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Presidential Candidates Try to Close Deal in New Hampshire; Will Young Voters Turn Out For Obama?
Aired January 07, 2008 - 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: We're just hours away from the next big test of the presidential contenders, the New Hampshire primary. In fact, less than four hours from now, the first votes will actually be counted in the very small mountain town of Dixville Notch.
We saw Iowa certainly turn this historic campaign almost upside down. By this time tomorrow Granite State voters will have had their say. And they just may be shaking things up once again.
We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer at the CNN Election Center, along with the best political team on television.
Our correspondents are out there. They're watching all of this in full force right now, as the candidates, they are desperately trying to close the deal with voters.
Tonight Hillary Clinton, the Democrat, may have head the most to gain and the most to lose in New Hampshire right now. And some are wondering if the pressure is actually getting to her.
Listen to Senator Clinton's very emotional response when a voter asked her about her grueling fight for the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have so many opportunities from this country. I just don't want to see us fall backwards.
(APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: You know, this is very personal for me. It's not just political. It's not just public. I see what's happening. We have to reverse it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" co-anchor John Roberts had a chance to speak with Senator Clinton about that emotional moment. Listen to what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Well, I actually have emotions. I know that there are some people who doubt that. But, you know, I really am so touched by what I hear from people.
I'm not good about talking about myself. I don't get up and think about how I'm going to present myself.
I think about, OK, what am I going to do today to actually make a difference in somebody's life? And I think there's been a lot of misunderstanding perhaps, because, you know, I am reserved. I am somebody who says, you know, let's have a little bit of distance here, because I want to be judged by my work. I want to be judged by what I have done for people.
So, it was -- I get very passionate about my country and about what I want to do. And I have this woman who is a supporter, apparently, as she said later, say, well, you know, but I want you to, you know, be able to go the distance. I want you to be OK.
It was very touching to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Senator Clinton speaking with John Roberts just a little while ago. We're going to be speaking with John shortly.
Let's move on, though, and focus in right now on the Iowa winner, Senator Barack Obama. He says even he is surprised by the strength of his bounce in New Hampshire from Iowa. The Democrat is drawing overflowed crowds right now.
In fact, CNN's Jessica Yellin is covering the Obama campaign.
What is the latest? Because this has been a dramatic development for Senator Obama in New Hampshire.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It really has, Wolf. Even his own campaign in some ways is taken by surprise by the outpouring of interest in him and even passion for his candidacy. All across this state, you're seeing throngs of people turn out, old, young, Democrats, independents. Some Republicans we see at every event he goes to.
And people leave saying, if I came in undecided, that I felt moved. You hear them say that they felt that he's the most authentic politician, not of this race, but of any race they have seen in decades. People compare him to John F. Kennedy.
It's really a remarkable outpouring, unlike anything that I have seen before in my experience covering politics. Some of it no doubt is a celebrity factor, people coming out to see the famous man. But there really is such a strong response.
For example, at one event today so many hundreds of people turned out that many hundreds of them had to be turned away. And Barack Obama came out. He greeted them. And he had this to say to them about their interest in his campaign. He thinks it's a sign of something larger in the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's something stirring in the air. You can feel it. We felt it last Thursday in Iowa when the American people stood up and said it's time for a new beginning.
And, in one day's time, in less than 24 hours, you will have the chance. It will be your turn to stand up and say to the rest of the country, the time for change has come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: Now, Wolf, I even met one person at today's event, a couple who say they gave up their honeymoon to come spend it campaigning for Obama here.
Now, many of these people tell us that they don't even know where he stands on specific issues with regard to education, taxes, the economy. What they like, though, is this message of hope and inspiring the best in people.
But I have to tell you the Obama campaign, those folks, they are being cautious. One of his top advisers told me today that: It wasn't so long ago we were left for dead by the side of the road. He said, once that happens, you never get overconfident.
So, they're also going to just wait and see -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And what's so impressive, Jessica, for Barack Obama, as in Iowa, New Hampshire has a very tiny minority community. If he does really well, if he beats Hillary Clinton there, it's onto South Carolina next. And half of the Democratic voters there are expected to be African-Americans.
Presumably, he's going to do a lot better even there. Is there a sense that they're getting, you're getting from the Obama campaign that they could knock her out of this contest relatively early?
YELLIN: They're terrified and too superstitious to say that.
But there's a huge measure of confidence and excitement there, because they know that once -- or if he can win two states that are overwhelmingly Caucasian, he really has it good going headed into South Carolina and then Nevada and then looking good for Super Tuesday -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jessica, thanks very much -- Jessica Yellin covering Barack Obama's campaign.
I want to go out to John Roberts. He is in New Hampshire right now. He had a chance to speak with Hillary. You saw a clip here just a short while ago.
