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Campbell Brown

Obama Begins Rallies to Sway Republican States; Rough Weather Ravaging Midwest; Looking Back on RFK's Funeral Train; Was Hillary Clinton Wronged by Gender Politics?

Aired June 05, 2008 - 20:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Lou.
We've got a lot of political news tonight, including a one-on-one interview with Barack Obama. But we're going to start first with some breaking news we want to tell you about. It is turning into a rough and potentially dangerous night of tornadoes in the Midwest.

So we want to go first and foremost to the CNN Weather Center and meteorologist Chad Myers for the very latest on all of this.

Chad, what can you tell us?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Campbell, this is all the way from Minneapolis, all the way down to Texas. And a large line, tornadoes on the ground, just in the past five minutes near Johnson, Brock and Julian, Nebraska. Also into Sidney, Iowa. Corning, Kansas and Watson, Missouri.

This entire line of weather has got 48,000 lightning strikes in one hour. Now I can do the math here, but that's 14 or 15 strikes per second over the entire middle part of the country. We do expect a lot of tornadoes on the ground tonight. Tonight would be a good night to get that weather radio and make sure it works, especially before you go to bed. Because this could go all the way to 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning with tornadoes on the ground. As soon as the sun sets, Campbell, it's going to be very tough to see the tornadoes and so the warnings may get a little bit slower and it's a lot more dangerous after the dark.

BROWN: All right, Chad, a lot more people who need to be following this very closely. And we will be checking back with you all throughout the hour.

Chad, appreciate it.

We are going to move on now though, all eyes are now on the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama. Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley got a one on one interview with the senator today. She asked him whether an Obama/Clinton ticket is in the works. We're going to have his answer on that and a whole lot more coming up.

Senator Obama has just wrapped up his first post-primary rally. And the headline here is location, location, location. Obama was in Virginia. Now, Virginia is one of the red states that he intends to pry out of Republican hands this fall. And that would be quite a feat because Virginia has not gone Democratic in a presidential election since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

From a national perspective, the Obama/McCain race hardly could be any tighter. Check out our latest poll of polls. It has Obama loading his Republican rival by just two points. So what is Obama's general election strategy now that he is as official as you can be at this stage of the game?

So for that, we're going to turn to CNN's Jessica Yellin. She's standing by at the site of the Obama rally that just ended in Bristow, Virginia.

And Jessica, I know we're going to see Obama traveling to a lot of these so-called purple states, aren't we, these Republican states that he thinks he can turn Democrat?

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Campbell.

Barack Obama has been selling this message that he's going to run a different kind of campaign. And a part of that is the idea that he's going to look at the electoral map in a different way. He's going to fight for states the Democrats have traditionally given up to Republicans.

So Virginia is a key example of that. But there are others, states like New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, all places where George Bush won narrowly in 2004, but they've showed signs of turning blue. So Barack Obama will be spending a lot of time in states like those. And also in states that have had traditionally red state feel for years. Places like Georgia and North Carolina. Bush won by huge margins there.

But because Barack Obama feels he can turn out the African- American vote and he appeals to some white collar intellectuals, he thinks he can win in those states. And his message of reaching across the aisle woos Republicans and Independents. So he thinks he's viable in the entire nation -- Campbell.

BROWN: And Jessica, Obama talked today about how improbable his primary victory was. And he argues how that in a sense makes him the inevitable winner in November.

YELLIN: It's interesting there was a sign I saw here today that said "Yes, we did." And I think that's a key message of the Obama campaign right now. He's saying that he defeated this inevitable candidacy of Senator Clinton. And so he started what is basically an unstoppable movement. That's the way he's selling it. It really struck me when he said this during the rally earlier today, let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: After trailing 48 states and two territories, after talking to hundreds of thousands of people, after shaking hundreds of thousands of hands, after kissing hundreds of babies, I'm here to report that my bet has paid off. My faith has been vindicated because the American people are ready for change. And that's why I stand before you as the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: And, Campbell, the audience here clearly thought he can do anything or anything he does is in his reach. He took off his jacket, and let's take a look at what happened when he did that for a moment. Just for taking off his jacket -- I wonder what would have happened if he had loosened his tie, Campbell.

BROWN: And there are those who say he has a women problem, huh? We are going to be talking about that a little later in the show. Anyway, Jessica, thanks very much, appreciate it.

