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Campbell Brown

Republican National Convention Day Three

Aired September 03, 2008 - 20:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we're wishing the best for all our friends in the Bahamas. We know we have a lot of viewers there.
Be careful. And listen. Take heed. Listen to your local authorities.

Chad, we will check back with you.

Campbell, this is very worrying stuff when you -- we thank God Gustav, it was bad, but it didn't turn out to be as devastating as it could have been, but Ike now all of a sudden out of nowhere seems to be developing into this monster.

CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: And two big stories at one time. Ike certainly -- or Gustav, rather, certainly wreaked havoc here, but fortunately not too much, not too terribly down South.

BLITZER: Let's go to Dana Bash. Let's get back to the convention here in Saint Paul. Dana is down in Ohio.

Dana, no Republican has ever been elected president of the United States without carrying the state of Ohio. We know that from four years ago. George W. Bush carried Ohio and he got reelected.

You're with a guest down there, a Democrat who is from Ohio; is that right?

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right.

Our new poll today shows that Ohio is neck and neck. And one of the ways that the McCain is clearly hoping they could win, especially with Sarah Palin, is pulling over some of Hillary Clinton voters. Well, hold onto your hat.

We actually have a Hillary Clinton voter, a registered Democrat, here on the floor of the Republican Convention.

Cynthia Ruccia, why are you here?

CYNTHIA RUCCIA, FORMER SUPPORTED HILLARY CLINTON: Well, I actually have had to ask myself that a couple of times, but I am a Hillary Clinton supporter that is going to support John McCain.

And we are here tonight to see the historic speech by Sarah Palin and we're very excited to be here. BASH: Now, you're a guest of Carly Fiorina, who is one of John McCain's economic advisers. She's going to be speaking here tonight. I know she's been working with you all.

Talk about the fact that Sarah Palin is somebody who John McCain chose and how you think that is going to affect women like you, especially in this critical, critical state of Ohio and specifically the area of Columbus, which is the swing area of your state.

RUCCIA: Well, it's very exciting. We had to wait 24 years to see another woman appear on a major ticket for the presidency. And I think it will inspire women all over the country who are not one-issue voters to support another woman and help break that glass ceiling to advance other generations.

BASH: Now, you're saying you're not a one-issue voter.

RUCCIA: Right.

BASH: But the reality is, you are a Democrat. You are supportive of abortion rights. You are supportive of gay rights.

RUCCIA: Yes. Yes.

BASH: So, why on earth would you support a ticket like McCain/Palin, which is very vehemently against both of those things?

RUCCIA: Well, let's talk about abortion rights. I do not think that abortion is going to go away because John McCain is elected. And the Democratic Party has used that to keep the women in line for 30 years, and there have been no advancements in other things that are very important to women.

And women on both sides of the aisle have many more things in common than they have apart. And Sarah Palin can make a lot of those things happen for us.

BASH: OK, Cynthia Ruccia, thank you very much for joining us.

RUCCIA: Thank you.

BASH: Now we have seen it all. We have a Democrat and a supporter of Hillary Clinton standing on the floor of the Republican Convention -- Campbell.

BROWN: Well, it's a historic night all around. Dana Bash for us.

Let me go to Paul Begala and get his thoughts on what she just said, that the Democrats have used abortion as an issue to keep women in line, in her words, while other issues that women cared about weren't being addressed. What do you think those issues are that are -- that have made someone like her, a Democrat who supported Hillary Clinton, show up here and support John McCain?

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think that that's a question better put to that voter from Ohio.

I don't think, frankly, that she's particularly representative of most of the people who voted for Hillary, male or female. I do think that -- certainly, I was a Hillary supporter, as you know. Most of the Hillary supporters I talk to, their support for Obama has been solidified by the contrast of Barack's choice of Joe Biden and McCain's choice of Sarah Palin.

The women I have talked to, some in my family, some around the country in fact, they found the whole thing rather patronizing. There are many qualified women in the Republican Party, Olympia Snowe, the senator from Maine, Kay Bailey Hutchison, from my home state of Texas, who I think is just wonderful, very knowledgeable about national security affairs.

They weren't even vetted. They didn't even make the long list. So I really think that it's a stretch for the McCain campaign to think that choosing Sarah Palin somehow is going to get a lot of Hillary Clinton supporters to come and vote for McCain.

