voxalead news 2012-11-8

On the broadcast tonight after a history making election night 4 more years for President Obama tonight how he won why Mitt Romney lost, and the message voters across America sent last night. We'll have a look at all the trends and results also tonight. The East Coast is taking another hit of extreme weather and it's going to get worse. That means more trouble for millions of people already hit hard by Hurricane Center. The storm and the election nightly news begins now.

World headquarters in New York. This is NBC nightly news with Brian Williams.

Good evening. While the nation tries to recover from a deep recession and in a presidential race. We were after all. All told, was as close and as tight as they get Barack Obama. The 40 of 44th president of the United States was re-elected last night he was somehow able to stitch together a convincing victory winning just about all of the battleground states that were so heavily fought over in the most expensive race in US this.

It was early this morning when the president appeared with his family, becoming the 3rd consecutive 2 term president we've elected that hasn't happened since the time of presidents, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. President Obama won a.

A decisive victory in both the electoral college and in the popular vote the outlier. The one state on the map. Not yet called is Florida. And here we are on the east coast also covering their son nor'easter a storm so fierce the governor of New Jersey, said today it will move his state's recovery effort backwards for a time. And here's a live picture of the map of the states on the 30 rock skating rink were used as part of our coverage last night of election night tonight it's under a layer of swirling snow back inside. We begin tonight with what happened last night. The president's historic re-election to a second term. He's on his way back to the White House tonight. That is where Kristen Welker starts off our coverage Christian goody.

Brian, good evening, after a grueling and bitter campaign, President Obama returns to the White House as a 2-term president. And with the economy still limping back to health. The stakes could not be higher.

President Obama triumphant this afternoon, heading back to Washington, where voters decided he should stay for 4 more years.

At his campaign headquarters in Chicago this afternoon, Mr. Obama thanked staff and supporters.

This after a night of emotional celebration in his hometown of Chicago 20,000 down shedding tears and sharing.

To.

And what are in your motor. I have listened to you, I have learned it from you and you may be a better president.

A passionate speech.

The Cheryl. I never loved you more.

Mixed with a little bit of in debt is dollars.

So proud of you guys, but I will say that for now one dogs probably enough.

Almost 200.

Logging thousands of miles aboard Air Force One.

The 2 candidates, spending more than $900 billion, making this the most expensive heated history.

It's a victory that at times seemed impossible.

Given the anemic economy.

Hugely disappointing jobs report.

And sharply divided electorate.

A toxic and disruptive debate here on Capitol Hill.

Mr. Obama seemed to recognize the renewed urgency for bipartisanship.

I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together.

Even pledging to accomplish things this time around he was able to accomplish during his first.

Reducing our deficit reforming our tax code. That's in our immigration system cells from 4 to do.

And Mr. Obama tried to bury the hatchet with his one-time for.

In the weeks ahead. I also look forward to sitting down with Governor around to talk about where we can work together to move this country.

In the moments after he won this digital age president posted this.

Photo: which quickly became the most liked ever on Facebook. Just one more image of Barack Obama's groundbreaking journey.

Now is a potential economic crisis looming, the president already reached out to congressional leaders in both parties and a to show he is serious about bipartisanship and right down the street Ryan work has already begun on viewing stands for the inauguration. One more point. I am told that the crew aboard Air Force One. If President Obama a congratulatory cake on the way her.

Kristen Welker on the White House lawn starting off our coverage tonight Kristen thanks now to all the questions being aimed at Romney campaign headquarters in Boston after a sad night there and the question what went wrong in the Romney campaign Peter Alexander covering he is there for us tonight. Peter, good evening.

Right. Good evening to you here in Boston. This is apparently the intersection of politics and the nor'easter, in the words of one top aide to the Romney campaign tonight. The mood within that campaign is a lot like this weather dreary at the end of a 6-year-long quest for the White House tonight. Mitt Romney is left asking himself what might have been.

Dressed in a business suit and surrounded by family, friends, and for a final few hours of secret service team Mitt Romney this morning left his Boston hotel abruptly returning to life as a private citizen. The governor. Can you give us some word on this November 7th the day Governor Romney promised voters he get to work. The campaign work left to do tearing down and packing up.

Just before 1 o'clock this morning, more than 90 minutes after those networks, who called the race, Mr. Romney took the stage alone.

Like so many of you Paul and I have left everything on the field, we have given our all to this campaign.