And now for the No. 1 question that Barack Obama is getting these days and it comes up pretty much everywhere he goes, will you pick Hillary Clinton as your running mate?

The Clinton campaign's latest and very nuanced statement on the matter came out this afternoon. She's open to being on the ticket, but she is not seeking a spot.

So as for Senator Obama, well our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley sat down with him just a few hours ago and here's what he told her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Let me start out with a couple of political questions first. And that is you know and I know that, if Senator Clinton wanted to tamp down this vice- presidential conversation by her surrogates, that she would. She has, as she will tell you, more than 17 million voters.

She has come -- she has more delegates than any runner-up in history. Do you have to put her on the ticket?

OBAMA: Well, let me begin by saying -- repeating what I said on Tuesday night. She has been an extraordinary candidate. She's been an extraordinary public servant for years now. She ran as tough a race as could be imagined. And I have nothing but respect for Senator Clinton and what she's going to contribute to the party. And I'm also confident we're going to be unified.

What I've also said is the vice presidency is the most important decision that I'll make before I'm president. And it's something that I take very seriously. I know Bill Clinton took it very seriously when he had to go through this process. Senator Clinton, I'm sure, would take it very seriously if she were going through this process.

So we've got a committee that's made up of some wonderful people. They are going to go through the procedure and vet and talk with people and get recommendations. I will meet with a range of people.

And I'll ultimately make a decision.

Senator Clinton would be on anybody's short list.

CROWLEY: You don't feel this -- there's an enormous amount of pressure out there for you to put her on the ticket. Do you feel that pressure?

OBAMA: You know, I am a big believer in making decisions well, not making them fast and not responding to pressure. And I think Senator Clinton right now is in the same position I am, which is we just completed 54 contests. We want to catch our breath. We need to take stock of where we are. I'm sure she has to do the same thing.

And so she and I will have a conversation. We won't be doing it through surrogates or the press. To talk about how we move forward, join forces to make sure we are successful in November. And so there's going to be a lot of time for that.

CROWLEY: Is it the best way to win over her supporters, though? To put her on the ticket. You've seen, I'm sure, the polling showing that you're dropping in women, sort of down-scale voters and those kind of voters. Isn't it the best way to win them over, is to put them on that ticket?

OBAMA: As I said, I think everybody just needs to settle down. We've just completed this arduous process. It's only been two days. And you know, I think it's both -- not just in my interests and Senator Clinton's interests, but in the Democratic Party's interests and the country's interest to make sure that I make this decision well. And I will be deliberate and systematic about it, because this will be my final counselor when I'm making decisions in the White House. And I want to make sure that I get it right.

CROWLEY: You don't feel at this moment you have to put her on the ticket, is bottom line?

OBAMA: Well, the bottom line is, is that we're going to go through a process, and I'll make my decision some time in the weeks to come.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And Candy Crowley is joining me now from Bristow, Virginia. And Candy, he's dancing around that one. What's behind all this? What's his strategy on Hillary Clinton?

CROWLEY: Well this is I thought a very kind of nuanced performance here because first of all, you don't want to offend all of the people who want Hillary Clinton on his ticket. On the other hand, he wants to be in control of the situation. He doesn't want this kind of getting out of hand and the way it really felt like it was doing over the past 24 hours. I think that's why you saw that statement from the Clinton campaign.

And I think that's why he's doing this now which is OK, everybody settle down, I've got a process. I'm going to do it this way. So he kind of cools this off and takes away that pressure without kind of ticking off Hillary Clinton's voters who of course he very much wants to come to his side.

BROWN: And Candy, this is his first day as the presumptive nominee here. More generally, how did he seem to you?

CROWLEY: It's interesting, I covered his announcement in Springfield, Illinois, went to Iowa with him, have watched him over the course of time. Did my first interview with him in the fall or late summer of last year. He's a different guy, really, in many ways. He's always eloquent with the speeches.

He was not totally comfortable on the campaign trail. Sort of up close, shaking hands, that kind of thing. And certainly not all that laid back with reporters. He was one of those people that you always felt like he was -- he was too tense and he waiting for the trick.

He was very laid back today. Now winning helps you feel a little laid back. He's just a different candidate now.

