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Clinton, Sanders Neck and Neck in Iowa; Ted Cruz Makes Final Pitch in Iowa; Voter Turnout Crucial in Iowa; Rubio Makes Final Pitch to Caucus Goers; When Sports and Technology Work Together. Aired 2:30- 3p ET

Aired February 01, 2016 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00] SYMONE SANDERS, NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY, BERNIE SANDERS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: We think if voter turnout is high, we will be successful tonight. It's not just young people. There are lots of other caucus goers. You know, they're older individuals. They're young professionals. Folks that just haven't been engaged in the caucus process prior to but are now going to go out and caucus and vote because of Bernie Sanders. So I think this -- of course young people, they are fueling the political revolution, you know, it is young people out there on the front lines for us in a lot of these cities across the country. It's not just the young folks. It's a mixture of young people and other unlikely caucus goers.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Let me ask you, I want this response. Accusing Bernie Sanders of running the quote/unquote, "most negative Democratic primary campaign in history." In history --

(LAUGHTER)

-- you laugh. That's a direct quote.

SANDERS: That is a direct quote and that is just far fetched.

BALDWIN: Tell me why.

SANDERS: Sanders has never run a negative ad. He's never participated in a negative campaign his entire political career. I think we can think back to a lot of other really negative things that happened in '08. So we are not running a negative campaign. Senator Sanders is not campaigning negatively.

But what he is doing is drawing contrasts. He is standing on his record. When we talk about taking on Wall Street and not taking money from billionaires. Some people get uncomfortable because perhaps they take money from billionaires. When we talk about client change being one of the greatest threats to our global society and that it didn't take, you know, Senator Sanders a long time to figure out. He didn't have to think if he was going to oppose the Keystone Pipeline. That might make some folks uncomfortable. We -- Senator Sanders has a record to stand on and to run on, and he is going to run on it.

BALDWIN: Talking to a lot of the young people, they pointed out they feel like he's telling the truth, like he's been consistent through the years. I know you're hoping for a victory party. Good luck. SANDERS: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Symone, thank you so much. I appreciate it.

SANDERS: Thank you. Glad to be here.

BALDWIN: And everyone is pretty busy because once we go from here, we go to New Hampshire this Wednesday night. All three Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley, they will take part in a presidential town hall that is very New Hampshire. A critical moment for them to face voters, answer questions directly, and make closing arguments in a presidential town hall moderated by Anderson Cooper. That is this Wednesday night, 8:00 eastern, live, only here on CNN.

Can't believe it's February 1st. Thank you so much for reminding me. Time is flying. We're busy-busy.

Ted Cruz here is making his final pitch to Iowans today in Jefferson, Iowa. He was introduced by his wife. Specifically mentioned he will put french fries back on the menu, a jab at Michelle Obama. We'll take a listen right now.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R), TEXAS & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- radical Islamic terrorism.

(APPLAUSE)

CRUZ: We will not weaken, we will not degrade, we will utterly and completely destroy ISIS.

(APPLAUSE)

CRUZ: In the days that follow, we'll take on the EPA and the CFPD and the alphabet soup of federal agencies that have descended like locusts on farmers and ranchers and small businesses, killing jobs all over this country.

(APPLAUSE)

CRUZ: You know, a few years ago, I was out in west Texas. I asked folks there, I said, what's the difference between regulators and locusts. I said, well, the thing is, you can't use pesticide on the regulators.

(LAUGHTER)

This old west Texas farmer, he leaned back and said, "You wanna bet?"

(LAUGHTER)

And in the days that follow, I will go to Congress and we will pass fundamental tax reform. We will pass a simple flat tax where every American can fill out our taxes on a postcard.

(APPLAUSE) CRUZ: Now, some of you all may be thinking, can it happen. Can we do this? Well, you know, scripture tells us there's nothing new under the sun. I think where we are today is very much like the late 1970s, the Jimmy Carter administration. Same failed economic policies, same feckless and naive foreign policies. In fact, the exact same countries, Russia and Iran, openly laughing at and mocking the president of the United States. Now, why is it --

[14:34:56] BALDWIN: There he is, Senator Ted Cruz. This is his official closing argument. This is his final rally here in Iowa before the caucus goers decide in just a couple of hours.

Coming up next, four years ago, the Iowa caucuses produced one of the closest finishes in history, only to be decided days later after a recount. Could we see another tight race this time around? Will Iowa be ready? We'll talk with the chairman of the Republican Party of the state, coming up next.

Also ahead, we showed you Ted Cruz. Coming up, Donald Trump. He is about to speak to caucus goers in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His final push as well. We'll take you live when it happens.

You're watching CNN special live coverage. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:39:53] BALDWIN: Just a couple hours left until the first ballots will be cast in this 2016 presidential contest. Candidates from both parties hitting the campaign trail for their final pushes. A lot of the folks holding their final rallies this hour before, of course, the all-important caucusing begins in the Hawkeye State.

