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CNN Live At Daybreak
Talk of CNN: Discussion About Elections in North Carolina
Aired October 30, 2002 - 06:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I think we've got our guests from North Carolina back, so we're going to let you go, Paula, and we're going to join WBT Radio again from Charlotte.
AL GARDNER, WBT TALK SHOW HOST: We're going live with Carol Costello. Let's listen.
STACEY SIMMS, WBT TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Good morning. Can you hear me?
GARDNER: Hey, good morning.
SIMMS: We did it!
COSTELLO: Yes. I love that. Hey, let's get right into it and talk about this Senate race, because it's become really close and nobody really expected that.
SIMMS: Well, that's what we were just talking about, actually. You know, the prediction early on in this race was that sure, Elizabeth Dole had this huge lead, but that it was possible and probable that it would tighten up. I agree. I'm not sure anybody expected it to get this close, one poll having them just four points apart. But these attack ads from Erskine Bowles that people criticized, you know, they work. So...
GARDNER: And it would seem, Carol Costello, that the wild card down here, I don't know if you know about this on the national scale on CNN, is what we call down east, which has traditionally video Democrat. As you may know, according to the polls, this is Elizabeth Dole's race to lose. However, down east has always been a wild card and there are many very popular Republican candidates who have been punished when they've run for governor, notably Richard Vinruth (ph), the former mayor of Charlotte.
So that's going to be the wild card.
COSTELLO: Oh, is it also a fact that some people call her a carpetbagger because she doesn't, she hasn't lived in North Carolina for a long time?
SIMMS: Oh, it sure is. In fact, that became one of the very big issues in the last debate they had. They actually only had two debates and in the last debate both accused the other of not being a true North Carolinian. And I think Erskine Bowels is actually getting a little bit more traction out of that. GARDNER: Yes, there was a funny political cartoon just yesterday that said either way she goes back to Washington, D.C. But, according to the Republicans, that issue has not materialized as much as the Erskine Bowles, as we look at pictures of Erskine Bowles, his relationship with the relatively unpopular Clinton White House. That obviously is the theme that George W. And Elizabeth Dole in their ads together have hammered.
COSTELLO: And I understand President Clinton did not go campaign for Erskine Bowles.
Hey, thank you very much.
I wish we had more time to talk, but you know what? Technical difficulties.
GARDNER: Thank you, Carol, very much.
SIMMS: Thank you.
COSTELLO: OK, we'll talk to you again.
Al and Stacey from WBT, Charlotte, North Carolina.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 30, 2002 - 06:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I think we've got our guests from North Carolina back, so we're going to let you go, Paula, and we're going to join WBT Radio again from Charlotte.
AL GARDNER, WBT TALK SHOW HOST: We're going live with Carol Costello. Let's listen.
STACEY SIMMS, WBT TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Good morning. Can you hear me?
GARDNER: Hey, good morning.
SIMMS: We did it!
COSTELLO: Yes. I love that. Hey, let's get right into it and talk about this Senate race, because it's become really close and nobody really expected that.
SIMMS: Well, that's what we were just talking about, actually. You know, the prediction early on in this race was that sure, Elizabeth Dole had this huge lead, but that it was possible and probable that it would tighten up. I agree. I'm not sure anybody expected it to get this close, one poll having them just four points apart. But these attack ads from Erskine Bowles that people criticized, you know, they work. So...
GARDNER: And it would seem, Carol Costello, that the wild card down here, I don't know if you know about this on the national scale on CNN, is what we call down east, which has traditionally video Democrat. As you may know, according to the polls, this is Elizabeth Dole's race to lose. However, down east has always been a wild card and there are many very popular Republican candidates who have been punished when they've run for governor, notably Richard Vinruth (ph), the former mayor of Charlotte.
So that's going to be the wild card.
COSTELLO: Oh, is it also a fact that some people call her a carpetbagger because she doesn't, she hasn't lived in North Carolina for a long time?
SIMMS: Oh, it sure is. In fact, that became one of the very big issues in the last debate they had. They actually only had two debates and in the last debate both accused the other of not being a true North Carolinian. And I think Erskine Bowels is actually getting a little bit more traction out of that. GARDNER: Yes, there was a funny political cartoon just yesterday that said either way she goes back to Washington, D.C. But, according to the Republicans, that issue has not materialized as much as the Erskine Bowles, as we look at pictures of Erskine Bowles, his relationship with the relatively unpopular Clinton White House. That obviously is the theme that George W. And Elizabeth Dole in their ads together have hammered.
COSTELLO: And I understand President Clinton did not go campaign for Erskine Bowles.
Hey, thank you very much.
I wish we had more time to talk, but you know what? Technical difficulties.
GARDNER: Thank you, Carol, very much.
SIMMS: Thank you.
COSTELLO: OK, we'll talk to you again.
Al and Stacey from WBT, Charlotte, North Carolina.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
