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CNN Live Today
U.S. Senate Race in North Carolina
Aired November 05, 2002 - 10:04 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to another one of those races, a high-profile one right now. It pits two former Washington powerbrokers vying for the Senate seat for North Carolina.
Our Jeanne Meserve is standing by this morning in Salisbury, North Carolina with a look at that race.
Hi -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.
You might be able to see behind me the small group of people gathered outside the Rowan Public Library. They are waiting for the local hometown political hero -- that is Elizabeth Dole. She's expected here momentarily to cast her vote.
Her Democratic opponent, Erskine Bowles, cast his ballot about an hour-and-a-half ago in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Both candidates were out yesterday appealing to their voters to please get out and come to the polls today, and they were hammering again on the issue that has been central to this race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE (voice-over): One of the busy spots in Catawba County, North Carolina: the unemployment office. Layoffs in textiles, furniture and fiber optics set the jobless rate here skyrocketing 549 percent in one recent 21-month period.
Here, there is one issue in this election.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jobs. For me, particularly jobs.
MESERVE: The candidates have gotten the message.
ELIZABETH DOLE (R), N.C. SENATE CANDIDATE: Jobs, jobs, jobs, better jobs, more jobs.
ERSKINE BOWLES (D), N.C. SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm going up there to get this economy moving. I'm going up there to help us create some jobs.
MESERVE: It is unclear who the jobs issue is going to benefit. Bowles likes to tout his experience balancing the budget as President Clinton's chief of staff. But it isn't issues or experience that are turning some voters away from Bowles. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More to do with him being a close associate of the pervert.
MESERVE (on camera): That would be...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clinton.
MESERVE (voice-over): Several top-name Republicans, including the president, have zipped in to campaign on Dole's behalf. Monday, it was former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
RUDY GIULIANA, FMR. NEW YORK MAYOR: Elizabeth Dole will support President Bush, and we know that her opponent will not.
MESERVE: The Bowles' campaign responds that Dole will be more interested in pleasing the president than representing the people of North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: And you can see that group, made up largely of the press, still waiting for Mrs. Dole to show up and vote. This -- as a matter of fact, I've just been motioned she's pulling up right next to us. John (ph), can you pull the camera around here? Right here in this Chrysler van that's pulling into the parking lot, we'll expect to see Mrs. Dole getting out in just a moment to cast her ballot.
This race has been expensive, it has been rather nasty, and it has become rather close. Erskine Bowles has managed to close up what had been a rather yawning gap between himself and Mrs. Dole.
We were asked to take a look at some of the local papers today. This is "The Charlotte Observer." It, in fact, has nothing about this race on the front page, but on the editorial page, they have reprinted their endorsement -- their endorsement in this race going to Erskine Bowles.
And if we want to wait for just a moment, maybe I can wave Mrs. Dole over, maybe we can get a comment from her.
Mrs. Dole? Mrs. Dole? You have to go vote? OK. Thanks. Perhaps afterwards. Mrs. Dole there crossing the street now to get over to the Rowan Public Library, where she's going to cast her ballot -- no doubt who she's going to be voting for today.
The question is: How will the rest of North Carolina be voting?
Back to you -- Leon.
HARRIS: Hey, Jeanne, do not let her off the hook. She...
MESERVE: Oh, don't worry. I'll be chasing her as soon as we're done.
HARRIS: You've got it. She dodged us going in, but not on her way out. Jeanne Meserve in Salisbury, 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 November 5, 2002 - 10:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to another one of those races, a high-profile one right now. It pits two former Washington powerbrokers vying for the Senate seat for North Carolina.
Our Jeanne Meserve is standing by this morning in Salisbury, North Carolina with a look at that race.
Hi -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.
You might be able to see behind me the small group of people gathered outside the Rowan Public Library. They are waiting for the local hometown political hero -- that is Elizabeth Dole. She's expected here momentarily to cast her vote.
Her Democratic opponent, Erskine Bowles, cast his ballot about an hour-and-a-half ago in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Both candidates were out yesterday appealing to their voters to please get out and come to the polls today, and they were hammering again on the issue that has been central to this race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE (voice-over): One of the busy spots in Catawba County, North Carolina: the unemployment office. Layoffs in textiles, furniture and fiber optics set the jobless rate here skyrocketing 549 percent in one recent 21-month period.
Here, there is one issue in this election.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jobs. For me, particularly jobs.
MESERVE: The candidates have gotten the message.
ELIZABETH DOLE (R), N.C. SENATE CANDIDATE: Jobs, jobs, jobs, better jobs, more jobs.
ERSKINE BOWLES (D), N.C. SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm going up there to get this economy moving. I'm going up there to help us create some jobs.
MESERVE: It is unclear who the jobs issue is going to benefit. Bowles likes to tout his experience balancing the budget as President Clinton's chief of staff. But it isn't issues or experience that are turning some voters away from Bowles. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More to do with him being a close associate of the pervert.
MESERVE (on camera): That would be...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clinton.
MESERVE (voice-over): Several top-name Republicans, including the president, have zipped in to campaign on Dole's behalf. Monday, it was former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
RUDY GIULIANA, FMR. NEW YORK MAYOR: Elizabeth Dole will support President Bush, and we know that her opponent will not.
MESERVE: The Bowles' campaign responds that Dole will be more interested in pleasing the president than representing the people of North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: And you can see that group, made up largely of the press, still waiting for Mrs. Dole to show up and vote. This -- as a matter of fact, I've just been motioned she's pulling up right next to us. John (ph), can you pull the camera around here? Right here in this Chrysler van that's pulling into the parking lot, we'll expect to see Mrs. Dole getting out in just a moment to cast her ballot.
This race has been expensive, it has been rather nasty, and it has become rather close. Erskine Bowles has managed to close up what had been a rather yawning gap between himself and Mrs. Dole.
We were asked to take a look at some of the local papers today. This is "The Charlotte Observer." It, in fact, has nothing about this race on the front page, but on the editorial page, they have reprinted their endorsement -- their endorsement in this race going to Erskine Bowles.
And if we want to wait for just a moment, maybe I can wave Mrs. Dole over, maybe we can get a comment from her.
Mrs. Dole? Mrs. Dole? You have to go vote? OK. Thanks. Perhaps afterwards. Mrs. Dole there crossing the street now to get over to the Rowan Public Library, where she's going to cast her ballot -- no doubt who she's going to be voting for today.
The question is: How will the rest of North Carolina be voting?
Back to you -- Leon.
HARRIS: Hey, Jeanne, do not let her off the hook. She...
MESERVE: Oh, don't worry. I'll be chasing her as soon as we're done.
HARRIS: You've got it. She dodged us going in, but not on her way out. Jeanne Meserve in Salisbury, 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.
