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Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate Tonight

Aired September 04, 2003 - 10:18   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: Turning now to presidential politics. Tonight will be the first of six planned primary debates among the Democratic candidates. It begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, is here with a preview of that.

But, Bill, before we get to that, let's go to the state that you and I love -- California.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: California.

KAGAN: California. A few, some, not all of the gubernatorial candidates getting together for a debate there. Did anybody break out of the pack?

SCHNEIDER: Well, first of all, it was debate at 4:00 in the afternoon. They all needed to make an impression, so they get on the local news.

I thought the candidate who had the best lines, who showed some command of the issues and really some persuasiveness was, of all people, Arianna Huffington. She stood out not just because she was a woman, but because -- the only woman on that platform. There are 135 candidates running. She's not the only woman. But because she managed to say some very sharp things that got on the local news.

So, while most Californians, I'm certain, did not watch that debate -- Schwarzenegger wasn't there -- I think one line of hers where she criticized the lieutenant governor, Cruz Bustamante, who is currently the front-runner in the race to succeed Davis, one line where she criticized him for accepting money from an Indian tribe with casino interests was particularly effective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON (I), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: This is nothing but legalized bribery. You have made a mockery of campaign finance laws by using a loophole, a ludicrous loophole, to get that money into your campaign committee and bypass the limits that are $21,200. And it's really absolutely absurd that as governor of California you would therefore continue to deprive our general fund of taxes that this tribe should be paying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me how you really feel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: That sound byte got played again and again and again on the local news. And a lot of Californians are looking again at Arianna Huffington, and she may end up eating a few votes away from the front-runner, Cruz Bustamante, which, of course, could help the guy who wasn't there -- Arnold Schwarzenegger.

His name came up a few times in that debate, but the one thing most California voters know that happened in that debate was that Arnold Schwarzenegger did not show up, and that, I think, made a negative impression, because a lot of Californians are saying why didn't he show up? Is he afraid to debate? The rumors getting around that he couldn't control the debate. He wants a debate where he gets the questions in advance, and that's why he didn't show up.

KAGAN: All right. But let's look at this for a second, Bill. He didn't show up, he wasn't there. But as you said, probably very few Californians watched this whole two-hour program that was part Gray Davis, part debate among the candidates. But I bet almost all of them or many of them did see the video of Arnold Schwarzenegger getting hit by the raw egg. And I think we have that. Here he is making an appearance. Somebody from the crowd throws out a raw egg, and he doesn't even miss a beat. He just keeps going and takes -- I guess we didn't roll it enough.

But anyhow, he didn't miss a beat. He just kept walking and took off his jacket. I bet a lot of people saw that video.

SCHNEIDER: Well, a lot of people saw that. You know, he's the Terminator. The Terminator, I imagine, can take an egg. The question is after this campaign: Is he going to become the exterminator? That is, if he gets beaten by someone like Cruz Bustamante or any of the other contenders.

Schwarzenegger doesn't look quite as formidable as he did, say, a month ago when he first got into the race.

KAGAN: Part of the problem of what's going on in California is taking a lot of attention away from the Democrats that are trying to get some attention in their race for the presidential nomination. What's going to happen, and who might step out of the pack tonight, and how do you do that?

SCHNEIDER: Well, they're all trying to get some attention in that race. The CBS News poll that came out over the weekend showed that two-thirds of Democrats cannot name a single Democratic contender, not one of the nine contenders running for president. They just can't think of anybody.

So, they're all going to be trying to get attention. Again, I'm not sure the audience, particularly given the NFL season opener tonight, I don't think a lot -- there's going to be a huge national audience for that Albuquerque debate. But again, what you trying and do in that debate is find a sound byte, the grabber that gets played over and over and over again on the local news, so that you get some attention and people look and say, hey, who's this guy? One of the most famous sound bytes in a primary debate happened way back almost 20 years ago in 1984 when Walter Mondale uttered a line that completely deflated the Gary Hart campaign. Remember this one?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTER MONDALE (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I hear your new ideas, I'm reminded of that ad, "Where's the beef?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: So, I think what we're seeing among the Democrats right now is a game of "Where's Waldo?" Namely, who are these guys? Can anyone come out and make an impression?

KAGAN: OK. Now, somebody who is making an impression is somebody who a lot of people hadn't heard up until now, and that's former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. With all of the press he's getting, you would get the impression that he is the front-runner right now. How do the polls prove out, though, Bill?

SCHNEIDER: Well, certainly, within the insiders who are watching this race, he's considered the front-runner, but take a look at the latest national poll which we did here at CNN of the standing of the nine Democrats running for president. Dean is not a very strong contender. He's third, only about half as many votes as the front- runner, Joe Lieberman, 23 percent, then Dick Gephardt. Lieberman was on the national ticket, of course, in 2000. Dick Gephardt ran for president before and was the leader in the House of Representatives.

Most Democrats have never heard of Howard Dean. So, he's got to make an impression in this debate, too. Why is he considered the front-runner? Very simple reason. He is leading in Iowa, where he's leading by a small margin the local favorite, Dick Gephardt from neighboring Missouri. Gephardt won Iowa in 1988.

And a lot of insiders say if Gephardt doesn't win the Iowa caucuses for a second time, how can he continue? And he's leading John Kerry in New Hampshire. And if Kerry loses to Dean in New Hampshire, Kerry would have problems continuing.

And then, if Dean wins New Hampshire and Iowa, a lot of people think there is no stopping him.

KAGAN: All right, Bill Schneider, thank you for the insight. Appreciate that.

