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CNN Live At Daybreak

Recall and Party Politics

Aired September 15, 2003 - 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.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's California I'm worried about. I don't want you to become a laughing stock, a carnival or the beginning of a circus in America where we just throw people out as soon as they make a tough decision. Don't do this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Former President Bill Clinton making those remarks while in Los Angeles to support embattled California Governor Gray Davis. The visit by Clinton begins a big push for Democrats in the state, with Al Gore and Jesse Jackson also scheduled to appear with Davis this week.

So, let's talk more recall and party politics this morning.

Political analyst Mark Plotkin from WTOP Radio joins us live from Washington.

Good morning, Mark.

MARK PLOTKIN, WTOP RADIO: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: OK, so for Gray Davis it must have been one beautiful sight, Bill Clinton shining like a bright, warm light beside him. Has the momentum shifted to Gray Davis?

PLOTKIN: Well, if you listen to the polls, it sure has. You know, it's a two part ballot. You first have to throw Gray Davis out for there to be a recall. And there was about 65 percent a few weeks ago who said they wanted to do that. Now, it's almost even and the momentum is going toward Davis. And having Bill Clinton there, who is the consummate master politician, he's really basking in reflected glory. And Clinton, I think, articulated it best. This is an overwhelming Democratic state. The Democrats have won the presidential election there every year except for '88 in the past years. They control both houses of the legislature. They control the statewide offices. And they're appealing to the yellow dog Democrats, Democrats come home and don't throw this guy out.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes, but, Mark, Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to appear on "Oprah Winfrey" today along with his wife. Do you think that will help his campaign?

PLOTKIN: Well, you know, first, I keep on stressing is that you have to vote yes for the recall...

COSTELLO: I know.

PLOTKIN: If they don't vote yes for the recall and Schwarzenegger beats Cruz Bustamante and McClintock and every other of the 133 other candidates, it doesn't mean anything. And I think some way people have lost sight of that fact.

Schwarzenegger's got problems even if they vote to recall Davis because McClintock is pulling votes away from him. And then Bustamante and Davis, who are not the president of each other's fan club, Bustamante showed up over the weekend and Davis -- and they kind of embraced, sort of, and...

COSTELLO: Oh, look, they look really warm together, don't they?

PLOTKIN: Yes, they're very cordial. They have a somewhat distant and diffident relationship. But at least they now have a unified message. It is vote no on recall and then vote for Bustamante. And so at least there is sort of a cohesive message.

COSTELLO: Got you.

We've got to talk about the presidential election...

PLOTKIN: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... because, you know, Howard Dean has been coming along but he's now become a target.

PLOTKIN: Yes, he sure has. You know, before he was the minuscule, one percent, some obscure governor, some physician from Vermont who nobody even knew. And now he's a hot property. And when you're the front runner, other candidates are going to go after you.

Joe Lieberman, I was at the debate in Morgan State at Baltimore, went after him with a vengeance on his Mideast views. Richard Gephardt went after him on statements he made in the '90s about Medicare. So when you're not really considered the leader, nobody pays any attention. But now you're the leader and they're going to dissect everything you have to say and particularly about his Mideast views.

COSTELLO: Well, let me ask you about Wesley Clark.

PLOTKIN: Yes?

COSTELLO: Because he's going to speak on Friday.

PLOTKIN: Yes.

COSTELLO: What do you think he'll say? Will he be running for president or will he join Howard Dean?

PLOTKIN: Do I get invited back if I make the wrong prediction? Will you kill the tape? I think he's going to get in. I really do. I think he wants to get in. He thinks he's Dwight David Eisenhower, he's going to be recruited, he's going to be drafted. He's got the, you know, first in his class at West Point, Rhodes Scholar, four star general. I think he feels that I'm the class of the whole group and I should be president.

COSTELLO: Yes.

PLOTKIN: He has a bit of hubris and I think he wasn't going to be doing this dance for so long. I think he's going to jump in. First he's going to start in Little Rock and then he's going to go to the University of Iowa, which has the second contest, you know, after the D.C. primary January 13. And then I think he'll jump in and see what happens. At least, even as much as he says I'm not running for vice president, he would be a great vice presidential choice for any of the Democratic candidates.

COSTELLO: Of course, yes, any of those many Democratic candidates.

PLOTKIN: Right.

COSTELLO: Thank you very much, Mark Plotkin.

PLOTKIN: Great to see you again, Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll see you next Monday.

