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CNN Live Event/Special
Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate in Las Vegas
Aired November 15, 2007 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the Cox Pavilion. We're at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Tonight, a little bit of history: This will be the first, the first presidential debate ever in this state, one of the most fastest growing, most prosperous in the country, and a state with a new starring role in the kickoff events of this, the primary and caucus season, right up there with Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
Voters here will assemble and caucus on Saturday, January 19. And that's only two months away. Over the next two hours in this debate, officially sanctioned, by the way, by the national Democratic Party, the candidates for president of the United States will be questioned by both journalists, as well as ordinary people, undecided voters likely to attend those caucuses here in Nevada.
The program tonight is going to be a little different as well. As you can see, the candidates are not yet on stage. The traveling press pool is here. They're awaiting the arrival and the big photo opportunity.
And we thought, you know what? We're going to bring that to you as well tonight.
So, let's get started.
First up, Senator John Edwards.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hello, Wolf.
BLITZER: Welcome.
EDWARDS: Thank you.
BLITZER: This is your location right over there.
EDWARDS: No, I'm down at that end, right?
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Come on. I will walk with you.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Next up, Senator Chris Dodd. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(CROSSTALK)
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D-CT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Nice to see you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Good to see you.
DODD: Thanks.
BLITZER: Senator Barack Obama.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How are you?
BLITZER: Thanks very much, sir.
OBAMA: Good to see you.
BLITZER: Senator Hillary Clinton.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How are you, all?
BLITZER: Hey. Thanks very much. Welcome.
CLINTON: Good to see you.
Thanks. Thanks.
BLITZER: Congressman Dennis Kucinich.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: Hey, Congressman.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hey, how you doing, Wolf?
BLITZER: Welcome.
KUCINICH: Good to see you tonight.
BLITZER: Governor Bill Richardson.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: Welcome.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: And Senator Joe Biden. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hi, Wolf.
BLITZER: Welcome.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: The Democratic presidential candidates.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: All right.
While they continue the photo-op over here, I want to bring in some of our reporters and analysts to give us a sense of what we can expect tonight.
We have the best political team watching all of this unfold.
Gloria Borger, what are you going to be looking for as we get ready? This debate is about to begin.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, we know that tonight is going to be a really tough night for Hillary Clinton.
Barack Obama and John Edwards are going to challenge her, not only on her position on immigration, but on all kinds of issues. They have to break through, one of them, as the alternative to Hillary Clinton here tonight.
We are also going to be watching to see how she handles their attacks. Wolf, I think she has to engage tonight. She can't just float above it all. She has to take them on as well. And I expect her to do it.
BLITZER: John King, what are you looking for?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think Gloria is dead on. The pressure is most of all on Senator Clinton, who has to reassert her command of this race, after a tough few weeks.
But, also, Wolf, there are significant policy disagreements. The Democrats agree for the most part on the big issues. But there are some significant policy disagreements on immigration, and also on what would the role of U.S. troops be in Iraq. All of the Democrats say they would get out as soon as possible.
But they do have disagreements about whether the troops remaining during that pullout would say, block Iranian influence. That's a disagreement between Obama and Clinton. As we get closer and closer to Iowa, the voters are tuned in, paying much more close attention to the details. And there's a great opportunity for them tonight.
BLITZER: Campbell Brown and John Roberts are going to be joining me in the questioning during this first hour of this debate. Campbell, give us a sense of what you're looking at.
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I think, to just follow up a little bit on what Gloria said, it will be interesting to watch Senator Clinton. And, obviously, she's under a lot of pressure tonight, given her performance at the last debate.
But what I think will be more interesting is whether she decides, as some have suggested she should, to go after her opponents, not only to aggressively defend herself, but to really get in there and mix it up with Barack Obama and John Edwards, who have been most aggressive in going after her. Or will she do what she has tended to do in the previous debates, which is sort of take the high road , to try to stay focused on the issues, and to continue to sort of portray herself as the inevitable candidate to be?
BLITZER: And, John, a quick thought from you, John Roberts.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR Well, it will be interesting to watch how John Edwards and Barack Obama comport themselves tonight.
They know that there's a crack in Hillary Clinton's suit of armor. Can they get inside there and wedge it open just a little bit more? It's natural for John Edwards to go in and try to do that. Barack Obama, he's got a different personality, tends to shy away from direct conflict like that. We will see how strong he can be tonight.
BLITZER: Our Emmy Award-winning best political team on television, they're standing by. We will have complete analysis, all that coming up.
And even before we begin watching all of this unfold, we want to give some housekeeping items to all of you, on behalf of all of us.
First of all, I would like to thank our hosts, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Nevada State Democratic Party...
(APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: ... and the people of Nevada, so the candidates, they don't have to use up all of their valuable time doing it themselves. Thanks to all of you.
The debate tonight will be in two halves. In the second part, we will hear directly from some of this group of about 100 undecided Nevada Democrats. We look forward to hearing what's on their minds tonight. That's coming up.
But, for roughly this, the first hour, questions will be asked by CNN anchors Campbell Brown and John Roberts. We're more or less, by the way, on the honor system, here tonight. There will be no loud bells, no flashing lights. The candidates all know they will have a little bit more than a minute to respond to these opening questions. If they lose track, I will gently try to remind them. Some answers, by the way, might even be less than a minute. You never know. Then we will try to spend the next six or seven minutes following up on that specific subject. At my discretion, I will ask either that candidate or any of the other candidates here up on the stage to weigh in on that topic.
We hope, in the process, to get a real conversation going on important issues. There are few other rules other than this. Candidates must stay on the topic of the original question. If they stray or try to answer a question on another topic, I will gently try to stop them immediately, and then we will move on to another candidate for a question -- another candidate or a question, that is.
That's enough from me, at least for now.
(DEBATE BEGINS)
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