John, give us a little flavor of how she's holding up, because these are not necessarily her best days right now.
JOHN ROBERTS, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": No, they are certainly not her best days, Wolf.
And for months, I was looking at the polls going all the way back to the beginning of this year, had this inevitability here in the Granite State, which has really just evaporated over the last few days. It's obviously taking its toll on the campaign. They're trying to figure out how they can turn things around before tomorrow morning, not knowing if they can.
She has been non-stop campaigning here, doing so many different events. And it's just that the basic pace of things really starts to wear on these candidates. And perhaps that display of emotion this morning was a factor of the fact that she has not had that much sleep in the last few days. You know, your emotional responses can always get a little bit heightened when you haven't had a whole lot of sleep.
And she's got to be sitting here wondering, well, if I don't win in New Hampshire, what's the game plan going forward?
Certainly, she has got the money and she's got the campaign organization to be able to compete and compete effectively all the way through Super Tuesday.
But I was checking back in the historical record, Wolf. And the only time when someone has won Iowa and New Hampshire and not gone onto become the nominee was in 1972, the very first year, and, in fact, that the Iowa win wasn't really a win because uncommitted was the greatest number of votes. So, she has got to be looking at this to say since that time nobody has lost these two states, with the exception of her husband.
But nobody has not won them, if Obama wins both Iowa and here, and not gone onto become the nominee. So, they have to be sitting back there saying what's the game plan going forward? How can we survive another loss here and then still live to compete another day?
BLITZER: You know, a lot of us noticed, I'm sure you did as well, the contrast between Saturday night, when she was pretty tough, pretty aggressive, going after Barack Obama and John Edwards, for that matter, as opposed to today, when we saw a much softer, emotional side of Hillary Clinton.
Give us a little flavor of -- I don't think you can just conclude she's tired and that's why we're seeing these so-called extremes.
ROBERTS: Oh, no.
In terms of this aggressive comparing and contrasting that she's been engaging in for the past few days, I asked her about that. And she said, look, we're coming to the point in the campaign and things are being said where you really have to differentiate between your policies and the policies of your opponents.
This is something that she tried a little while back, Wolf. And it really didn't work out too well for her. She had been sort of flying above the fray before that time. And when she started to get into it and got into that wrestling match with Obama and Edwards, she started coming down a few points in the polls. And there was a little bit of panic in the campaign to say, whoa, what's going on here? We have got to get back on that high road.
So she took that high road again, but after the loss in Iowa, I think that they really felt compelled to lay out there this idea that Obama has got some contradictions in his voting record. He has a certain lack of experience that Hillary Clinton does not lack, and that they feel that they need to point that out, so that, when people go to the polls this morning, they will sit back and say, well, do I want this idea of change without experience, or do I want a healthy dose of experience behind promises for change?
That's the message she's trying to get out. No apologies from that candidate, Wolf, on this aggressive compare and contrast over the last couple of days.
BLITZER: John Roberts is going to have the full interview with Hillary Clinton tomorrow morning on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." That coverage starts 6:00 a.m. Eastern.
John, thanks very much for that.
It looks like the Iowa caucuses might be having a ripple effect on New Hampshire voters. Check it out. Our latest so-called polls of polls, an average of all the major polls, shows a definite post-Iowa spike in Barack Obama's numbers.
Let's go over to our special correspondent Soledad O'Brien and our senior political analyst Bill Schneider for a closer look at these polls.
Soledad, what's going on?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: That's the excellent question that we're going to put to Bill.
In fact, Obama now, as Wolf said, has a bounce and he is in the lead in the polls. Give me a breakdown of the numbers, Bill.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, we interviewed more New Hampshire voters yesterday. Believe it or not, there are some that still have not been interviewed.
And our final poll shows Obama with a nine-point lead over Hillary Clinton. The margin of error you see way down at the bottom there, plus or minus four points.
(CROSSTALK)
SCHNEIDER: Well, now we can say Obama's lead is statistically significant. In fact, in eight polls taken since the Iowa caucuses, which Wolf referred to, all of them show Obama leading, Clinton second, Edwards third.
O'BRIEN: There will be a number of people who would say, OK, then, eight polls, doesn't this basically means he wraps it up in New Hampshire?
SCHNEIDER: Well, look, Obama's lead is entirely among independent voters. Clinton and Obama are tied among registered Democrats. And we don't know how many independents are going to show up at the polls and how many are going to vote in the Democratic primary, because there's another candidate competing with Barack Obama for independent voters, and his name is John McCain.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. In fact, that brings us quickly to the Republicans. Give me the breakdown there.
SCHNEIDER: OK.
