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Races to Watch

Aired November 04, 2002 - 10:09   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk a little bit about that with our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, who is still with us.
Good morning, once again.

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That was very illuminating. You want a sense of the flavor of this campaign, the intensity -- that was it.

KAGAN: There you go. So, this is going to be -- this is the one debate between these two candidates because, of course, of very unusual circumstances.

SCHNEIDER: Yes, because of the tragic death of Paul Wellstone, Walter Mondale is taking his place on the ballot. And as you can see, this has reached the fevered point of intensity in Minnesota.

There's going to be this debate. It is on the election eve, the only debate of the campaign. It was a five-day campaign. It is incredible.

KAGAN: At 10:00 a.m. in the morning.

SCHNEIDER: 10:00 a.m. in the morning. But you bet a lot of attention is going to be paid to this, and I think most of the attention is going to be on Walter Mondale. He has not run for office in 18 years. People have not been born who can now vote in this election.

So, a lot of people want to know: Does he still have it? Is he on top of his game? Has he lost it? What does he have to say about current issues?

The Republicans haven't gone negative on him. But what they're doing is raising subtle questions like: Do we want a man of the future or a man of the past? What about someone who understands Minnesota's problems?

They're trying to depict Walter Mondale as a revered and saintly figure, but not anyone who is on top of things right now.

KAGAN: Well, let's look at some other tight races. Let's go right to Florida and the governor's race there, featuring the president's brother, Jeb Bush, and Bill McBride.

SCHNEIDER: This is the battleground of American politics. It was in 2002. It is in 2002. It's likely to be in 2004. Democrats are desperate to overturn Jeb Bush. Right now, the polls show Jeb Bush ahead.

The Democrats are counting on turnout. So, what have they done? They brought Bill Clinton there to campaign among minority groups to try to get them out to the polls.

Al Gore is going to Florida, has been to Florida, and he goes to audiences and he says: "Do you remember how you felt the day that the Supreme Court said, 'Stop the recount?' Remember that, and take that to the polls."

The Democrats are desperately relying on, well frankly, revenge to overturn Jeb Bush.

KAGAN: Well, as you look ahead to 2004, one of the roads there leads through New Hampshire, three big races there. We want to focus on the Senate, which features Congressman John Sununu and Governor Jeanne Shaheen.

SCHNEIDER: This is supposed to be an easy win for John Sununu, who beat an incumbent Republican senator in the primary, mostly because it looked like Sununu had the best chance to hold that seat in the Republican column. But it's gotten very, very close.

Sununu made a remark that he has always put the needs of the Republican Party first. And his opponent said, wait a minute, what about the needs of the voters of New Hampshire? That should come first, not the party.

And it's now gotten very close. His opponent is the Democratic governor of New Hampshire.

KAGAN: And now to a Senate race, which we might be watching for a very long time, down in Louisiana, Mary Landrieu, the incumbent, running -- because Louisiana likes to be different -- against three different Republicans.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. It's a primary tomorrow in Louisiana; it's not a general election. So, the Republicans couldn't unite around a single, strong candidate, like Governor Mike Foster, so what they did was they put up three candidates.

The whole purpose of that exercise is to hold Mary Landrieu's vote down below 50 percent. If she doesn't get 50 percent of the vote tomorrow, there's going to be a runoff between presumably her and the top Republican a month from now.

If the Senate turns out to be tied tomorrow 49-49, then it will all come down to who wins that Louisiana race a month from now, and you can bet the money will pour in.

KAGAN: And let's look at a race from right here in Georgia, the incumbent, Max Cleland, in a very tight race that people perhaps didn't think he would be fighting for his own (ph) Senate seat. SCHNEIDER: This was not supposed to be tight at all, but Max Cleland is in serious trouble. If national security is an issue anywhere, it's an issue here in Georgia.

His opponent, the Republican Saxby Chambliss, is saying that he refused 11 times to vote to support the president's plan for a Homeland Security Department, because he is enthralled to the unions.

Well, here in Georgia, if people face the choice between the union candidate and President Bush's man, it's not going to be even close.

KAGAN: Well, this is one thing I don't understand about that. Max Cleland, a Vietnam veteran, volunteered to fight for this country, gave three of his own limbs in defense of this country. How is the opposition able to put a spin that this is a man that doesn't care about the future of America?

SCHNEIDER: Because they're calling attention to the way he has voted on national missile defense and on homeland security. They are saying, you know, he is an honorable man, he served his country. Look at how he votes in Congress.

And in particular, they're comparing him with Zell Miller, the icon, the other Democrat, his Democrat colleague. They're saying, he doesn't vote like Zell Miller to defend America.

And Zell Miller, of course, then returns, goes on television, and he says, I endorse Max Cleland. He's a Democrat, like me, and I think you should vote for him.

So, Zell Miller is very much at the center of this controversy, even though he's not on the ballot.

KAGAN: Well, we will see tomorrow.

SCHNEIDER: Yes, we will.

KAGAN: Bill Schneider, thank you so much.

