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American Morning
Hillary Clinton Calls for Party Unity; Diehard Clinton Supporters Slow to Switch Support to Obama; McCain Goes After Obama on Patriotism; Barack Obama Reaching Out to Blue Collar Voters; Tropical Storm Gustav Could Strengthen Into a Big Hurricane; Party Lines Splitting the Music Business in Two
Aired August 27, 2008 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Team player.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: A proud supporter of Barack Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Hillary Clinton makes a speech that could save the party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: No way, no how, no McCain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: This morning, instant reaction from Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She was outstanding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And whether her husband is ready to bury the hatchet tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For whom will you vote?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: It's day three at the Democratic National Convention, live in Denver on the "Most Politics in the Morning."
And good morning. Thanks very much for being with us on this Wednesday, the 27th of August. John Roberts live in Denver this morning. Good morning to you, Kiran.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, John. Good to see you. You know, a lot of people were asking, can Hillary close the deal? Can she do it? Can she prove that, you know, she truly is in Barack Obama's camp?
All the papers here today in New York City saying things like "Bam Ma'am" and "Heal-ary." So it seems that many feel that she did it last night, John. What do you think?
ROBERTS: Well, I think it remains to be seen just how much of the rift she actually healed. But I can tell you being in the hall last night until well after 11:00, it was electric.
Here in the Mile High City, a night of high stakes and high emotion as Hillary Clinton took center stage at the convention. The senator was here on a mission to convince Clinton forces to fall in line behind Barack Obama. She was forceful in her words of support and for a moment, at least, brought a divided convention together.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Whether you voted for me or you voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think she made the case for why we are going to be unified in November and why we are going to win this election. She was outstanding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Senator Barack Obama watching the speech there last night. Former President Bill Clinton also watched it from the balcony here at the Pepsi Center last evening. And tonight he is going to take the stage here to sell the Obama/Biden ticket.
Also taking the microphone tonight, the party's vice presidential nominee Senator Joe Biden who did a walk through of the podium last night. We'll have more on what he's expected to say coming up this morning on the "Most Politics in the Morning" -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes. You know, Hillary Clinton's moment was more than just a ringing endorsement of Barack Obama. She also used it to put a period on her presidential campaign while ripping into John McCain with gusto. Here's CNN's Candy Crowley.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Kiran and John, it was Hillary Clinton night at the convention. She came, they saw, and she delivered.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): In the final scene of her presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton asked her supporters to come home.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I want you to ask yourselves, were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that young boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage?
CROWLEY: In a speech she knew would be parsed and picked over for any sign of hesitation or false note, Clinton was all in. She mentioned the name Barack Obama a dozen times, trying to bring along disappointed supporters, transferring their hopes to his campaign.
CLINTON: I ran to stand up for all those who have been invisible to their government for eight long years. Those are the reasons I ran for president. And those are the reasons I support Barack Obama for president.
CROWLEY: It was not the speech she thought she'd be giving 19 months ago when she launched her bid. But it was the speech she had to give. Not just for Obama, but for her own future in the party.
There can be no Hillary Clinton presidential candidate now. There is only Hillary Clinton, party player.
CLINTON: It makes perfect sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.
CROWLEY: She put the period on her historic campaign on the 88th anniversary of the day women won the right to vote. A piece of history she segued into advice given Harriet Tubman who helped shepherd slaves to freedom.
CLINTON: If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If they're shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going.
And remember, before we can keep going, we've got to get going by electing Barack Obama, the next president of the United States.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: Next stop along the road to unity, this afternoon's roll call vote. Barack Obama's name will be placed in nomination as will Hillary Clinton. Something both she and her supporters wanted for the history of it -- Kiran and John.
ROBERTS: Candy Crowley for us this morning. Candy, thanks very much.
Hillary Clinton electrified the convention and Democrats are hoping that lightning strikes again tonight when Bill Clinton speaks to the delegates. Can the former president get past the bitter campaign and endorse Barack Obama?
CNN's Dana Bash joins me now with a preview of Bill Clinton's speech. We watched Hillary Clinton's speech together last night. Quite an amazing moment in political history. What are we expecting this evening?
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, to your first question, can he endorse Barack Obama? We certainly expect him to do just that. But I got to tell you several confidantes of the former president tell me he is having a much harder time getting over the bitter battle than Hillary Clinton in part because they just have very different personalities, in part because of the very tension especially accusation that he was playing the race card. But, John, don't expect to see any of that in this hall tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH (voice-over): Bill Clinton's friend insists, like his wife, he's ready to bury the hatchet.