Joining me now, Brad Anderson, who served as Iowa state director for President Obama's 2012 election. He is backing Hillary Clinton this time. And Jeff Kaufmann, the chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa.

Good to see all of you.

JEFF KAUFMANN, CHAIRMAN, IOWA REPUBLICAN PARTY: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Thank you for filling me with all kinds of interesting information through the commercial break.

BRAD ANDERSON, FORMER IOWA STATE DIRECTOR FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA'S 2012 ELECTION: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I cannot get enough of this.

Brad, to you first.

I guess sort of like comparing to lessons learned in voter turnout, say, in 2012 versus now. I think to me, it surprises me just being out and about, trying to grab as many as I can, a lot of people are undecided. ANDERSON: A lot of people are undecided. I just went to go get a

sandwich. My friend, Randy Jackson, was there. He is a political activist. But he's going to caucus. I asked him, who are you for? He said, you know, I don't know.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: I'm going to listen to the speeches tonight, you know, and I'll see who I'm for. I said, randy, how have you not made this decision?

BALDWIN: Ads have been saturated. People have been calling you.

ANDERSON: Right. And he genuinely ticked off things he liked about Sanders, things he liked about Clinton, and he is going to make up his mind tonight and it's fascinating to watch.

BALDWIN: We'll get to the process no doubt on that in a second.

Jeff, to you, when you look at the poll in the "Des Moines Register," evangelicals or Christians will make up 47 percent of the vote, 47 percent of the Republican vote. You think that's high?

KAUFMANN: They're a very dedicated group. When you think about the party as a whole, where they're certainly not the majority of the party as a whole. They are the evangelical Christians caucus. They get out to caucus. Quite frankly, they're probably the one group out of all our different -- all our Republicans we have, you know, Libertarians, they're probably the easiest group to motivate to go out there. So, no, that doesn't seem high to me.

BALDWIN: Why do you think that is?

KAUFMANN: I think they believe that they are not only taking part in the political process but also reacting on what they see in the last eight years, something that's aesthetical that they believe.

Brad, back to you. On the Democratic caucus, the candidate that has to reach viability at 15 percent. If you don't, then those Democrat caucus goers are free to choose another candidate. And I know in 2012, especially when I think of Barack Obama in '08 was heard saying, listen, if I'm not your top choice, please mark me down as number two.

ANDERSON: Right.

BALDWIN: Why is that so important?

ANDERSON: Well, if you go back to 2004, you'll see, it was on CNN I think, where Dennis Kucinich announced just days before the caucuses, if I'm not viable, go to John Edwards. I was working for John Edwards at the time. I was in a caucus precinct, caucusing, and Kucinich was not viable and they marched right over to the Edwards camp and we got an extra delegate. If you're talking about that happening -- we have 1,681 precincts. If you're talking about a lot of precincts where folks aren't viable, and in a close race, which all the polls show, I mean, this is going to come down to organization. That is going to matter.

BALDWIN: So far, Martin O'Malley -- I saw Jeff Zeleny, our reporter, trying to grab him and say, you know, you would be the kingmaker, who else are you supporting if not you? And he hasn't said.

ANDERSON: And he hasn't said. And the "Des Moines Register" poll showed it's a 50/50 split.

BALDWIN: Incredible.

ANDERSON: So what that means, of course, is the precinct captains in these individual precincts, if they're well trained enough, they will know exactly what to say and do to pick off those O'Malley people if they're not viable. That goes to the importance of building an organization and the importance of training your precinct captains. You will know the second you walk into your caucus whether or not you've got a trained precinct captain or not.

BALDWIN: On the Republican side, who do you think really could break through here? What could be the biggest surprise that we're not talking about?

KAUFMANN: I think because there's three or four tickets out of Iowa, possibly even five. The big ticket is who wins obviously. I still believe, because I'm still hearing passion for those folks at the bottom of the polling of the "Des Moines Register" polling. I'm not talking from tenth to first. But I think there's a chance we could have a ninth or tenth that will make a leap to fifth or sixth.

BALDWIN: Name a name. Who do you think?

KAUFMANN: I think any of them.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: They're all clustered together?

KAUFMANN: Literally clustered together. Carly Fiorina, for example, I had a person the other day called me from Muskodine (ph), who said, there's been a person at my door three times canvassing for Fiorina. Mike Huckabee, I'm hearing buss about him. Rick Santorum is still out there pounding the pavement. I think there's a ticket to be had down there in that area. Third place is going to be a ticket. We could have first, second and third be a ticket if expectations are exceeded. That's the key I think in this Republican race right now. The big prize is first, obviously, but can you exceed expectations? If you can do that, you're going to grab the momentum, put it in your suitcase, and head right to New Hampshire and South Carolina.

[14:45:19] BALDWIN: Incredible. We're hours away. I can't wait to see how it shakes out. I'm sure many people are very curious. We're watching the process very carefully in Iowa.

