greg orman with some questionable comments about bob dole. his oh own spent pat roberts is here to respond. martha: mitt romney is saying tomorrow's election is all about president obama. >> this is the last chance for america to pass judgment on the obama administration and on its policies. synchrony financial partners with over two hundred thousand businesses, from fashion retailers to healthcare providers, from jewelers to sporting good stores, to help their customers get what they want and need. banking. loyalty. analytics. synchrony financial. engage with us. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern. bill: republican senator pat roberts in a tough fight for reelection with the independent candidate greg orman. here

he said in kansas, greg orman is going to win and caucus with the democrats. that a's how he gets to his 52. is he right sf. >> no, he's not. i think we'll get an early indication tonight in new hampshire, north carolina and georgia what's happening, how big the wave is. if we pick up two or three of those seats, it's going to be a big night. >> some of those in the eastern time zone, you're not waiting until we get to the alaska issue. you also are up for reelection tonight, not in one of the tightly contested races. you're ahead 57% to 35% of your democrat opponent. if you win, you stand to gain a great deal of power if you get the senate, if you get the six seats in the senate. you're now number two in terms of republican pow near the senate. will you run for majority whip if your party wins the six seats? >> well, i will, and i look forward to work with the new majority leader mitch mcconnell to turn the senate back to what it used to be, the world's greatest body where people got a chance to offer great ideas and got votes in the senate. that hasn't happe

this was greg orman, the independent, pat roberts, the republican. this was supposed to be the closest race last night. the fact that pat roberts ended up pulling this out, maybe that's not shocking. the fact he won by 11 points is stunning. what this really speaks to is in the end voters in a very republican red state like kansas, a state that rarely votes for democrats for anything, were really moved by the message of greg orman may say he's an independent, if he gets elected, he's going to caucus with the democrats. he's going to let obama's party control the senate. it looks like that really resonated. it looks like the idea of painting greg orman as a democrat in terms of the rub strategy really paid off. i can show you that here to really illustrate it, i'm going to show you the map from 2012 in kansas. this is the way it looks like in kansas when a national democrat runs against a republican. 105 counties. president wins two of them. 103 for the republicans. last night, greg orman, the independent, against pat roberts, the republican. check th

hero. >> greg orman made some comments about former senator bob dole. >> he didn't talk about bob dole, he talked about the caravan. the republicans said he attacked bob dole. >> he contacted him and apologized apparently. >> because it was reported that way. you had a caravan of all of these leaders trying to prop up a 78-year-old senator, it looked embarrassing that they were running them out, because what john just said is important, he has run a different paradime campaign. there are many people on this network who don't get what's going on. he's attacked both parties, he's talked about the big issues in our country, loss of our children, and nobody in the country is doing that, he has gone from 10% in june, in one of the most conservative states in this country. >> i mean pat roberts has had to call in some big names. >> he's called everybody in. >> represents basically the establishment and the republicans, but there is some criticism that greg orman has said that i don't know which way i'll vote, i'll have to see who's in power. >> even vote with the majority party, they keep sa

joining us, senator pat roberts, who last week defeated independent challenger greg orman in a hard-fought battle to retain his seat. senator roberts a key member of a number of committees, including finance, agriculture, health and education. congratulations on your victory. secondly, good to see you. and let's turn to how this congress and this senate will respond to a president who does try to issue an executive fiat declaring amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants. >> lou, thank you very much for those comment. i think it's all hands on deck right now. i'm supporting senator sessions from alabama in his efforts to strip the spending from the president's amnesty, i don't know what to call it. an amnesty executive order. if it's anything they heard in kansas on the campaign trail, is that people are sick and tired of the obama-reid agenda

let's assume greg orman wins. let's give them win. it doesn't change the math because we don't know how he'll vote. we could go into the two runoffs. let say for the sake of argument the republican wins in louisiana. that's the december, look where we are now. 49-49. the democrats only need 50. joe biden would break the tie. even if the republicans won hear, that would get the republicans to 50. greg orman could be sitting there on january 6nd as the most influential man in america. will that happen? probably not. but is it possible in this crazy year that he could be sitting there in jab? if everything to the democrats? joe biden gets the tie. mitch mcconnell gets the gavel? it is possible. >> just switch back and forth. all right. john king, thank you very much. it shows you when you look at all the name, it could come down to one guy. joining me now, when you look at the map, paul, we wanted to break this down really simply. what's the must-win for democrats tomorrow? what would be the biggest loss for you? >> i think the must-win