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 November 4, 2002 - 10:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk a little bit about that with our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, who is still with us.
Good morning, once again.

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That was very illuminating. You want a sense of the flavor of this campaign, the intensity -- that was it.

KAGAN: There you go. So, this is going to be -- this is the one debate between these two candidates because, of course, of very unusual circumstances.

SCHNEIDER: Yes, because of the tragic death of Paul Wellstone, Walter Mondale is taking his place on the ballot. And as you can see, this has reached the fevered point of intensity in Minnesota.

There's going to be this debate. It is on the election eve, the only debate of the campaign. It was a five-day campaign. It is incredible.

KAGAN: At 10:00 a.m. in the morning.

SCHNEIDER: 10:00 a.m. in the morning. But you bet a lot of attention is going to be paid to this, and I think most of the attention is going to be on Walter Mondale. He has not run for office in 18 years. People have not been born who can now vote in this election.

So, a lot of people want to know: Does he still have it? Is he on top of his game? Has he lost it? What does he have to say about current issues?

The Republicans haven't gone negative on him. But what they're doing is raising subtle questions like: Do we want a man of the future or a man of the past? What about someone who understands Minnesota's problems?

They're trying to depict Walter Mondale as a revered and saintly figure, but not anyone who is on top of things right now.

KAGAN: Well, let's look at some other tight races. Let's go right to Florida and the governor's race there, featuring the president's brother, Jeb Bush, and Bill McBride.

SCHNEIDER: This is the battleground of American politics. It was in 2002. It is in 2002. It's likely to be in 2004. Democrats are desperate to overturn Jeb Bush. Right now, the polls show Jeb Bush ahead.

The Democrats are counting on turnout. So, what have they done? They brought Bill Clinton there to campaign among minority groups to try to get them out to the polls.

Al Gore is going to Florida, has been to Florida, and he goes to audiences and he says: "Do you remember how you felt the day that the Supreme Court said, 'Stop the recount?' Remember that, and take that to the polls."

The Democrats are desperately relying on, well frankly, revenge to overturn Jeb Bush.

KAGAN: Well, as you look ahead to 2004, one of the roads there leads through New Hampshire, three big races there. We want to focus on the Senate, which features Congressman John Sununu and Governor Jeanne Shaheen.

SCHNEIDER: This is supposed to be an easy win for John Sununu, who beat an incumbent Republican senator in the primary, mostly because it looked like Sununu had the best chance to hold that seat in the Republican column. But it's gotten very, very close.

Sununu made a remark that he has always put the needs of the Republican Party first. And his opponent said, wait a minute, what about the needs of the voters of New Hampshire? That should come first, not the party.

And it's now gotten very close. His opponent is the Democratic governor of New Hampshire.

KAGAN: And now to a Senate race, which we might be watching for a very long time, down in Louisiana, Mary Landrieu, the incumbent, running -- because Louisiana likes to be different -- against three different Republicans.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. It's a primary tomorrow in Louisiana; it's not a general election. So, the Republicans couldn't unite around a single, strong candidate, like Governor Mike Foster, so what they did was they put up three candidates.

The whole purpose of that exercise is to hold Mary Landrieu's vote down below 50 percent. If she doesn't get 50 percent of the vote tomorrow, there's going to be a runoff between presumably her and the top Republican a month from now.

If the Senate turns out to be tied tomorrow 49-49, then it will all come down to who wins that Louisiana race a month from now, and you can bet the money will pour in.

KAGAN: And let's look at a race from right here in Georgia, the incumbent, Max Cleland, in a very tight race that people perhaps didn't think he would be fighting for his own (ph) Senate seat. SCHNEIDER: This was not supposed to be tight at all, but Max Cleland is in serious trouble. If national security is an issue anywhere, it's an issue here in Georgia.

His opponent, the Republican Saxby Chambliss, is saying that he refused 11 times to vote to support the president's plan for a Homeland Security Department, because he is enthralled to the unions.

Well, here in Georgia, if people face the choice between the union candidate and President Bush's man, it's not going to be even close.

KAGAN: Well, this is one thing I don't understand about that. Max Cleland, a Vietnam veteran, volunteered to fight for this country, gave three of his own limbs in defense of this country. How is the opposition able to put a spin that this is a man that doesn't care about the future of America?

SCHNEIDER: Because they're calling attention to the way he has voted on national missile defense and on homeland security. They are saying, you know, he is an honorable man, he served his country. Look at how he votes in Congress.

And in particular, they're comparing him with Zell Miller, the icon, the other Democrat, his Democrat colleague. They're saying, he doesn't vote like Zell Miller to defend America.

And Zell Miller, of course, then returns, goes on television, and he says, I endorse Max Cleland. He's a Democrat, like me, and I think you should vote for him.

So, Zell Miller is very much at the center of this controversy, even though he's not on the ballot.

KAGAN: Well, we will see tomorrow.

SCHNEIDER: Yes, we will.

KAGAN: Bill Schneider, thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.