But his disappointment at the end of a 6-year quest was palpable. I so wish.

But I have been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader.

Mr. Romney thank supporters and staff but saved special words for his wife of 43 years.

She would have been a wonderful first lady.

Today, Paul Ryan, who was re-elected to the house and we'll have a much bigger voice the Republican Party's future released a statement.

I'm immensely proud of the campaign we ran and I remain grateful to Governor Romney for the honor of being his running mate. Hours earlier, as results poured in and excitement from the election night ballroom cut the audio to the giant.

Broadcast screens instead queuing the band to play.

And today, one of Mr. Romney's top surrogates New Jersey Governor Chris Christie spoke for his fellow Republic.

To the to support of their. I was surprised, you know, that ended as quickly as it did, but its weight goes people decide elections.

Another source close to the campaign put more sustainably telling NBC News. This one stings and Bryant within the last hour. Governor Romney left his campaign headquarters. He was there. Wrapping up a farewell meeting with his staff now leaving those headquarters, perhaps for the last time.

Peter gender at the end of the Romney campaign on a blustery Boston, Mass. Tonight, Peter flags and Leicester holders here with us in the studio after we all went through this long night with a look at how the Obama campaign was able to stitch gather this week.

Well, the short answer is, they recognize the demographic this shift in this country bride are you could argue, the Romney campaign was working from a very solid play but, but in retrospect, it may have been an addition that was simply out of date, and based on old assumptions.

Mitt Romney's loss has conservatives confronting the reality of a shrinking Republican base the white establishment is now the minority since 1992 the percentage of white voters in this country is drop from 87% to 72% while the same time, the percentage of Latino voters who tend to lean Democratic has steadily grown.

Demographically, this is a different country and Republicans need to understand that.

In 2000 for President Bush got 40% of the Latino vote. John McCain 31% and 0-8 and for Mitt Romney. This year, just 27% in the wake of Tuesday Republican soul searching will center on places like Florida our seal the County near Orlando Bush wanted in all 4. But a growing Puerto Rican population transplants like Rafael Suarez now help fuel Obama's second victory there a group largely disenchanted with Republicans.

You go in this respect, the Hispanic community. And then you think win and noticing that.

In Florida alone. The Hispanic population has grown more than 500,000 since 2008 but among them. Republicans have been perceived as tone deaf on a topic of critical importance immigration reform.

How do you send them home. Well, the answer is self-deportation, which is people decide that they can do better by going home because they can't find work here that words matter even though Barack Obama has deported more undocumented of Latinos than any other president in the history of the United States, it's the words that are use self-deportation was I think we really, really hurtful.

Republicans must now figure out how to balance therefore values and ideals.

Against this shifting demographic landscape.

Republicans, at least at the national level to win elections and along this path, they can't win national actions there will be a debate, then, on how you react to that, but I think that assumption is going to be broadly shared the part.

The post-mortem will take time and among the questions Republicans or be asking themselves as they pore through the data are these so called swing states really swing states anymore have a demographic changes in some of them been so profound Brian that at least when it comes to presidential races have they become blue states now.

Well, absolutely. A lot of one of the many questions demographers and politicians will be going over as we come out of this Lester hole.

Thanks and out last night in the engine room was watching a lot of this happen in the numbers in real time. As it happened, chuck you have more proof today.

Why do and it's you know the. The Obama campaign used a not-so-secret government document. It's called the 2010 census. And essentially what they saw in the state of Florida, and they did this all through the 9 battleground state. What we are focusing on the state because they figured out. Okay. We're not gonna carry any new counties, they're not gonna be able expand the electorate outside of the counties that they're going to do in fact they carry fewer counties in Florida, but what they're going to do is find more voters. And what was interesting though to that white vote in Florida in 2008 the white vote accounted for 71% of the vote. Well in 2012 yesterday, the white vote fell down to 66%. So all of a sudden, more than a 3rd of voters in 4 Florida were non-what does that mean going forward Brian. That is why show you what this means for the electoral map. I think it means. In 2016 you're gonna see Georgia you're gonna see Texas any Arizona possibly in play, because that's where the Hispanic population has been booming.

All right, so many numbers so little time. Chuck Todd back at his board Chuck thanks and so many races so many results Andrea Mitchell here with us with more on what happened last night.