McCain is leading Romney in our final poll by five points, not statistically significant, but consistent with six out of seven polls taken since the Iowa caucuses.
McCain also does better with independent voters. But independents are a far smaller part of the Republican primary electorate. That's why McCain's lead is actually a little bit smaller.
O'BRIEN: When you take a look at how Huckabee is doing here, he's in third. You can say good news above Giuliani. Bad news, he won Iowa, and now he's in third place.
SCHNEIDER: Yes. Well, it's probably good news for him because he is above Giuliani.
Now, look at this. If Giuliani comes out below Huckabee -- and, look, he's tied with Ron Paul. He could come out fifth, below Ron Paul. That would be very bad news for his campaign.
O'BRIEN: Guess we're just going to have to watch and wait, won't we, Bill Schneider?
SCHNEIDER: Indeed we will.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much -- Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Crunching all the numbers for us as always. Guys, thanks very much.
It's a vote that neither of them can afford to lose. They each took a backseat in Iowa. Now John McCain and Mitt Romney are trying to bounce back in New Hampshire.
And will young voters turn out once again for Barack Obama? Can Hillary Clinton take back the women's vote?
We are going to tell you what to look for -- lots more of our special coverage coming right here from the CNN Election Center.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: John McCain has been a winner in New Hampshire in the past. That was eight years ago, when he won in 2000. Polls right now showing he's the GOP front-runner in New Hampshire once again.
Let's turn to our chief national correspondent, John King. He's covering McCain right now.
Do they have a sense they're going to beat Mitt Romney tomorrow?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Senator McCain confidently predicted today that he would. He's in very high spirits. He was campaigning with a bounce in his step across the state, a very busy schedule.
He says he is very confident, but not complacent, campaigning with a great sense of urgency, but also a great sense of fun and energy, making his case throughout the day. For starters, he says he has the experience to be president. He mentioned that confrontation between U.S. naval vessels and Iranian naval vessels in the Straits of Hormuz this weekend.
He says he is the president you want in the Oval Office to deal with crises like that. He also says stressed issues that are valuable both to fiscal conservative Republicans, but also to independents here in the state of New Hampshire, saying he will end pork barrel spending, that he will relish using his veto pen to strike things out of the budget that he thinks are wasteful in Washington.
He also, though, did take some aim at his chief rival here in the state of New Hampshire. That is former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Romney lead for months. McCain now has that narrow lead in the polls here. McCain telling the voters of New Hampshire at every stop today that he has run what he calls an honorable campaign, a campaign they can like and respect and suggesting through millions of dollars in television ad spending, most of it on attack ads that Governor Romney has not.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: And my friends, we're going to prove tomorrow evening at this time you cannot buy an election in the state of New Hampshire.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
MCCAIN: And we're also going to prove that negative attack ads don't work either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Most of all, Wolf, watching Senator McCain today is to see somebody enjoying himself, a great deal of nostalgia as he campaigns, again, across the state beginning early this morning on his Straight Talk Express.
He knows full well this could be the last time he campaigns in New Hampshire. You mentioned his victory back in 2000. He was here all summer long even when he was way down in the polls and many thought his campaign was over. Senator McCain repeatedly thanking the people of New Hampshire, saying he has come to love this state. He has come to appreciate the town halls. He's come to appreciate the questions, even when they're tough.
He believes he will win tomorrow, but he also wanted to tell the people of New Hampshire, in case he doesn't, thanks -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, John, remember eight years ago he won in New Hampshire. But then Michigan is coming up. South Carolina is coming up. Let's say he wins New Hampshire tomorrow, beats Mitt Romney.
What are his people saying about Michigan and South Carolina?
KING: They are already preparing, Wolf, already getting ready for television ads in those states, some already up, and already sending key staffers in.
If they beat Romney here, they believe Michigan is the next critical step. That's where Governor Romney's father was governor, George Romney. That's where Mitt Romney was born. It's a state critical to both men. The McCain camp believes, if it can beat Romney in New Hampshire -- he is of course from neighboring Massachusetts -- and then beat him in his birth state of Michigan, that they will have pushed Romney aside.
Now, Romney says he would go on, but the McCain people think that would be devastating. Then they think they would go to South Carolina for what would essentially be in their view a one-on-one race against Mike Huckabee, Senator McCain going up against a culturally conservative candidate in the state where his 2000 campaign went off the tracks -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John King, thanks very much.
Tonight, Mitt Romney is trying to turn his fortunes around in New Hampshire after his Iowa defeat. The Republican has an event in Manchester, New Hampshire, this hour.
Our Dana Bash is covering the Romney campaign. She's joining us live.