TERRY MCAULIFFE, FMR. CHMN., HILLARY CLINTON CAMPAIGN: I speak to the president frequently, almost every day. And I know, you know, he is -- his mind set now is the past is the past and we've got to move forward.
BASH: Yet on the eve of his convention speech, the former president raised a question that raised eyebrows about whether he's really ready to push for Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Candidate X agrees with you on everything, but you don't think that person can deliver on anything. Candidate Y disagrees with you on half the issues, but you believe that on the other half the candidate will be able to deliver. For whom will you vote?
BASH: Whether or not that was one last moment that Hillary was better, associates promise tonight he'll play the dutiful role of unifier in chief.
MCAULIFFE: Make the case that it's an important year for a Democrat to win the White House, House, Senate, and we have to get behind Barack Obama.
BASH: But some Clinton confidantes tell CNN he's frustrated Obama has not done more to seek his counsel in battling Republicans. He plans to use this public address to offer some advice. Draw parallels with criticisms about inexperience he faced as a young candidate.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My dog Millie knows more about foreign affairs than these two bozos.
BASH: And not so subtly urge Obama to step up the tactic he used successfully in his campaign of change. Pound away at Republicans for a broken economy.
MCAULIFFE: Get this economy moving again and the real differences between Senator Obama and Senator McCain. And that's what he's going to focus on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: Now Hillary Clinton has been out on the trail a bit for Barack Obama, but Bill Clinton has not, John. And there's one reason for that. That's because Barack Obama has not asked. That's one of the reasons why President Clinton is having a little bit of a harder time getting over this.
But senior Obama aides do say that after the convention they have asked President Clinton to go out and campaign for Barack Obama in some battleground states. But there is one piece of evidence that there are some problems here still. Hillary Clinton, she will be attending Obama's big speech tomorrow night at Invesco Field. Bill Clinton is not going to be there.
ROBERTS: I know. The theme of this day here at the Democratic National Convention is securing America's future. Is Bill Clinton expected to stick to that theme during his speech tonight or might he stray off into economics, broad democratic themes and, of course, a look back at his record when he was in the White House?
BASH: I'm told that he is going to talk about national security but he absolutely is going to talk about the economy as well. I think the way it was described to me is he's again going to draw parallels not just between his campaign and this campaign but between the '90s and these times as well. Also try to explain -- basically show Obama how it's done and as somebody who was working on the speech with him told me, now try to tell Bill Clinton what to say.
ROBERTS: It's going to be fascinating --
BASH: Good luck.
ROBERTS: It's going to be fascinating to watch tonight.
BASH: Yes.
ROBERTS: Dana Bash, thanks so much.
BASH: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Kiran?
CHETRY: Well, meantime, there's a new CNN/Opinion Research poll. It was just released minutes ago and it's showing some mixed signals about who will win the election.
John McCain getting high marks on foreign policy and national security issues. Seventy-eight percent of voters polled think that he can handle the responsibilities of commander in chief. That's compared to 58 percent for Barack Obama.
Yet Barack Obama scores better on domestic issues and 52 percent say he's more likely to unite the country compared to 37 percent for McCain.
Standing before thousands of delegates, Hillary Clinton declared it was time to unite as a single party. But did her impassioned speech hit the right note? Our all-star panel has some morning after analysis. And it was an emotional night for some of Clinton's diehard supporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANN PRICE MILLS, CLINTON DELEGATE: Hillary Clinton proved to me tonight that she would have made an excellent president. She was presidential tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Why some say Barack Obama needs to do more to connect with them. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Barack Obama is my candidate, and he must be our president. No way, no how, no McCain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Hillary Clinton made her best case for party unity during her speech last night. The delegates were wild about Hillary. Let's see how it played with our political panel this morning.
Democratic strategist Jennifer Palmieri is here with us as well as Republican strategist Chip Saltsman, who you remember from the Huckabee campaign earlier this year. And John Avlon, independent political analyst, author of "Independent Nation" joins us again this morning.
So let's listen to what Barack Obama thought about the speech as he was watching it last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She made the case for why we are going to be unified in November and why we are going to win this election. She was outstanding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So he said that she was outstanding. He seemed to like it. What did you think, Jen?
JENNIFER PALMIERI, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I thought that she was terrific. She said everything, but she's fired up and ready to go.
ROBERTS: Right.
