Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Preview of Second Republican Presidential Debate. Aired 3:30- 4p ET

Aired September 16, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:30:00] TOM BRADY, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK: No. That's a keepsake. Nice piece of memorabilia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: He's a guy who likes winning like you. Do you think he's got what it takes?

BRADY: I hope so. It would be great. Have a putting green on the White House lawn. I'm sure of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right. Let me make two things. That is two things are abundantly clear here. Number one, Tom Brady looked very handsome there. Let's just say that.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Always.

BERMAN: Number two, there's already a putting green on the White House lawn. So Tom Brady, you know, political prediction, you know, as captain obvious right there. The headline writers right now are saying, Brady endorses Donald Trump. I don't know.

BALDWIN: What was that?

BERMAN: I don't know. That was Tom Brady --

BALDWIN: That kind of sort of sounded like, I hope he wins endorsement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was an acknowledgment of support.

BERMAN: I hope he has. The question was, does he have a chance to be president? He said I hope so. I hope so. Because, you know, he wants to have a putting green on the White House lawn.

BALDWIN: Forever a loyal Patriots fan. Berman, thank you so much. Dylan, thank you.

And as we've been watching Jake Tapper, I just want to point out to all of you, Jake Tapper there now on the stage, the moderator of the debate, had a little bit of an exchange with Chris Christie, getting ready. Getting excited. Two hours 29 minutes two seconds to go until that first debate. And now filling in on one rehearsal before tonight's main event, we're

bringing you live pictures of what's going on here in Simi Valley, California.

Also ahead, he helped convince Ohio governor John Kasich to run. Coming up next, former Senator John Sununu joins me live to share what he wants to see out of his candidate tonight. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:35:57] BALDWIN: All right, here we go. Live pictures inside the Ronald Reagan library. And we have the man we're just about to talk with. Here he is, the Ohio governor live. That's the magic of television, Senator Sununu.

We have live pictures of Ohio governor John Kasich taking a look around, seeing where he'll be standing at the podium, seeing the intimate setting of the CNN debate that just happen in a couple of hours from now. So let's talk about this guy with you, sir. John Sununu, the man Kasich has credited for convincing him to seriously consider this 2016 presidential bid. He is a former U.S. senator from New Hampshire.

So Senator, thank you so much for coming on.

JOHN SUNUNU, SUPPORT GOV. JOHN KASICH FOR PRESIDENT: Thank you.

BALDWIN: I talked to your dad. I know you all are Republican royalty in the state of New Hampshire.

SUNUNU: There's no such thing as Republican royalty. There shouldn't be such a thing about Republican royalty. And I'm an engineer by training. And I'm not in politics anymore.

BALDWIN: There we go. So with Governor Kasich, he did quite well in Cleveland. Yes, it was, you know, home field advantage. But I can still remember the raucous clouds, you know, especially talking on the same sex marriage lines. Looking ahead to tonight, how will he -- thus far, he really hasn't wanted to hit anyone back. Is that still the tactic, the strategy going into this evening?

SUNUNU: No. I think if there's a comparison to be made or if someone asks you to respond, of course, you respond but you do it constructively. I believe we're still in the point of campaign where candidates need to introduce themselves. They need to define themselves. A lot of voters still don't know the background and experience that candidates have. John Kasich, successful governor of Ohio, balanced the budget, cut taxes, you know, privatized services. That's a great story.

BALDWIN: But not as many people know about him, name recognition is a big thing.

SUNUNU: Exactly. We shouldn't make the mistake of assuming that people know it. And so, this is an opportunity for him, like other candidates, to talk about that experience, that record, and the success he's had both inside government and outside.

BALDWIN: So he talks about -- he tells his story tonight. And as you mentioned, if there is a time to address someone else on that stage, he will do so because I feel like a lot of times in order to address some of these issues you almost need to compare what you would do with someone else on stage. Tapper wants a debate. And so, I'm just wondering how deep in that fray he's willing to get.

SUNUNU: Well, I think it all depends on the circumstance. But John Kasich's strength there is he won't talk about what he would do. He'll talk about what he's done, what he's done as chairman of the budget committee, leading the effort to balance the country's budget and cut taxes and give power back to the states, get rid of strings from Washington. He can talk about what he has done in creating jobs in Ohio. And then translate that into the way he's going to approach the same kind of problems as president of the United States.