BROWN: And, Donna Brazile, do you agree with Paul? Do you think that was an anomaly, the woman and her perspective she just shared?

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Oh, absolutely, I agree with Paul.

Look, women issues are family issues. And Democrats have not ghettoized women as just one-issue voters. Women care about many issues. We care about equal pay for comparable work. We care about education. And we care about health care.

One of the reasons why so many women and men supported Hillary Clinton is because she had a plan to provide universal health care to all Americans, especially women, who understands what it's like to not have the resources when their child of course gets sick.

So, there was a poll today by EMILY's List, an organization that really put a lot of money and support behind Hillary Clinton, and less than 10 percent of Clinton supporters right now are viewing the McCain/Palin ticket as their choice.

Tonight is a historic night, no question about it. It's the second time in our history that a major party has nominated a woman. But Governor Palin tonight must appeal to women not just here in the crowd, but women across the country, because women are the majority of voters. And right now if you look at the poll, they are with the Obama/Biden ticket.

BROWN: Bill Bennett, what is it? Those are two very strong Democratic perspectives there. What is it that they don't get?

WILLIAM BENNETT, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Those were strong people for sure.

I will tell you, I think Paul's right. The lady is not representative of most Clinton supporters, but she's not an anomaly either. In sheer political terms, we don't need all of them, but most of them, but we need some.

BROWN: Some.

BENNETT: But I will tell you what's wrong with this analysis.

The lady said -- the woman said there are a lot of issues we care about.

Some Democrats are obsessed with abortion and gay rights. Or, more properly put, they're obsessed with the notion that Republicans are obsessed with abortion and gay rights. They need to listen to my radio show. It's a conservative show. We hardly talk about it. We talk about other issues and kinds of things.

BROWN: So, for women, what are the other issues?

BENNETT: Well, the issues the woman was talk about, the issues of pay equity, of work. Education is a huge issue. You open up your phone lines and you will find people talking about education. Health care is a big issue, safety, crime. Crime going up in a lot of cities. Women care about these things.

But we got to get past this point where people think that all Republicans do or conservatives do is sit there and fulminate about abortion. That just ain't true.

BROWN: Gloria?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Campbell, women care about the economy.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: Most of the minimum wage workers in this country are women. And so that is something that I think...

BENNETT: Absolutely.

BORGER: Health care is, of course, part of that. But I think that is -- the economic issues really resonate with women, and that's what I think they're going to be listening to at this convention.

BROWN: Ed Rollins, what -- if that is the message that they want to hear, what has been said so far or what needs to be said from John McCain, from Sarah Palin, to make that appeal?

(CROSSTALK)

ED ROLLINS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: We had a hurricane the first night. We have had one night, in which we basically told John McCain's story by two people who know him very well, one the courageous story, and the other basically by a very significant former vice presidential candidate of the Democrats, who talked about how he has an ability to work across the aisle and get things done.

I think the bottom line here is you can't put 53 percent of the population as a voter group. Women have lots of different interests. There are Republican women. There are Democrat. There are independent -- and we always kind of get into this, the Christians vote this way, the Catholics vote that way.

If you examine the Democratic Party, there's a very significant number of pro-life, ethnic Catholics that are almost the same kinds of numbers as Republicans have. So, it's so not -- those are issues that basically go above partisan politics.

I think, today, people are most concerned about the economy. As Bill said, women are very concerned, as mothers, as sisters, of their children, their schools. And I think these are the kinds of issues we have to address and talk about. But the economy is the overwhelming issue, period.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: And what Bill Bennett said is very true, Campbell. The Republicans don't need all of the Hillary Clinton supporters.

BROWN: Some.

BLITZER: But they do need some of them. And some of them may be attracted to this campaign, this Republican campaign, maybe because there's a woman who's going to be on the ticket, maybe because of other reasons, national security or whatever.

Maybe they're still irritated at Barack Obama for the campaign, the bitter campaign that was run from January going back 19 months, if you will. So, it's potentially up in the air right now.

We're going to continue to assess what's going on.

But let's take another quick break and continue our coverage on the other side.

CNNPolitics.com is where you can see everything going down up on the stage. It's a low stage to the ground -- CNNPolitics.com.

