The Conversation: Independents' Impact on 2010 Elections

Oct. 27, 2010 — -- As Election Day nears, all eyes seem to be on independent voters who are expected to make the difference, like they did in 2008.

In today's Conversation, Politico's David Catanese says that independent voters who gave Barack Obama wins in Republican-leaning states have now shifted back into GOP camps by large margins.

"In a lot of these tight races, these tight Senate races, where it's just gonna be a couple of points that make the difference, they're gonna be critical voting blocs," he told ABC's David Muir.

In Illinois, where independents have been moving toward Republican Mark Kirk, former President Clinton gave Democrats in Chicago a stark warning that the U.S. Senate seat could be slipping away unless they turn out to vote.

"[Illinois] still approves of President Obama but he's not on the ballot here and you have issues with the Democratic candidate," Catanese said.

And in Washington state, a flood of money has been coming into the state where Obama rallied last week for Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. Catanese said that Washington state was the third biggest state for independent expenditures and that both sides had spent nearly $3 million each.

Watch the Conversation today to see what Catanes and Muir said about the recent controversy surrounding Rand Paul's campaign, and about the races in Nevada and Colorado.

Watch more "Conversation" videos here.

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