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Senator Hillary Clinton Takes Three out of Four Contests; John McCain Sweeps All Four of Last Night's Primaries
Aired March 05, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN, ANCHOR: She won three out of four contests last night. And somewhat wrestled away the momentum from Barack Obama. He went into yesterday's primaries with 11 wins in a row. He began the night winning Vermont but lost Rhode Island, Texas, and Ohio. Obama says he still leads where it matters, the delegate counts. According to CNN estimates, he has 86 more delegates than Clinton, but a big question today -- can either Democrat get enough delegates to clinch the nomination? The Republican race is all but over. John McCain swept all four of last night's primaries to become his party's presumptive nominee. He cruised past the 1,191 delegates needed. Once those results came in, challenger Mike Huckabee dropped out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been but what now must be, and that is a united party but a party that, indeed, comes together on those principles that have brought many of us, not just to this race, but to politics in general.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: CNN is your home for politics. And we're gearing up again today. CNN correspondents, take a look at the map here, scattered across the country to study the results and show you where things go from here.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN, ANCHOR: Clinton celebrating her big wins, Obama downplaying his losses. The candidates still slugging it out for the Democratic nomination. Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley on the phone from Columbus, Ohio, this morning. So, Candy, how did Hillary Clinton pull it off?
VOICE OF CANDY CROWLEY, CNN, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think there were a couple of reasons. In Ohio, I think it was the NAFTA problem that Obama has on the eve of the primary here when a memo surfaced indicating that his complaints and his criticism of NAFTA were not sincere, that he was saying something in private. And the Clinton campaign was all over that. Hillary Clinton mentioned it at her press conference. They pounded it home in conference calls in Ohio. NAFTA really is a four-letter word. So, that hurt him.
We sort of see in the exit polls that those people who made up their minds in the last three days swung heavily to Clinton. I think it was something else in Texas. I think the terrain, her heavy support from Latinos along the border and in those border towns really help put her over the top. I think also that so-called red phone ad that was played down there when she said, "listen, who do you want to have answer that phone at 3:00 a.m. in the morning at the White House? You want the person with experience, and that's me."
All in all, the Clinton campaign looked at these races and said, if we can focus voters on what's important, we win. So, the whole time Clinton was campaigning no matter what state, she was focused on two things -- the economy and national security.
COLLINS: Yes. So the big question, Candy, where do the Democrats go from here?
CROWLEY: I think you will hear more of the same. I think especially looking ahead to Pennsylvania, which looks very much like Ohio demographically in many ways, so it tends to favor Hillary Clinton and the type of voters that are there, Democratic voters that are in Pennsylvania. I think you will see Clinton continuing to pound him. They know that in those final days when she was going after him, they turned it. So, I think you will see more tough talk from her, more going directly at him, and I think you will see him being much stronger in his response.
COLLINS: All right. Hey, you know what? We're going to keep watching this thing.
CROWLEY: Yes, we are.
COLLINS: What are we calling it? Yesterday, I think we called it the super bowl, kind of. All right. Candy Crowley, our senior political correspondent. Thanks so much, Candy.
CROWLEY: Thanks.
HARRIS: The GOP game plan, Mike Huckabee is out, but firmly behind his party's presumptive nominee. CNN's Mary Snow in Little Rock, Arkansas, this morning. Mary, good to see you. So, what's next for Mike Huckabee? I would suspect he is meeting with his team today, a team of 30 members as he mentioned last night.