A lot happened last night when it was all over the house remained Republican the Senate remain democratic. But that doesn't mean a lot didn't change in the election last night.

It seems to me. First of all for what. In a year when a male Senate candidate talked about legitimate rate and Mitt Romney spoke awkwardly about binders full of women the voters made it the year of the woman. The new Senate will have 20 women, a record, including 5 women elected last night, ranging from the first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate to consumer advocate and Harvard Professor Elizabeth Moore.

The defeated Republican staffer news such as you met him only gonna fight for equal pay for it in this handsome Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay member of what used to be part of.

The world's most exclusive men's club. I will be a senator for all of Wisconsin. As for those Republican candidates Richard Murdoch entirely who made controversial comments about rape, they both lost. They came to Missouri's Claire McCaskill, who held on recent and Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War double-amputee who won a House seat in Illinois in New Hampshire are the top elected officials are now women the governor both senators and the members of Congress. Democrats started recruiting women candidates almost 2 years ago.

I was at the beginning of the time when the Republicans came into power in the house and the first few bells they put out took away a woman's right to choose.

For the first time white men will be in the minority among House Democrats, but House Republicans will be more white and male although Michelle Bachman won her race his election also saw gains for same sex marriage 2 states, Maryland and Maine became the first to vote for gay marriage, and Washington State, and Colorado voted to legalize recreational marijuana Massachusetts legalize it for medicinal use only.

In plain English. There's a whole lot to weed on the ballot in a lot of places tonight.

Pat didn't do so well in Oregon and Arkansas where voters defeated legalization.

Still, as the poet once said, the times they are a change.

Well the ever Andrea Mitchell. After a long night. Thanks for being with us tonight we're gonna take a break and when we come back a big storm that is an urgent matter for millions of people along the East Coast tonight, many of them still wrapped up and suffering from a life.

Like the last time we went through this, we had a lot of warning and notice that a storm is coming and sadly just like last time it's making conditions miserable for a whole lot of people the nor'easter that's upon us in the Northeast tonight. The New Jersey governor said today it will actually set back recovery efforts in that state. NBC's Katie terrorism the small peninsula community of Sea Bright, New Jersey, not far from New York City to the south along the Jersey Shore Katie get it.

Good evening. Brian years Leon see very often we have accumulation on the ground and flooding here in this town Tennessee right it is 3 blocks and wide at its wide as we have the ocean in front of me and the Shrewsbury River behind me it floods and during our nor'easter is and they got hit really hard during Sandy can see that by those buildings behind me now this town along with the rest of coastal New Jersey is wondering what they're gonna wake up to.

10 days after Hurricane Sandy ripped apart the Jersey Shore.

Towns are scrambling to prepare for the first major winter storm and restore the battered coastline.

The Weather Channel's Mike this morning.

They're in Point Pleasant Beach they spent the past week. All the sand back on the streets. Everything that's there down to the beach, building a doing that's twice as high, but not as wide as the one that was wiped out by Hurricane Sandy.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie warned this nor'easter could stall the restoration effort.

I hate setbacks.

And all tolerated usually very well, but this one, I can't control the weather is what it is and where have to deal with it.

This afternoon Sea Bright New Jersey is empty and broken as the town awaits another dangerous storm surge town read Murphy has the hard job of making sure folks get out of town for their own go.

We get people in here that it start calling us and asking us to come get it's dangerous.

Throughout New Jersey on the shore and inland. There are still 369,000 homes and businesses without power and water hit the house among those trying to cope longtime brick New Jersey residents might personnel. The water was right at the top of the fence, he stayed for Sandy which port 4 feet of water into the basement and he's ignoring the mandatory evacuation this time.

The worst thing that can happen is that true being pushed over on the house.

Up and down the short gamers are helping neighbors.

That's because for her of the people around hearing that would managed to leave behind.

This next crawl storm will take away.

There is a blew across New Jersey right now and that means there are emergency shelters open and warming centers for anybody who needs to get warm and Brian, I will tell you, it is very cold out here.

Terror Sea Bright New Jersey Katie thanks into the studio. We go meteorologist Janice standing by Janice, we estimate we got upwards of million folks who can't still see this broadcast. This is just about more than this region can take.

