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CNN Live Sunday
Interview With Cheri Jacobus, Jeffrey Plout
Aired September 14, 2003 - 11:12 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.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, now, with more on General Wesley Clark's potential candidacy and other political stories of the day, we're joined by Republican strategist Cheri Jacobus, and Democratic strategist Jeffrey Plout.
Welcome to you both. Good morning. Cheri, let me ask you first about General Clark. He makes an impressive candidate.
JEFFREY PLOUT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes, anyone...
FRAZIER: Go ahead.
CHERI JACOBUS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes, I think he does. It would certainly add a little more interest into the field that we're looking at right now. It's been a rather boring campaign season so far for the democrats. Most people aren't paying attention. So if General Wesley Clark gets into the race, it will be more interesting. Clearly, Bill Clinton would be very excited about this. He gave what sounded like almost an endorsement to Clark.
FRAZIER: Jeffrey, you were about to say?
PLOUT: Well, anyone with supreme commander in their title has to be taken very seriously. I think what his potential entry into the race points out, though, is how much the president's fortunes have dropped in recent days and months. And John Zogby, a former pollster for the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee is out with a recent poll, which says more Americans disapprove of the president's job performance than approve it. So there is a little bit of political blood in the water on George Bush, and Wesley Clark getting into the race highlights that.
FRAZIER: I want to talk to you about some polls in a minute, but let me stay with you, Jeffrey, and talk about the general's credentials. At a time when security, national security, is such an issue, and he is a warrior hero with proven credentials, especially in leading multinational forces, the kind of thing we talk about going forward in the world, what does that do then to the president?
PLOUT: I think the general has military credentials, which you'd love to see in a candidate. I think the concern for a potential candidate, for candidacy for him is that it gets late very early in a primary process. But it is very interesting that democrats are actually quite pleased with their field as it's emerging, and the three candidates I think are generating the most excitement, Howard Dean, Senator John Edwards, and potentially Wesley Clark, are all fresh faces. So while months ago many were bemoaning who is going to show up in the field, it now appears democrats are surging and the president's popularity is dropping.
FRAZIER: All right, Miss Jacobus, Jeffrey just mentioned a poll there. Let's talk about another one here. We have a CNN/"USA Today" Gallup poll, which shows the president's approval rating for September. It seems to be going up a little bit. 52 percent as opposed to 49 percent as recently as -- sorry. 59 percent as recently as August. That was the trend we thought we were seeing, a bit of a decline. Let me correct myself. What to make of this?
JACOBUS: Well, the fact is we have a lot of democrats out there just pounding away at the president, with actual personal attacks. It's one thing to disagree with policy, it's another thing to question his honesty, his integrity, his motives, and his character. And that's what they've been doing for lack of anything better to run on. Because, for the most part, American people are still behind the president on his war against terrorism and on Iraq, even though there is anxiety, of course, and they're watching it closely. So it's natural that his poll numbers would go up and down, but overall they're still pretty good.
But when you've been under attack by the democrats, the way the president is, of course there's going to be some shifting in the polls, but I think it's not as great as the democrats would hope. Their tactics are only going to work for so long.
FRAZIER: All right, let's talk about the complexity of those situations. You mentioned the war on terror, the war in Iraq. The people who were polled were also asked whether Congress should approve the president's request for $87 billion to go ahead. And a little bit of a surprise, and a little bit perhaps of a disappointment there in the response. 51 percent saying no.
JACOBUS: Well, again, we had this last week a lot of the democrats coming out and questioning the motives of the money, saying they want to know how it's going to be spent. Again, once we get into the process of really looking at where this money will go and how it is needed, I think those poll numbers will shift. The president only just last week was able to come out and talk to the American people about it in a Sunday night address after the summer recess. So, again, will the administration have to come forward and explain in detail how they want to spend the money to the degree possible? Yes. And as we go through that process, those numbers will improve and people will start getting behind him in larger numbers.
FRAZIER: Jeffrey Plout, do you think these explanations help the president, though, or does he seem to be...
PLOUT: You know, Steve, when the president was giving that Sunday night address, the people who are going to be paying that $87 billion freight were asleep, because they're your children and mine and the American people's children. And these polls aren't reflecting the opinions of the democratic hopefuls, they're reflecting the opinion of the American people who are concerned that we're in a quagmire in Iraq, and who know that over the past year we have been in a quagmire in terms of our domestic economy and the potential that it's picking up. And the president said the solution to everything is my tax cut, and the American people just aren't buying that.
FRAZIER: All right, let's shift now to state gubernatorial politics. This fascinating recall election in California. I don't think any of us expected we would be here just a few weeks ago. Now there seems to be a sort of republican squeeze play under way to get Tom McClintock to clear the way for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Miss Jacobus, what do you make of that effort, and will it be successful with his recent rise in the polls?
JACOBUS: Well, clearly we are in a situation in California that we wish we weren't as republicans. The fact is, if Senator McClintock stays in the race, it's going to make it very difficult for republican front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger to win, and McClintock would be looked at as a spoiler. I'm hopeful and I'm optimistic that at some point at a very opportune moment, Mr. McClintock and some of the other candidates can, together, unify behind Arnold Schwarzenegger, and...
FRAZIER: You mentioned an opportune moment. Let me describe this as a terribly inopportune moment, and I hate to do this, but we are watching pictures now of Secretary of State Colin Powell taking the microphones with Paul Bremer in Baghdad, so we'd like to listen to the secretary's remarks.