talk to me about the greg orman thing. i love the notion that an independent can actually end up if he wins the darling. does this mean that literally everyone will be after this fella to come and caucus with them and appease him -- isn't that the best position to be in? >> absolutely. pat roberts, the current incumbent senator from the state of kansas, had a very tough primary race. after the primary was over with, he decided not to campaign. and as a result of that, the independent just began to pick up steam. the democrats said, i'm getting out of the way. and now you have a very tough race in a state that should be red. dorothy was probably a democrat but toto was a republican. >> have you been saving that one for today? >> no, just came up. but the fact is that greg orman is a very interesting person, very authentic. he's appealed to what i call the mainline, mainstream values, midwestern values of kansans. if he wins tonight, no question that democrats and republicans are going to lean on him to caucus with them, per

that really made that lane for greg orman, who's a self-made businessman. voters say because he won't say which party he would align with, told me he might switch back and forth. they don't know what kind of senator he would be. that makes it tough. all the republicans are flooding the zone. bob dole, the kansas icon, will be here today. greg orman says that's a washington establishment clown car, all that outside help. chuck? >> kelly o'donnell, enjoy kansas, that's for sure. now to florida. this is the big gubernatorial prize in the country here. all eyes on charlie crist, the republican incumbent there. rick scott. most expensive race in the country. let's check in in my hometown of miami. mark caputo. what are you watching this early vote? is it an advantage for crist? does it feel like democrats are slightly ahead of where they were in 2010, which was a close race. >> reporter: democrats are ahead of where they were in 2010. way behind where they were in 2012. they have make a 130,000 vote margin, maybe less, over democrats in early and absentee ballot

senator and that greg orman is out of line. as a consequence after that event, greg orman referred to the bus trip with all the gop luminaries including bob dole of being in a clown car running around kansas. that has prompted outrage on the right. pat roberts this morning at a parade earlier made a point of saying it's completely inappropriate and shows how out of touch orman is for insulting the iconic presidential candidate. >> i know every race is going to be tough. you might go in and be unopposed and have some people upset at you. but this race is so important for the country. and so i'm -- you know, i'm doing everything i can. and marines don't quit. we take the hill. >> reporter: mr. roberts said he was very disappointed and thought it was inappropriate for him to do that. he is hoping that independent voters and democrats will essentially abandon and reject orman for having done so. this is a very close race. we are now on interstate 135 here in kansas heading north. trying to track down mr. orman. he's difficult to fi

no question greg orman has had appeal. his ads have been humorous. they've been -- they've been ubiquitous of course. people are curious about him. some have also said they're not quite sure what kind of senator he would be because thhe won't y which party he will align with. >> still a wit of an enigma. thank you to both of you. moving from the senate to the house, democrats are facing extremely long odds in their battle to take seats away from speaker boehner and the republicans. right now, republicans have an edge of 233 seats to 199 seats. there are three vacancies. two democrat, one republican. in order to gain control, republicans will have to net 17 seats. here's why that's such a long shot. back in 2012, democrats netted just eight seats, less than half the number they need this time. going into that election, they had a two-point edge on the jen neitheric ballot. they trail republicans by a point now. they are also helped by president obama's favorable ratings back then and their own ratings as well in 2012. both of them were in positive ter

vice president joe biden said that greg orman will caucus with the democrats if he wins the seat. has or rman responded to that? >> yes, the orman campaign sent out a message saying that greg has never spoken to the vice president in his life, and he's not going to washington to represent the democrats or the republicans. he's going to represent the people of kansas. it does seem like somewhat of a self-inflicted wound by vice president joe biden that probably won't help greg orman. the turn out here in kansas is high. reports from johnson county, the most populous part of kansas saying people are waiting in line up to 30 minutes to vote. polls close in two hours, then we'll start to get results. this race could, as some have said, hold the key to who controls the u.s. senate for the next several years. >> rob, how has orman been able to manage his efforts without getting much support from either party in get out the vote efforts? >> well, he's rich, which always helps, if you want to run a campaign. he spent a lot of his own money, and he doesn't really have an elaborate ground g