I see it hasn't started yet, but what's going on with Romney?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, if you want to see and really get a taste, Wolf, of how high the stakes are for Mitt Romney, all you have to do is look at what's going on behind me.
I'm actually in Romney headquarters in Manchester, New Hampshire. And what's been going on is phone call after phone call after phone call. In fact, we're told 78,000 phone calls have been made to people who say they support Mitt Romney, to people who say they're not decided about Mitt Romney to get out the vote.
For any operation, for any campaign, especially the night before Election Day, this is about as important as it gets, what's going on here. Now, Mitt Romney is going to come here very shortly in order to thank his supporters, in order to sort of generate the enthusiasm that is going on here right now. And it really is absolutely important for Mitt Romney to do this. Why? Because, as you mentioned, he came in second in Iowa, and a second-place finish here in New Hampshire for a man who really built his strategy on getting momentum from these first states could be wounding in a big way for him.
And it's been interesting to see how he has learned his lesson in a nanosecond really from what happened in Iowa. And the way he's done it, we have heard him over the past four days, is to say the word change, change, change, change. That's a lesson he learned from Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama's win in Iowa.
And it's fascinating to see what he's done even in the past day, really today, Wolf. He said he's trying to make the case that in order to be electable for any Republican, you have to be able to run against not Hillary Clinton anymore, but Barack Obama. And he's making the case that he's outside Washington and he's the man to do that.
Listen to what he said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: Barack Obama may well become the Democratic nominee. And if we put up a long-term serving senator who can talk about his years and years of experience, Barack Obama will do to him what he did to the other Democrats who made the same pitch. We're going to have to have somebody who can say, I not only am from the outside. I'm somebody who knows how to bring change. And I can bring the change that America needs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, you hear Romney saying that he's somebody who was a businessman, obviously a former governor, trying to make the change theme, the change pitch, somebody that his advisers admit maybe he's been doing a little bit late, particularly when he's up against a United States senator here like John McCain.
It's unclear if it's going to work at this late stage in the game. He says that he has got a 50-state strategy, Wolf. He says he's in it for the long haul. He certainly is a multimillionaire, has the money to do it. The question whether or not he's going to think ultimately his investment is going to be good in himself, if he's not going to be doing that well in the future -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Dana, thanks very much.
Dana is reporting for us from New Hampshire.
Let's get the big picture right now on the major contest. And it is starting only a few hours from now.
Our Anderson Cooper is in Manchester right now. He will be hosting his program from there later tonight.
Anderson, you have been speaking to a lot of people. What are you seeing? What are you hearing?
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Well, it's interesting.
I actually spent some time with Mitt Romney earlier today, went to one of his events, had some time to talk to him on the side before the event started. And a couple of things just to play off what Dana was saying. The amount of time this candidate now talks and uses the word change is really startling.
I challenged him on it somewhat. His critics will say this is yet another reinvention of Mitt Romney. "Wall Street Journal" had a very critical editorial today, saying it's the new-new Mitt Romney.
He says he's actually been talking about change from day one. In the first speech that he made announcing his run, he said -- it was at the Henry Ford plant, a symbol of change. He talked about change himself with his business background.
But change is not a word you heard a lot in his stump speech over the last several months. It is something you hear constantly now from this candidate in New Hampshire.
And, as Dana said very rightly, the question is, will voters buy coming from Mitt Romney, or will they see it as some sort of cynical move, playing off of what he learned from Iowa?
The other big change, of course, is that he now believes Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee. He said that to me today, point-blank. This is a candidate who for a long time has been speaking about Hillary Clinton, speaking about his ability to win against Hillary Clinton, really using Hillary Clinton to raise money, often mentioning her name in stump speeches.
Now his focus is Barack Obama. And he says he is the only candidate out there who can beat Barack Obama. He described Barack Obama as a senator killing. And he himself -- Mitt Romney called himself a senator killer, saying that he's the only man to actually be able to beat Barack Obama.
So, interesting to hear him now kind of refocus his campaign, him as an agent of change, but also trying to retool it as being a primary electable against Barack Obama -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And I know you have been speaking, Anderson, with a lot of Democrats out there. How does it look on the Democratic side? It looks, by the polls, if you believe the polls, a huge battle under way between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
COOPER: It certainly does look that way. Barack Obama certainly seems to have the edge in most of the polls we have been looking at.
His crowds are enthusiastic. A lot of people talking today about Senator Clinton getting emotional at one point during the campaign. A lot of discussion about that among the media, but also just among people who saw it on television, have come up to me and talked to me in hotel lobbies and at campaign events.
You know, it's easy to be cynical when you're not here, when you see this process on television. But when you come here and you actually see how excited New Hampshire voters are about this, and how invested they are in this race, it's hard to be cynical, because there is such enthusiasm here. There's such genuine interest and such an informed electorate here. I don't think anybody can guess what is really going to happen tomorrow, but it is certainly one of the most interesting races I have ever seen.