PALMIERI: You know, she gave -- if her supporters were looking for any sort of refuge, any sort of signal from her that she was anything but 100 percent on board they just did not get it. I mean, it was -- you know, she went at it so many different ways. No way, no how, no McCain.
And I just don't -- I think that -- you know, there was something -- a lot of it was something that she had said but there is something very powerful about her doing that from that podium in this setting.
ROBERTS: Chip, she threw some red meat to the party faithful there.
CHIP SALTSMAN, FORMER HUCKABEE CAMPAIGN MANAGER: She did. She did get the crowd excited which is exactly what she's supposed to do. She overtook the convention which I think was probably a good thing for the Democrats. She completely overshadowed the keynote speaker which I'm glad of because I think Mark Warner gave a great speech that nobody listened to.
But I think she did the bare minimum endorsement game of Barack Obama. And I think this was, to be honest, a first speech for 2012, because this speech was about setting her place in history as a first woman president.
ROBERTS: John, you're nodding your head in agreement.
JOHN AVLON, AUTHOR, "INDEPENDENT NATION": Yes.
ROBERTS: What was missing from the speech?
AVLON: Well, I think aside from the obligatory mentions of Barack Obama kind of sprinkled throughout the speech, this could have been her nominating speech. I think it was very much a speech that was done to reassert the fact that she's the rock star in the Democratic Party and maybe to inspire a little bit of buyer's remorse. And that the warranty offer on that is, you know, Hillary 2012.
ROBERTS: OK. Let me ask you and let me ask this objectively. Now this was a talking point that came down last night from the McCain campaign, one who identified as such. I haven't heard a lot from the Democratic side. But did she omit any kind of reference to his leadership capabilities last night?
PALMIERI: I don't, you know -- I think that she was not there to do his bio, first of all, right? I don't think the Barack Obama campaign wants Hillary Clinton to be up there to be his representative of his bio. But what she -- I mean, I just -- you know, I have to disagree with these guys.
It's just so clear to me that she -- from everything from -- she actually defined herself as one of the -- one of the characteristics of herself, she defined herself I'm a mother, I'm a daughter, I am a supporter of Barack Obama. She could not have made it more personal.
She did the no way, no how, no McCain. She did something that was really interesting which was she talked about President Clinton and his record and then allowed for the transition to President Obama. It was -- it struck me as sort of -- it was sort of what Ted Kennedy did on Monday night with the passing of the torch. But she was saying -- and it was sort of subtle but I just think it's another example of how there was -- at every turn she was just not allowing. And for her to say to her supporters, you know, you're not in this for me, this was I think the most heavy handed approach for her, for her supporters to say, you know, you can't, you know, you can't go there. You've got to stay with Obama.
SALTSMAN: It's early. It's Ok to be (INAUDIBLE). You can be disagreeable whatever time it is. I don't even know.
ROBERTS: It's 4:17.
SALTSMAN: When the car picked me up at 3:00 a.m., I had a new appreciation for the 3:00 a.m. ad that she ran during the primary process.
But, you know, but I think what you said is the biggest problem with the speech. This speech was about Hillary Clinton. It wasn't about Barack Obama.
This was about setting her definitions of what she wanted to accomplish during the primary system. And you know, the buyer's remorse line, I was listening last night, I said I'm glad she's not the nominee. And also, I can't believe that he didn't pick her to be the vice presidential candidate because she was impressive last night.
ROBERTS: Where do you think independent voters come down on that point, John?
AVLON: Well, independent voters have never had a lot of love for Hillary Clinton but they do have a lot of respect for her. And I think that respect has grown throughout this process.
I mean, that was a virtuous performance. But when she came off the field certainly with the PUMAs in the audience, I think they were saying, see, we told you so. You should have been the nominee or the VP. Independent voters at home I don't think fundamentally changed their perception.
PALMIERI: Right. Independent voters at home were not her audience. Her audience were the people in here.
ROBERTS: Right.
PALMIERI: And 18 million people who voted for her.
SALTSMAN: And the speech for independent voters was Mark Warner that got zero coverage because this night was all about Hillary Clinton, which is another problem the Democrats are having this weekend.
ROBERTS: Hold that thought. We got to go. We've got lots of time though this morning. We'll come back to this. We should just for folks at home to identify that PUMAs are a group of Hillary Clinton supporters and the acronym is Party Unity My -- and figure out what the "A" means from there.