republican senator pat roberts and independent greg orman virtually tied. orman accusing his opponent of spending too long in washington and roberts links orman to president obama. although orman has refused to say which party he will vote with if elected. >> we feel really confident that the voters of kansas will take this historic opportunity to send a message to washington. you can't just go and hide behind your party label. you actually have to roll up your sleeves and get things done. >> we will win this race. we will win it because people know the difference. it's so much more than about me. it is a republican majority in the united states senate and saying whoa to the obama agenda. >> whoa. >>> new hampshire, razor close margin. jean shaheen and former massachusetts senator scott brown tied in the recent polls. most prognosticators say this leans democratic. in the return to the senate for a different state, brown tried to tie her to president obama. he has run ads highlighting threats for isis and ebola. >>> also too close to call. colorado, accordi

bill: you also spoke with greg orman. what did he tell you on that question. >> for a first-time candidate greg orman is unusually disciplined. after nothing mostly unanswered doors in a leafy well to do section of to peeka yesterday on the final day of the contest he told me he was perfectly happy with the campaign as he had run it. i also asked why his lead over rob earth shah running to . lead over roberts has sha has s. >> if you look at super parks and lobbiest donation there has been a significant amount of dollars coming in on the other side. >> reporter: the polls open at 7:00 and will close at 7:00. just behind me is where greg orman will be casting his ballot. so was republican senate candidate joni ernst speak out about the so-called war on women earlier. she spoke to bill a few moments ago and she would prefer if democrats stop using that term all together she says. >> i spoke out against this the night of my primary election. i didn't want to hear about the phoney war on women. i'm a woman and second i have b

greg orman said he's going to caucus with whatever party running. so democrats are going could come out and vote for pat roberts, we assume. >> now to the senate race, mary landrieu is in trouble. it may go to a run off. >> it does look bleak for landrieu. what she's looking at is a two-person race in the run off with maness, who is taking a lot of republican votes. >> as we watch louisiana, the 8:00 hour should deliver an interesting house race. vance mcallister was caught on surveillance video kissing someone who is not his wife. his wife forgave him. he's running a pretty decent election. and zach dasher, who happens to be related to a member of the duck dynasty has this ad. >> bible and guns brought us here. and bible and guns will keep us here. zach dasher believes in both. that's why i'm voting for him. >> that guy may still win again. interesting race in louisiana. >> you never want to be known for surveillance video. we go to south dakota, which we never thought we would be talking about tonight. a three-person race, a republican state, and

i talk to greg orman. you had vice president biden saying he would caucus with democrats if he is in fact elected to the senate. orman's campaign, a very quick response to that. >> you're right. quick to respond, quick, anderson, to dismiss it saying in a statement to cnn, greg has never spoken to the vice president before. and then returning to a consistent message from the orman campaign saying that he is not going to washington to represent democrats or republicans. but the people of kansas. and that message, frankly, has had some resonance with voter in kansas, like many americans, showing 6 in 10 americans dissatisfied. on the other side, senator pat roberts, being fed by the other number, 6 in 10 americans dissatisfied or raining with president obama and senator pat roberts' argument that greg orman is a closet democrat. those comments from vice president biden not helping. being in kansas, this is normally a redder than red state. you have a remarkable race here. an independent taking this 34-year c

. >>> greg orman is trying to be an independent senator from the state of kansas. the kansas senate race, kansas governor race have been a favorite of political junkies this year. we're going to go out to kansas. kelly o'donnell gets the assignment and it's a great one of covering this barn burner senate race in kansas tonight. hey, kelly, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. what has made this so compelling is that greg orman, a self-made businessman sort of came out of nowhere to challenge a three-term incumbent in pat roberts. he became vulnerable because many in kansas felt he lost touch here. he owns property but doesn't live in it. rarely came back to the state. those were real openings for greg orman who said both parties have gotten a lot wrong. orman has told me he voted for obama in '08 but mitt romney in '12. he's donated to both parties. he has offered clues but not answers about the kind of senator he would be in terms of which party he would work with, saying the majority party he'll try to join alongside, but leaving a real door open. toni