MARY SNOW, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning, Tony. That's why we're here in Little Rock. We flew back with him from Texas last night. He is going to be closing out his campaign. While he's in Little Rock, senator John McCain is heading to Washington. Of course, he's getting to accept the endorsement of President Bush at the White House later today. This, of course, after securing the number of delegates needed for the Republican nomination. And last night he addressed crowds looking ahead to what he faces in the general election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My friends, now we begin the most important part of our campaign, to make a respectful, determined, and convincing case to the American people that our campaign and my election as president, given the alternatives presented by our friends in the other party, are in the best interests of the country we love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: And Senator McCain is going to be getting some help from Mike Huckabee, who came out to endorse Senator McCain last night after he dropped out of the race. He says he expects to meet with Senator McCain in the near future and says he'll do whatever Senator McCain wants him to do. As for Huckabee's immediate plan, he said, you know, he was really banking on winning Texas and he held out that hope even till yesterday afternoon. But as far as what happens now, we asked him last night, as we traveled back to Little Rock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've said all along that if somebody got 1,191 that, you know, we would recognize we have a nominee. Didn't think we would get there tonight, but it looks like we are. And, you know, I hope to prove I'm a man of my word.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Mike Huckabee saying, you know, he really doesn't have a plan "b" and he's going to be thinking about that as he takes a little bit of a break. Tony.
HARRIS: Mary, just very quickly. What was the mood? What was it on that plane, on that flight to Little Rock? Finally that moment, it's over. What was it like?
SNOW: Well, you know, Mike Huckabee has always kept his spirits up, and he was joking around with everyone on the plane last night as he traveled back, and he was even playing a bowling game on the plane with bottled water and the press. So, he was laughing, very gracious, taking all the questions we had, and he really was in very good spirits and said, you know, this is part of life and you move on.
HARRIS: Yes. Sounds like Mike Huckabee. All right. Mary Snow for us in Little Rock, Arkansas. Mary, thank you.
COLLINS: It is the question of the day. How did Hillary Clinton stop Barack Obama's momentum and what does that tell us about the next heavyweight state, Pennsylvania? We've got the breakdown from our chief national correspondent John King from CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KING, CNN, CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They're going to slug this out in Pennsylvania, but it's a very similar economic state to what we have in Ohio. Remember, when we look at Ohio, look at where she won. She won in Youngstown. She won in Akron. She won in Toledo. She won all down here along the River Valley. White, industrial, former industrial areas that are hurting right now. She won the economic debate, and you can carry that over into these communities across Pennsylvania, the old steel towns, other light manufacturing towns that are struggling right now. So, she is hoping to carry the economic argument. We're hearing a lot of talk from her about the commander in chief, the national security part, but on the ground, they think her greatest success was convincing economically depressed areas right now to rally to her plan.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN, ANCHOR: When you look at map there, it looks very much like a general election where the Democrats win in the inner city and the Republicans win out there in the collar counties and the rural areas. Do you think we'll see that repeated in Pennsylvania where he might win in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, places like that and she'll win many other places?
KING: If there's a lesson for Barack Obama heading into Pennsylvania and he has time to deal with it, again, remember, he won in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, where you have the African- American populations. But imagine Cleveland as Philadelphia. If Barack Obama wins Philadelphia, only 53 percent to 46 percent, well then Senator Clinton is in a good position across Pennsylvania, across the broader pars of Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: John points out Senator Obama is ahead in Wyoming, which holds caucuses on Saturday. And he's expected to win Mississippi's primary next Tuesday.
HARRIS: Now let's hear from the Democrats. Hillary Clinton with momentum on her side this morning. Clinton says more and more voters are realizing she'd be the best president and commander in chief. On CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, Clinton talked about responding to a crisis, a point she drove home with her 3:00 a.m. phone call ad. She admits there's not a specific example where she was the go-to person.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There isn't any way that anyone who's not been president, but, you know, the administration sent me to war-torn zones. I was the first person from the Bush -- from the Clinton administration to go into Bosnia after the Dayton peace accords. You know, I went to Macedonia and sat down with their government and negotiated opening up that border. There are a lot of examples. But it is not just one thing. You know, Senator Obama's whole campaign is about a speech he gave in 2002, and of course by 2004, he'd even backed away from his fervent anti-war sentiments and says he wasn't sure how he would have voted and actually agreed with the way George Bush was conducting the war.
Well, I think what's important here is that this campaign has turned a corner. It is now about who is strongest against the Republican nominee, John McCain. You know, people who voted a month ago didn't know who the Republican nominee was going to be. They didn't perhaps factor in that it will be about national security, because, indeed, with Senator McCain, that's what it will be about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. Clinton says her win in Ohio is especially significant. She says a Democrat can't win the White House without Ohio.
