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CNN Live At Daybreak
President Bush Spent Part of Sunday in Florida
Aired February 16, 2004 - 05:31 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush spent part of his Sunday in Florida, reaching out to millions of race fans at the Daytona 500.
But as CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux reports, his visit wasn't just a pleasure trip.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Gentlemen, start your engines.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush opened the Daytona 500 with his eye on his own race, soon to kick into high gear. After weeks of being battered by questions over whether he completed his military service, Mr. Bush brought it up. When asked whether he'd like to try his hand at racing, he responded...
BUSH: I flew fighters when I was in the Guard and I like speed. And it would have been fun to drive up on these banks.
MALVEAUX: The president's motorcade did make a half lap around the speedway. The great American race attracted an estimated 200,000 fans, millions of TV viewers, a small group of protesters and heightened security. But the big prize here for Mr. Bush, the powerful voting bloc, the NASCAR dads.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're redneck, opinionated, grey herring. You know, we buy what the NASCAR has on the sides of the cars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a huge demographic. You've got, what, 250,000 people here? So now he's got to be a nice guy. But, I don't know, I'm still rooting for him.
MALVEAUX: Political analysts describe NASCAR dads as blue collar, mostly white, socially conservative, patriotic middle-aged men. They were solidly in Bush's camp in election 2000, but may waiver in 2004.
STUART ROTHENBERG, THE ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: For NASCAR dads, the question will be the same -- do they believe that George W. Bush is doing something about job losses?
MALVEAUX: So the Bush camp is taking nothing for granted. While the president chatted up the military, the Republican National Committee was registering new voters. Republican sources saying the coming weeks, the Bush campaign will unleash its first paid TV ads in key media markets and crack open its $100 million war chest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM GEORGE W. BUSH INTERNET CAMPAIGN AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fact: Kerry, brought to you by the special interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The Bush campaign's first Web clip criticizing Democratic front runner John Kerry already has both sides accusing the other of a dirty race.
MARK MEHLMAN, KERRY CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST: This president, who wanted to change the tone of politics, comes into this campaign, the very first ad they run is a negative campaign, a negative ad that distorts Senator Kerry's record.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Kerry campaign doesn't get it. It's not special interests. It's hypocrisy, silly.
MALVEAUX (on camera): Monday, President Bush visits a Tampa manufacturing plant, where he'll make the case that his economic plan will eventually create more jobs. It's a message that he hopes will make loyal NASCAR dads into loyal Bush supporters.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Daytona, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 February 16, 2004 - 05:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush spent part of his Sunday in Florida, reaching out to millions of race fans at the Daytona 500.
But as CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux reports, his visit wasn't just a pleasure trip.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Gentlemen, start your engines.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush opened the Daytona 500 with his eye on his own race, soon to kick into high gear. After weeks of being battered by questions over whether he completed his military service, Mr. Bush brought it up. When asked whether he'd like to try his hand at racing, he responded...
BUSH: I flew fighters when I was in the Guard and I like speed. And it would have been fun to drive up on these banks.
MALVEAUX: The president's motorcade did make a half lap around the speedway. The great American race attracted an estimated 200,000 fans, millions of TV viewers, a small group of protesters and heightened security. But the big prize here for Mr. Bush, the powerful voting bloc, the NASCAR dads.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're redneck, opinionated, grey herring. You know, we buy what the NASCAR has on the sides of the cars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a huge demographic. You've got, what, 250,000 people here? So now he's got to be a nice guy. But, I don't know, I'm still rooting for him.
MALVEAUX: Political analysts describe NASCAR dads as blue collar, mostly white, socially conservative, patriotic middle-aged men. They were solidly in Bush's camp in election 2000, but may waiver in 2004.
STUART ROTHENBERG, THE ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: For NASCAR dads, the question will be the same -- do they believe that George W. Bush is doing something about job losses?
MALVEAUX: So the Bush camp is taking nothing for granted. While the president chatted up the military, the Republican National Committee was registering new voters. Republican sources saying the coming weeks, the Bush campaign will unleash its first paid TV ads in key media markets and crack open its $100 million war chest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM GEORGE W. BUSH INTERNET CAMPAIGN AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fact: Kerry, brought to you by the special interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The Bush campaign's first Web clip criticizing Democratic front runner John Kerry already has both sides accusing the other of a dirty race.
MARK MEHLMAN, KERRY CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST: This president, who wanted to change the tone of politics, comes into this campaign, the very first ad they run is a negative campaign, a negative ad that distorts Senator Kerry's record.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Kerry campaign doesn't get it. It's not special interests. It's hypocrisy, silly.
MALVEAUX (on camera): Monday, President Bush visits a Tampa manufacturing plant, where he'll make the case that his economic plan will eventually create more jobs. It's a message that he hopes will make loyal NASCAR dads into loyal Bush supporters.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Daytona, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