kansas, incumbent pat roberts or independent greg orman, who wins there? >> i think greg orman wins. you hear horrible rum hors about how robertson's polls are. there i think orman wins. >> there you got independent. arkansas, republican -- >> i think in arkansas, cotton wins. he's made immigration a big issue. i think he wins by a decisive margin. the thing with orman he might old the balance of power because he hasn't committed which way he's going to go. >> it's so fascinating to watch. thank, mickey kaus. >>> ebola has had a big impact on this election and you had an idea of how to impose a quarantine that people might actually like. stay with us. that's next. so i can focus on what matters most. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. transamerica. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. (receptionist) gunderman group is growing. getting in a groove. growth is gratifying. goal is to grow. gotta get greater growth. i just talked to ups. they got expert advise, special discounts, new technolo

. >> he's locked in a tight race with greg orman. >> in kentucky, senate leader mitch mcconnell. >> mitch mcconnell. >> surge ahead of his challenger. >> and in florida. >> in thing's basically a dead heat. >> charlie crist leading by a point. >> and still hitting the campaign trail today, bill clinton campaigns in florida. >> one day left until election day. >> it's off to the races. >> it's all about who comes out and votes. >> i'm joni ernst. i'm scott brown. >> i'm determined to bring decency to washington. >> i want to serve as the people's governor again. >> i really didn't want to do this. >> and i approve this message. >> i approve this message. >> i approve this message. >> it's all tied up. and the results will come down to one thing -- turnout. >>> they call it election day tomorrow, but it is really vote counting day. in an election where some, in some states early voting started six weeks ago. we have a final round of polls of today. in colorado, a new quinnipiac poll shows the race there in a virtual tie with the republican at 45% and incumbent democratic senator udall at 43

greg orman is a serious threat to pat roberts. in louisiana, democrat mary landrieu will likely face a runoff that could delay the senate control. she's facing two republican challengers, bill cassidy and rob maness. will mark udall be ousted by the republican challenger, cory gardner. and in south dakota, another crowded field, democrat rick weiland is facing mike rounds and larry pressler. right now, republicans need a net gain of four, repeat, four seats, to win control of the u.s. senate after scoring pickups tonight in west virginia and arkansas. but if they lose in kansas, that number could go back up. the polls are about to close in arizona, colorado, kansas, louisiana, michigan, nebraska and new mexico, new york, south dakota, texas, wisconsin and wyoming. let's go back to anderson for more. >> we've been cover louisiana. we have correspondents all across the country covering senate races in key states. tracking the ballots as they're counted. i want to go to louisiana to mary landrieu's headquarters. very possible there's

i asked greg and cybil orman if they made up their mind. orman is a multimillionaire businessman running his first political race, and he has been coy about which party he would caucus with in the senate. before we knew about mr. biden's comments, i asked orman if he thought senator roberts had run a fair campaign. >> you would have to define fair. i think i've said it often in this campaign, we no longer live in the information age. we live in the misinformation age. i'm just trusting in the intelligence and the independence of the voters of kansas to get out there, see through the misinformation and ultimately send a message to washington. >> the senator roberts, the three-term incumbent, had voted early through his long-time base in dodge city. he spent the day doing radio interviews and phone banking. roberts closed his case with an emotional appeal. >> i see a lot of faces here. i have family here, and you're all family. with the efforts that we have championed. i am a marine. i'm a republican. i'm a conservative. i'm a fourth generati

. >> challenging roberts, greg orman running as an independent. he said he would work with whatever party in power but could even switch sides. >> three or four months go by and they are engaged in the same old politics. we can change our allegiances and work with the other side. >> today he was mocked as a democrat in disguise. >> and this sipe saying i'm independent and looking for ideas, that sounds like a high school sophomore. >> reporter: but this could cost republicans the big prize. >> people are just frustrated. >> they are. and some of that -- some of them tell the stories to you. >> i know that. they know i'm fighting for them. i have to remind them of that. >> reporter: so if greg orman wins he could become a power broker and as an independent he could throw control. and today the president was heckled and it is a sign of how hard it is for him. >> and on the campaign trail tonight in kansas. >>> and a new wall street journal pole gives us an idea of what is ahead on the tuesday election and what is on the minds of voters. lets a bring