17 minutes after the hour. Later on this morning, I'm going to sit down with Michelle Obama for a one-on-one conversation. That interview will air tomorrow right here on the "Most News in the Morning" -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Now with relations between the U.S. and Russia rapidly deteriorating, a new Cold War could be the next big challenge for the next president. CNN's Michael Ware just back from Georgia is here with his perspective.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: This is what a major league basketball looks like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Prime time player James Carville changed his tune. But what are others saying about Hillary's performance?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: No way, no how, no McCain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Jason Carroll checks the reviews. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Yes. Those are some live pictures of the Pepsi Center in Denver where tonight former President Bill Clinton will take the stage, possibly steal the spotlight when he speaks at the convention. But last night it was Senator Hillary Clinton's night. And her job to unify a party and define the choice in this election.
She called on the millions of voters who supported her in the primaries to send Barack Obama to the White House because he represents change and John McCain, she argued, represents four more years of the Bush administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I'm here tonight as a proud mother, as a proud Democrat, as a proud senator from New York, a proud American, and a proud supporter of Barack Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: But even after Hillary's speech last night, some of her diehard supporters say that they're just not ready to rally behind Barack Obama. In fact, CNN spoke with one woman who says she's still planning on casting her convention vote for the New York senator.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANN PRICE MILLS, CLINTON DELEGATE: She led a phenomenal and intelligent, a powerful, a moving, a motivating person. Not move us into the next generation, not move us into the future that we deserve, not move us into the green economy that we deserve, not be able to address the concerns we deserve.
And now, everybody just want us to suddenly shift. I was elected to come here as a delegate for Clinton. I will vote for Clinton.
Now you ask me about my personal vote in November, Obama has two months. I won't vote for McCain. But he has to get me there. And I haven't connected with him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: That's Ann Price Mills. She also said she believes gender played a role in Clinton losing the nomination.
Well, here's a look at what's happening in the Clinton vote in the "AM EXTRA" now. In a CNN/Opinion Research poll that was taken just this weekend, one out of three Democrats saying they still want to see Clinton at the top of the ticket. And 27 percent of them say they'd rather vote for John McCain than Barack Obama. That number is up 16 percent now since June -- John.
ROBERTS: And Barack Obama taking a page from former President Bill Clinton's playbook turning his attention to the economy. But is it enough to win over the working class voter?
And not letting the party go unchallenged, this morning John McCain is taking aim at Barack Obama's experience. We'll take you out onto the front lines in the new fight. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, ABC'S "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO")
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Barack Obama has chosen Delaware Senator Joseph Biden to be his vice presidential running mate. Well, Biden -- Biden has 35 years experience in Washington. 35 years. So between the two of them, that's almost 36 years of experience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, there's Jay Leno taking a shot at Barack Obama's experience. And this morning John McCain's doing the same thing. His campaign going all out to spoil the Democrats' unity party in Denver with a series of new attacks.
CNN's Ed Henry is looking at that.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John, Kiran, tonight Joe Biden takes center stage in Denver for national security night at the Democratic Convention. But John McCain tried to preempt all that here in Phoenix by launching a whole new series of attacks on Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the Department of Arizona, Senator John McCain.
HENRY (voice-over): John McCain teetered on the edge of questioning Barack Obama's patriotism, charging the Democrat is more confident in himself than in America's ability to provide moral leadership around the world.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My opponent had the chance to express such confidence in America when he deliver a much anticipated address in Berlin. He was a picture of confidence, but in some ways, confidence itself and confidence in one's country are not the same.
HENRY: McCain also claimed his opponent is naive about world affairs, citing the lesson he says Obama took from the end of the Cold War.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one.
HENRY: McCain slammed that by mentioning his time as a prisoner of war.
MCCAIN: I miss a few years of the Cold War as a guest of one of our adversaries. But as I recall, the world was deeply divided during the Cold War, between the side of freedom and the side of tyranny. The Cold War ended not because the world stood as one, but because the great democracies came together, bound together by sustained and decisive American leadership.
HENRY: While Democrats feel the selection of Joe Biden as Obama's running mate helps inoculate them against attacks on foreign policy, McCain plans to harp on the inexperience at the top of the ticket to woo independent voters.
A key part of the Republican strategy is to target disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters by using some of her words against Obama. Like recycling her old 3:00 a.m. ad in a new pitch released by McCain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL)
NARRATOR: Rogue nations. Radicalism.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002.
NARRATOR: Hillary's right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: McCain is also still firing away at Obama's reaction to Russia's invasion of Georgia as too weak.