BROWN: Candy Crowley for us, and we're going to have a lot more of Candy's interview we should mention in a little bit. Senator Obama tells us he'll stump two issues in the fall campaign.

But, first a little more on the future of that Obama/Clinton relationship. We've got a top notch panel from across the political spectrum. I'm going to ask them if Barack Obama has to offer Hillary Clinton the job of running mate and whether she really wants it. That's when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: The question tonight, will he or won't he? Will Barack Obama ask Hillary Clinton to be his running mate and does she even want the job? Senator Clinton's chief spokesperson, Howard Wolfson says, quote, "She is not seeking the vice presidency and no one speaks for her but her. The choice here is Senator Obama's and his alone."

So joining me now to talk about Hillary Clinton's V.P. prospects are Kevin Madden, a Republican analyst and former national press secretary for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. Chris Cillizza, who writes a blog called "The Fix" on Washington Post.com and Faye Wattleton, who is cofounder and president of the Center for the Advancement of Women, joining me here in New York.

Welcome everybody.

Chris, let me start with you. Senator Clinton is saying that the choice is Senator Obama's alone. But did the pressure from her supporters you think over this last week - could it have backfired and hurt her chances to be on the ticket?

CHRIS CILLIZZA, THE FIX: You know Campbell, I actually think the biggest thing that hurt her chances of being on the ticket is when she took the stage up there where you are in New York City on Tuesday night and basically said I congratulate Senator Obama for everything he's accomplished and then went on to make the argument that she was still the popular vote leader, that she won the swing states, 270 electoral votes. All under the umbrella of the fact that Barack Obama had just clinched the nomination with the delegates.

That is not the kind of way that you get yourself positioned for the vice presidency. This statement today seems to me a little bit more in line. It's not an office that you tend to get by seeking. The people who want it and really actual actively campaign are not the people who are usually picked.

BROWN: Kevin, she's giving him her formal endorsement at an event on Saturday. What's she going to say? What does she need to say to calm her critics?

KEVIN MADDEN, FORMER ROMNEY PRESS SECRETARY: Well Campbell, she has to be very magnanimous. Chris is exactly right. In every chance she gets, she has to alter the perception that she's not out to unify the party and that she's still worried about her political prospects. That she's essentially suspending her campaign and waiting for some disqualifying event that would essentially give her the nomination out in Denver.

So she has to make every single effort to bring the party together and look like she's trying hard to bring all those coalitions and essentially transfer her support that she earned during the campaign to Barack Obama.

BROWN: Is she going to be able to do that, Faye? She's got a lot of very angry women supporters who are feeling robbed, frankly, might be the right word right now?

FAYE WATTLETON, CENTER FOR ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN: Well, I think that's true but I think that's a very early reaction after the disappointment of this very, very close primary outcome.

The vote spread is very, very narrow. And so it's a very delicate balance and a delicate dance that we're engaged in now or watching the two candidates engage in. I think it's nuanced. But in reality, I can't imagine that Mr. Obama would select her for the ticket. But having offered the possibility that she might want to be on the ticket, I think it really does open the peril for people to be angry again if he does not select her.

Think about the prospect of Mr. Obama selecting Mrs. Clinton when he really basically ended her dream of becoming the first woman president. That's not likely to happen. The prospect of Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton being back in the White House with Mr. Obama, that's not likely to be the case.

And the possibility of holding on to the oath when he really has struck out and has captured the imagination for change might send a signal that he's not quite ready for change in terms of really cutting the umbilical cord.

BROWN: With that in mind, Chris, just look ahead for me. Obama's taking a couple days off in Chicago when he comes back on the trail. It's just going to be he and Senator McCain now. Does his message, does it change at all? And if so, how?

CILLIZZA: You know, Campbell, I don't think you change the message when you've just beaten Hillary Clinton, the sort of presumptive nominee of the first family of the Democratic Party.

When you score a perfect 10, you don't tend to think, what could I have done different with that routine? Now Senator Obama has things that he needs to work on, there's no question. He's wonderful in big audiences. He's not as good in debates. He's wonderful in some states like Oregon and Washington. He struggles in states like Michigan and Ohio and Florida. So there is work to be done.

But it seems to me, the core message which is very easily boiled down. Change, that we need to put new people, we need to choose new people in Washington if we want to change the ways of Washington. It worked and now he's running against somebody who's been in Washington for over two decades.