Speaking of women, two important women here who support John McCain, they're about to get ready to speak, Meg Whitman, the founder of eBay, and Carly Fiorina, the former chairman and CEO of Hewlett- Packard.

There you see Bob Dole. He was once a Republican presidential nominee. He's walking in, still a very popular figure here among these Republicans, a very popular figure in the country at large. He's got a great sense of humor. Unfortunately for him, he didn't show it really when he was running for president.

We will take a quick break. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're back here in Saint Paul, Minnesota, at the Republican National Convention. We're getting ready for several important speeches that these Republicans have put on the agenda.

Campbell Brown, two of the women who will be speaking very soon, Meg Whitman. Meg Whitman, the founder of eBay, and the former chair, chairman and CEO of eBay, former president of eBay, she was one of the people that John McCain cited at that faith forum out in California a few weeks ago when he was asked who were among the most important people that you would rely on. And he mentioned Meg Whitman.

I presume that's one of the reasons why she's speaking here tonight.

Hold on for a second, because I think that Dana Bash -- is it Dana?

Dana Bash I think has a special guest with her right now.

Dana, who do you have there?

BASH: Well, we have the former Senate majority leader and the former Republican nominee Bob Dole, who we just caught up with here on the floor of the convention hall.

First of all, Senator Dole, as somebody who has been through this before, what are you thinking about as you sort of think about John McCain and his acceptance tomorrow night?

BOB DOLE (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, it's always very exciting, but you're never sure of anything. And it's going to be a tough race.

It's not a big Republican year. But things can change. One thing I learned in politics, overnight can change most anything, so...

BASH: So, the story of the night is his pick for vice president. And that's Sarah Palin. Do you know much about her, sir?

DOLE: No, I don't know anything about her.

I know it's been -- I knew about her before. I knew what she was doing to clean up the government, including both Republicans and Democrats, and I knew how popular she was, 80 percent approval rating. And I knew she had had a lot of public experience. But do I know her? No.

But I -- you know, I think it could be the surprise of the year. And it could be very appealing to our party. And we have always -- you know, always been perceived -- I won the male vote in '96 and lost the women's vote. So I'm not president, or I wasn't president. So, we're trying. You know, we're trying.

BASH: And you think Sarah Palin will do...

(CROSSTALK)

DOLE: Well, I don't whether I would bet CNN on it, but, you know, we can...

BASH: OK.

DOLE: Yes.

BASH: Senator, thank you very much. Appreciate your time.

DOLE: Dana, thank you.

BASH: Thank you.

But there you go, Wolf. We have somebody who, again, who has been through this before. I think about 12 years ago, he was through this and he was preparing for his own acceptance speech on the floor of the Republican Convention. And you just heard about the fact that he believes that one of the problems he had in his race is that they didn't do enough to appeal to women -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes. He and Jack Kemp back in '96 had a really tough time against an incumbent President Bill Clinton at that time. And they lost.

Please thank Senator Dole and wish him our very, very best. He's always been very forthcoming with all of us here at CNN. He's one of the veterans out there, as we know.

But, Ed Henry, we gave him an assignment yesterday. And Ed Henry has come through.

Ed, and I know you had some assistance from our excellent producer Kevin Bohn. But go ahead. And tell us who's with you right now.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Wolf.

I wanted to tell you -- you told me last night find the youngest Republican delegate here. And I can tell you now, the search is over. Republican sources here confirm that the youngest delegate is 17-year- old Michael Knopf. He's from the state of Iowa.

You have to be 18 years old to be a delegate, but 18 years old on Election Day. Only 17 years old.

My first question is, what the heck are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?

MIKE KNOPF, IOWA DELEGATE: I should. And a lot of my liberal teachers are a little bit upset at me.

(LAUGHTER)

KNOPF: Because they figured that I picked the wrong party, but...

HENRY: You're 17 years old. There's been a lot of attention on Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter getting pregnant. There's been a lot of talk about that. What was your reaction to that, as a 17-year- old?

KNOPF: It's a personal matter.

But when -- John McCain, and he knew about it before he picked her as his vice presidential nominee. And I think that shows a lot about what he thought about Sarah Palin. She's a hardworking housewife. And it shows that she's a normal person.

HENRY: Right.

KNOPF: And she has normal things going on in her life, just like every other American. And she's able to juggle all that. And he picked her because of her morals, her family values, and ethics. And that just exemplifies that.