MCCAIN: Confusion about such questions only invites more trouble, violence and aggression. To promote stability and peace, America must stand firmly on the side of freedom and justice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: The Obama camp called this a false attack, noting the senator in Berlin also said he loves America because the nation sacrifices so much for freedom around the globe. But that's not stopping McCain. He believes this race is a dead heat because of all the tough questions about Obama's experience, and his advisers are promising they're only going to ramp up the attacks at next week's Republican Convention -- John, Kiran.
ROBERTS: Ed Henry reporting for us this morning from Phoenix, Arizona. Ed, thanks so much.
Last night was Senator Hillary Clinton's moment, and she seized it, bringing the convention to its feet time and time again, telling her loyal troops it is time to unite and support Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Now, John McCain is my colleague and my friend. He has served our country with honor and courage. But we don't need four more years of the last eight years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: It's former President Bill Clinton's turn tonight. He is expected to urge supporters to get behind Barack Obama and vice presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden also heads to the podium tonight.
And far from Denver, Barack Obama is focusing on the economy. Reaching out to blue collar voters and hammering John McCain for supporting what he calls eight disastrous years of George W. Bush. Here's CNN's Jim Acosta with that.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran with the latest polls showing Barack Obama and John McCain in a virtual dead heat, the Democratic contender will have to win over working class voters like the ones we met here in Kansas City if he has any hopes of victory come November.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A true working man as president, the senator from Illinois, Barack Obama.
ACOSTA (voice-over): A few million more introductions like that and Barack Obama could be well on his way to the White House, if it were only that easy. But at this airline hanger surrounded by mechanics facing layoffs by the end of the year, Obama hammered President Bush and John McCain on the economy.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: It would be nice if people just looked at the track records and just said, boy, these guys are really screwed things up. We're going to go ahead and vote for the Democrat. But you know that U.S. politics doesn't work that way.
ACOSTA: Far from subtle, but neither is this new Obama TV ad that portrays the president and McCain as fiscally clueless bosom buddies. Obama warned this town hall meeting of union workers that McCain is out to privatize social security and serve up more tax breaks for the rich.
OBAMA: He is out of touch. I don't think he realizes what ordinary American families are going through. I don't think the Bush administration understands what ordinary Americans are going through. But I do and that's why I'm running for president of the United States of America.
DON GREENWOOD, AIRLINE MECHANIC: Mr. Bush hasn't done anything for us.
ACOSTA: In his 38 years at this hanger, mechanic Don Greenwood has seen this work force slashed from 7,000 employees to just 600. He says he's voting for Obama but he's not completely sold.
Do you think the politicians get it, what people are going through around here?
GREENWOOD: I hope they do. But it sure doesn't look that way. I mean, everything seems to be going overseas.
ACOSTA: During the primaries, Obama got tagged with the label elitist after a series of gaffes that suggested a lack of empathy for blue-collar voters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. President.
OBAMA: Oh, see, we got a little more work to do.
ACOSTA: But in the state that voted for George Bush in 2004, the Senator has his work cut out for him, which is why he's telling voters here and across the country that John McCain is four more years of Bush's slumping economy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: There's no doubt which issue is issue number one for these mechanics. So Barack Obama is stealing a page from Bill Clinton, who made an art form out of focusing like a laser beam on the economy.
John and Kiran?
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And outside the political arena, another major story we're tracking this morning, that's Tropical Storm Gustav. It's now battering Haiti and could strengthen into a big hurricane as it heads toward the u.s. CNN's Rob Marciano is standing by with the latest on Gustav's track.
Hey, there, Rob. ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Kiran. Tropical storm now. It's been interacting with the Island of Hispaniola. The Western part through Haiti for a good chunk of the night. So the mountains there and the land certainly knocking it down a few notches and slowing it down, too. But heavier rain in through this area and certainly mud slides a possibility as this thing makes its slow trek towards the west.
So where is this going to go? National Hurricane Center still has the same track we've been showing you really for the past 24 hours. That is splitting the difference between Jamaica and Cuba over the next day or two, getting its level back to hurricane status, a category two to category three slicing through the western tip of Cuba over the weekend. And we'll extend the map over towards the Gulf of Mexico. And here's where things get a little bit interesting, if not scary.
Water temperatures here, 85, 86. In some cases 87 degrees. And the atmosphere at the upper levels really doesn't look too bothersome for a hurricane to develop. So, pretty high confidence in this thing developing into a strong hurricane, category three, potentially category four. Very close to the shorelines of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast here early Monday morning. So this is the main concern here as we go through the weekend, Kiran, and certainly we'll be tracking it very closely. And I know that emergency managers along the Gulf Coast and New Orleans specifically are already ramping up plans for potentially seeing this thing come on shore early next week.