Brad Anderson and Brad Kaufmann, I appreciate your time. Good luck tonight.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Donald Trump, as we mentioned -- we're watching the different candidates -- he is about to speak to Iowa voters here. We'll bring it to you live, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when it happens. Do not move. We're back with live continuous coverage after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:50:03] BALDWIN: Here's someone else we need to be talking about today. Marco Rubio is looking for a strong enough showing to leave his so-called establishment rivals in the dust. Currently polling in third place, Rubio is hoping to finish at least in the number three spot after tonight's caucuses. By the way, that process begins about four hours from now. He says he wants to prove he's a stronger alternative to both Ted Cruz and Donald Trump than three of his rivals who have served as governors, Casey, Kasich and Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R), FLORIDA & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Here's what I want you to understand. Tomorrow, you cannot just go in there and make a point. Tomorrow, you must caucus, in my opinion, respectfully, for someone that gives us a chance to win, not just a nomination, not just someone who has a chance to win the nomination, someone who has a chance to win the presidency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's go to CNN senor political reporter, Manu Raju, following the Rubio camp today.

What's his closing pitch to market goers?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, look, Rubio has two objectives here today, Brooke. He wants to show he is the clear alternative to Donald Trump and see Ted Cruz lose. They need Cruz to do poorly in the caucuses here because they think that will be the end of his campaign if he does not come out ahead. And also they want to come out much further ahead of the governors in the race. If they do come ahead of the governors in the race, then they can make the case that they are the alternative. They can be the establishment candidate who can unite conservatives behind him. He's saying that I am the unity candidate, that is part of his closing pitch. Brooke, this really foreshadows the fight in New Hampshire, which is going to be sort of a five-car pileup for second place. That's going to be the real battle going forward. We'll see how it all shakes up after tonight -- Brooke?

BALDWIN: They say they want third. I'm sure they would take second as well.

Manu Raju, thank you so much, on the Rubio trail.

Coming up next, Donald Trump expected to make his final pitch in Iowa moments from now. We'll bring it to you live. By the way, they were just playing "Skyfall" from Adele. Haven't

heard, Adele said, Mr. Trump, please don't play any more of my music at your events, and they did.

Plus, we'll tell you the top three things to look for as the results come in.

Stay here. I'm Brooke Baldwin live in Des Moines, Iowa. Do not miss a beat.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:56:55] BALDWIN: If you're a political wonk, today is like the Super Bowl because it's Iowa caucus day. But if you're following actual football, it is the beginning of Super Bowl week. The Denver Broncos take the Panthers Sunday night. Getting to this game takes a lot of work. That includes lifting weights.

I want to bring in CNN Sports' Coy Wire. He knows all about that, he used to play professional ball. He's live in San Francisco where the game will be played.

I understand you found a way to make the weight room more fun and productive for all. Do tell, my friend.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Absolutely, Brooke. All this week, we'll find out what happens when sports and technology collide. As far as the first piece of technology, I wish they had this when I was playing. Thanks to elite form, athletes can get feedback on every rep in the weight room finding out how powerfully they've completed that movement and how they stack up against the competition. Check this technology out in "Bleacher Report."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

SKIP CRONIN, MANAGER, ELITEFORM: Elite form really is something that started as a project that then kind of evolved into very unique technology so you can then come out with a product that's kind of slick, well functioning, and made sense in the weight room.

WILLIE JONES, ASSISTANT & CONDITIONING COACH, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA: You can move it as fast as possible every time. That's what we're looking for.

(SHOUTING)

JONES: Now they can visibly see it. They need instant gratification. They can see it right away.

WIRE: Oh, yeah.

JONES: You ready?

WIRE: I don't know. JONES: I have to get this chip off your shoulder.

(LAUGHTER)

WIRE: Yes!

CRONIN: We use 3-D cameras to see open space and athletes working out within that space. Can see how fast you move, how powerful you move, because at the end of the day, people think bigger, faster, stronger. But really we believe one of the key matrixes is power.

We don't have to be smartest guys of the guys at the end of the day because we work smart.

(SHOUTING)

JONES: If I see something different, the guy's not looking as well on his technique or if his numbers are down from the power and the speed, I can maybe pull him aside and say, did you get enough sleep last night.

WIRE: It became a game. It's making weight room more fun.

JONES: Absolutely.

WIRE: Making me want to go again.

JONES: Absolutely. You up for a rematch?

WIRE: Let's go. Let's do it.

(LAUGHTER)

[14:49:35] BALDWIN: Hi there. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Happy caucus day. We're live in Des Moines, Iowa. You're watching CNN special coverage of the Iowa caucuses. They open four hours from now, 7:00 central. We will finally see a couple of things. One, if Republican front-runner, Donald Trump, will live up to the hype and the big poll numbers. Will that support really turn into -- will it translate into real votes tonight in Iowa? 7:00 p.m. central time, Iowans will close the doors and open their caucuses to select their presidential nominees.

And, yes, while Donald Trump leads the polls for Republicans, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are pushing very, very hard --