HENRY: Now, John McCain is 72 years old. You're 17.

KNOPF: Yes.

HENRY: What's the appeal?

KNOPF: The appeal is, I actually focused on the issues that concern me as a young person. And I guess a lot of young people are easily susceptible and naive to be drawn in by the Democratic side, typically, and they don't really look into issues. And I do. I support the Second Amendment, and pro-life. And that's why I support John McCain.

(CROSSTALK)

HENRY: Thank you, Mike Knopf.

Wolf, you give us an assignment, we're going to do all we can to get it done.

BLITZER: Ed Henry, you have never let me down yet. I knew you and your team would come through with it. Thanks very much.

Not the most difficult assignment, but he did it.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: All right, hold on, hold on, Bill, because we're going to take a quick break.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Yes, one of the oldest and one of the youngest.

All right. Stand by. We're going to continue our coverage.

Meg Whitman, the founder of eBay, will be speaking on this podium momentarily, making the case for John McCain.

Our coverage continues from Saint Paul, Minnesota, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

MEG WHITMAN, FORMER EBAY PRESIDENT: And when I began my business career...

BLITZER: Meg Whitman, the former president of eBay, the first woman to become a billionaire thanks to stock holdings in an Internet company, and a strong supporter of John McCain, is speaking now about what she thinks John McCain's first 100 days as president should be like.

She's speaking about her own little background right now, but let's listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

WHITMAN: And mom believed in America.

She knew, if I worked hard and delivered the results, I would succeed in this remarkable nation. So, from an early age, I was an optimist about America.

And I am a Republican because our party understands that America's success, the success of her people, comes not from the size of its government, but from the character of its citizens, the strength of its communities, and the nobility and truth of its ideals.

(APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: Tonight, delegates from this convention will choose our nominee. We are proudly the party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. And today we are proudly the party of John McCain.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: I have known Senator McCain for several years. And the more I have gotten to know John, the more my admiration for him has grown. John's pride in America and his belief in its spirit are electrifying.

And I can say with certainty that, when he's sitting in the Oval Office, in every decision he makes, President McCain will put his country first.

(APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: For John, putting country first is the calling of a lifetime. He lives by a code of honor that is unmatched by anyone in American politics. And on the most important duties we place on a president, John is more prepared to lead than any person in America.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) WHITMAN: Now, America faces challenges abroad. But we also face great challenges here at home. And it would be foolish to deny what we all know to be true.

Our economy is struggling, and Americans are hurting. We live in a time of economic anxiety and hardships. The cost of everything, from gasoline to groceries to health care, has gone up, while the value of our homes and our investments have gone down.

Mortgages once thought to be safe are now threatened. And industries once strong are now dying. Since John began his campaign, he's heard the concern in your voices and your stories, the stories of hardworking Americans who believe that politicians are out of touch and out of ideas.

Now, that may be true of some politicians, but it is not true of John McCain.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: John's a different breed. He understands hardship in a way that few of us have ever known.

Most important of all, Senator McCain and Governor Sarah Palin, the real agents of change in this campaign, have solutions for the challenges we face.

In its first 100 days, a McCain administration will put this nation on a path towards energy independence.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: John is a man with extraordinary determination. And he will push relentlessly for the right energy policies, from lifting the ban on offshore drilling, to building more nuclear reactors, to promoting conservation and alternative forms of energy.

Energy independence will also stop massive amounts of money from going to our enemies abroad. It will lower gas prices at home. And it will reduce the harm to our planet's climate.

Energy independence must be our generation's moon shot. And John McCain and Sarah Palin will lead us in that historic effort.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: Senator McCain and Governor Palin will also lead us in another vital effort, lowering your taxes.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: In his first 100 days in office, they will put forward proposals to double the size of the child tax exemption, putting more money in consumers' pockets.

They will push Congress to reduce business taxes, so that entrepreneurs and especially small businesses have the money they need to expand and create jobs.

And they will offer tax incentives to every individual and family in America to buy health insurance. And John McCain and Sarah Palin will simplify our mind-numbing tax codes, so that filling out your taxes is not a dreaded annual nightmare.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: Our Democratic opponents view raising taxes as a measure of their compassion and fairness. John understands the truth. Higher taxes encourage wasteful spending, demonstrate government's inability to choose among competing priorities, and destroys your prosperity.