Kiran back up to you.
CHETRY: You're right. That is a scary track. There -- of course is a long way for it to go before it gets there, and we'll see if it changes course veering slightly to the east or west there. All right, Rob. Thanks.
MARCIANO: You got it.
CHETRY: Well, there's something different at the Democrats' convention this year. See how they're trying harder than ever to attract religious voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what a major league basketball looks like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Prime time players. James Carville changed his tune, but what are others saying about Hillary's performance?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: No way, no how, no McCain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Jason Carroll checks the reviews. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BOB CASEY (D), PENNSYLVANIA: We can't afford four more years of deficit and debt and drift and desperation. Not four more years. Four more months. We can't afford.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, that was Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey. He was slamming John McCain last night. And Hillary Clinton also urged the crowd to vote for Barack Obama, vowing, quote, "no way, no how, no McCain." So has this convention turned a corner?
Jason Carroll is here with more.
A lot of critics, including those from the Democratic side like James Carville were very tough on how they felt day one went.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. The critics were literally lining up. Many political observers say they didn't see enough fire, didn't hear enough substance from Democrats on the first night of the convention. Last night, Senator Clinton delivered what Democrats needed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): It was not the speech she wanted to give at the convention. It was the speech she had to give. In order to unite the Democratic Party.
CLINTON: No way, no how, no McCain.
CARROLL: Democratic insiders say the senator from New York did not disappoint.
CLINTON: Whether you voted for me or you voted for Barack, the time is now to unite.
JAMES CARVILLE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: This is what a major league basketball looks like. Now you've seen one.
CARROLL: Despite reports of tensions between the Clintons and Senator Barack Obama, Clinton urged her supporters to get behind Obama. And brought Democrats to their feet when she took aim at Senator John McCain.
CLINTON: It makes perfect sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the twin cities. Because these days, they're awfully hard to tell apart.
DAVID GERGEN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Finally, this Democratic Party came alive here at this convention, with some real fire. CARROLL: Some political insiders say too many speakers from the first night of the convention were too soft on McCain, too vague on articulating the Democrats' message, but not last night.
SEN. ROBERT CASEY JR. (D), PENNSYLAVANIA: John McCain calls himself a maverick, but he votes with George Bush over 90 percent of the time. That's not a maverick. That's a sidekick.
CARROLL: Several speakers echoed the theme -- a McCain presidency means more of the same, more of President Bush.
GOV. MARK WARNER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: This administration failed to believe in what we can achieve as a nation when all of us work together. John McCain promises more of the same.
JEFFERY TOOBIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Tonight was a night for the Democrats to get their house in order. And I think they did everything they possibly could to say -- look, we are united, and our common adversary is John McCain.
CARROLL: Political observers say Tuesday night was one of Senator Clinton's finest moments in politics. Tonight, the other Clinton gets his turn.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: We'll be waiting for that. President Clinton has his work cut out for him. He plans to match or top the speech that his wife gave last night, but at the end of the day, looking ahead, it will be interesting to see if polls show Clinton supporters, who had been holding out for their support for her, now end up getting behind Barack Obama.
CHETRY: Right. Because, I mean, even our new CNN polling out today keeps showing it growing, the people that say they're going to pick McCain over Obama. Since June, that number should have been dropping.
CARROLL: And at the end of the day, that's what's most important.
CHETRY: Right. All right. Jason Carroll, good to see you. Thanks.
ROBERTS: Rock-and-roll politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are still afraid of being "Dixie- chicked."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: He's a little bit country. He's a little bit rock-and- roll. Kareen Wynter looks at who's singing the praises of the candidates. You're watching the "Most News in the Morning." (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, THEN ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: The fundamental fact of 1988 is that we can't take our prosperity for granted anymore in this competitive world economy. We've got to work harder and smarter to preserve the American dream.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: A snapshot of Bill Clinton from the Democrats' convention in 1988. A speech he finished four years later. Well, at least that's what he joked. And tonight, he returns to the stage to address the party faithful. We'll see what he's got store for us.
And this year, in a break from conventions past, Democrats are putting faith front and center at their national convention. Here to talk about it is Christian Broadcasting Network correspondent David Brody. He's also a CNN contributor.
Good morning to you.
DAVID BRODY, CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK CORRESPONDENT: Hey, John. How are you?