BALDWIN: We have been watching Governor Jeb Bush's numbers drop, drop, drop in a lot of these polls. And I know Governor Kasich is a more moderate Republican, and I'm sure that you all would love to have the Bush supporters. How into this evening and after this evening will you pick those Jeb Bush supporters up?

SUNUNU: To me, it's not about picking up anyone's supporters. It's about reaching out to --

BALDWIN: You want the votes.

SUNUNU: Of course. But you don't say, we're only going to look for the supporters of this or that candidate. It's the entire Republican primary electorate. What do they care about? Will you reform the tax code and cut taxes? Will you create jobs? Are you going to restore fiscal sanity to Washington? Can you get things done?

And John Kasich has shown already that he can do all of those things, both at the federal level and at the state level. I think that appeals, whether it's a Bush voter or Paul voter or Christie voter or a Donald Trump voter, I think that should appeal to the entire Republican primary voters. And of course in a general election to independents and a lot of Democrats who want to see someone who knows how to land the plane, someone who's serious and committed to restoring the kind of economic growth we need in the country.

BALDWIN: I have to ask you just quickly. We've read an opinion piece from Governor Bobby Jindal in which he's called Donald Trump a narcissist multiple times. He actually goes as far as to say this is a madman.

[15:40:00] SUNUNU: Look, I didn't read the piece. But I think whether it's Bobby Jindal or anyone else, spending your time calling anyone names is such a huge mistake right now because nobody knows who Bobby Jindal is. Nobody knows who John Kasich is. Nobody knows who Chris Christie is. If you really think about Republican voters, you need to be introducing yourself every day over the next two months if you want to succeed in this primary. That's what John Kasich has been doing in New Hampshire and South Carolina and Iowa and Michigan. And that's why even though he was the last person to get in the race he's made the most progress since then.

BALDWIN: Good luck to Governor Kasich tonight. Thanks so much, Senator. I really appreciate it.

And next as we've been watching live pictures, as we have been talking Governor Kasich has been up on stage here, watching different candidates coming through. We know their campaigns took the tour yesterday. And now it's up to the men and woman to do so today, get familiar with where they will be standing in just a couple of hours, get their proximity, just about a foot and a half between podiums, just about a foot-and-a-half between podiums.

Let's go straight to CNN's M.J. Lee. She is inside that debate hall.

A lot of activity behind you, M.J.

M.J. LEE, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: That's right, Brooke. This is where all of the action will be happening tonight. As you can see, a lot of the candidates have started to trickle in to do a walk-through or rehearsal and learn the stage a little bit before the main event begins tonight. You can see John Kasich is behind me taking his position at the podium.

A couple of things that they're learning about the stage, they're learning about where the cameras are located. The cameras, by the way, are equipped with lights so the candidates can know when they're running out of time. The candidates are also learning about where their spouses will be seated. They're also going through the format of the debate, including when the bathroom breaks will take place, which is obviously important information.

It's been interesting to see some of the candidates come in and sort of observe their facial expressions and see if they seem nervous. Scott Walker was one of the first candidates to come up here, and he did seem a little bit nervous and quite serious. At one point he took a minute to mouth to himself, it seem like, maybe perhaps practicing what he was going to say. Jeb Bush was someone else that I observed come in here as well, and he seemed to be in very good spirits, Brooke. He was laughing, smiling a lot. At one point he held up a CNN water bottle and, you know, smiled at the camera. So having sort of a goofy moment as well. Jeb Bush will obviously be going up against Donald Trump, who will be just right next to him on the stage. And it will be an interesting dynamic to see if they really end up going after each other tonight, Brooke.

BALDWIN: M.J. Lee, we will be watching. Thank you so much.

Two hours 17 minutes away from that initial debate. That will start at 6:00 eastern. And then of course the 11, that 11 main event, that begins at 8:00 eastern here on CNN. We know you will be watching.

Coming up here as we're talking to different candidates about what they're up to the morning of, how about a visit to the shooting range just to get you prepped for a major presidential debate? We'll actually show you what Rand Paul was aiming for and how the other candidates are spending their last couple of hours before the big debate.