COOPER: Anderson, thanks very much -- Anderson Cooper reporting from Manchester.
And, by the way, you can see a lot more of Anderson tonight on his program. He will be covering all the last-minute campaigning only hours before voters actually start voting in New Hampshire. "ANDERSON COOPER 360" airs 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
Her voice wavered as she fought back here tears. We're going to have more on Hillary Clinton's emotional moment today. What will New Hampshire voters think about it?
And Mike Huckabee will have a tough time doing in New Hampshire what he did in Iowa, winning handily. What's the best guess for his chances?
I will speak about that and a lot more with the best political team on television.
Stay with us. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Hillary Clinton is back on the campaign trail tonight. She's getting ready for another event right now.
She's fighting for a New Hampshire comeback, after her very disappointing third-place finish in Iowa. She has an event in Manchester that's about to begin.
Candy Crowley, our senior political correspondent, is out there. She's covering the New York senator.
What was it like earlier in the day, Candy? We saw that emotional moment where she was holding back some tears. What was it like to the audience, her supporters, who were witnessing this?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Very sympathetic.
And I don't know if the viewers saw kind of the whole picture frame of that. But she was at a table with mostly women. It was undecided voters. But the vast majority of them were women at the table and also with a rather small audience.
So, it was kind of an intimate afire, as these things go, to begin with. And, when she teared up, and when she kind of had that halting speech, you could kind of feel that in the room. And the fact of the matter is that there was a lot of sympathy for her inside that room, just in terms of, look, you know, it's been a year, and they have been going at this for the last several weeks really full throttle.
She admitted she was tired sort of towards the end of this event. So -- but it got a very sympathetic reaction within that room.
BLITZER: You're there at this Hillary Clinton event right now, Candy. It looks like a big crowd.
We have been hearing reports of enormous crowds for Barack Obama in this, the final hours before the election actually starts. What's it like at these Hillary Clinton events? Are large numbers of supporters showing up?
CROWLEY: Well, at the event in Dover, for instance, the fire marshal did turn people away. It wasn't that it was jam-packed, but according to the fire rules they had to have some room for people to exit, and they did have to turn people away.
Here, this is a bigger room. This is their finale. By the way, she's going to show up here with her husband, the former president, who is the famous comeback kid now in New Hampshire. He's been out in the state today as well. So, you know, she's been getting good crowds and some of them are sort of deliberately smaller, like the Q&A with the undecided voters that we just talked about. But those rallies, if you will, rather than the kind of let's talk about policy events, the rallies have been good size.
BLITZER: Candy, thanks very much. Candy Crowley getting ready for this next Hillary Clinton event out there in New Hampshire. Let's get some analysis now on what's going on and joining us three of the best in the business, the best political team on television -- Jeff Toobin, Gloria Borger, Roland Martin.
I wanted to just go down the line. Give us your immediate assessment of that Hillary Clinton emotional moment today.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: I actually thought it was fairly typical of what presidential candidates do these days. George Bush cried. His father cried. Bill Clinton teared up occasionally. I thought what was interesting was the response that John Edwards went after her in kind of a nasty way.
A lot of Republicans said, oh, she's faking it. I think it was an example of how much Clinton hatred there is out there. It seemed like an ordinary, actually in the fairly endearing moment, but just a lot of people out there who hate this woman.
GLORIA BORGER, SENIOR POITICAL ANALYST: You know, there comes a point in every campaign when you're losing that your advisors say to you let Hillary be Hillary. Let Al Gore be Al Gore. Remember that. And I think this was a moment, one of those rare moments I would point out, Wolf, in this campaign, where Hillary actually let her guard down. She was exhausted. She was emotional, but she actually told you what she felt, which is that this is tough and it's a hard job, and she wants to do it. She wants to win.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Wolf, also, she has portrayed an image over the years as being this very tough resolute person, not being able to show that. So all of a sudden when you do see it and she's down, the natural instinct to say is oh, she's only doing it because, you know, because she's losing --
BLITZER: It's contrived.
MARTIN: Right. And that's the bad point about it so I mean, looking at it, and again, as Candy explained it, looking at the context being around all women, smaller table, you understand. If you were there I probably think you could understand, especially what was said beforehand. Was caused it? Was there something that someone else said that caused her to say, wow, you know, these women are identified with me. I think -- I wasn't offended by it. Again, it was personal.
BLITZER: It was an emotional moment. You know, the Clinton haters, Jeff, as you point out, it doesn't make any difference what Bill Clinton or Hillary Clinton would do or say. They think everything is almost robotic, scripted, poll tested.