BROWN: Right, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. All right guys, hang on. I've got a lot more to come. We're going to do more of Candy Crowley's interview with Barack Obama, including what prompted this knuckle bump. What's going on there? You remember. There you go.

But up next, the veepstakes. A lot of people are jocking for the number two spot. We're going to handicap each party's front runners and some surprising wild cards. That's when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: The Obama and McCain campaigns are kicking the vice presidential search into high gear tonight. Each one, looking for the perfect partner for the presumptive nominee. But one wrong move could turn a potential dream ticket into a political nightmare.

So who has the hot hand in veepstakes 2008? Tom Foreman, tell me how the Republicans and Democrats can play their cards right, Tom?

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, everyone here in Washington is playing vice presidential poker right now. And trust me, this deck will be shuffled many times.

But let's just deal out a few of the possibilities. For Obama, first up, Senator Jim Webb from Virginia. Much decorated military veteran. He opposes the war. A good counter to McCain's military experience. Let's go to the dealer for Mark Warner, former governor of Virginia. The Dems think they might snatch that red state into the blue. And he could help.

Next up, Kathleen Sebelius, governor of Kansas. The experienced, talented, good record of bipartisan politics. And she's a woman. And how about putting a wildcard on the table? Boy, this is a wild one. New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. He's a politician who can claim every party and no party and he's a billionaire. That's always good fun.

Now let's put some red cards down for John McCain. And we're going to start with someone he certainly knows. Mitt Romney, sure, he folded like a cheap tent in the primary, but he knows all about business and that could help McCain as the economy teeters.

Let's flip another one over for Charlie Crist, he's the governor of Florida. Remember, Bush/Gore 2000, enough said. And let's flip a card for Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. People up there know how to fish count on him hooking and landing conservatives. And here comes the wildcard for McCain, Condi Rice. She is so talented and respected in this administration. And she comes with a built-in base of fans. Just look at the Internet.

These are only a few possibilities of course. We'll be playing a lot of hands like this in the coming days. Campbell?

BROWN: All right, Tom, so many choices, thanks.

Well back with me now to handicap it all, Kevin Madden, Chris Cillizza, Kay Wattleton.

Kevin, let me start with you. I don't have to guess who you're picking on the McCain side. It would be your old boss Mitt Romney and for the Democrats you picked former senator Sam Nunn, explain.

MADDEN: Well, admittedly biased on Mitt Romney. But there's a lot of reasons he would make a very, very good choice. First is he expands the battle grounds, expands the geography for someone who could bring something to the ticket. He can win in Michigan in his home state. He can help McCain win out west in places like Colorado and in Nevada. But like Tom Foreman said, the economy. The economy is going to be such a big issue and that's where Mitt Romney's strength is.

BROWN: Who would be your second choice if it weren't Mitt?

MADDEN: Well I would have to go with Tim Pawlenty, just for the simple fact that I do believe that John McCain has always shown that he puts a premium on personal loyalty and the personal chemistry that he has with these potential candidates. And Tim Pawlenty was there before there was a there, during the dark days of the summer when John McCain was struggling. Tim Pawlenty never left his side. So that would be a big reward for Tim Pawlenty.

BROWN: And let me go to Chris because Chris, you did picked two governors that frankly most people haven't heard of. And you did pick Tim Pawlenty on the Republican side, and Obama, you picked Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. First with Pawlenty, same reason as Kevin, I guess? This relationship that he has with McCain?

CILLIZZA: Yes and Campbell, one other quick thing on Pawlenty. As you mentioned a dream ticket can turn to a nightmare. Look, Pawlenty may be the pick because he does the least potential harm. Not a lot of people know him. There would be an introduction period there. He's elected in the swing state, Minnesota. Obviously McCain wants to put that in place. Sebelius, I like to change it up a little now and then. Remember, she's from Kansas, she's been elected twice in a very Republican state. And she has a lot of Republican roots that people don't know about. Her father-in-law, Republican congressman from the Topeka area. Her own father, John Gilligan, the governor of Ohio which we all know will likely be a battleground state.

I just think she would re-enforce the change method, the new faces. She has executive experience. It would be a little bit of an out-of-the-box pick, but running as a first term senator against Hillary Rodham Clinton is pretty out of the box.