Also ahead, how social media in the first few minutes actually of a debate like this really can make or break a debate performance, set the tone online. What to watch for on twitter and on Facebook tonight. I'm Brooke Baldwin. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:47:51] BALDWIN: I'm Brooke Baldwin live here in Simi Valley, California. Just an absolutely gorgeous debate day here on this Wednesday. Just about two hours and some change left to go until that initial debate, these four men take to the stage. No doubt right now as we've been watching the different candidates passing through, seeing how the stage is set, seeing how close those podiums are to one another and really just getting comfortable.

We have seen Senator Rand Paul who actually just returned from a California shooting range. His target of choice today, you laugh, the U.S. tax code. This is his third assault on the document. He has also used a chain saw. He's lit it on fire. This is just one example of something we've seen more than ever this season, the quest to go viral on social media with videos and pictures just like that.

And tonight the question, joining me tonight is Dan Pfeiffer, CNN political contributor and former aide to President Obama, and Jeffrey Lord also a CNN political commentator and former White House political director under Ronald Reagan.

So gentlemen, two hours to go. You laugh about what the senator has been up to. But, I mean, hey, we just heard Bobby Jindal say this morning he ate cold pizza and diet coke. So whatever. Two hours out, what were you doing with President Obama?

DAN PFEIFFER, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT OBAMA: Mostly just trying to keep the candidate loose. You don't want to somebody there kind of try to quizzing them on like really arcane, distant policy.

BALDWIN: That's already been done. They should have that in.

PFEIFFER: That should be in. It's too late now. So focus on strategy, maybe game plan some moments. Because you go into it with a few lines or moments you want to know you want get out because they'll be good on TV and good on the internet, on Twitter and Facebook. And so, just maybe practicing those a little bit. But keep it lose, is the main thing.

We will come back to social media with you in just a second.

But Jeffrey, we know there are all these candidates' trailers out back and it is up to each campaign how much time they want to spend in the trailer before heading to the big stage.

JEFFREY LORD, FORMER REAGAN WHITE HOUSE POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Right.

BALDWIN: What are you doing? What are you saying to them?

LORD: Relax.

BALDWIN: Relax.

LORD: I mean, if possible this sounds in Congress, don't think about it. Just don't, you know, chill out. You're about to go on this. It's a big moment. The worst mistake that President Reagan made was all this studying for that first debate in 1984, and frankly he messed it up and he knew he messed it up, the minute he walked off the stage. So, you know, they were just pummels him with your administration did this, that and the other thing. Second go around he had none of that, you know. It was just focused on message. He was very relaxed when he went into this and that was it.

[15:50:18] BALDWIN: Would he have any kind of ritual or anything? We heard about the Obama ritual and the deli.

LORD: You know, not that I'm aware of. He may have but not that I'm aware of.

BALDWIN: OK. With social media because that, you know, we now have the twitters which is different from the Ronald Reagan era, and you have said, really, I mean, watching last debate I was online tweeting myself. But that really sets the tone you say in the first 20 minutes. Why is it that powerful?

PFEIFFER: Well, you have two different things happening at the same time. One is the media and the pundits are in a rush to declare winners and losers. In the 2012 first debate, Ben Smith of the Buzz Feed declared Romney the winner before it was half over. And everyone started tweeting that.

And then the second thing is that viewership both on television and online is at the highest at the very beginning. So if you have a moment that can catch the wave of social media sharing early on, it's going to ride throughout the thing and effect perceptions for the entire debate for everyone who's watching with two screens.

BALDWIN: It is pretty incredible the influence of social media. We're about to talk to another surrogate from another campaign who just actually is going to join me. So I'm going to leave it here, gentlemen.

Dan Pfeiffer, thank you so much. Jeffrey Lord, I appreciate it.

Quick break. We are back with a surrogate from the Ben Carson campaign. As you know he's been pulling in at number two. You are looking at the outsiders and top three reality TV star, a neurosurgeon, former CEO. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:55:53] ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Senator, Athena Jones from CNN. Are you ready?

RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm looking forward to tonight.

JONES: What's your goal? How are you going to make a strong impression?

SANTORUM: Just be authentic. Be who you are. Let people get a chance to see what kind of leader you'll be to lead this country. That's the objective.

JONES: And did you do anything special this morning to prepare?

SANTORUM: Flew in from Dallas, Texas. That's about it.