COLLINS: Senator Barack Obama, his streak snapped but he still vows to win the Democratic nomination. In an interview also on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, Obama talked about the race ahead. He also responded to Clinton's ad touting her ability to handle a middle of the night crisis call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She's yet to cite what experience, in fact, prepares her for that 3:00 a.m. phone call. When her advisers were asked about it, there was a deafening silence, you know, so it was a clever ad but the bottom line is the most important foreign policy call that she has had to make since she has been in public office was whether or not to follow George Bush into Iraq and she made the wrong decision. So, I'm looking forward to having that debate because in fact, Senator Clinton hasn't cited any particular experience that makes her prepared to make that, to make that call.
We went in to Texas and Ohio down 20 points. You know, we had won 11 straight until Clinton decided that they could only contest in these two states where she had an advantage and she did well. But as I said before, we emerged with the same delegate gap, between here and me that we had essentially before we got in and so we have constantly focused on the next states in front of us. We got Wyoming and Mississippi this week. We think we'll do well. And then we go on to Pennsylvania and the other states that follow.
COLLINS: Obama says his campaign will keep focusing on the issues that matter to voters.
HARRIS: African-Americans and Latinos, how did they vote in the primaries and why. We will break down the numbers next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Hillary Clinton laid claim to the Latino vote and in Texas she got it. African-American voters favor Obama. Let's talk about these two key groups. Maria (), managing editor and host of NPR's "Latino U.S.A." is also a special correspondent for "Now" on PBS. Maybe we can get you to be a special correspondent for CNN. I don't know how many jobs you have. But let me add another. And Doug Banks, host of the syndicated Doug Banks radio talk show. Where are you, in Dallas, in Houston? Where are you, Doug?
DOUG BANKS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Dallas, Texas, my friend.
HARRIS: Dallas, Texas. All right, Doug, let me start with you. Are you surprised at all by the Clinton win in Texas?
BANKS: Yes. Yes.
HARRIS: Oh, good. At least you were admitting that. I can't get anyone who sits in that chair as any kind of analyst or pundit to admit that they erred. Thank you.
BANKS: Yes. I was shocked by that, because his momentum here in the state of Texas certainly was good. And even though his numbers were down here, they certainly had made a rebound. I don't think a lot of people were expecting the outcome that came here last night. But apparently the delegate count is up, and he still is, like he was saying earlier this morning, Barack Obama saying earlier this morning, the gap is still pretty much exactly where it was.
HARRIS: But if he runs the table, he still can't get over the line when it comes down to superdelegates. But why do you think, why do you think we have this result that we're talking about here this morning out of Texas? And then Maria, I'm going to come to you on that question.
BANKS: Well, I think, I think one thing's for sure, that the deciding votes for Hillary Clinton here changed in the last waning days of this primary. I think another thing, too, many people have talked about this, the ad that ran here in Texas -- and by the way, I don't think it ran in Ohio --
HARRIS: Right.
BANKS: The ad that ran here in Texas, the 3:00 a.m. call, that definitely hit home here. I think -- and even Senator Clinton said last night in her speech in Ohio how the fact that this country is looking for somebody who's going to be a decision maker, and in times of crisis, somebody's going to be there to do that. And I think that hit home with a lot of people. Even though I do believe what Senator Obama said this morning about when has she really had to make a decision like that.
HARRIS: Maria, jump in here, please.
MARIA HINOJOSA, PBS "NOW," SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: You know what, I got to say that I think that Obama and his entire campaign is probably shooting themselves in the foot right now and saying why did we walk away from the border? This is a politicized area, it's politicized in fact by some of your anchors on CNN, this entire border area. They are engaged politically. They went for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama essentially did not appear there. He probably could have gotten some votes. He probably could have gone some votes if he went down there and talked about the driver's license issue, which he did not talk about.