ROBERTS: Good. Thanks. I was talking to Rick Warren who did the Saddleback Church conference with Barack Obama and John McCain a couple weeks back. And he pointed out that evangelicals and Born- Again Christians are not a monolithic voting bloc. However, they do tend to trend overwhelmingly Republican.
BRODY: Right.
ROBERTS: Can Democrats change that calculus this year?
BRODY: To a degree. And I think we're already starting to see that a little bit. You know, the Democrats have been working on this for a while. You know, way back in 2004, maybe even before that. But here comes Barack Obama. And this is the potential game changer here a little bit. Barack Obama has that Jesus story to tell, so to speak.
And so -- you know, can he pick off a few percentage points here and there? Absolutely. I think there is a definite chance on that when it comes to socially-conservative Republicans. But the real issue is it's broader. It's across all of the faith spectrums. And I think if he can see across all of those faith spectrums and really delve into those, I think he's got a pretty decent chance to go beyond that.
ROBERTS: Those social conservatives that you mentioned, they're not sold altogether on John McCain. Some of them have problems with him. But their values haven't changed. The Democratic Party stance has not changed. Will they come over and vote for Obama just because he says I'm reaching out to you, I'd like to have you over here? BRODY: Yes. Well, you know, it's really undecided at this point. You know, the problem that social conservatives have is more with John McCain. You know, John McCain hasn't been on this soapbox talking about these issues that are important to social conservatives.
And Barack Obama has not demonized, John, the other side. And I think that's been important. Because at the end of the day, a lot of folks want to feel just respected. Hey, listen, you know, my point of view matters. And that's been very important. So I think if Barack Obama's able to continue to do that, it would be a good thing.
ROBERTS: In 2004, we had a Catholic on the top of the ticket, ran afoul of the Church to some degree, lost Catholic voters to George Bush. We have a Catholic now on the second tier of the ticket, Joe Biden. Could he bring some of those voters back?
BRODY: I think so. You know, he's going to run into some issues on the pro-choice issue. However, Joe Biden did vote for a ban against partial birth abortion. He also voted against taxpayer-funded abortion. So, he'll talk about that.
You know, I was on the trail with Joe Biden in Iowa and he talks a lot about -- he says, "This is what irks Joe Biden," according to him on the trail. He says Republicans have always owned the values issues, so to speak. And he says, "I'm sick and tired of it. I want to talk more about it."
So, he's very comfortable talking about these values issues. You will see that especially in the Rust Belt.
ROBERTS: All right. Well, we'll get back to you over the coming weeks and see if the outreach has made a difference. David Brody, it's always great to see you.
BRODY: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Thanks for coming in.
Kiran?
CHETRY: Well, Democrats hammering John McCain, saying his presidency would be an extension of George Bush's. So how's McCain beating the critics? Well, we're going to ask former GOP candidate Rudy Giuliani what he'd do.
Hard as in rock. Kareen Wynter looks at how party lines are splitting the music business in two.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How tricky is it if you're a country act to show your face at a DNC event?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning." (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: A performance -- that was a performance last night by Alejandro Escovedo. The music is fronting a lot of what's going on at the Democratic convention. But what happens when a big name in the music business takes a side. Our Kareen Wynter takes a look at the real risk when the band takes a stand.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: John and Kiran, good morning. The Obama and McCain camps are engaging in lots of spinning at the conventions. But so are camps for Daughtry, Sugarland and Rage Against the Machine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN LEGEND, SINGER: If you're ready we can change the world, believe again.
WYNTER (voice-over): John Legend who kicked things off Monday night at the Democratic National Convention has made no bones about who he's endorsing.
LEGEND: I'm a Barack Obama supporter, and I've been actively campaigning for him because I think he's the man for the job.
WYNTER: For others neutrality is key. Daughtry will perform at both DNC and RNC events.
CHRIS DAUGHTRY, SINGER: As a band we have different political views who we're supporting and things like that. So we wanted to be fair and do both parties.
WYNTER: The Democratic concert lineup boasts big name acts such as Kanye West, Sheryl Crow and Fall Out Boy.
PETE WENTZ, FALL OUT BOY: Most of the people I met in Hollywood (INAUDIBLE) pretty liberally, though a lot of people probably are in the tax bracket of being a Republican.
WYNTER: The Republican convention features mostly country stars who play to conservative crowds like LeAnn Rimes, John Rich and The Charlie Daniels Band. So when the country duo Sugarland broke ranks and played in Denver Sunday night, they didn't issue a press release.
(on camera): How tricky is it if you're a country act to show your face at a DNC event.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's still a fear. People are still afraid of being "Dixie Chicked," as the verb became known in the far lefts.