As president, John McCain will be guided by simple beliefs, that, having worked long hours to earn your money, you should keep more of it, and that government shouldn't spend more than it takes in.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: The same kind of frank commonsense conversations every American family has about the need to balance the checkbook, living within your means, and tightening the belt during hard times are the conversations John will have with members of Congress, and they will listen.

Now, Republicans know that John's solutions rest on a sense of principles that are true and tested and enduring. Foremost among them is his belief that there is no challenge that cannot be overcome by individual freedom. Government does have a vital role to play in our life, and it should be effective and efficient in meeting its fundamental responsibilities.

But Republicans understand the government does not create wealth or prosperity. Individuals do.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: America is all about the inspired individual, men and women who are free to pursue dreams and ambitions in a society that encourages creativity, industry, advancement, and risk-tasking.

Now, John McCain doesn't want to tax success and achievement. He wants to encourage it. He doesn't want to redistribute our national wealth. He wants to increase it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WHITMAN: He doesn't want more big government. He wants much more self-government. And John McCain understands that you know what is best for your money, your family, your community, and your life.

Now, John's principles run like a golden thread throughout our history. This has made America's story the greatest and proudest and most hopeful of any in history. Make no mistake. America has faced tough challenges today and sometimes there is a temptation for us, having borne freedom's burden for so long, to grow tired. But when Americans have faced their greatest hardships, they have written history's greatest chapters. And we're going to do it again.

(APPLAUSE)

The solutions to the problems of our time are found in the ingenuity, spirit, determination and decency of the American people. All we need is a leader who recognizes this and who can, by virtue of his character and his love of country, call us to do great things.

When the American people cast their vote in November, they will do what they have always done. They will put country first. They will choose John McCain as our next president of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you very much.

BLITZER: Meg Whitman, the former president of eBay. Let's take a quick break and continue our coverage from Saint Paul right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to Saint Paul, Minnesota, where we're watching the Republican presidential convention unfold. We just heard from Meg Whitman, the former president of eBay.

We're now getting really to hear from Carly Fiorina, the former chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard. She's been very much involved in the John McCain campaign. She's a Victory '08 chairman of the Republican National Committee and she's going to be speaking about America. 2013, President McCain's -- at the end of what she says will be president McCain's first term.

The women, the successful women -- Carly Fiorina, Meg Whitman and pretty successful women, I should say, they're speaking out in force trying to reinforce John McCain, I assume, in part, to try to bring in some of those women.

BROWN: I think absolutely bring in some of those women, but they're also two incredibly accomplished women who probably are going to have a career in politics beyond this, and moving out of that CEO role into something else. I mean, they --

BLITZER: They're both formerly involved with these companies.

BROWN: Yes.

BLITZER: They're free to do whatever they want right now.

BROWN: Exactly. And Meg Whitman started off as a big supporter of Mitt Romney and became overtime very close to John McCain. And that someone, as you pointed out earlier, that he's really turned to and come to respect especially on economic issues and it will be interesting to see if he were to be elected what cabinet positions you might see either of these women and/or what their ambitions are beyond this.

BLITZER: Alex Castellanos has joined us, a Republican contributor.

Alex, how much of these speeches at these conventions over the years, and you've been to many of them, are really auditions not only for future politicians but for jobs in a future administration?

ALEX CASTELLANOS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, it worked for Barack Obama, didn't it? Can launch a career.

But he was the keynote speaker four years ago for the Democrats.

BLITZER: The Democratic Convention. And in '88, one little known governor of a small state called Arkansas, Bill Clinton, was the keynote speaker at the Democratic Convention.

CASTELLANOS: And who got a little long wind to it but endured anyway and survived. No, I think it's very important, especially in states that are looking for the next generation of candidates. You know, California is going to have a governor after Arnold Schwarzenegger and there are a lot of folks out there who are looking tonight.

We have Meg Whitman, accomplished business woman, who has, you know, run a huge enterprise and grown it throughout the world, who are talking this morning about who are the go-to economic guys in the McCain campaign, and they're women.

BLITZER: Watch these pictures. Do you see these women with scarves, the alternates in the Florida delegation were coming in to replace the men. And at one point, all the women in the floor -- all the members of the Florida delegation will be women. It's just to underscore their desire to try to appeal to women voters out there around the country.