Exactly. Brian and with the wind. So strong out there with the storm 2 people. Maybe just finally got their power back may lose their power again it's snowing outside right here in New York City like it's the middle of January, Katie mentioned the cold that's no ban extends from New Jersey, all the way into the Berkshires of Massachusetts 1400 flights canceled in anticipation of the storm. Here's our future tracker and it looks like this moderate to heavy snow will continue from New York City up western Massachusetts southern portions of New Hampshire through our midnight tonight and will continue in parts of Maine even until tomorrow morning, but then it will slowly wind down in terms of snowfall totals to look for and is expected in New York City 4 to 8 from western New Jersey into western Connecticut and the Berkshires maybe as much as 10 inches in the higher elevations.

Absolutely. Hard to believe, Janice Huff. Thanks. We'll take a break when we come back a plunge in the markets today, we'll look at what of Wall Street so worried.

On Wall Street today something of a post-election hangover after worries about Europe's debt crisis exploded back on the scene. Worries about our own debt problems here at home. Contributed to what was the biggest one-day loss in a year for stocks Dow was down just under 313 points NASDAQ lost almost 75 S&P was down almost 34 we have asked Maria barter Romo to join us from CNBC World Headquarters. To answer the question what's going on here by.

A lot's going on, Brian, is a real tough day on Wall Street today in part of the reason was that we now know that we are not going to see much improvement in Europe over the near term, but a big portion of the sell-off was disappointment over what is to come under President Obama, the investment community is worried about higher taxes they're worried about higher regulations and as a result they sold today and they are thinking later the fiscal cliff. The biggest near-term worry. Let's not forget, at the end of the year, we're going to see $600 billion in spending cuts take place that may very well mean layoffs in the defense sector health care transportation. Couple that with tax increases for most income levels. If they don't get their arms around this fiscal cliff. That's the big issue. People want to see compromise in Washington. So before we actually know what's going to happen. Investors said let me sell right now, and think later.

Before there can be hope there has to be worse Maria thank you as always, we want to give you an early heads up we're going long tonight an extra half hour. But if you're NBC station doesn't stay with us. Please be ready to switch over to live streaming coverage on the web at NBC nightly news.com another break and up next, the first daughters. Growing up before our very eyes.

One of the enduring images from last night was one the first family emerged in share.

Cargo. A lot of people were thinking about the memory of 4 years ago and all parents can sympathize with how fast the kids grow up first. Not all kids have to go up in the public eye. Well what a striking image of the Obama family.

Last night, and there you have the Obama daughters from 4 years ago the daughters, by the way, Malia, is now 14 Sasha is now 11 again. We are staying put here tonight to offer a second half-hour special coverage on this day after the election. While most of our NBC stations will be carrying our second half hour if yours is not where you live, you can watch our broadcast live streaming on line at NBC nightly news.com. For now, however, that is our broadcast for this Wednesday night after election night. Thank you for being here with us. I'm Brian Williams. We hope to see you either way back here tomorrow we could.

From NBC News world headquarters in New York. This is NBC nightly news with Brian Williams.

Well, we're back from New York of not only our continuing coverage the aftermath of this presidential election. We're still covering the aftermath of a hurricane on the east coast and now this second big storm in just days hitting some of the areas and some of the people already devastated by Sandy first of politics. President Obama's victory celebration didn't last long. He flew back to Washington tonight arrived with his family after a quick visit to home in Chicago, David Gregory moderator, Meet the Press was along the entire distance with us last night he is back in Washington tonight. So, David, that the term of art and politics is a status quo election. That means that after all the talking and all the spending, the balance of power stayed the same, White, House, Senate, House, what kind of atmosphere does the president come home to.

Well to be tense Friday, we talked about last night because of the fiscal cliff because of the enormous difficulties that Washington faces proving to the American people that they can actually break the cycle of dysfunction and reach some agreement on the most important matters taxes and spending, especially of these attacks increases set to take place in big spending cuts set to take place. There's got to be some aggrieved I the president struck a different tone. Last night it was gonna be one where he's gonna say look I won, you got to fall into line.

But he does feel like he's got a mandate and you're hearing it from the administration already vertically with regard to raising taxes on wealthier Americans that's gonna be a big bargaining chip here as he tries to come up with a grand deal on reducing the debt.

And David. The message from last night is there and it was called a mandate lists a election. I guess that's in the eye the beholder.

Well and I think this is what really gonna be talking about food for weeks now, but the president demonstrated a great deal of resiliency here just as the economy has under his leadership. That's the argument he made last night, but he does want to reach out to Republicans he wants to meet with Governor Romney as well and get his ideas. In addition to his own.