BROWN: Fair point. OK Faye, what do you think of their choices?

WATTLETON: I think their choices are interesting. I thought it was sort of interesting that he spoke about Ohio because Mr. Obama struggled in the middle of the country and that's really an area that he needs to shore up. I sort of like Governor Strickland of Ohio because he's from the Midwest, he's very popular and I think that he would really re-enforce that part of the country for Mr. Obama.

BROWN: What about Condi Rice? You were like -- when he threw up the Condi Rice card as his wildcard.

WATTLETON: I just really think that it would be really difficult to elect an African-American and a woman on the ticket. I guess she wouldn't be on the ticket, I'm sorry. It's possible that he could select her and that would perhaps deal with the woman and the African- American on Mr. McCain's side.

BROWN: For McCain, let me go to you on this, Kevin, is age the -- we hear that a lot. That he has to counter the youth and vigor of Barack Obama given his age. Is that the issue that he needs to address most with his choice?

MADDEN: I think the big problem that John McCain is going to have with narrowing down his selection is that the readiness threshold is so much higher for him because there's going to be both implicit and explicit suggestions that his age is a liability. So whoever John McCain picks is going to have to be able to answer that question, are they ready to be president on day one?

BROWN: All right guys, we've got to end it there. I'm sorry we're out of time.

But Kevin, Chris, Faye, thanks to all of you. Appreciate it.

And by the way, Senator Obama has picked up the latest way of -- well, that isn't quite shaking hands. What was that all about? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Forty years ago today, just moments after he had claimed victory in the California primary, presidential candidate Robert Kennedy was shot by an assassin. Kennedy died the following day, leaving the nation shocked and stunned. Some two million people watched his funeral train as it brought his body from New York to Washington.

"Look" magazine photographer Paul Fusco was on that train. Unseen photographs from his journey were found recently in the library of Congress. And they appear in a new book "Paul Fusco: RFK" to be published this fall by Aperture. Now, he sat down with us to relive the power of that moment.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL FUSCO, PHOTOGRAPHER ON RFK FUNERAL TRAIN: The first thing I saw was hundreds of people on train station platforms. I was absolutely stunned. I didn't anticipate it. I hadn't thought about it. I couldn't -- it was like an apparition.

I instinctively jumped up, grabbed one of the windows in this old train car, pulled the slip, pulled it down, stood in that window and saw the train go to Washington.

America came to mourn, and it was just stunning and overwhelming. All these people, young, old, black, white, yellow. Just all there together, driven by one concern. A love, hopefully, for a great man. A loss of their future.

Bobby Kennedy at that time made a lot of people believe that it wasn't only the rich who had a great time to be in America. America was for everybody. Everybody had a chance. It was incredibly an emotional train ride. It was unrelenting.

There's a black woman at the end of the line of maybe 30 or 40 people who was in absolute agony, arms flayed out. Her face was twisted with pain and anguish. A young family, mother and father, five children. Very carefully standing at attention by the side of the tracks.

And a woman by herself in this empty landscape. It was a very strong melancholy, and it makes you worry about her, wonder about her.

So many clumps of Americans, all mourning and saying goodbye, farewell, so long, Bobby. And they were all there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: So tomorrow night in the ELECTION CENTER, we are going to have a special. We're going to explore the parallels between the tumultuous 1968 presidential campaign and this year's election. We are calling it "Something's Happening Here." That's tomorrow night, 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on the ELECTION CENTER.

When we come back, there is some breaking news coming in to CNN right now. There are multiple tornadoes on the ground in Iowa and in Missouri. We are going to go back in and check with meteorologist Chad Myers when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Breaking news in to CNN right now. Multiple tornadoes on the ground in Iowa and Missouri. Let's go right to meteorologist Chad Myers with the very latest.

Chad, what do you know?

MYERS: Campbell, it has really picked up in the past 10, 15 minutes. For a while, we only had one, two tornadoes we're tracking. Now, it looks like probably four tornadoes on the ground. Two in Nebraska, one in Iowa. Possibly a second in Iowa, and the other one that just moved out of Rockport in Missouri.