John King, as we watch all of this unfold, we were waiting for Carly Fiorina to come out on the stage behind us. I guess we can't overemphasize the critical role that women will play in determining who is the next president of the United States, and the fear that the Democrats had was expressed to me several times that John McCain would wind up doing precisely what he did do and pick a woman to be his running mate.

JOHN KING, CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And the test will be to what degree did Sarah Palin help turn around the gender gap? The gender gap is a major factor in every presidential election and it has bedeviled the Republicans and worked to the advantage of the Democrats.

Yet, George W. Bush has won two elections. Therefore, it is surmountable if you get enough of the women's vote and that more important, the subset is in the right places, in the key suburbs and swing states like Missouri. If they could turn Pennsylvania, that will be the Philadelphia suburb. So it's not just women nationally. That's the number we watch in the polls and if it moves, then you say, well, where is it moving on a state by state basis. So they are important testimonials from two highly successful women, one who started a business from the bottom up.

Ebay essentially started in the home, where it has turned the Internet into a giant yard sale. I mean, Americans could sell everything. It seems like an easy idea, yet it was a complicated thing to pull off.

Carly Fiorina is a bit more complicated of a story. By the end of the night, right after she speaks, we will all get e-mails from the Democrats because when they had the merger of Hewlett-Packard to Compaq, there was some jobs lost. And at one point she said at a shareholder meeting, one of her mistakes was she didn't have those layoffs go faster. That from a shareholder and the CEO perspective, that was probably the right thing to say in the board meeting.

The Democrats love to use that and recycle it. So they won't criticize Meg Whitman much. They might criticize the policies, the policies around (ph). The Democrats' (INAUDIBLE) Carly Fiorina quite aggressively, saying this is a CEO who laid people off.

BROWN: Meg Whitman was on the short list for VP and why Carly Fiorina wasn't.

KING: Alex makes a good point about the speeches in the generational thing we're having. It's not just these women.

Let's say McCain loses the election. He hopes to win. It's a very competitive election. In Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, you're seeing the beginning of the next presidential campaign if he loses.

BLITZER: All right. Tara Wall, the editorial page editor of "The Washington Times" is with us. Tara, all right, tell us what you're thinking about this little discussion we've had, because I know you have some strong views on it.

TARA WALL, EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR, "THE WASHINGTON TIMES": One of this is interesting. I think, you know, it's funny that, you know, we're talking about women and how he will be inclusive to women. And we've had this conversation I remember back in 2000, 2004, the question was whether George Bush would be diverse and inclusive in his cabinet, and he ended up doing that.

I think certainly tonight has really been a showcase of women of diversity on the stage, from the people that we've heard from, from a number of issues. From energy, we've heard a lot about energy and education and health care, and, of course, the economy.

I think that it's no wonder right now, if you look at Rasmussen polling today has, John McCain slightly up among white women voters. It's no wonder when you hear from such strong women like this that, of course, you know, when you hear Meg Whitman, you hear them tout someone like the way Meg Whitman, that he would look to in an administration, I think that sends signals to women and it shows a support there that makes it compelling. And quite frankly, she touched on a number of those issues that aren't just, you know, what someone considered women issues.

BLITZER: All right.

WALL: They are issues that are very forefront to both the conservatives when you talk about lowering taxes and big government...

BLITZER: All right, Tara --

WALL: ... and the government needs to spend what it has not what it doesn't have.

BLITZER: All right. Let's listen in -- let's listen in, Tara, to Carly Fiorina, who is speaking about what she thinks a first term of a McCain administration would wind up ending, would wind up looking like.

CARLY FIORINA, CHAIR OF RNC VICTORY 2008: Will we continue to compete and lead in the global economy? Will we create more jobs here at home? Will we educate our children for the rigors of this new century? And will we prepare our workers to remain the best and most productive in the world?

Will we power our economy and still protect our environment? Will we defeat our enemies and strengthen our alliances with other democracies? Will we demand that government be both more efficient and more responsive? Will we demand that citizens keep more of their money and make more of their own choices? Or will we decide that government bureaucracy is no better than Americans and their families?

The choice America makes this November doesn't just echo for four or eight years, but will reverberate for many years to come. In this historic election, we have a clear choice between two very different governing philosophies. But we also have a choice between rhetoric and promises and a lifelong commitment to service and reform.