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 September 4, 2003 - 10:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to presidential politics. Tonight will be the first of six planned primary debates among the Democratic candidates. It begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, is here with a preview of that.

But, Bill, before we get to that, let's go to the state that you and I love -- California.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: California.

KAGAN: California. A few, some, not all of the gubernatorial candidates getting together for a debate there. Did anybody break out of the pack?

SCHNEIDER: Well, first of all, it was debate at 4:00 in the afternoon. They all needed to make an impression, so they get on the local news.

I thought the candidate who had the best lines, who showed some command of the issues and really some persuasiveness was, of all people, Arianna Huffington. She stood out not just because she was a woman, but because -- the only woman on that platform. There are 135 candidates running. She's not the only woman. But because she managed to say some very sharp things that got on the local news.

So, while most Californians, I'm certain, did not watch that debate -- Schwarzenegger wasn't there -- I think one line of hers where she criticized the lieutenant governor, Cruz Bustamante, who is currently the front-runner in the race to succeed Davis, one line where she criticized him for accepting money from an Indian tribe with casino interests was particularly effective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON (I), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: This is nothing but legalized bribery. You have made a mockery of campaign finance laws by using a loophole, a ludicrous loophole, to get that money into your campaign committee and bypass the limits that are $21,200. And it's really absolutely absurd that as governor of California you would therefore continue to deprive our general fund of taxes that this tribe should be paying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me how you really feel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: That sound byte got played again and again and again on the local news. And a lot of Californians are looking again at Arianna Huffington, and she may end up eating a few votes away from the front-runner, Cruz Bustamante, which, of course, could help the guy who wasn't there -- Arnold Schwarzenegger.

His name came up a few times in that debate, but the one thing most California voters know that happened in that debate was that Arnold Schwarzenegger did not show up, and that, I think, made a negative impression, because a lot of Californians are saying why didn't he show up? Is he afraid to debate? The rumors getting around that he couldn't control the debate. He wants a debate where he gets the questions in advance, and that's why he didn't show up.

KAGAN: All right. But let's look at this for a second, Bill. He didn't show up, he wasn't there. But as you said, probably very few Californians watched this whole two-hour program that was part Gray Davis, part debate among the candidates. But I bet almost all of them or many of them did see the video of Arnold Schwarzenegger getting hit by the raw egg. And I think we have that. Here he is making an appearance. Somebody from the crowd throws out a raw egg, and he doesn't even miss a beat. He just keeps going and takes -- I guess we didn't roll it enough.

But anyhow, he didn't miss a beat. He just kept walking and took off his jacket. I bet a lot of people saw that video.

SCHNEIDER: Well, a lot of people saw that. You know, he's the Terminator. The Terminator, I imagine, can take an egg. The question is after this campaign: Is he going to become the exterminator? That is, if he gets beaten by someone like Cruz Bustamante or any of the other contenders.

Schwarzenegger doesn't look quite as formidable as he did, say, a month ago when he first got into the race.

KAGAN: Part of the problem of what's going on in California is taking a lot of attention away from the Democrats that are trying to get some attention in their race for the presidential nomination. What's going to happen, and who might step out of the pack tonight, and how do you do that?

SCHNEIDER: Well, they're all trying to get some attention in that race. The CBS News poll that came out over the weekend showed that two-thirds of Democrats cannot name a single Democratic contender, not one of the nine contenders running for president. They just can't think of anybody.

So, they're all going to be trying to get attention. Again, I'm not sure the audience, particularly given the NFL season opener tonight, I don't think a lot -- there's going to be a huge national audience for that Albuquerque debate. But again, what you trying and do in that debate is find a sound byte, the grabber that gets played over and over and over again on the local news, so that you get some attention and people look and say, hey, who's this guy? One of the most famous sound bytes in a primary debate happened way back almost 20 years ago in 1984 when Walter Mondale uttered a line that completely deflated the Gary Hart campaign. Remember this one?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTER MONDALE (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I hear your new ideas, I'm reminded of that ad, "Where's the beef?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: So, I think what we're seeing among the Democrats right now is a game of "Where's Waldo?" Namely, who are these guys? Can anyone come out and make an impression?

KAGAN: OK. Now, somebody who is making an impression is somebody who a lot of people hadn't heard up until now, and that's former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. With all of the press he's getting, you would get the impression that he is the front-runner right now. How do the polls prove out, though, Bill?

SCHNEIDER: Well, certainly, within the insiders who are watching this race, he's considered the front-runner, but take a look at the latest national poll which we did here at CNN of the standing of the nine Democrats running for president. Dean is not a very strong contender. He's third, only about half as many votes as the front- runner, Joe Lieberman, 23 percent, then Dick Gephardt. Lieberman was on the national ticket, of course, in 2000. Dick Gephardt ran for president before and was the leader in the House of Representatives.

Most Democrats have never heard of Howard Dean. So, he's got to make an impression in this debate, too. Why is he considered the front-runner? Very simple reason. He is leading in Iowa, where he's leading by a small margin the local favorite, Dick Gephardt from neighboring Missouri. Gephardt won Iowa in 1988.

And a lot of insiders say if Gephardt doesn't win the Iowa caucuses for a second time, how can he continue? And he's leading John Kerry in New Hampshire. And if Kerry loses to Dean in New Hampshire, Kerry would have problems continuing.

And then, if Dean wins New Hampshire and Iowa, a lot of people think there is no stopping him.

KAGAN: All right, Bill Schneider, thank you for the insight. Appreciate that.

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