This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," October 31, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Now in six days voters will have the opportunity to determine the direction that this nation will head in the next four years.
Now it will be one side set by President Obama that includes more taxes, more spending, more debt and more government and zero accountability? Or will a new course be charted under the leadership Governor Mitt Romney. One that includes less taxes, less spending, less debt and less government and an administration that actually takes responsibility for both its successes and its failures.
Now, the differences between the two men on the ballot are very dramatic and without a doubt, only one of them is a leader. Let's take a look at this brand-new RNC video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are the essential qualities of a leader?
MITT ROMNEY, R-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: A leader as the capacity, a vision, the ability to see where things are headed before people in general see those things. That vision is typically a product in part not just of their skill and brilliance, but even more their life experience, their life experience. We need to take back America.
It's up to you guys. You can make a difference.
Now is the moment where we can stand up and say, I'm an American, I make my destiny. We deserve better. My children deserve better. My family deserves better. My country deserves better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you win this thing?
ROMNEY: I'm going to win this thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Now with under a week to go, it is important not to forget what four years of Obama's policies have gotten us. The economy is joke. We are being laughed at around the world.
And if you look at the latest national polls, it appears that all this humor is not set sitting well with you the American people. According to today's Rasmussen tracking survey, yet again, Governor Romney is out in front, 49 to 47 percent.
And as we reported earlier in the week, in the critical swing state of Ohio, Romney is leading in that poll, 50-48. Now the importance of winning that state cannot be understated.
Perhaps nobody knows the politics of the Buckeye State better than my next guest. Joining me from Cleveland, Ohio, Governor John Kasich.
Governor, good to see you again.
GOV. JOHN KASICH, R-OHIO: Hi, Sean. Before we get started, I just want to say to the listeners, you know, I hope we're saying our prayers to folks on the East Coast that have been so hard hit. You know, whether they've lost homes or the loss of life. Out here in the buckeye state, in the Midwest, our hearts go out to you on and so do our prayers. We're with you. Stay strong and we'll do what we can to help.
HANNITY: Well, look, America always does rise to the occasion. America helped during Katrina, the tsunami happened. I mean, that's the people we are. We thank you for that. I have to tell you the devastation on Long Island was unbelievable. New Jersey, I mean, entire communities are wiped out. It's going to take a while to rebuild.
Let me first ask you, Governor, there was a report today, it was on the Drudge Report, and the headline was even more voters selecting Romney on the machine in Marion, Ohio, and they select Romney and it shows up Obama.
Have you looked into these problems? Are you concerned about 30 some days with voting in Ohio? Does that open the door to corruption?
KASICH: You know, Sean, we have probably the most bipartisan, sophisticated vote counting operation that you can find in the country. There are always two Republicans overlooking the shoulders of two Democrats and vice versa.
You know, I think that we had planned for this. We are prepared to provide the security. The secretary of state has been on this but -- I don't know how they do it in all the other states. But, boy, I'll tell you they watch one another like a hawk. Frankly that is the way it ought to be.
HANNITY: All right, let's talk -- look, according to every other person, we all know that no Republican has made it to the White House without winning the great state of Ohio. You know the state as well as anybody. I was watching you on "Meet the Press" this weekend and you said with confidence that you really feel that the state has moved towards Governor Romney. Now short of the Rasmussen poll, a lot of polls out there that show that in fact the president is leading. So why do you feel so confident?
KASICH: Well, you know, Sean, you have all kinds of polls. You know, I am convinced that God created pollsters to make astrologers look accurate. It's not a pure science.
I'm out on the ground. I mean, I have seen really remarkable enthusiasm. You know, across the state, when you see this kind of enthusiasm, you got people really all pump up. If you think about four years ago, you had the Democrats really in the same spot. They were so excited about the opportunity.
But now you see Republicans sort of trading places with them. I see Republicans a lot more enthusiastic, a lot more excited than I see the Democrats right now.
The other thing is, I think there is a sense that what has happened in Ohio, you know, we balanced our budget. We have cut taxes. We've tamed our regulators, not to the point where if they don't see a problem they don't jump on it because they do -- we have the toughest regulations on hydraulic fracturing in America -- but they know that in Washington. It's debt. It's the threat of more taxes. It's regulators that pounds small businesses.
I think they understand that we can't keep doing what we're doing out of Washington here in Ohio. And what's worked in Ohio can work in Washington and frankly, that's why I'm for Mitt Romney.
HANNITY: Ohio more than any other state has been subjected to president's hope and change, a new tone in Washington, he was going to part the ways and all this other stuff. They have been subjected to -- the people in your great state -- to probably the greatest smear, slander campaign with more money spent there by President Obama and the Super PACs against Governor Romney. Do you think these negative ads, the slandering, do you think that's had an impact on people's mind set in Ohio?
KASICH: Sean, what really matters is the wallet. Do you have a job? This has always been the case in Ohio. What Ohioans want to know and Ohioans are feeling better about our state, but they also know that there is wind in our face.
And what they care about is who is the best job creator. The first debate really mattered for this reason. I think a lot of Americans knew Mitt Romney was smart guy. He knew how to create jobs. What they didn't know is, does he understands me? Does he understand my family? Does he understand our problems? That first debate was so critical because that is where Romney broke through.
Now people say, OK, yes, he smart, but you know what? Honey, I think he gets us. That is the most important thing that I believe has come out of these debates. I think that is why he is going to win Ohio.
HANNITY: I have a problem with 30 days of voting. Personally, there are too many things that can happen in the final 30 days of an election. I may be old-fashioned. You can get an absentee ballot and then show up on Election Day if you don't get one.
So I think -- that bothers me, but if you analyze the early voting in your state, Karl Rove has probably done this as well as anybody, so has Michael Barone here on this program. And what they are finding is the Democrats are getting their go-to people -- in other words, Democrats that voted in past elections, not adding new people. The numbers are way down there. There are a lot of new registered Republicans in the state of Ohio. Has the demographics changed even since you ran for governor in 2010?
KASICH: Well, Sean, what is happening is, you know, at this point, undecided voters tend to break to the person who is not in. I have to tell you it's very close. It's probably, perhaps even a little closer than that Rasmussen poll.
But the internals are still holding up. I believe that Romney is still ahead. I have to tell you. You know, I'm not a fortune teller. There are still six days or five days to go tomorrow. I still believe that Romney could win, but I have also to tell you that those people who are Romney supporters better be working because it is going to be extremely close. But I still give the edge to Mitt Romney.
HANNITY: All right, Governor, I hope we don't have to stay up all night watching Ohio -- I love Ohio, have many friends in Cincinnati, Dayton and up north.
KASICH: Right here. How about John Kasich, you know?
HANNITY: Of course, you are one of them. Make it an early night for us.
KASICH: I'll do my best, Sean.
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