Interestingly, both candidates here, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, were able to change the conversation away from these hot-button points about the border wall, about the driver's licenses, towards NAFTA. Very interesting political move there so that they don't have to engage that. But essentially, there's a lot of votes that Barack Obama could have gotten. He essentially let those go to Hillary Clinton. He's got his work cut out for him in the next primaries.
BANKS: I'll agree with that.
HARRIS: Maria, to nail this down. We're going to show some exit polling here. If you look at the Hispanic vote in Texas, 67 percent to 31 percent for Clinton. You go back to California and it's 67 percent, 32 percent. Maybe it's the issue they talked about, maybe it's the border issue, maybe it's immigration, the driver licenses, but it looks like Obama has hit a ceiling here with the Hispanics.
HINOJOSA: Let me tell you something, there's something that marketers love and that's the fact that Latinos are very brand loyal. I know it in my own family. We talk about this. You stick with a brand forever. It's kind of the same with some candidates. Hillary Clinton has been able to deliver a message that I will do something, that I will be effective. She also voted for wall on the border. But it seems that within the Latino community, there's a sense that her experience could mean that things could be resolved in relation to immigration, in relation to the war, which are issues that Latinos care about, and very importantly in Texas, the issue of health care.
HARRIS: Yes.
HINOJOSA: That message that all will be covered probably got her some more Latino votes.
I'm going to try to sneak two quick ones in here because we got to get to the president shortly. Doug, take a look at the African- American vote there in Texas. Obama at 83 percent, Clinton at 16 percent. Doug, look, there's not even 25 percent support among African-Americans for Hillary Clinton in your state of Texas. Is it wise for African-Americans to go essentially all in for Barack Obama?
BANKS: Well, yes. I think it is from the standpoint, like we just talked about yesterday, the historical standpoint is there, yes, but this man represents a change that I don't think a lot of people are used to seeing, especially from somebody as Senator Clinton once called who is not a "beltway politician." This is a man who really is trying to adapt change in this country, and the way he's going to have to do it. And people are buying into it. However, right now, he did hit a bit of a wall. But I do believe that in the next several weeks, as we get ready to go to Pennsylvania, you know, this weekend with Mississippi, and also Wyoming, too, this will continue. But as far as African-Americans are concerned, I think, yes, they should be behind this man. I think they will continue to be behind this man, and I believe in the end, the country will be.
HARRIS: And very quickly, one word from both of you. Maria, should there be a do-over in Michigan and Florida?
HINOJOSA: I don't think at this point the Latino voters that I'm talking to are looking at that issue. But I'll tell you what, what people are talking about is that Latinos know now they are going to be targeted for the November election. What are we going to watch? We're going to watch Latino progresses in Pennsylvania, which has had a lot of these strong laws against immigrants, and guess what, Puerto Rico for the first time is going to matter in terms of these primaries.
HARRIS: In June.
HINOJOSA: Absolutely.
HARRIS: That's right. In June. And Doug, what about Michigan and Florida very quickly. Should there be a do-over?
BANKS: I would love to see it because there are an awful lot of delegates at stake, certainly in Michigan and definitely in Florida. But yes, I think they should do it.
HARRIS: We got to get to the president. Doug, great to see you. Maria, great to see you as well. I've got another five jobs for you. Just working like crazy. It's great to see you, you former CNN-er, you. All right. Thank you both for your time. Let's get you to President Bush now who is speaking before the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference in Washington, D.C., his remarks are focusing on the economy and national security.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES: Oil is what - dependency on oil presents a real challenge to our economy. As economies grow, and we want all our economies to grow. We want people to be prosperous. We want people who live in poverty to be able to grow out of poverty. We want there to be general prosperity, but as economies grow, until we change our habits, there's going to be more dependency on oil. You know, my job as the president of the country is to put pro-growth policies in place. But we're dependent upon oil, and so as our economy grows, it's going to create more demand for oil. Same with China, same with India, same with other growing countries.