first of all, the independent, greg orman, a millionaire businessman, has to win. the latest polls put them about a percentage point apart. so razor thin. way too close to call. then he has to decide to caucus with the democrats, something he's been very coy about. orman spent the day at get out the vote rallies. roberts spent the day at gop rallies and will spend tonight at a kansas men's basketball game. he got an endorsement over the weekend, bill snyder. like a good football game, this one's going to go right down to the wire. >> thanks very much, jim sciutto, in kansas. another crucial senate race, iowa, where the seat of retiring democrat tom harkin is up for grabs. pamela brown is in des moines for us with more on this race. pamela? >> reporter: wolf, this race is so crucial because whoever wins the senate race could tip the balance of power in the senate. it's an extremely tight race, neck and neck and a record number of iowans have voted early this year, more than 400,000 iowans. democrats have a slight advantage over the republicans in early voting but no

. >> he's locked in a tight race with greg orman. >> in kentucky, senate leader mitch mcconnell. >> mitch mcconnell. >> surge ahead of his challenger. >> and in florida. >> in thing's basically a dead heat. >> charlie crist leading by a point. >> and still hitting the campaign trail today, bill clinton pacampaigns in florida. >> one day left until election day. >> it's off to the races. >> it's all about who comes out and votes. >> i'm joni ernst. i'm scott brown. >> i'm determined to bring decency to washington. >> i want to serve as the people's governor again. >> i really didn't want to do this. >> and i approve this message. >> i approve this message. >> i approve this message. >> it's all tied up. and the results will come down to one thing -- turnout. >>> they call it election day tomorrow, but it is really vote counting day. in an election where some, in some states early voting started six weeks ago. we have a final round of polls of today. in colorado, a new quinnipiac poll shows the race there in a virtual tie with the republican at 45% and incumbent democratic senator udall at

now, the problem with greg orman, for purposes of figuring out who controls the u.s. senate, is that orman is so intent on being independent here that he won't say if he's going to caucus with and vote with the republicans over here or if he might jump across the aisle and caucus with the democrats over here. and that one wildcard, if this is as tight as it might be, jake, could make it as such that every question is answered tonight, we may yet not know who will control the senate when it comes back to town. jake? >> fascinating, tom foreman, thank you so much. orman refuses to say which party he would caucus with if it came down to him. vice president joe biden seems to suggest that he knows the answer. here's what biden said in a radio interview earlier today. >> i think, you know, we have a chance of picking up, you know, an independent who will be with us in the state of kansas. >> our jim sciutto is live in overland park, kansas. jim, did the vice president just let the cat out of the bag? >> reporter: well, i'll tell you, jake, the orman campaign is reacting ve

there's greg orman and pat roberts. jonathan talked about this months ago when he broke the story about pat roberts really living in virginia, not in kansas. if republicans lose that race, it is possible that greg orman, who hasn't said which party he'll caucus could sit around for two months if we have louisiana and georgia decides who controls the senate, huh? >> yes, that's what we're looking at. he's been very clever and coy what he would do, whether or not he'd back democrats or republicans. this next sort of lame duck period waiting on the results of georgia, waiting on the results of louisiana are going to affect so many things. it's going to affect what obama does, in terms of does he want to go forward with immigration reform, executive order or looking at the two races in his calcul calculus. >> i spoke yesterday to some top folks in the gop, they are concerned about the roberts race but here's how confident they are overall. they think they could lose the roberts race in kansas and still get the majority, so

i am not even sure greg orman said. that might be a campaign person. i think he owes bob an apology. but having said that just shows how out of touch his qucampaigns with kansas. nobody in kansas. democrat, independent, any body is going to say anything bad about bob dole. >> i have nothing but the utmost respect for senator dole. i talked at length through out this campaign abut senator dole as an exam pull of the kind of senator and the kent of representation we need in washington. someone who can reach across the aisle. some one who can forge consensus. among people who have different ideas and get things done for the american people. >> orman says the two party system is broken. he registered as a democrat to run for senate several years ago. he is pro-choice. donations to candidates have gone 10 to 1 for democrats instead of republicans. he is clearly a democrat and will caucus with them. what orman said today he thinks it is not politicians broken. able. the two party system it self. listen. >> my whole life i have been politically independent. i

