Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Second Republican Presidential Debate To Be In Simi Valley, California Tomorrow. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired September 15, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And that's our goal, to actually get them to debate the ideas that the Republican voters care about. I know it sounds corny.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Have an actual debate happen on issues?

Bring it, Dana Bash. Jeffrey Lord, great to have you. Thank you so much.

And Donald Trump is a liberal, Marco Rubio is a cool guy, what? This blitz of new ads rolling ahead of the debate here tomorrow night? Conservatives, of course, taking aim at Donald Trump and Jeb Bush supporters spending, as we just mentioned ago, a moment ago, tens of millions of dollars. A closer look at the ad wars.

Our special coverage continues here from the Reagan presidential library.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:35:01] BALDWIN: All right, we say it all the time. Yes, it's very early in this presidential campaign, but the air waves are about to get hit by some of the first major TV ads of the cycle. Up first, the pro-Wall Street pro-business group, Club for Growth, going after Donald Trump specifically spending $1 million to run not just one but two new commercials in Iowa portraying the billionaire as closet liberal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which presidential candidate supports higher taxes, national health care and the Wall Street bailout? It's Donald Trump.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In many cases, I probably identify many as a Democrat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump wants us to think he's Mr. Tell it like it is, but he has a record and it's very liberal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Well, that ad by is dwarfed by the one plan by the super PAC supporting Jeb Bush. You heard the dollar amount today. The source tell CNN, the right to rise is spending $24 million to run TV ads in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Here's a preview of that ad. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He took on unions and won with new accountability and over 200 new charter schools. The state was Florida. The governor was Jeb Bush. Proven conservative, real results.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: John Berman, one of my favorites, with me now here in California.

And I mean, when you're talking about $24 million, that's a lot of money. And it's September of 2015.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, it seems like its early, but Iowa is in February. And there are people that I have talked to today that think some of these are actually a little late. That they missed a chance to get on the air earlier. I think the club for growth, which is this outside group, I think that it's the most significant development in the campaign over the last several days. That's an outside group saying, you know what, we can't rely on the rest of the non-Trump candidates anymore to take out Donald Trump. We're sick of waiting, so we're dumping our own money in there just to beat them. We are not supporting someone else. We don't care who that someone else is, just as long right now it's not Donald Trump.

BALDWIN: We're all waiting too. I'm thinking about looking ahead to Carly Fiorina and some sort of face line she'll have ready to roll tomorrow night. And I was sitting here yesterday with Van Jones saying that super PAC ad of Carly Fiorina supported was pretty darn effective. Here's a piece of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are not a special interest group. We are the majority of the nation. This is the face of the 61-year-old woman I'm proud of every year and every wrinkle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So again, these are the super PAC ads, not the campaign, but this is when they can spend oodles of money, right, and this is when you have, I guess they have to use these ads to counter Trump's $2 billion.

BERMAN: That thing you saw from Carly Fiorina, that's a video. That's an internet video. There's no money behind that right now. As far as we know, they are not paying to put that up on the air waves. That's what costs money. If they can raise money, you know, I have a feeling they would.

BALDWIN: OK. Finally, hello, we're in Simi Valley. We are 24 hours away. I know you and I have both -- we have both been like running around this place like political nerds. What's been your highlight so far? BERMAN: I think the debate stage, which is absolutely stunning. It

is a metaphor in so many ways for what we're going to see. I mean, to have Air Force One, Ronald Reagan's plane, the plane he used, sitting right there is a reminder of the stakes here. I mean, these people are on the stage fighting for something to be essentially the leader of the free world. And with the intimate audience, the 500 seats in the crowd --.

BALDWIN: It doesn't even feel like 500 when you are sitting up there.

BERMAN: It feel even smaller. I know people are saying, my God, it's not going to have the emotion, the rockiest energy of the first debate. I have been to a lot of debates. The smaller ones, to me, are more tense. It's like sitting at a brutal family dinner when you just want to crawl away.

(CROSSTALK)

BERMAN: It is exactly. So this could just be brutal. If the candidates want to jump ugly, this could get pretty uncomfortable.

BALDWIN: I was sitting, I'm sure you have been, but on the President Reagan's Air Force One, which is flanking all of them. And it is almost like President Reagan is here and he's the 12th man on stage and we'll have to see if they try to out Reagan one another. But when you sit actually, if you go on that plane and you sit in President Reagan's office, as it were many years ago, and you look out the plane window, that's our stage.

BERMAN: You know, I think it's a reminder to all of them. And it's a reminder to the viewers as well when they are watching here. This is no game.

BERMAN: John Berman, will you on "the LEAD" filling in for Tapper who is moderating. Thank you very much.

Do not miss all the action tomorrow night right here at the Reagan presidential library. The main event with all those 11 candidates, get excited, is at 8:00 eastern here on CNN. A 24, a little over 24 hours to go, what are the rituals, the routines, the pre-debate exercises? Do candidates actually sleep the night before? We'll talk to two guys who just helped Mitt Romney and President Obama through their prep. We'll ask them what's going on today.