TOOBIN: Absolutely not human. I mean, they are not regarded as human beings by a substantial portion of the country. It's far from the majority, but the Clinton haters are a real constituency.
BORGER: Well, but can I just say that this campaign has been scripted. That it's almost been a robotic campaign.
TOOBIN: Yes.
BORGER: And also, I don't want to play the gender card here, but I will. As a woman, she bent over backwards to be seen as tough because that's very difficult for a woman. When you're running for president, you have to have your national security credentials. Then people saw her as too tough so she had to bend over in the other direction to try and be likable. I think what we saw today was real.
BLITZER: You know, it's interesting also. I'm speaking to some Hillary Clinton supporters out there. People who have been passionately in favor of her for months and months, have given her, her campaign a lot of money. But you know what they're saying? They're saying now, well, maybe Barack Obama is not that bad. Maybe he seems like a guy who could win. I'm sure you're getting that in the African-American community as well.
MARTON: Well, actually, Wolf, we're getting it all over the place because I've got a piece right now on CNN.com talking about Obama's become as electability. I'm getting e-mails from Republicans who are saying I have voted Republican my entire life.
One person who sent an email saying I'm 51 years old, and I will vote for this guy. If you guessed it, I'm an Asian. It is because he is speaking to a part of America that people have avoided for years. And so, he is stirring the passions up. And what he is also doing, though, he is saying it's not about me.
If you watch the debate on Saturday, Clinton often say it. You know, I've been about change. I've done this, I've done that. Obama says what are we going to do? What do you need to do? What Kennedy said is that ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. Obama is doing the same thing. He is saying you are a part of this. I want you on my team to effect change.
BLITZER: All right. Very quickly because I just want to go down. Mitt Romney versus John McCain in New Hampshire. If McCain wins and this is defeat number two for Mitt Romney, can he go on?
TOOBIN: Absolutely. And this race is so wide open. They are still five candidates out there. No one is collecting all the delegates. He's got Michigan. He's got lots of big states to go. I think it's obviously not good for him, but he can definitely continue.
BORGER: I really think it depends on how much McCain were to win by. If he were to win by 15 points, I think Mitt Romney has a very tough time. But if he wins by a small amount, two to three points, Romney can get back out of Michigan and then again in South Carolina.
MARTIN: Authenticity versus plastic man. And so, I think bottom line is Mitt Romney has an image problem. He is robotic and so he is going to his passionate (ph) people. McCain, Giuliani. I'm sorry, he doesn't want New Hampshire. He has no shot at the nomination.
BLITZER: Guys, thanks very much. You're going to be busy. All of us are going to be busy tomorrow. No rest for the weary. Thanks guys very much.
MARTIN: Appreciate it.
BLITZER: We've got a lot more of our coverage coming up, including what's going to be happening exactly at midnight tonight. Only a few hours from now, we're going to go there live to see what's happening to Dixville Notch. Tom Foreman is standing by. That's where the first votes will actually be counted.
Also, John Edwards -- he's hoping he can make a serious showing in New Hampshire. Can he? We'll check in with his campaign. We'll check in with all of our reporters. Stick around.
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BLITZER: Senator John Edwards is trying to stay in the race by helping to knock Hillary Clinton out of the race. It's a tough, a tough assignment, maybe mission impossible. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is covering John Edwards in Manchester, New Hampshire. What's he up to right now?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, following him you see a little bit of sizzle and also a bit of stake here. John Edwards still traveling with some Hollywood celebrities. With him Susan Sarandon. We saw today Tim Robbins among a couple of others or so there, engage in what is called this 36-hour marathon for the middle class. A blitz of activities up until midnight when everything really gets started in earnest to essentially bring out his populous message to try to prove that he is for the people, that he wants folks to come out and vote for him.
And notably, it was his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, who really brought a lot of the substance about the differences between her husband's positions and those of Senator Barack Obama, Senator Hillary Clinton. She specified universal health care being one of them, nuclear energy, as well as taking on fighting those special interests.
And Wolf, I have to tell you I spoke with aides today and surely, they'd love to win New Hampshire. They'd love to come in second. But they said no matter where he places, he will go on. He will go on to super Tuesday. You're not going to hear any kind of concession speeches coming from him no matter how he places in this.
They've been working very hard. The big question, of course, is whether or not he really has the resources, whether or not he has the operation that some of the other candidates do. Clearly, he is going to be outmatched when it comes to the national level, but they're going to go on to South Carolina. Very important, they believe. He'll be a lot stronger as you get to some of those big states, the southern states, where they believe that he will actually have a lot more support. Nevertheless, they're working very hard here. But you're not going to hear any concession speeches from John Edwards no matter where he places after tomorrow -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Suzanne Malveaux reporting for us from Manchester. Thank you.