greg orman may have peaked a little soon, we'll see. it takes a campaign organization to get voters out and he's kind of out there on his own. >> and kansas is a fight -- it's an intraparty fight. this is not a fight between the two parties. this is kansas and it has a long tradition of they're very conservative part of the party and the moderate part of the party and this is where greg orman has done very well with the suburbs, and he appeals to the moderate republican who is frustrated, and the governor is also very conservative. you know, that is where roberts needs to bring in a bob dole, because he needs to get those old-line republicans back. he doesn't need the sarah palin republicans now. he needed them earlier. >> also worth mentioning, the democrat in that race dropped out. gwen: that's true. >> or was edged out. gwen: we have a couple more to hit before we run out of time. louisiana, where there may also be a runoff. there is going to be a runoff. >> everybody make your reservation. so we can all have great dinners there. thi

host: nathan gonzales, talk about the rise of greg norman. -- of greg orman. he had run briefly as a democrat in the past, has given to president obama in the past, has also given to scott brown in the past. fascinating dynamic. democrats got their own nominee to drop out of the race, so greg orman is getting independent voters and republican voters who are the satisfied with pat roberts. they may not like that he has not spend a lot of time that she has not spent a lot of time in kansas. it looks like it could be a perfect storm for an independent candidate to win. one of the advantages he has is that he is independently wealthy. he has not suffered from the structural fundraising deficit i was talking about. he can write a check and has been able to boost his campaign on his own. if he did not have that ability, i am not sure he would be in the same position he is right now. what about when he says things like, "i am going to caucus with whatever party wins"? also: i believe he has told chuck todd of nbc that he has said he would not caucus --h a party that

by businessman greg orman, running as an independent on a wave of voters' anger. >> this campaign is really a tremendous opportunity, i think, for the voters of kansas, to send a message to politicians on both sides in washington that you've got to end the gridlock. >> reporter: and part of what has made greg orman one of the most fascinating figures this election season, he won't say which party he would work with if he gets to washington. as we've been talking to voters, not only are they angry and fed up, but, brian, they also tell us they're just disappointed. >> kelly o'donnell, observerland park, kansas where she'll be posted all evening long. there's a chance a number of races will go into overtime tonight which means control of the senate could still be undecided by the time folks wake up tomorrow. for that matter by one scenario, it's january before we could know. kristen welker is covering a closely watched senate race in georgia and then some for us tonight. kristin, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. that's right. georgia is pivotal. it could be the democrats

what you had in kansas was a candidate here greg orman who people liked a little bit better. they liked the message of independence better, but ultimately they wanted the republican senate. the effect of that campaign that pat roberts ran, we can illustrate that for you. i can show you this is the map of kansas in the 2012 election. we didn't pay much attention to it, why? because it's kansas, of course. romney won easily. this is what it looked like 105 counties and 103 is republican red. that's what happens when a national democrat runs in kansas. the roberts people ran that campaign against orman. hey, don't give the national democrats the senate. what happens? what does the map look like in kansas last night? after this razor thin campaign comes down to the wire, it looks exactly the same. 102 counties in kansas go republican red. three go for orman, two are the same that went for obama. there's essentially no difference there. that's the story in kansas. the other big surprise, mark warner ends up a surprise, but this was shockingly close. because mark warner we know is

by businessman greg orman, running as an independent on a wave of voters' anger. >> this campaign is really a tremendous opportunity, i think, for the voters of kansas, to send a message to politicians on both sides in washington that you've got to end the gridlock. >> reporter: and what made greg orman so fascinating in the season is he will not say which party he would work with. when we're talking to voters, they're saying what they want is to be heard. too often, brian, they say they've been disappointed. >> kelly o'donnell starting us off from kansas tonight. we'll check back with you during the evening. a total of 36 senate seats will be decided in this election. there are ten big close states we're watching, but the results of two of those races in particular especially for folks in the eastern time zone could give us an early indication about which way these political winds are blowing. chuck todd, our political director, moderator of "meet the press" at the board with more. what are you watching tonight? >> here's all the races that are up. they're all in yellow. we're in re