This is CNN's special live coverage, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:44:46] BALDWIN: Welcome back, you're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin live here at the Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California.

As far as the candidates go, Donald Trump, as you know, he is the front runner when you look at the latest Republican polling. And tonight, he will actually be the last few GOP contenders to officially lead the stumps. The stumps, the real estate mogul is not behind closed doors today prepping for tomorrow's debate like his rivals. Not at all. In fact, just this evening here in the Los Angeles area, the billionaire will be on this battleship. This is the USS Iowa floating (INAUDIBLE) in Los Angeles and it is there that he is due to roll out the national security plank of his campaign platform. But here we are just 24 hours out. What are they doing right now?

CNN's political commentators Dan Pfieffer and Kevin Madden are here. Dan was the senior adviser for President Obama. Kevin was national press secretary for Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign for president. You have been around the block 20 years before then as well.

Fellows, the campaign is 24 hours out. Feeling the jitters, they are sitting around a room, read about now, doing what, Dan?

[15:45:47] DAN PFEIFFER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, they are feeling the jitters. No one has ever won a campaign in a debate, but they have lost one. And so, they are nervous. They are beginning. You know, there's intense policy prep peppering the candidate with questions and answers over the last few weeks here. But as you get to the end, you go as much from sort of policy prep to sort of psychological management. It sort of making the candidate feel better. So try to keep it lose towards the end. You know, you get on the stage. You got to make sure they can perform.

KEVIN MADDEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I can't believe Dan Pfieffer - I can't see Dan Pfeiffer being nervous. Jitters, I never thought about this had. I wish I knew this.

Look. I think there's an incredible adrenaline surge in the campaigns. I think the really good campaigns, this is where its game day and they focus and they start to think about what is it they exactly that they want to execute over the next 24 hours. I think the candidates, like Dan said, are right. They are doing that last minute policy prep.

BALDWIN: The day before, they are sitting in a hotel conference room.

MADDEN: The day before, right. But also what you have is the campaigns start to work the refs. They are calling guys like me and Dan saying, hey, here's what to expect from the campaign. They are calling you. Here's what to expect from us tonight. Here is the issues that we're going to start to post up against some of our opponents on. So that expectation setting and getting ready for the actual debate, all of that prep is going on right now.

PFEIFFER: Lowering expectations is like one of the most important things. You don't have to beat the other person. You just have to beat the expectations for your person.

BALDWIN: And so, it is all about, as you are saying, policy and preparation, and you mention the psychological element. But when you are -- I was at back yesterday walking through all the candidates' trailers, right, so that's where the campaigns and then the candidates will be sitting in that final, it is up to them, really, hours, our five minutes ahead of walking on the big stage. But you were saying you really want to wait until the last minute to bring these guys and gal here because there's all this buzz and nervousness. You want to keep them cocooned away.

PFEIFFER: Right. Absolutely, like keep them in a hotel, keep them in a sort in a light and less intense environment. You are like you start to feel the walls close in and not with the trailer.

BALDWIN: Were you cracking jokes with President Obama?

PFEIFFER: Like, you know, we had staffers like Robert Gibbs (INAUDIBLE) who could always make the president laugh. And so, they were always the last ones with the president trying to keep it lose, maybe talking sports that he had a little fun with --

BALDWIN: Not thinking debate.

PFEIFFER: Yes. If you go in there, you sort of like, you know, what's the national budget deficit, you know, you're serving your candidate poorly.

BALDWIN: What's your funny story?

MADDEN: Well, look. First of all, everybody doesn't see it right now. The viewers don't see that there's so much commotion going on here right now. There's 500 media personnel. Its nuts, right. One of the great stories from 2012 was during that primary process we had a debate in Washington, D.C. And when I showed up at the candidate's room, the hold room that we have, there were two outside policy advisers that had cornered Mitt Romney in the room and peppering him with like last minute facts and figures. And I remember Katy Packer (ph), who is our deputy campaign manager, grabbing me and saying, Kevin, go in there and stop that. And I went in. I mean, we had to body block these guys. And I sat down with Romney for like a last half hour and we did like movie quotes. You know, we were just kind of, you know, joking around. Just really trying to get him into a much lighter, more relaxed mental state because that's when he performed best in the campaigns.

BALDWIN: In the hour, two hours ahead of time, are they eating? Are they going out for last minute jogs? Shooting hoops?

PFEIFFER: Obama is a very superstitious person. And so, he would try to do the exact same thing that had worked with him to most previous debate and that goes from the candidate.

BALDWIN: Give me examples.

PFEIFFER: Well, after our last Ben Steller first debate in 2012, the second debate was good. And so, the third debate like so much so that David Axelrod, (INAUDIBLE), went to entirely across town so they could eat at a diner again. Like they have eaten at the previous one. I changed my seat to sit in the same seat on my flight that I sat in in the second debate. He wanted to keep it routine.

BALDWIN: Good you too.

MADDEN: I think Governor Romney, we made as - we built in as much time as possible in those last few hours before the debate with Mrs. Romney. Because it took his mind off things. He is so comfortable being around her. That's who he wants to spend more time with than anybody. And that always again helped him on the campaign. The debates where Mrs. Romney couldn't make it because she couldn't travel were some of the most debate performance that Governor Romney had.