Mike Huckabee was the big winner in the Iowa Republican caucuses, but he certainly can't count on that big Christian evangelical vote in New Hampshire. Very different state.
Mary Snow is covering Huckabee's campaign up in New Hampshire as well. What's the latest on that front, Mary?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Mike Huckabee has had such an unconventional campaign, and he lived up to that reputation again today. He actually left here for a few hours to go tape the David Letterman show, and he's played tonight with his band and also had Chuck Norris joining him on the campaign trail.
As you said, his popularity here was never that high, but after Iowa he's now saying, look, if he places third, that would be a strong showing for him here in New Hampshire. Another interesting thing is you look forward to South Carolina. You know, he and John McCain have had a constant target. That's been Mitt Romney, but they'll be competitors in South Carolina. Today, he was asked about how he compares to Senator McCain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's primarily been a senator. I've been a governor. His experiences were Washington- based. Mine is at the level of running the government at the state level. But I think that's important. Actually running a government, making the budget balanced. Being the person who made those decisions.
It doesn't mean that his experience is not valid or significant. It is. It's just different. But I think there's an impression that one brings from the perspective of the governor. You do manage things. You make things change. You're not part of the group that changes the flow. You make the decisions here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Governor Huckabee and Senator McCain have had a lot of good positive things to say about one another. But it will be interesting to see how that continues, or if it continues, when they compete against each other in South Carolina. Certainly, Mike Huckabee looking toward that state and trying to really keep up with his momentum and trying to build staff as well as money coming in -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mary Snow, thanks very much. Mary Snow reporting.
Driving the voters, what are the real issues that will get them to the polls in New Hampshire? Which candidates are likely to benefit? And we're also counting down to that small New Hampshire town where the first ballots will be cast in just over three hours -- three hours, 16 minutes, 33 seconds from now. The first real ballots will be cast. We'll take a quick break. Much more of our special coverage from the CNN Election Center.
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BLITZER: Larry King is coming in from Los Angeles. He's got a little preview of what's coming up right at the top of the hour. Larry, what are you working on?
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Wolf, I know you are one of those guys who's got everything under control. Diet, stress and exercise. You are a total master of what's going on in these debates.
BLITZER: Not true. Not true at all.
KING: For those who don't, we've got a show for you. The best in the self-help business. Tony Robbins, Dr. Dean Ornish and our own Dr.Sanjay Gupta all together. We'll also be joined by Lee Thomas. He's a black man whose skin has become white. It's an incredible story of change.
And, by the way, Wolf, you mentioned earlier at midnight Eastern we'll return and have a special live segment on the first votes from the New Hampshire primary. We'll take you to Dixville Notch to see which way the political winds are blowing there. So we'll come back live. We're doing kind of Wolf work tonight.
BLITZER: Excellent. Good. You know, you're like three hours earlier in Los Angeles so you got plenty of time out there. Right, Larry?
KING: You're not kidding.
BLITZER: All right. I'm going to watch. I'm going to watch your show because I need a lot of help right now. I know your guests are going to be able to help not only me but all of our viewers. Larry, thanks very much. Larry's got an important show coming up in a few moments.
Every four years, the voters of that tiny New Hampshire hamlet, it's called Dixville Notch, they stay up late so they can vote first. Let's go up there. Tom Foreman and the CNN Election Express is in Dixville Notch right now. Give us a little flavor of what's going on, Tom.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, no matter what you're up to down there, this is where it's happening tonight. We're a very short distance actually from the Canadian border here. Beautiful forested woods full of all sorts of snow. And in just a little while, this becomes the most important place in American politics for a very short period of time because of these. Look over here.
All of these are voting booths. And the 16 registered voters right here in Dixville Notch are all going to show up and right after midnight because they can under the rules, they're all going to vote. They're going to fill up these booths over here, and they're going to fill up the booths on the other side of the room over here and they're all going to cast their votes.
And they're going to do a lottery beforehand to decide who gets, who actually vote first and then they will walk over here. And that person will drop a ballot in here. It will all follow suit. In short order, the ballots will be counted. And then in the next room, the announcement will be made about who won and who did well. Now, it's not a great predictor in some ways. Better prediction for Republicans and for Democrats if you look at the record, but this has drawn a lot of attention to this town and made an awful lot of politicians connect with this small community here around the halls. This is great.
This is where it's been here for a long, long time. A lot of famous people have come here. But on the walls, you can see photographs and all sorts of famous players who have been here including, interestingly enough, George Bush and Bill Clinton and Ralph Nader over here. And up in the corner that we can't make it out right now, a little picture of a man who's here to endorse John McCain in his presidential bid. That guy was Fred Thompson, who needed to endorse McCain so much.