(APPLAUSE)

You have heard -- you have heard the stories of John McCain's life. But consider just for a moment how truly remarkable his life has been. His love of country has been tested in ways few among us can imagine. He has demonstrated his maverick spirit time and again. And his appetite for reform is unmatched.

He has always reached his hand across the aisle to move our country forward. And it is the sum total of all of these experiences and all these tests of leadership that have made John McCain who he is and prepared him for the presidency.

(APPLAUSE)

We must elect a leader with the courage and resolve to do the tough things and the character and the wisdom to do the right things.

(APPLAUSE)

That leader is John McCain.

(APPLAUSE)

I know John McCain. He understands that government's highest calling is to unlock and unleash the determination, the creativity and the potential of every single American. He believes that every American should have an equal opportunity to achieve the American dream. He believes that people should be freed and empowered to make their own choices.

John McCain believes that all institutions of power and wealth, whether they are government agencies or global corporations, must be both transparent and accountable to those they serve. Today, Americans are concerned about keeping their jobs. They're concerned about keeping their homes, about the rising price of food and fuel.

They are concerned about whether they will be able to find or afford the right health care. They are concerned about whether they or their children will have the skills and education they need to compete in the 21st century. They wonder whether government will stand by their side or get in their way.

I know John McCain. And if we make the right choice, in 2013, American families will keep more of their hard-earned money. Small and large businesses alike will be creating jobs here and spurring robust economic growth, because America will once again be a great place to build a business.

Workers -- workers will be able to seek retraining to ensure they have the latest skills. John McCain will simplify the tax code and reduce the tax burden. Innovation and entrepreneurship will be rewarded.

John McCain will empower individuals and companies to create wealth, opportunities and jobs. American families will have real choices about how to ensure their children receive a quality education. They will have real choices and access to affordable health care.

I know John McCain. And in 2013, America will be more energy independent because of his determination that we must power our own country and his long-standing commitment to protecting our environment.

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John McCain will create a cap and trade system that will encourage the development of alternative energy sources. He will help advance clean coal technology and nuclear power. And all this will both create jobs and lower the cost of energy.

I know John McCain. He will demand that the federal government be transparent and accountable to the American people.

(APPLAUSE)

In his first year in office, he will subject every government agency to a top to bottom review and post the results on the Internet for every American to see. He will eliminate wasteful spending, veto bills laden with pork and, yes, he will achieve a balanced budget by 2013.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, many people talk about changing Washington. John McCain has the knowledge, the guts, and now in Sarah Palin, the partner he needs to actually get it done.

(APPLAUSE)

I know John McCain. I have seen him with our wounded veterans far away from the cameras. I have seen his eyes fill with tears of gratitude for their service. He knows the cost of war in a deeply personal way, and as both a son and a father of warriors.

He knows that our liberties and our freedoms only come with the sacrifice of brave men and women. John McCain will bring our troops home with victory and with honor.

(APPLAUSE)

And John McCain will not negotiate with brutality. And he will never shrink from calling evil and aggression by their names.

(APPLAUSE)

John McCain has the courage of his convictions and the wisdom to act on them.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am truly honored to say I know John McCain. I am proud to support him.

As a woman, I support him because I know he values the contribution of women to our families and to our communities. He values the contribution of women to our economy and to the governing and protection of our nation.

As a businessperson, I support him because I know his programs will strengthen small business, foster growth, and create jobs. As a Republican, I support him because I think he embodies both the best traditions and the bright future of our party.

Most of all -- most of all, I support him as an American. Electing John McCain is the choice we must make.

We are choosing a leader of courage and resolve -- a leader of character and wisdom. He will do the tough things, and he will do the right things. He is the choice we must make for our families. He is the choice we must make for our nation. And he is the choice we must make for the next generation.

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE)

BLITZER: Carly Fiorina speaking shortly after Meg Whitman. Two titans in the business community. The former chairman of Hewlett- Packard and the former chairman of eBay making the case for Senator John McCain. Also making the case directly trying to appeal to women, a critical voting bloc as we all know.

John King is here. This gender gap that we've been talking about, how critical is it right now?

KING: Well, it is a significant problem for McCain and let me show you in a couple of states. We'll point out how it makes a difference.