We'll take the graphics and we'll kind of give you an idea. This is all southeast of Omaha and the weather is not moving to Omaha at this point, but it is kind of getting closer and closer to Des Moines and also maybe to Clarinda into Iowa. We do know about Randolph, Iowa, a tornado was on the ground there about four or five minutes ago. Also, two south of Hastings, two miles southeast of Hastings, Iowa.

Coburg, Iowa, you had a tornado on the ground in the past 10 minutes. And then Salem, Nebraska, just west of Falls City, a tornado on the ground near you.

Now this storm has moved on up toward the northeast, and one storm is now replacing another one after another. And the line is going all the way from almost Minnesota down through Iowa. Down into Kansas and back down into Oklahoma, and finally down into about Texas.

The main line, the thing that we're really worried about would be from about Des Moines through Kansas City, and east of Wichita, Topeka, kind of east of Emporia. That's the area that we really could see. I'm going to zoom out here a little bit. There we go, zooming out.

And then one more time, I'm going to zoom out to the entire line. And this Omaha, Kansas City, Wichita, this line, all those tornado watches and warnings all kind of lining up in a wind event. You're thinking what's the difference? Wind, tornado, tornado is wind.

Yes, it is, but a tornado goes around in a circle. You know what it looks like. A wind event can be a large line of weather. It could be 150 miles from north to south all lining up in a big line knocking down things with winds of 80 to 90 miles per hour, all kind of acting like a rake as it comes right across this area, and into Iowa, in the Missouri, possibly going all night long into Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, maybe Louisiana.

We'll have to watch. This is going to be a long, live event, and it is going to go for most of the night. Even the tornado watch that we have right now, Campbell, it's going all the way to 1:00 a.m. So it's going to be a long night. We brought our pajamas. We'll be here.

BROWN: OK, Chad. A long night for a lot of folks.

MYERS: Yes.

BROWN: So we will be keeping an eye on all of this, and we'll bring you any developments as to what's happening on the ground with those tornadoes. It did touch down in addition to what's happening now as they move into these other areas.

Chad will stay with us with any breaking news as we move forward. Thanks, Chad. Appreciate it.

We do want to go now, back to the latest developments on the campaign front. When we come back, Barack Obama's bid to win over women who think that Hillary Clinton was wronged by gender politics here in the ELECTION CENTER.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: So Barack Obama knows that he needs to win over a lot of those Clinton supporters before November and, of course, female Clinton supporters. So he is clearly working on his image as he works the crowds. Listen to this video that you saw earlier. The reaction when the candidate takes his coat off.

Rock star, yes, making it look easy there. But he has got his work cut out for him because a lot of women who supported Hillary Clinton think frankly that she has been dissed, and they are blaming the media in large part. There has been so much talk about the way she looks, she laughs, she talks, she smiles, even how she claps.

So we are going to ask now was the Clinton campaign undone in part by sexism? Can Barack Obama pull in all of those women who would say yes? So now, listen to Obama's pitch to women in today's interview with Candy Crowley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY: Give me your best 30-second pitch for a 45-year-old female Hillary Clinton supporter who is saying I am not going to vote for him. I am going to vote for John McCain, or I'm going to stay home. Why does she come vote for you?

OBAMA: We've got, I think, as important election as we've seen in years, maybe in a generation. And there's going to be a clear choice. And for that 45-year-old woman who is trying to figure out how am I going to send my kids to college? I've got a plan to make college more affordable, John McCain doesn't.

For that 45-year-old woman who is trying to figure out how do I manage my health care bills, I've got a plan to provide her health insurance if she doesn't have it, and to lower premiums if she does. John McCain essentially is going to provide a tax cut but may lead to her employer dropping her coverage altogether.

If she's got a son who is in Iraq right now, maybe on the third or fourth rotation, I am telling her that I'm going to bring her son home and start ending our commitment there. John McCain would continue it. And when that son comes home, I would make sure that that son or daughter is getting a G.I. Bill that allows him or her to go to college. John McCain rejects it.

I would tell that 45-year-old woman that we're going to have Supreme Court appointments. And John McCain and I have very different philosophies when it comes to who should be on the bench, and critical issues like a woman's right to choose is going to be at stake.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: So now, we're going to bring in some of the savviest political minds on the planet. We have got tonight Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of the "Huffington Post" and the author of the book, "Right is Wrong," CNN contributor Leslie Sanchez, a Republican analyst, and Joan Walsh, editor-in-chief of "Salon.com," with me here in the studio.