And it should be obvious to all that the demand is outstripping supply, which causes prices to go up. And it's making it harder here in America for working families to save. And for farmers to be prosperous and for small businesses to grow. People get an image planted in their head, and sometimes it causes them not to listen to the facts, but America is in the lead when it comes to energy independence. We're in the lead when it comes to new technology. We're in the lead when it comes to global climate change, and we'll stay that way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. The president there talking about the economy. We should make another note here that the president will be meeting with the presumptive Republican nominee for president, John McCain. The meeting is to take place at noon eastern, and then a Rose Garden endorsement of John McCain at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. We will, of course, bring that to you live. Right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: The foreclosure crisis. Where to turn when hope is lost. You may be surprised at the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Taking a check of the big board now, the Dow Jones industrial average up 95 points resting at 12,308. Yesterday, I'm sure you know, down about 45 points. So, we continue to watch the markets, of course, and gas prices, too, kind of all over the place today. We'll share that number later on.
The nation's top banker calling for lenders to do more to keep borrowers from losing their home. So, what does that mean for you? CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis has more on all of this.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN, PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Heidi.
COLLINS: Are will they be more flexible in negotiating with borrowers who are troubled?
WILLIS: We'll you know this is just yet another person calling for the lenders to be more flexible, but it's really going to vary from lender to lender. Every proposal that's out from there, from freezing interest rates to reducing the principal on these loans, that is writing down debt, it's all voluntary, so banks won't have all the same solutions. Some experts we talked to said that lenders may be more sensitive today. Bottom line, it's cheaper for a bank to renegotiate your payments than to chase somebody and miss out on monthly mortgage payments. Heidi.
COLLINS: So, what advice do you have, though, for the people who are sitting at home right now and they're really stressing out about falling behind in those payments and writing those checks?
WILLIS: Well, look, the sooner you call your lender, the better chance you have of negotiating. Getting a loan modification is a time-consuming process, so before you miss that first payment, before you miss it, get on the phone to the company that services your loan or the bank. Then collect all the info you can to support your financial distress, to prove it. Collect information like your pay stubs, tax return, a list of your household expenses, and then you want to keep very detailed notes on the people you talk to, who are the servicers or the lenders.
COLLINS: I imagine there are people out there who are in this situation saying, well, you know, it really doesn't matter. I mean, this is a business, they want their money, and that's it. But not true. I mean, there really are some options out there.
WILLIS: I know, a lot of people are thinking about just mailing their keys in to their lender. Look, your lender may be able to reduce or suspend your payments for a certain amount of time. Your interest rate may be reduced or your adjustable rate could be frozen. These are the options out there. Sometimes, you can extend the number of years you have to repay that loan. So, there are lots of things that can be done to help you make those payments.
COLLINS: What about those people though? Who do just walk away?
WILLIS: Look, you know, I can't advocate just sending your keys back to the lender. Not only will you be losing your home and violating a contract, but your credit score will suffer, destroying your ability to get loans, to get credit in the future. In fact, the foreclosure could stay on your credit score for seven years. And that means high interest rates on everything from auto loans, to credit cards. That is, even if you could get them. Now, you may be able to repair the damage to your credit score in two to four years, you'll be responsible for any deficiency on the mortgage.
For example, like, if someone walks away from a mortgaged at $200,000 and the household adoption for a $150,000. You'll still be in the hook for $50,000. And the lender can go after your assets like your savings account and any other property that you own.
COLLINS: Wow, we got the repercussions of a huge...
WILLIS: So, you're better off with trying to get the loan modified or getting a new loan.
COLLINS: Hey, Gerri, before we let you go. I hear you have a little book out there, a new one. Tell us all about it. There it is, "Home Rich."
WILLIS: You know, we're talking about the solutions for people out in the market place. In this books "Home Rich" which is in bookstores right now. We're talking about upgrading that home, maintaining that home, buying and selling it has solutions for people who believe that their home should be a good investment. It shows you how to do it. Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. We'll be checking it out. Thanks so much. CNN's personal finance editor, Gerri Willis. Thanks Gerri.
WILLIS: Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome back everybody. It's 10:30 Eastern time now. I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Welcome back everyone to the CNN NEWSROOM. Drama from the campaign trail. One race is over. The other far from finished. Here's CNN John Roberts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN, ANCHOR (voice-over): Just like her husband in 1992, Hillary Clinton is the comeback kid.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know what they say. As Ohio goes, so goes the nation. Well, this nation's coming back, and so is this campaign.