So, anyway, Wolf, that's what's going to happen here at this fascinating town to be in. A great place. The people here are tremendous, and they get a little bit of a sunshine here. Some of the neighboring communities started copying the act sometime back, but this is the original that started in the 1960, a gentleman named Neil Tillotson, who lived to be 102, and he was always the first voter. And now, the community carries on the custom here, Wolf, and it's a custom that the whole nation waiting on primaries gets to look at because this is the first vote that happens right here in just a little while -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Great publicity for Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Tom, thanks very much. We're going to be watching this story. Remember what Larry King said. Right at midnight Larry will be live. He'll bring you the outcome of those voters in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, the first votes to actually be counted in that state. And the actual voting begins in a few hours. We're going to show you what to look for on both sides of the nation's first primary.
Also, we want your I-Reports from New Hampshire. Find out how you could be a part of the best political team on television. Go to CNN.politics.com. Much more coming up right here from the CNN Election Center.
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BLITZER: New Hampshire is certainly very, very different than Iowa, and there are key factors that could shape this race for the White House. So what are we looking for tomorrow in New Hampshire? Let's check back with Bill Schneider and Soledad O'Brien who are looking closely at this part of the story -- Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the important question, really. We're going to Bill for what he's looking for tomorrow as some of these results come in. First and foremost, Democratic side, what are you looking for?
BILL SCHNEIDER, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Will young and independent voters show up? They did in Iowa, but they don't always. Clinton. Will Clinton hold her support with women? She didn't in Iowa. Edward's message. He wants to show fight. He's anti- establishment, whereas Obama wants to reconcile differences. Which message will win out? That's what we're looking for.
O'BRIEN: On the Republican side, what are you looking for?
SCHNEIDER: Old McCain or new McCain. The old McCain was a maverick in 2000. The new McCain is a more established conservative. Will his vote look like his old vote, or will it be different? Can Mike Huckabee expand his support? There aren't many evangelicals in New Hampshire.
O'BRIEN: It had to be a big problem for him, of course.
SCHNEIDER: A big problem. Will there be a new Mike Huckabee? And finally, Romney. He's a former corporate executive. The economy -- a big concern in New Hampshire. Will it pay off for him? We'll see.
O'BRIEN: Any early indications though that people really do care about the economy that could help him.
SCHNEIDER: It shows up in a very strong issue in both parties' primaries.
O'BRIEN: That's what Bill Schneider is watching, Wolf.
BLITZER: And we'll be watching with the others, both of you tomorrow night. All of these factors. Thanks, guys, very much. You can help us show the world the New Hampshire primary with your I- Reports. Find out how you can be part of the best political team on television. Go to CNNpolitics.com.
When we come back, we'll check in with our own best political team on television. We'll be right back.
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BLITZER: Jeff Toobin, what are you looking for tomorrow night?
TOOBIN: How is Hillary Clinton, the most famous woman in America, start over? How does she say you think you know me, but in fact, here's what you don't know?
BLITZER: Gloria?
BORGER: Whether Barack Obama's rise in Iowa changes the entire tenor, mood and tone of this entire presidential race.
MARTIN: I'll go GOP. If McCain beats Romney, does he now target Giuliani and try to throw him off track, especially if Giuliani comes in fourth or fifth. That's going to be the key.
BLITZER: It could be if these polls are accurate, a relatively early night tomorrow on the Democratic side if Obama is as far ahead of Hillary Clinton as these final polls might suggest.
TOOBIN: New Hampshire leads tend to expand. John McCain wasn't ahead by 18 points in 2000 in the Republican race. He was ahead by nine or 10. He round up blowing out to George W. Bush.
BORGER: It's also going to be interesting to watch whether John McCain gets the support of more Republicans than Mitt Romney does. I mean, he can win by getting those independent voters but if McCain wants to be the Republican presidential nominee, he has to start attracting Republicans.
MARTIN: Well, the key, if Clinton loses, how does she frame it? Will she have the same backdrop that she did in Iowa? Will she have the same type of speech? What will be her message to her supporters going forward if she loses New Hampshire?
BLITZER: What about South Carolina?
BORGER: Well, if Hillary Clinton loses here, there's lot of talk that perhaps she takes a step back and says, I've got to retool my campaign. I've got to focus on those many states on the February 5th primaries, and maybe she lets South Carolina take a back seat.
BLITZER: We'll be in "THE SITUATION ROOM" starting at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Tomorrow, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, our special coverage from right here at the CNN Election Center.
I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting. Let's go to "LARRY KING LIVE." He's standing by -- Larry.
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