So let's bottom line these, ladies. And Leslie and Joan, you start, Leslie.

LESLIE SANCHEZ, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.

BROWN: Did sexism play a role in Senator Clinton losing the nomination?

SANCHEZ: I think a lot of people want to cry over spilled milk and say it's something like that. You can't doubt that there are biases. I think there are biases in the media. I think we saw several examples of that. I would certainly credit that.

I think many women and Hillary Clinton supporters will say that Barack Obama got a free ride. They would even look at it that way that he was unblemished, and that Hillary was criticized so much more harshly than probably they thought was fair.

But that being said, she also came into it with the most assets, the most money, the biggest operation machine representing one of the largest states, you know, in terms of population and impact.

BROWN: Right.

SANCHEZ: So you can't really say she wasn't -- you know, it was not a fair race.

BROWN: Joan, do you agree?

JOAN WALSH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, SALON.COM: I basically agree with Leslie. I think that she ran a pretty bad campaign until the last half and that's what doomed her.

This is a really tough conversation to have, because if you say sexism played a role, and I think it did, it sounds like you're saying, well, that's why she lost. And it's not. But when you have media outlets and this wasn't usually one of them that routinely referred to her as a she-devil, and every man's ex-wife voice, and the "B" word over and over, and we had Hillary nutcrackers. There is just a cruel delegitimization of her as a strong leader, let alone as the female leader...

BROWN: Right.

WALSH: ... that I think was really diminishing.

BROWN: Now, Arianna?

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "HUFFINGTON POST": Well, if Barack Obama had lost, Campbell, we would be sitting here debating whether race is one of the reasons why Barack Obama lost. And the truth is that there was both sexism and racism in this election. And that in the end, Barack Obama won for reasons that were largely not about sexism.

I would say that if you want one reason, you can go back to Hillary Clinton's 2002 speech on Iraq...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

HUFFINTON: ... where she was just as strong on this as George Bush about why we should go in there. And the way she stayed on this until the very much the last moment was hugely important for the Democratic primary.

BROWN: But Arianna, don't you think there were at least undercurrents of it throughout the campaign that we saw inevitably, unlike some of the things that Joan mentioned, these Hillary nutcracker dolls and, you know, the t-shirts that were, you know -- the messages that were out there very much in our face?

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Hold on. Go ahead, Arianna.

HUFFINGTON: Campbell, when you look at all those things, you can also look at all the things that were said about Barack Obama, and his name, and he's a Muslim, and all those racist elements there. And he won. And he won in the end because of a huge force in American politics right now, which is that people really want a complete break from the Bush years. And Hillary Clinton did not offer a complete break.

And the way -- the way that she focused on experience rather than change from the beginning, the way that she went on not wanting ever to really apologize for her vote in Iraq, the way that she pandered on the gas tax holiday...

BROWN: All right.

HUFFINGTON: ... which reminded people of the worst kind of politics --

BROWN: But let's bring it back to the subject. Leslie, go ahead. SANCHEZ: I would say this much. I would agree that people wanted a break, but I think a lot of people want a break from politics, the way it's run, business as usual from Republicans and Democrats. I mean, nobody really likes anybody in Washington right now, and I think Barack Obama was distant enough and independent enough to appeal to the anti-war movement, the people that were felt disenfranchised, the young voters and African-Americans. And that coalition was very strong and Hillary Clinton didn't see that.

But to the point of this, I think I would agree here. I think that Hillary Clinton zigged when she should have zagged. It was a poorly run campaign that didn't recognize the impact regardless of those other factors, that she also had the highest negatives of any candidate for that office in the history of this country.

BROWN: So her charges that sexism, no one here believes that there's any merit to them?

WALSH: Oh, I absolutely believe. Please, let's not get out without saying that. There are absolutely -- there's absolute merit to her charges of sexism.

Just this week, another cable host asked whether she could obey and she could be subservient enough to be V.P. Is anyone asking that of Jim Webb? That that come up tonight in the area of conversations? Of course not. I mean, the narrative is just so demeaning and diminishing, how can that not have hurt her?

BROWN: Guys, so much we could talk about on the subject. Could go on for hours, but we do have to end it there. So many, many thanks to Joan, to Leslie, and to Arianna, as always. Appreciate your time tonight, guys.