ROBERTS: After Barack Obama extended his winning streak to 12. Thanks to an early evening slam dunk in Vermont, Clinton stormed back. The senator from New York won big in Rhode Island and Ohio and edged out Obama in the make-or-break Texas primary.
CLINTON: We're going strong, and we're going all the way.
ROBERTS: But Texas complicated the system, also includes a post- primary caucus, and when all the counting is finally done, the candidates will probably come out almost even in that all-important delegate count.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And we know this -- no matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead as we did this morning, and we are on our way to winning this nomination.
ROBERTS: In the Republican battle, it was a clean sweep in all four states for John McCain, more than enough to put him over the top and clinch the nomination.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility, and a great sense of responsibility that I will be the Republican nominee for president of the United States.
(APPLAUSE)
ROBERTS: The senator from Arizona thanked his main rival for a campaign well fought.
MCCAIN: All of us want to, again, commend my friend, Mike Huckabee. He's a great, and fine and decent American, and we appreciate the campaign he's run, his supporters for their passionate commitment to their campaign that Governor Huckabee so ably represented.
ROBERTS: True to his word, the former Arkansas governor announced he was done, congratulated McCain, and pledged his help.
GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I extended to him not only my congratulations, but my commitment to him and to the party to do everything possible to unite our party, but more importantly, to unite our country.
ROBERTS: John Roberts, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: The weather making headlines again today. The question now, are we going to get a break anytime soon?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Talk about some wacky weather. In Missouri a few days ago, sunny and warm. So, what's up with all the white stuff? Eight inches in the southwest part of the state. Snow covered the roads. Of course, kids are loving it, because some schools had to close.
In Nebraska, the Elkhorn River in Dodge County overflowed. That turned a highway into a running creek. And this morning, the same river is threatening to again go over its banks.
The National Weather Service says two tornadoes touched down in Alabama, dozens of homes were damaged, trees were ripped up and gusty winds reached across the Carolinas. Home owners dealing with this mess, wow, today. The storms and wind knocked out power in some places where 50,000 people in North and South Carolina left in the dark.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Speaking of large-scale weather systems, possible tides of change in the presidential race. Exit polls suggesting Hillary Clinton is now pulling more and more white male voters. In Ohio, Clinton got 58 percent of the white male vote. Barack Obama just 39 percent. In Texas, she grabbed 50 percent of the white male vote to Obama's 47 percent. And she was the 2-1 choice among Latinos in Texas, Clinton winning 67 percent of that vote. But Obama did have an overwhelming advantage among African-American voters in Texas.
HARRIS: Voting your call wallets. The economy may not be on the ballot, but it is certainly on your mind. CNN's senior business correspondent Ali Velshi has been traveling the country aboard the CNN Election Express. Today, the view from central Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, at the end of the line for this trip through Texas. After 10 days in this state, the Election Express is rolling out and I'm rolling back home. But before we left we spent the evening watching the results come in at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar here in Banderas, Texas. Banderas is in central Texas, in what they call the Hill country, northwest of San Antonio. It's ranch land, a lot of folks around here drive big trucks. They're concerned about energy prices. And like our trip through Texas, we've heard concerns about the economy, we've heard concerns about recession and things like that.
Now, in Bandera, this is a fairly Republican town. In fact, there were no Democrats at all on the ticket for local office. That put Democratic voters in a quandary, because if you wanted to vote for either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, you had to declare as a Democrat, in which case you did not get to vote for anyone on the local ticket. If you did want to vote for somebody on the local ticket, you had to declare yourself as a Republican so you couldn't cast a ballot for the Democratic presidential nominees.
However, at the end of the day, much of the town gathered right here. We had a lovely evening, where people brought their own meat and grilled it. We listened to a band called Almost Patsy Cline, singing some old standards. And at one point, the band played "America the Beautiful," and it got the attention of the whole crowd.