So the reality is that there is still something of a smaller mandate because there's such a hangover from the past 4 years about how does.

Functional. Washington has been he's got to see his way through and in terms of big accomplishment he wants to reduce this debt if he can do that, then maybe the highways. A little bit, a roomier in terms of other accomplishments like immigration.

4. All right. David Gregory back home the Meet the Press studios in our Washington Bureau. And I, David.

Thanks. On Capitol Hill today something interesting happened. Remember. Democrats control the White House and the Senate Republicans in the House. The speaker of the House John summoned reporters gave a rather formal speech he used a teleprompter because it was important to get the words right and he had a message to send to the president. Kelly O'Donnell covers the for us and she is there tonight, Kelly. Good evening.

Good evening. Brian quite a conciliatory tone today and there is new urgency here and we'll all be hearing a lot more of this term fiscal cliff that is the danger of another recession. Unless Congress acts. Before the new year. That's when taxes go up as the Bush era rates expire, the payroll tax goes back up to its normal rate after a 2-year break, and a big axe falls across-the-board spending cuts that would hurt the economy unless Washington does something about the long-term deficit so today. Congressional leaders started their public negotiation.

I want to work together. But I I everyone's also understand you can't push the story out.

Resident. This is your mum.

We're ready to be led. Not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans, we want you to leave.

There are differing solutions. Democrats say they want higher taxes on the wealthy to help reduce the deficit. Republicans today said they would accept more tax revenue. But by overhauling the tax code and closing loopholes not raising rates so they're talking about working together. They don't have much time. Less than 2 months to get something done.

Reilly O'Donnell on the hill tonight Kelly. Thanks. We've been talking about the map of last night's result, there is only one outlier. Only one state that's not yet decided in gray bottom right, the state.

Of Florida. We've been here before, in a way that of deja vu. NBC's Mark Potter is where they're still counting ballots and a row Mark.

The at the the elections office the ballot count into a second day Florida voters who were standing in line when the polls close last night were promised they would still get a chance to vote and in 9 counties spread throughout the state. Those lines continued long past closing time some into the wee hours of the morning. Even though half the Florida voters had already cast their votes in the days before the election.

Yeah, we are the laughing stock of the nation. It's not chads and equipment. This time it's process.

In Fort Myers, a distraught election supervisor promised to do better next time.

And to those who got discouraged and left without voting. Moving forward, I will do whatever it takes to ensure that this is not happen again. Will it get.

Election officials blamed the delays on a lengthy now filled with 11 state constitutional amendment questions Ian on lots of absentee ballots, which take longer to count but angry voters blame it on a lack of workers and equipment.

I don't see any reason that there was a more at that there were more machines to to print the ballots on I've thought about a couple times getting on a line in this, you know, call it that night.

Florida officials say they know this is a serious problem.

And they are still counting here tonight. In his acceptance speech, President Obama said this issue of long lines at the polls is something that needs to be fixed.

Bryant some we should be able to get right. A serious problem. Indeed, Mark Potter in Florida for us tonight. Mark, thanks. Now to this nor'easter the other story we're covering that could mean a lot of suffering for those already suffering in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Correspondent Stephanie gospel is in Long Beach on Long Island, New York tonight. Stephanie evening.

Good evening, Brian. The snow is really started to come down here in the last hours most of Monday's for the most part, then I think that ends in Sanya, though he did run a price, a few hardy souls are here trying to stick it out. Officials say that the surge will hit here around 2:00 AM this morning suspected to rise 5 to 6 feet.

Is if things weren't bad enough in Long Beach, Long Island, here comes the nor'easter.

The very Carroll pennies house during last week's superstore has now been covered by snow.

But if Sandy couldn't drive around this storm has no chance.

I think what's that were alive. You know I'm not gonna deny this the storms last year it what that points. I'm glad I stayed.

In New York State, more than 250,000 households, have no power and most of them have no heat.

Braving the wind and the snow. Utility crews are out working trying to restore power where they can.

While the storm is not as dangerous as Sandy was New Yorkers should still take safety precautions today and tonight. Tell me what you know.

Well, I've been trying my best, but in many places the despair is growing Greenberg Town Supervisor Paul finer is on the front lines of what he says is the biggest crisis his community has ever seen.