JONES: Good luck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Everything from solitaire to eating cold pizza, they are going on a hike and avoiding rattlesnakes, this is what we've been hearing from different candidates as we catch them going inside at the big debate hall just a couple of hours away from the main event here on CNN.

Thank you so much for being with us here.

I want to immediately here bring in Barry Bennett, campaign manager for Dr. Ben Carson.

A couple hours away, we haven't seen Dr. Carson on the stage just yet. Of course we're all watching for him. He's been doing excellently polling number two, the only other in double digits.

BARRY BENNETT, CAMPAIGN MANAGER FOR BEN CARSON: Yes.

BALDWIN: As far as style is concerned.

BENNETT: Yes.

BALDWIN: Is your candidate the anti-Trump?

BENNETT: Well, he's certainly not anything like Donald Trump, so I guess, yes, he's the anti-Trump.

BALDWIN: He is the anti-Trump. Donald Trump has said he makes Jeb Bush look like the energizer bunny.

BENNETT: You know, Dr. Carson cut cancer out of people's brains for 40 years. You don't yell at it or call it names. You just cut it out.

BALDWIN: What is your point on the grander scheme there? How will he translate all of this into this evening totally juxtaposed, very different styles, sitting next to Donald Trump and will he fight back?

BENNETT: You know, if he's attacked of course. But he's not going to attack first. You know, their styles are so different, just standing next to each other, you can't help but notice the contrast which is all we need.

BALDWIN: When you say he will fight back, how will he do so? Because he said he hasn't want to get into a match.

BALDWIN: BENNETT: He's not going to be mean, but he's not going to take, you know, stupid things.

BALDWIN: Stupid things?

BENNETT: Yes.

BALDWIN: He'll call them out?

BENNETT: Yes, sure.

BALDWIN: Give me an example.

BENNETT: Well, you know, Donald Trump questioned his faith. Ben taught Sunday school for years and years, he's going to point out that's a load.

BALDWIN: Strategy wise, going into this evening what have you been telling him? How should he grab those additional voters going into tonight?

BENNETT: We just want Ben to be Ben. His personality want that to come through at the debate. He wanted to be funny and witty and warm and wise. That's all we need him to do.

BALDWIN: So much it seems that the strategy for your campaign -- for his campaign has been all about Iowa. I hear you go to Iowa there are billboards of Dr. Carson everywhere.

BENNETT: Yes.

BALDWIN: Everywhere. And I know that it's also about South Carolina and New Hampshire.

BENNETT: Yes.

BALDWIN: But why Iowa?

BENNETT: Well, Iowa is, you know, the first one. So that's where we're going to start. But we're not going to avoid any place. I mean, we just hit 500,000 donations today. We have three million Facebook fans today. We've raised over $26 million so far. We're doing very well everywhere.

BALDWIN: What's his schedule like after the debate tonight?

BENNETT: Tomorrow morning we leave for Topeka, Kansas.

BALDWIN: Topeka, Kansas, then what?

BENNETT: Back to South Carolina. Two days in South Carolina. Then we go to Georgia. No days off. BALDWIN: What is -- this morning everyone has been up to different --

Jeb Bush said he went on a six mile hike and avoided rattlesnakes, Bobby Jindal said he was eating cold pizza and drinking diet coke. What is Dr. Carson been up to?

BENNETT: He just got off a plane about 30 minutes ago. So he is resting right now, but he will be here about an hour.

BALDWIN: What will you be telling him inside that trailer in the 30 minutes before you are on the stage?

BENNETT: Ben, talk about your bio as much as you can.

BALDWIN: How has he been reacting to these polls? I mean, he continues to rise in state polls, national polls. What does he say to you?

BENNETT: He's like, you know, you told me this would work and it is. I'm like, yes, people are falling in love with you everywhere we go.

BALDWIN: Is it disbelief?

BENNETT: Not disbelief, but he's quite surprised it's happening so fast. I mean, you can't walk through airports anymore, all those kind of things which, you know, for a guy who's never run for office before.

BALDWIN: Kind of different from a pediatric neurosurgeon and the life you're used to living I suppose.

Barry Bennett, thank you so much. Good luck to you. Good luck to Ben Carson tonight.

That is it for me here at the Reagan library. I'm Brooke Baldwin. We'll send things to "the LEAD." Anderson Cooper in for Jake Tapper who is moderating this evening.

"The LEAD" starts right now.