. >> vice president joe biden admitted that greg orman will become a democrat in the u.s. senate even though orman is denying it to kansas voters. listen to what bider said? >> we have a chance of picking up, you know, an independent who will be with us in the state of kansas. >> today is your last chance to stop the obama/reid agenda. >> we don't know what part that played in leading senator roberts to keep his job, but we know the outcome, he does get to keep his job, he's returning to washington, and he won by a very comfortable margin of 8%. carol? >> kyung lah reporting live this morning, thank you. >>> still to come in "the newsroom," the georgia senate race is expected to be neck in neck. in the end it just wasn't. >> the only reason i think we're standing here tonight is that this message resonated across the state that we have to change the direction of our country. as a senator i'll represent every single individual in this state. do that i have to reach out to people. >> mg coucoming up next, cnn's exclusive interview with republican winner david perdue. if yand

greg orman is saying that washington is broken with both parties. tell kansas to go an independent route and maybe if he were to win, he would be an almost instant power broker in washington trying to really decide which party to go with. that's one of the question marks. he has not told people which party he would align himself with while remaining an independent in washington. this is hard to get a sense of because of that. >> looking at the campaigning he has been doing, what he is focused on is shoring up the base. he had bob dole and mid-romney hitting the trail. do you think that is more of a priority than winning over swing voters and independents at this point? >> what he has been trying to do is remind people who have been regular villain voters in kansas and they are the majority and trying to overcome his negatives. the weakened approval rating he had. and to really make a case that an independent like greg orman is something to have questions about. that's the republican point here. they are saying he has been much more of a democrat on

greg orman is saying washington is broken, don't send the same person back after three terms. so it's an interesting race to watch because it's got all of the fault lines of where voters are in terms of their frustrations, but also in terms of who will control the senate? those who say it should be in republican hands that beefs up the argument for pat roberts. even themepeople who are close to him say, may not have been the most dynamic candidate, but on issues, many kansas voters are likely to agree with him. that's how it's playing out. alex? >> thank you, kelly o'donnell in the overland park part of shawnee mission, kansas. >>> while it looks more and more likely the republicans will take the senate. can president obama break the gridlock with a gop-dominated hill? in a new interview this morning, republican elder statesman james baker offered his advice. >> george h.w. bush faced an all democratic capitol hill. house and senate and got a lot of things done. ronald reagan had a democratic house the entire time he was president. he got a lot of things done. bill clinton --

it doesn't change the math if greg orman wins. you can have a run off here in louisiana and georgia not until january. >> wow, we may not know until next year. >> if democrats won in both, they would be in 49. greg orman at 50. democrats need 50 because of joe biden, republicans need 51. we could be waiting in this race is settled on january 6th to find out. >> it will be a long night indeed tomorrow night. john king, thanks very much. >> more on president obama's role in tomorrow's outcome or lack of a roll. he only campaigned for a few candidates and many others distanced themselves from him. some democrats shying away to say if they voted for him. he's a midterm, second-term president with not exactly a winning package. that said, is this president any more politically toxic than any others? we'll talk to the panel ahead but first, background from dana bash. >> reporter: from kentucky. >> a new phase to vote for barack obama. >> reporter: to kansas to colorado. >> he voted 99% of the time for president obama. >> reporter: repub

you got ahold of greg orman. how is the race going? >> reporter: we got ahold of him and it took a while to get him. it orman is hard to nail down and arguing that all he wants to do is break down the two party system and change washington with all of the grid lock. he had a misstep that could give an opening.g. the bus full of republicans including bob deal and an icon here was part of a clown car. and that prompted robertson for not recognizing one of the republican icons of the state. >> that was a cheap shot. i don't know i am not sure that greg orman that said that. it might be a campaign person. he owes bob a policy. it shoes how out of touch his campaign is with kansas. no one in kansas is going to say anything bad about bob deal. >> reporter: of course, mr. orman said he was not trying to insult mr. doyle, but republicans in washington. >> i have nothing but the utmost respect for senator doyle. i talked at length about senator doyle as the example of the kind of senator and representative that we need in washington and someone