People are free zone. There are a lot of people with major medical illnesses that are not getting the help that they need one killed.

Jeanne Begala his family is struggling no power now for 10 days, a small generator runs a refrigerator and a couple of lives but there's no heat cold temperatures are making the unbearable.

I make sure that the kids are and were all in layers and sleeping bags and lots of blankets and I actually last night, it was really cold.

But while we were there at the moment. Thousands in this region have been waiting for the heat, especially as the big concern right now we are called.

One less family in the dark and the cold, at least for now.

The fire department, as if they had a concern here in long reason that is these houses that are using generators problem is the wires. It then voted by the salt water Brian and they turn to generate generators on they can spark.

Whole lot of people suffering, throughout this region. But what a moment you happen to be there when the lights came back on for that family were happy for them. Stephanie gospel Long Beach and New York, Stephanie. Thank you. We go now to our veteran of this Weather Channel meteorologist.

Jim can Florio happens to be in the midst of an in Trenton, New Jersey. Jim, it's always something these days it's hard to believe this is going on.

Yeah. Especially, 9 days after I was up here covering a hurricane of all things Bryant so that what is what makes it incredibly interesting but let's show you this, this continues to break tonight during your broadcasts. We've actually seen areas now upgraded to all winter storm warning in southern New York and southwest of etiquette including Bridgeport New Haven. You could see the radar is just lit up here with snow and within this radar were of course the white denotes the cell. There are heavier bands of snow likely see what's coming out here and trend these solar dollar flakes, which are now starting to key word on the roads for the first time many areas are already gotten 68 is a snow they may exceed 10 inches of snow in areas where we have this pink shade of 6 plus, but I'll tell ya, you can't believe the spread of this thing across New Jersey we've had sold keenly on some of the worst hit parts of the Jersey Shore today in the tune of 2 to 4 inches of snow. We've just learned as well. Bryant that another 100,000 people are now added to the list in New Jersey alone with new power outages compliments of this nor'easter.

Absolutely unbelievable. I don't know how much more people are supposed to be able to tell Jim Tory Trenton, New Jersey has this region gets a walloping again. Tonight we'll take a break up next more about what happened last night.

The people who enjoy read they go by the proper proper title marijuana enthusiasts, had a very good night at some of the polls. Last night, specifically the recreational use of marijuana. NBC's might tie AB has our report from one of the states that said yes to this topic and that's Colorado.

Marijuana fans are celebrating in Denver. Voters in.

Colorado and Washington state. The first ever to make it legal for adults to possess and sell small amounts of pot for recreational use.

We really feel that Colorado can be a model for the nation and had sensibly regulate marijuana policy.

But Governor John Hickenlooper who oppose the measure that it's too early to break out the chinos and goldfish a funny line but also practical warning. That's because the federal Justice Department still calls part a dangerous controlled substance and enforcement of the controlled substances act remains unchanged.

It's hard to imagine the chaos that would result if state by state you have you know one state legalizing once state not legalizing it.

In fact, some sellers of medical marijuana already legal here so they won't risk shelling recreational pot arrest and to obviously keep enough but he could be right around the corner a collision between federal law and state voters or any kind of marijuana seemingly unavoidable.

And in another notable ballot measure in California voters agreed to pay more in sales tax and more in income tax for high earners to help close what Governor Jerry Brown calls a $34 billion state budget. Right.

A beautiful evening in Denver might tidy with our report from the Wild West. Mike thanks to Chuck Todd we go once again and Chuck, especially for those of us who love the game and love politics. There are so many race results from last night I thought I'd let you free associate specially the names people might know who won, who lost and some of the big and small wrists.

Well you know there's a there's a bunch of big ones. That was the House and Senate. A married couple Connie Mack Mary Bono Mack husband and wife members of Congress, Connie Mack the 4th from Florida. The son of a former Senator Mary Bono Mack, of course, the widow of Sonny Bono replaced him in Congress, they both lost last night but for different races Connie Mack was of course running for the US Senate in Florida, he lost to Bill Nelson and then Mary Bono Mack lost a very close race of mostly thanks to redistricting out there so they go from being one of Washington's power couples to now or looking for work, but there is a whole bunch Ben Chandler he's a longtime Democratic member of Congress. In fact if you look at all of these. If you were an older white male House Democrat and you were running in a reddish district sometimes rural district you likely lost last night, Ben Chandler from Lexington, Kentucky: he was a loser. Of course, is the. I believe great grandson of Happy Chandler the famous baseball.