(SINGING "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL")
VELSHI: And so that's how the evening went as the results came in. There was a little bit of surprise given the fact that we had heard a great deal about anti-Hillary Clinton sentiment in this central Texas area, that Hillary Clinton seemed to pull ahead in this particular primary in this county. But all in all, everybody was having a good time celebrating Texan style, and we leave Texas on that note.
(END VIDEOTAPE) COLLINS: But we don't leave the presidential election for long. That is for sure. In fact, want to show you some video now and sound from John Boehner, who as you know is the House minority leader, congratulating Senator John McCain and Senator Hillary Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), MINORITY LEADER: Good morning. And let me take an opportunity to congratulate Senator McCain on being our party's nominee. Might as well take a moment to congratulate Senator Clinton on what I thought was clearly a big night for her. And congratulate the Democrats who now I think have made it clear that over the next six months they'll be scratching and clawing at each other, and what a shame.
But having said that, Senator McCain clearly has done a very good job of securing our party's nomination early. He has that nomination. And I think that you'll see our party fall in behind him over the next few months. And you'll see us work very closely together, both the House, the Senate, the White House, and the McCain campaign, work very closely together to outline for the American people what it is that Republicans believe in -- lower taxes, getting rid of wasteful Washington spending, making sure that our country is safe from terrorists, and a private sector solution to the health care crisis that we have.
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COLLINS: House minority leader John Boehner. And remember, stay with CNN for unmatched political coverage all throughout the day. We have much more on the candidates and what will happen next. You can join us for "CNN BALLOT BOWL" today at noon Eastern.
HARRIS: Talking in the Middle East. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announcing today Israeli and Palestinian leaders will get back to peace negotiations. She did not announce a date. This comes despite fierce fighting in Gaza. Israel responding to rocket attacks, launched airstrikes that have killed at least 110 Palestinians, many of them civilians. One Israeli civilian and two soldiers have also died. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas broke off talks just days ago. He was demanding a cease fire, but Rice says that is not a condition for the resumption of talks.
COLLINS: And back to our top story now. 11 straight wins going into yesterday, Barack Obama seemed unstoppable. What happened? We talk to one of his staunch supporters, a former Congressman, coming up.
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HARRIS: And still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, a town pulls for Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CROWD: Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!
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HARRIS: Why a Japanese village wants an Obama victory.
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HARRIS: Barack Obama had the big mo going into Tuesday's primaries. Can he get it back? Kweisi Mfume, former Congressman, current Obama supporter, good to see you.
KWEISI MFUME, OBAMA SUPPORTER: Thank you.
HARRIS: Let's be honest with me (ph), I know you so dog-gone well, and I actually like you. It's going to be strange.
MFUME: That's a good thing.
HARRIS: That's a good thing. I have to ask you, we talked on the phone and you had been campaigning with Barack in Ohio and you felt all of this momentum. No way to miss that. But I'm curious, first of all, I got two questions -- I'm all over the place here -- but first of all, your thoughts on the results last night, clearly the win in Vermont but then, losses in Rhode Island, Texas, being the biggest prize, and then Ohio.
MFUME: Well, you know, I think the key is just to keep doing what you're doing. This, in my opinion, is a political adjustment. It's kind of like when you build a house, in the first six or seven months, the house takes time to settle in. If it's on a strong foundation, the house is going to stand. And this campaign was built on a strong foundation, it has a great deal of momentum. He did not have a big dent in his lead in delegates, he's still leading ...
HARRIS: Right.
MFUME: ...by a whole lot of delegates that are pledged. There are only 661 left. Senator Clinton almost has to win almost 70 percent of all those delegates to compete, and I don't think that's going to happen.
HARRIS: But Kweisi, let me -- if you believe, as I tend to believe, that you can learn a lot from a loss, there were a couple of losses last night, if you're on the phone with Barack later today and you can offer some advice, maybe some take-aways from last night, what might they be?