Still ahead, we're going to have more from Candy Crowley's one on one with Senator Barack Obama, including his top two issues to come this fall.

Plus, the in way of expressing affection on the campaign trail. Hey, it isn't as embarrassing as some other things that the candidates have done on camera. We're going to remind you of a few of those other things when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Hi, I'm Larry King.

Ed McMahon is living a nightmare that so many can relate to. He could lose his home to foreclosure.

How did that happen? He'll be here and I'll ask about it. It's an exclusive.

Plus, the latest on Clinton and Obama and McCain and the political picture today. And Maya Angelou is one of our guests as well. That's "LARRY KING LIVE" top of the hour, and Campbell Brown returns with ELECTION CENTER right after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: With the general election finally under way and his one- on-one interview with Candy Crowley today, Barack Obama talked about his top priorities.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY: When nominees go into this phase, they generally have a signature domestic issue. George Bush, it was the No Child Left Behind, it was cutting taxes. Bill Clinton, welfare. What is Barack Obama's signature domestic issue?

OBAMA: Well, I'm not -- I'm not sure I can restrict myself nice one. I think that there are two big issues that have to get done very quickly on the domestic side.

We are going to pass a universal health care bill. It is long overdue. The time is ripe. Not only are families feeling the crunch, but our federal budget is feeling the crunch of a health care system whose costs are out of control. Our state budgets are getting crushed and businesses are groaning under the weight of a broken health care system.

So I think the time is ripe for us to revamp our health care system not only to provide coverage to everybody, but to make it more efficient.

The second thing is energy. We've got $4 a gallon gas. Who knows where it may go by the end of the summer. And, you know, I had obviously a significant debate with the other candidates about the gas tax holiday. I believe that's a short-term gimmick. The only way we're going to deal with gas prices is to have a long-term energy policy, and that means increasing fuel efficiency in our cars, investing in alternative fuels, drastically revamping how we think about clean energy like solar, wind, biodiesel. And we have to do that not only for our economy, but also for our national security.

We're making Iran wealthier because of our dependence on foreign oil. We're making Venezuela wealthier. So those two issues are going to have to be dealt with immediately, and that's going to be a handful. So, you know, obviously there will be a whole host of other things that we have to concern ourselves about.

I'm going to be occupied with dealing with Iraq and Afghanistan as well. But when it comes to the domestic front, if we can get health care right and energy right, then I think we start putting ourselves back on the right track.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: So where's the love on the campaign trail? Stick around. We're going to show you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BROWN: So take a look at this. Barack Obama's fist bump with his wife on Tuesday night got a lot of us thinking about other high level displays of affection. Take a look at love political style.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN (voice-over): Official White House protocol offers no guidance on what you might call PPDAs, political displays of affection. Nothing on the art of the hug, the spontaneous kiss, and now the intimate knuckle punch.

All White House couples or White House wannabes have their own affectionate affectations.

Jimmy Carter, the southern gentlemen, beamed as he twirled Rosalynn on the dance floor. There was this rare public nozzle but on any given day, it was how they held hands that we remember most.

Hands down. The most romantic political PDAs go to the Reagans, married 52 years, Ronnie and Nancy. They always seemed smitten with each other. Their puppy-love gazes seemed downright genuine.

And then there were the love letters published in 2000. The president wrote his first lady, "Man can't live without a heart and you are my heart. By far the nicest thing about me and so very necessary. There would be no life without you, nor would I want any. And often signed, 'I love you, Ronnie.'"

At the 2004 Democratic convention, it was simply a love fest with Al and Tipper Gore at center stage.

As for our current president, he's a bit more subdued. A quick peck here and there, but it was a poem to First Lady Laura that got people talking.

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Roses are red, violets are blue, oh, my lump in the bed, I've missed you.

BROWN: As for the Clintons, yes, they've had their issues. But there have also been stolen moments, like this dance on a Caribbean beach.

But the most talked about display of political PDAs in years belongs to Barack and Michelle Obama. There is the hand holding, the affectionate gazes, but it was during the celebration after he clinched his party's nomination, it was the embrace and, well, the knuckle punch, followed by a pat on the rear. It was certainly not dictated by any White House protocol.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: That's it. "LARRY KING LIVE" right now.