We can go back to our electoral map here. Earlier tonight, we moved these two states, Minnesota and Iowa, from tossups to leaning Democrat. Why? Because there is an 18-point advantage for the Democrats among women here. There is more than a 20-point advantage for the Democrats among women in Iowa.

Here in Ohio, and I'm going to break this state down. Right now, the Democrats are running plus nine among women. Certainly not a good thing for John McCain but a single digit gender gap as opposed to the double-digit gender gap.

And let's go take a look and see why that matters by coming back to this map here, pull out the state of Ohio and come over and fill in our counties for us.

If you look at this map, Wolf, here is where this matters. You have women in the Columbus suburbs. Suburban women are the critical constituency for Republicans.

Right here, the Obama/Biden ticket is running a dead heat in the Cincinnati/Dayton area. Over here, this is the Republican corner of southwest Ohio. John McCain needs to do better here. One of the problems is the gender gap especially with suburban women outside of Cincinnati.

Up here, I'll take the telestrator off and pull out Lake County. Up here on the lake, if it wants to come out, it's fighting me back. This part of the map is fighting itself (ph).

This is Lake County right up here on the lake. That's a suburb of Cleveland. Suburban women matter up there.

And down here, I'm going to circle this area, stretch it right out. Now watch this when we switch.

This is an area where in the Democratic primaries this year, Hillary Clinton ran so well down in these rural areas. These are small-town, rural America, where the women vote. These are your cultural conservatives where they think Sarah Palin might be able to help.

So the McCain/Palin ticket needs to do much better with women in the suburbs, over here in Columbus, over here in Cincinnati, a little bit more up here in Cleveland. And especially in the small-town areas right here, these are the suburban voters, these are the rural voters. A nine-point gender gap for the Republicans is not extraordinarily bad, but if he wants to walk Ohio up and keep it there, he needs to push it down.

If the Republicans are running six, seven points behind in a gender gap, in a battleground state like that, they're likely to win the state. You see in Iowa and Minnesota where it is double digits, nearing 20 points or more, that's a disaster frame.

BLITZER: Yes.

KING: And there's no way you can win a state if you have a 20- point gender gap.

BLITZER: And it's going to take a lot more for John McCain than Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman speaking here tonight than to reverse that kind of gender gap. They have a lot of work to do in the weeks that remain between now and November 4th.

You know, it was interesting because as we were listening, I want everyone to weigh in, it seemed that as they were speaking, as these two women were speaking, there was a lot of commotion going on. And a lot of people on the floor --

BROWN: Unruly classroom.

BLITZER: Really, you know, it's unusual for Republicans to be sort of not even paying attention, at least a lot of them were sort of just engrossed. But did you notice that?

BROWN: Yes. I did think it felt like an unruly classroom where no one was really paying attention to the teacher that was up on stage.

In fairness, though, people are here for one reason tonight. And you know, it is all the attention and focus on Governor Palin. They want to hear from her. Everything else is just a warm-up act.

I think even when we see Governor Huckabee and Mitt Romney, it's not going to quite have that same feel. Everybody knows, go to your dinner now, go to your drinks now, go to the bathroom, get in your seat, and be ready for the big moment.

BLITZER: Did you notice that, Gloria? BORGER: I did notice it. But one thing that's interesting to me about women voters is that post-9/11 women voters became real national security voters, because women were all about protecting their families. And that made it easier for Republicans to attract women voters because they voted, you know -- the national security became a key domestic policy issue.

It's a little bit more difficult now. John McCain is a national security candidate and the economy is not in great shape. And so, these women voters, their trying to attract are going to go more back to their traditional concerns that they voted on in the past.

And I think McCain doesn't expect to win all of them, as John was saying, but hopefully with Sarah Palin, he might get some of them who are more culturally aligned with conservative -- her conservative Republican views.

BLITZER: All right. We're just getting word in now. Kyra Phillips, we sent her up to Anchorage, Alaska, and she's been reporting from there for the past few days. She's just got an interview that we're going to see here with Sarah Palin's sister over at the Peanut Farm restaurant in Anchorage. We've got a camera crew right there.

We'll talk to -- Kyra will talk to Sarah Palin's sister. And we'll get ready to hear from Sarah Palin herself. She's the keynote -- she's the major speaker here tonight.

We're counting down to her speech, the Republican vice presidential candidate. And our coverage continues right after this.

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