MFUME: Well, the first thing is that you want to remain positive because he does have the lead. It has not been taken away from him. The second thing I think is that you've got to remember what got you to the dance, and what got him there clearly was being straight on the issues, being forceful about his beliefs, appealing to all people across racial lines, and trying to bring people together. Those things he has to continue. HARRIS: Right, right. Can -- appealing across racial, ethnic lines, are you at all disappointed -- we're going to put up some numbers here ...
MFUME: OK.
HARRIS: ...in just a moment to indicate in the key demographic groups, kind of the sing groups, we're talking about African-Americans in Texas, you see the numbers here. Eighty-three percent for Barack, 16 percent for Hillary Clinton -- let me just stop there for a moment. I'm wondering about what seems to be the pattern here so far in the primaries. All in, it seems, for African-Americans for Barack Obama, and I wonder if at the end of the day, that is why.
MFUME: Well, I guess the flip of that, is it wise for Mrs. Clinton to have Latinos voting for her in large numbers.
HARRIS: At least, at least ...
MFUME: You know.
HARRIS: ...you're getting 31, 32 percent of Latino vote for Barack Obama, which seems to suggest that they are -- they at least have something, some kind of affinity for Barack, at least over the quarter percent.
MFUME: Yes, well, you know, I think what's clear in this is that Senator Obama brings out the hopes and desires of a lot of people. The fact that it may resonate more in the African-American community, I guess speaks to the fact that that community had been brought up to believe that if you work hard, play by the rules, love your country, cherish your faith, you, too, can one day run for president.
HARRIS: Yes.
MFUME: And so, that's being manifested now. But I got to say, again, that Senator Obama's appeal is in every racial group. It's across the lines. I was with him in Westling (ph), Ohio, and I'm telling you, it's unbelievable the number of young people, the number of whites, the number of seniors, the number of Latinos and African- Americans that gravitate to a campaign that wasn't supposed to make it, by the way.
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
MFUME: You know, she was leading in Ohio by 20 points.
HARRIS: No question, no question.
MFUME: In Texas, by 12 points, and that lead was diminished. So, I think if I'm in the Clinton camp, I'm saying how do we find a way not to allow our leads in states to erode in such a short period of time?
HARRIS: Do you believe that 3:00 a.m. call to the White House ad that played principally in Texas -- but let's be clear about it, if you're watching cable news, you saw it wherever you lived -- do you think that was effective strategy, an effective ad for Hillary Clinton?
MFUME: Well, I don't know if it was that effective. It ran late, just before the primary. Both of those states had early voting, and so my guess is that a number of people took advantage of that and voted early. There may have been some that have been influenced by it, but the funny thing about the ad is not so much who answers the phone, it's what kind of judgment and temperament ...
HARRIS: Right.
MFUME: ...does the person have who's answering the phone and experience.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes, Kweisi, I know about your talking points (ph). I know that as a talking point. But here's my question. It puts -- Hillary Clinton has been trying to figure out a way to attack, to break through this veneer. Look, it is hard to be the grinch who stole Christmas and says, you know, this guy with the great inspirational message, how do I attack him? I'm wondering if this ad represents a bit of kryptonite.
MFUME: I don't think so. And I don't believe that he's Superman. I think he's just like everybody else. He has his shortcomings, his fallacies, but he has an enormous amount of strengths. And so, whether it's kryptonite or something else, what you've seen with Barack Obama is him to withstand everything that has been thrown at him.
HARRIS: Yes.
MFUME: And let's face it, there have been some very negative things thrown in this campaign, which he's tried to resist and tried to stay away from, but he keeps bouncing back and he keeps bouncing back. And I'm telling you, this is just a political adjustment, Tony. And again, it's like a house settling. The foundation there, it's strong and Senator Barack Obama's message is strong.
HARRIS: I'm long in the segment, I'm way out of time.
MFUME: Did I do well?
HARRIS: Yes, you were terrific, you were terrific. Good to see you, my friend.
MFUME: Thank you.
HARRIS: Good to see you.
MFUME: Thank you very much.
HARRIS: All right, Kweisi Mfume with us in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: He is out of the race, but is he out of the game? Mike Huckabee's political future. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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