And chucked there's a Kennedy heading back to Congress.

Joe Kennedy the 3rd. This is now, he would be, I believe now the 4th generation away from the original Joe Kennedy: I hope I have my numbers right on this one. Whether the grandson I believe Robert of Bobby Kennedy. That's right. And I have had a another Kennedy family members say to me, this will be Joe Kennedy III will be the next Kennedy in the United States Senate. What's interesting about this, what's the speculation that John Kerry could be the next secretary of state. You know what that would lead to within 6 months, we could have a special election in Massachusetts.

For now, the US that's funny how those things happen sometimes say we briefly widened out to show that you have a screen full of information next to you, what's that about.

About very quickly, I know you love this thing, the most expensive elect tour although we thought we would let you know what it was between the parties. It was in the state of Iowa. Maybe there was more money spent in Ohio, Florida and Virginia but her elect Toral vote $12 million for those 6 electoral votes and I wanna throw run through a couple of things that people want to know, I think people should know Virginia's Senate race cost almost $80 million in Massachusetts Senate race just over 70 million. A little perspective here 12 years ago. Bush and Gore. When they ran for president. Both spent less than that. Just on their general action budgets that was for president. This is what Senate races cost.

Chuck Todd with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and some of the damage from last night. Chuck. Thanks, we'll be talking about this one for a long time. When we come back this really was the election. The whole world was watching will prove it through the reporting of our chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel will be here with us right after this.

Was.

Before the break. This truly was the election watched around the world and we're fortunate because here on a brief shore leave here's our chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel that we're used to seeing all over the world. Our Richard you're reporting on how this echoed around the globe. Well, there are critics.

You say the United States is losing its position of leadership around the world, but by the attention that we saw so many countries pay to this election. It's clear that who is elected president still deeply matters.

Michael Archer of what I was going on.

Only election was the lead story around the globe to a second term to the White House.

The reaction in general a sigh of relief, you could even see it trending worldwide on Twitter.

For China President Obama's victory represented welcome consistency of history. We can keep.

So pollution normal person less serious.

There was enthusiasm from the leaders in Europe where Governor Romney was unpopular after an awkward visit this summer in the Middle East. Do I have is a very good morning there's hope that President Obama will embrace the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. In his second term. The way he embraced the Arab Spring. In its first.

He has a chance to be legacy he's believed now and feed from having toured abroad to get completely.

But the president's re-election drew cool response from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The 2 men are not close a second term comes with a world of problems.

For President Obama the most dangerous country in the world in his first term in his second term will be Pakistan.

That's where bin Laden was hiding and it remains a safe haven for militant extremists, Syria is imploding and threatens to spread into a regional war Syrian rebels hope the President will now engage the euro was in crisis Greeks riding again today and of course, Iran still pursuing nuclear ambitions despite crippling sanctions.

Many worried that could trigger another war.

And then, Brian. There is the war that we are already in. In Afghanistan, where US troops are dying at a rate of about one per day and sadly over the past decade. We can trace your travels. For all the problems we've seen around the world which we were glad to have you. Thank you very much for being with us tonight back after this.

The government is just said before the break, we can trace most of the problems the world Richard Engel if I said that it can come out wrong. We don't mean that at all about our friend and colleague Richard Engel about last night of a lot of Americans were forced to go to bad the hour was so late before they heard the speech, the president delivered to throngs of supporters in Chicago. In case you are among them here now a portion of the president's victory address last night.

While our road has been hard well our journey has been wrong we picked ourselves up we have gone our way.

And we.

But for the United States of America. The best is yet to come.

Well you bowl for the very first time.

A very very long time you.

The Obamas light or air on his side. You make your voice heard.

And you make a difference.

Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated it necessarily stars passions stirs up controversy.

That won't change after tonight, and it shouldn't.

These arguments. We have a of our liberty.

I have always believed that hope is that stubborn insiders that despite all the evidence to the contrary. Something better awaits us so long as we had the courage to keep reaching to keep working.

To keep.

A stirring speech last night from the newly re-elected 44th president of the United States Barack Obama, that's our broadcast on this Wednesday night after. Thank you for being here with us. I'm Brian Williams from our headquarters in New York and for all of us here. Good night.