PLOTKIN: You've got it.

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 15, 2003 - 06:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's California I'm worried about. I don't want you to become a laughing stock, a carnival or the beginning of a circus in America where we just throw people out as soon as they make a tough decision. Don't do this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Former President Bill Clinton making those remarks while in Los Angeles to support embattled California Governor Gray Davis. The visit by Clinton begins a big push for Democrats in the state, with Al Gore and Jesse Jackson also scheduled to appear with Davis this week.

So, let's talk more recall and party politics this morning.

Political analyst Mark Plotkin from WTOP Radio joins us live from Washington.

Good morning, Mark.

MARK PLOTKIN, WTOP RADIO: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: OK, so for Gray Davis it must have been one beautiful sight, Bill Clinton shining like a bright, warm light beside him. Has the momentum shifted to Gray Davis?

PLOTKIN: Well, if you listen to the polls, it sure has. You know, it's a two part ballot. You first have to throw Gray Davis out for there to be a recall. And there was about 65 percent a few weeks ago who said they wanted to do that. Now, it's almost even and the momentum is going toward Davis. And having Bill Clinton there, who is the consummate master politician, he's really basking in reflected glory. And Clinton, I think, articulated it best. This is an overwhelming Democratic state. The Democrats have won the presidential election there every year except for '88 in the past years. They control both houses of the legislature. They control the statewide offices. And they're appealing to the yellow dog Democrats, Democrats come home and don't throw this guy out.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes, but, Mark, Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to appear on "Oprah Winfrey" today along with his wife. Do you think that will help his campaign?

PLOTKIN: Well, you know, first, I keep on stressing is that you have to vote yes for the recall...

COSTELLO: I know.

PLOTKIN: If they don't vote yes for the recall and Schwarzenegger beats Cruz Bustamante and McClintock and every other of the 133 other candidates, it doesn't mean anything. And I think some way people have lost sight of that fact.

Schwarzenegger's got problems even if they vote to recall Davis because McClintock is pulling votes away from him. And then Bustamante and Davis, who are not the president of each other's fan club, Bustamante showed up over the weekend and Davis -- and they kind of embraced, sort of, and...

COSTELLO: Oh, look, they look really warm together, don't they?

PLOTKIN: Yes, they're very cordial. They have a somewhat distant and diffident relationship. But at least they now have a unified message. It is vote no on recall and then vote for Bustamante. And so at least there is sort of a cohesive message.

COSTELLO: Got you.

We've got to talk about the presidential election...

PLOTKIN: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... because, you know, Howard Dean has been coming along but he's now become a target.

PLOTKIN: Yes, he sure has. You know, before he was the minuscule, one percent, some obscure governor, some physician from Vermont who nobody even knew. And now he's a hot property. And when you're the front runner, other candidates are going to go after you.

Joe Lieberman, I was at the debate in Morgan State at Baltimore, went after him with a vengeance on his Mideast views. Richard Gephardt went after him on statements he made in the '90s about Medicare. So when you're not really considered the leader, nobody pays any attention. But now you're the leader and they're going to dissect everything you have to say and particularly about his Mideast views.

COSTELLO: Well, let me ask you about Wesley Clark.

PLOTKIN: Yes?

COSTELLO: Because he's going to speak on Friday.

PLOTKIN: Yes.

COSTELLO: What do you think he'll say? Will he be running for president or will he join Howard Dean?

PLOTKIN: Do I get invited back if I make the wrong prediction? Will you kill the tape? I think he's going to get in. I really do. I think he wants to get in. He thinks he's Dwight David Eisenhower, he's going to be recruited, he's going to be drafted. He's got the, you know, first in his class at West Point, Rhodes Scholar, four star general. I think he feels that I'm the class of the whole group and I should be president.

COSTELLO: Yes.

PLOTKIN: He has a bit of hubris and I think he wasn't going to be doing this dance for so long. I think he's going to jump in. First he's going to start in Little Rock and then he's going to go to the University of Iowa, which has the second contest, you know, after the D.C. primary January 13. And then I think he'll jump in and see what happens. At least, even as much as he says I'm not running for vice president, he would be a great vice presidential choice for any of the Democratic candidates.

COSTELLO: Of course, yes, any of those many Democratic candidates.

PLOTKIN: Right.

COSTELLO: Thank you very much, Mark Plotkin.

PLOTKIN: Great to see you again, Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll see you next Monday.

PLOTKIN: You've got it.

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