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 14, 2003 - 11:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, now, with more on General Wesley Clark's potential candidacy and other political stories of the day, we're joined by Republican strategist Cheri Jacobus, and Democratic strategist Jeffrey Plout.
Welcome to you both. Good morning. Cheri, let me ask you first about General Clark. He makes an impressive candidate.
JEFFREY PLOUT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes, anyone...
FRAZIER: Go ahead.
CHERI JACOBUS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes, I think he does. It would certainly add a little more interest into the field that we're looking at right now. It's been a rather boring campaign season so far for the democrats. Most people aren't paying attention. So if General Wesley Clark gets into the race, it will be more interesting. Clearly, Bill Clinton would be very excited about this. He gave what sounded like almost an endorsement to Clark.
FRAZIER: Jeffrey, you were about to say?
PLOUT: Well, anyone with supreme commander in their title has to be taken very seriously. I think what his potential entry into the race points out, though, is how much the president's fortunes have dropped in recent days and months. And John Zogby, a former pollster for the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee is out with a recent poll, which says more Americans disapprove of the president's job performance than approve it. So there is a little bit of political blood in the water on George Bush, and Wesley Clark getting into the race highlights that.
FRAZIER: I want to talk to you about some polls in a minute, but let me stay with you, Jeffrey, and talk about the general's credentials. At a time when security, national security, is such an issue, and he is a warrior hero with proven credentials, especially in leading multinational forces, the kind of thing we talk about going forward in the world, what does that do then to the president?
PLOUT: I think the general has military credentials, which you'd love to see in a candidate. I think the concern for a potential candidate, for candidacy for him is that it gets late very early in a primary process. But it is very interesting that democrats are actually quite pleased with their field as it's emerging, and the three candidates I think are generating the most excitement, Howard Dean, Senator John Edwards, and potentially Wesley Clark, are all fresh faces. So while months ago many were bemoaning who is going to show up in the field, it now appears democrats are surging and the president's popularity is dropping.
FRAZIER: All right, Miss Jacobus, Jeffrey just mentioned a poll there. Let's talk about another one here. We have a CNN/"USA Today" Gallup poll, which shows the president's approval rating for September. It seems to be going up a little bit. 52 percent as opposed to 49 percent as recently as -- sorry. 59 percent as recently as August. That was the trend we thought we were seeing, a bit of a decline. Let me correct myself. What to make of this?
JACOBUS: Well, the fact is we have a lot of democrats out there just pounding away at the president, with actual personal attacks. It's one thing to disagree with policy, it's another thing to question his honesty, his integrity, his motives, and his character. And that's what they've been doing for lack of anything better to run on. Because, for the most part, American people are still behind the president on his war against terrorism and on Iraq, even though there is anxiety, of course, and they're watching it closely. So it's natural that his poll numbers would go up and down, but overall they're still pretty good.
But when you've been under attack by the democrats, the way the president is, of course there's going to be some shifting in the polls, but I think it's not as great as the democrats would hope. Their tactics are only going to work for so long.
FRAZIER: All right, let's talk about the complexity of those situations. You mentioned the war on terror, the war in Iraq. The people who were polled were also asked whether Congress should approve the president's request for $87 billion to go ahead. And a little bit of a surprise, and a little bit perhaps of a disappointment there in the response. 51 percent saying no.
JACOBUS: Well, again, we had this last week a lot of the democrats coming out and questioning the motives of the money, saying they want to know how it's going to be spent. Again, once we get into the process of really looking at where this money will go and how it is needed, I think those poll numbers will shift. The president only just last week was able to come out and talk to the American people about it in a Sunday night address after the summer recess. So, again, will the administration have to come forward and explain in detail how they want to spend the money to the degree possible? Yes. And as we go through that process, those numbers will improve and people will start getting behind him in larger numbers.
FRAZIER: Jeffrey Plout, do you think these explanations help the president, though, or does he seem to be...
PLOUT: You know, Steve, when the president was giving that Sunday night address, the people who are going to be paying that $87 billion freight were asleep, because they're your children and mine and the American people's children. And these polls aren't reflecting the opinions of the democratic hopefuls, they're reflecting the opinion of the American people who are concerned that we're in a quagmire in Iraq, and who know that over the past year we have been in a quagmire in terms of our domestic economy and the potential that it's picking up. And the president said the solution to everything is my tax cut, and the American people just aren't buying that.
FRAZIER: All right, let's shift now to state gubernatorial politics. This fascinating recall election in California. I don't think any of us expected we would be here just a few weeks ago. Now there seems to be a sort of republican squeeze play under way to get Tom McClintock to clear the way for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Miss Jacobus, what do you make of that effort, and will it be successful with his recent rise in the polls?
JACOBUS: Well, clearly we are in a situation in California that we wish we weren't as republicans. The fact is, if Senator McClintock stays in the race, it's going to make it very difficult for republican front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger to win, and McClintock would be looked at as a spoiler. I'm hopeful and I'm optimistic that at some point at a very opportune moment, Mr. McClintock and some of the other candidates can, together, unify behind Arnold Schwarzenegger, and...
FRAZIER: You mentioned an opportune moment. Let me describe this as a terribly inopportune moment, and I hate to do this, but we are watching pictures now of Secretary of State Colin Powell taking the microphones with Paul Bremer in Baghdad, so we'd like to listen to the secretary's remarks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