[15:50:08] BALDWIN: Anything that people just would never know, wouldn't believe that you all do? Final question. You are like the inside, the gurus, the secret holders.

MADDEN: I don't know. I mean, I basically main line caffeine at that point in the campaign. It is just really drinking a lot of coffee.

PFEIFFER: Caffeine and anti-acids to try to get through that. Look for the stiffest drink you can find.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Gentlemen, Dan and Kevin, thank you so much.

MADDEN: Thank you.

BALDWIN: It is fascinating, just looking the bell and trying to imagine what these candidates are going through 24, 4, 1, 30 minutes ahead of time and they all want to be president.

Now, everyone, obviously, we are talking about here in California. But where did they begin? This is fascinating. The often surprising first jobs of the candidates now applying for commander in-chief.

Stay with us live here in Simi Valley at beautiful Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:55:14] BALDWIN: All right. Obviously, issue number one, come tomorrow night's debate, according to Jake Tapper is at these people, all the men and the lady come ready to debate. But we have to talk about the rules and how this whole stage is set up, right? And so for that, let's go to Tom Foreman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The same ten candidates we saw last time around will be on stage with at the addition of Carly Fiorina, who was in the earlier so-called happy hour debate, who has now jumped up to the bigger group. What are they going to have to work with in the contest? They can't bring any phones with them, no tablets, no notes, no props, each candidate will have a pad of paper and a pen and a glass of water.

And what will they be facing? Well, our panel will be comprised of our moderator, Jake Tapper, also CNN's Dana Bash, and Hue Hewitt from radio. They will be posing questions along some questions that will be taken from social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and so forth.

The subject matters are going to be foreign policy, domestic policy, and politics. Big broad topics. And with so many people on stage, they will have narrow windows in which to answer.

One minute per answer, 30 seconds if it's a rebuttal to something else that was said about you, and we will use timing lights to show the candidates if they are running out of time. And unless you think people in earlier debate are at a huge disadvantage, yes, they may very well have a smaller audience but they also have a whole lot more time to express their ideas. And, under the rules, if one of them says something that is particularly sharp or interesting, that video clip can be played in the larger debate and those candidates will have to answer to it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Tom Foreman, thank you very much.

Let's take a look at their faces again, the top 11 Republican contenders on prime time debate stage come tomorrow. Listen, one of them will wind up potentially becoming president, if it makes you wonder, how did they get their first start? What was their first job? Did it hint of high office hopes to yet to come?

Well, I can tell you this. The pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson, was a biology lab assistant with his high school.

Ted Cruz, his first full time job was a law clerk for Supreme Court justice (INAUDIBLE).

Mike Huckabee, read the news on the radio.

Rand Paul mowed lawns, taught swimming.

John Kasich newspaper delivery man.

And Scott Walker washed dishes.

But there is more. CNN's Chris Moody dug into this one for us today at CNN politics.

Let's begin with the man or really, I guess end with the man who is leading polls, Donald Trump. Dare I ask, what was his starter job?

CHRIS MOODY, CNN POLITICS SENIOR DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, candidates' life story and their first job is often something that they pull out to talk about their early roots, their humble roots and friends the CNN money looked at Donald Trump and found that he worked for his father, for his father's real estate company going door-to- door collecting rent. And you tell a lot about these candidates from the first jobs.

For example, Donald Trump working for his father, inherited that money and went on to bill a larger company.

Carly Fiorina was a secretary. This is something she talks about a lot on the campaign trail, and discusses her own rise from a secretary to being the head of Hewlett-Packard. There is also Chris Christie, who is gas station attendant in New

Jersey. It's required to allow attendants to pump your gas there, one of last states that allows than.

Jeb Bush was a door-to-door salesman. And you know, politics you have to knock on a lot of doors. I would imagine he learned a few things about rejection or how to talk to people or how to keep people from slamming your doors.

And finally, one of the most interesting ones, I think was Marco Rubio who built bird cages for his first job. I don't have a political analogy for that one but I'm sure it taught him some lesson of entrepreneurship and something he has remembered going into his presidential run.

BALDWIN: I got nothing. Bird cages? Got nothing. I was a summer camp sports counselor. I don't know if that meant I would be doing this. But there you go.

Chris Moody, thank you so much.

MOODY: Thank you.

BALDWIN: That does it for me. I'm Brooke Baldwin here in Simi Valley, California. "The LEAD" starts right now.

BERMAN: One day to go until the super bowl of politics. How many flags will be thrown for unnecessary roughness?

I'm John Berman and this is "the LEAD."

The politics lead, it was the night before debate mass and rhyme, rhyme, rhyme, the podiums built by CNN with care as Jake Tapper preps questions that all firm but fair. But will the candidates play naughty or nice? Just about 26 hours until we all find out.

He took on Trump and slipped in the polls so what is Rand Paul's strategy tomorrow? And is he ready to roll the dice and shut down the government again in the middle of an election? I will ask the senator when he joins me live.