WYNTER (voice-over): Left wing rockers Rage Against the Machine are shaking things up in both Denver and Minneapolis St. Paul.
(on camera): What do you think their motive is? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they're basically doing it as a protest. And even with the Democrats, they may be protesting some of what they see as positions that are too centrist.
WYNTER (voice-over): One artist you won't see at either convention is Bruce Springsteen, who campaigned long and hard for John Kerry in 2004. His publicist tells CNN, quote, "he will definitely not be there in any way. Not performing, not attending, nothing."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think rock stars are among celebrities saying -- hey, maybe we should back off because we may just be giving the other side ammunition.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER: Sometimes it's best to let the presidential candidates be the rock star.
John, Kiran?
ROBERTS: Cracks in the convention floor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obama has two months. I won't vote for McCain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: After Hillary Clinton puts party first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: An emotional delegate shows the wounds run deep.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has to get me there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The ball now in Obama's court. How could he bridge that gap? It's the "Most Politics in the Morning" live at the DNC.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB BARR, LIBERTARIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think the disgruntled Hillary supporters will be big on Bob Barr.
STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDY CENTRAL: Really?
BARR: Probably not.
COLBERT: You misunderestimate your mustache, sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the "Most Politics in the Morning." That was Bob Barr taking some ribbing from Stephen Colbert. The Libertarian candidate for president has been closely watching the Democratic convention and he joins me now. Thanks for being with us.
BARR: My pleasure as always.
CHETRY: You know, you said actually to Stephen Colbert that Hillary -- disgruntled Hillary supporters might not actually be looking to vote for Bob Barr. But we have a research poll out today that's very interesting. It shows 27 percent, more than a quarter of Hillary Clinton supporters say they'd rather vote for John McCain than Barack Obama. What can you offer them if they're looking to take their vote elsewhere.
BARR: Well, of course, what we can offer them is a whole new approach, something very different, of course, from the policies of the Bush administration which will continue under -- under McCain if he were elected. That's appealing to both sides, both disgruntled, disenfranchised, disenchanted Republicans as well as disenchanted, disenfranchised Democrats. Both sides want something new, something different, something positive. And they want to heal -- they are very deep riffs in both parties. It's not just the Democrats that are having this problem right now.
CHETRY: What did you think of her speech last night? Did she succeed in helping unify the Democrats behind Barack Obama?
BARR: I don't think so. I mean, and that's not to take anything away from her speech. I mean, there's only so much you can do. People know that there are very, very deep feelings there on the part of Hillary Clinton. She said what she had to say and Bill Clinton, when he gives his speech. I mean, he'll say what he has to say. But there's a lot more to it than just giving a speech. The speech (INAUDIBLE) ends in a couple days and then the really hard work begins.
CHETRY: Yes, and it's interesting because there was a new CNN poll out as well this morning that shows when you talk about the issues, John McCain and Obama are really neck and neck on the issue of solving the country's problems. There were 17 percent in this poll, though, who say they don't believe either one can do the job. Should that 17 percent vote for you? How are you showing them that you would be the one who could help solve some of our biggest problems?
BARR: Actually, I'm the only candidate among all three of us that's put together, for example, and put out there a comprehensive specific plan on saving social security. The other candidates don't want to touch it. They almost recoil from dealing with such major problems. We're the only campaign that has put out a program for a significantly cutting federal spending.
CHETRY: How do you do all that? How do we, you know, gracefully get out of Iraq and continue to fund things like social security and balance the budget?
BARR: Of course, getting out of Iraq --
CHETRY: Without raising taxes.
BARR: Getting out of Iraq will free up about $400 million a day that can go back to the American people.
CHETRY: All right. It was great talking to you. Thanks for being with us.
BARR: Pleasure as always.
CHETRY: Bob Barr, everyone. Thanks.
ROBERTS: It's coming up now to the top of the hour. Coming to you live from Denver, Colorado, in the Pepsi Center. It's day three of the Democratic National Convention. Good morning. I'm John Roberts here on the "Most Politics in the Morning."
Ahead this hour, did Hillary Clinton heal the wounds to bring a party together? We've got the experts who watched her every move for you this morning. Also, the delegate vote. Obama with precious little time on his side to win them over. We're going to hear from one Texas delegate who says he's got a lot of work to do to convince her.
And Bill's big night. Tonight is the night as he ready to bury the hatchet. We'll ask those questions this hour, but first let send it back to Kiran in New York.
