17 days before the election, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Said Jackson in the robo call: “Like many human beings a series of events came together in my life at the same time and they have been difficult to sort through. I am human. I am doing my best. I am trying to sort through them all.”

He added that he is “anxious to return to work on your behalf” but it is against “medical advice” for him to do so.

President Obama “will keep up a grueling pace on the campaign trail later this week, visiting six states in two days, all in an effort to boost enthusiasm in the final days heading into election day,” Politico reports.

“Obama will make stops in Colorado, Nevada, Florida, Virginia, Illinois and Ohio, sleeping on Air Force One and spending time calling undecided voters and volunteers.”

However, Nate Silver notes if the recent polls and his own forecast are right, Obama’s “efforts to compete in Florida mostly serve the function of a bluff.”

Here are the latest polls from the battleground, updated through the day:

Florida: Obama 47%, Romney 46% (SurveyUSA)

Florida: Obama 48%, Romney 45% (Grove Insight)

Ohio: Obama 47%, Romney 47% (Gravis)

Ohio: Obama 49%, Romney 48% (Public Policy Polling)

Virginia: Obama 49%, Romney 47% (Public Policy Polling)

“With less than three weeks to go until Election Day, campaign finance reports filed on Saturday show that Colbert’s super-PAC – Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow – is holding tightly to nearly $1 million,” The Hill reports.

Nevada Progressive looks at the final voter registration report and finds Nevada Democrats now have a 7.17% advantage in the key swing state. Back in March, they had roughly a 4% statewide edge.

The Las Vegas Review Journal notes early voting in Nevada starts today and ends November 2.

Washington Post: “The Romney campaign may have misfired with its suggestion that statements by President Obama and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice about the Benghazi attack last month weren’t supported by intelligence… ‘Talking points’ prepared by the CIA on Sept. 15, the same day that Rice taped three television appearances, support her description of the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate as a reaction to Arab anger about an anti-Muslim video prepared in the United States.”

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports the assault “appears to have been an opportunistic attack rather than a long-planned operation, and intelligence agencies have found no evidence that it was ordered by Al Qaeda.”

The Economist: The utterly useless Benghazi argument.

CBS News: “Priorities USA Action, the chief Democratic super PAC supporting President Obama, will close out the campaign season by reprising a television ad about a man who lost his job as a result of decisions made by Bain Capital while Republican nominee Mitt Romney ran it.”

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