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Cruz Pushes for High Caucus Turnout; Army of Volunteers Invade Iowa; Clinton, Sanders Make Last-Minute Pitch to Voters; Training for Iowa Caucus Goers; What Large Cargo Ships Between U.S., China Means for Trade; Screen Actors Guild Awards Last Night. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired February 01, 2016 - 01:00   ET

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


[01:00:16] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Isha Sesay.

The clock has just struck midnight in Iowa literally and politically. It is now caucus day there where the first votes of the 2016 U.S. presidential nominating process are cast. And there is no clear frontrunner for either party.

Here's what it looks like in the Republican field. The latest "Des Moines Register"-Bloomberg Politics poll shows Donald Trump with a narrow five-point lead over Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, you see him there is third at 15 percent, with Ben Carson behind him.

And the candidates are not taking any vote for granted. They spent the eve of the caucuses trying to keep their supporters roused.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm asking you to caucus for me tomorrow night because if you caucus for me and I'm our nominee I will unite the conservative movement. We're having a very spirited nominating contest, but we better come together. We cannot win if we are divided.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If every man and woman here makes sure that nine other people come and caucus tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m., together we will win the Iowa caucuses. We will win the nomination and we will win the general election. We will defeat Hillary Clinton and turn this country around.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In Iowa, ready? You have a lousy record. Sixteen years and you haven't picked a winner. Please pick a winner this time, OK? I'm going to win. I'm going to win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: GOP candidates doing what they can to keep that excitement high.

Well, let's take a look at the other side. It is technically an even each closer race for the Democrats. In the latest poll Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders by just three points, well within the poll's margin of error. Basically we're looking at a dead heat here. And that's what both Democratic candidates stumping hard for support from every possible voter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are getting down to the last hours. Those of you who have already decided to support me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will do everything I can to make sure that your faith in me and the campaign we run will reflect the values and the vision that we share for our country. For those of you still thinking about this, weighing your options, I hope I'll be able to persuade you.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We win when working people and young people and low-income people and elderly people go to the polls. And I think it is fair to say that any objective assessment of Secretary Clinton's campaign and my campaign, and she has some really good people so I'm not knocking them. But I think the excitement and the energy is with our campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Our own Mark Preston joins us now from Des Moines, Iowa.

Mark, good to have you with us. We are just hours away from the Iowa caucuses, tension obviously mounting. As Republican candidates make their final push are they saying anything new? Anything different to sway those undecided voters?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Well, you know, Isha, what they're doing on the Republican side is the race is now between just two people, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. And they are both making a push for the evangelical vote. Evangelicals here in Iowa are very fluent influential in this caucus process. So we've seen Donald Trump campaigning with Jerry Falwell, Jr. He is the head of the largest Christian university here in the United States.

At the same time you have Ted Cruz crisscrossing the state as well. At his side is Glenn Beck, the radio host. So yes, they are making a hard push right now. They know that a win here in Iowa would be instrumental as we head into New Hampshire next week. And really could start to help define this race that has been so wide open.

SESAY: Mark, as you well know, in these final hours we've seen the attack between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump ratchet up, and getting quite pointed and nasty. I'm wondering how this is playing with Iowa voters, especially those evangelicals that you just were talking about.

PRESTON: Well, Isha, you know, I think they are used to it because really politics here in Iowa is very much like sport. It really is beat them up and try to win. And I think that's what we've seen over the past few months, and certainly in the past few days here in Des Moines.

Now I will add to that, though, that the Donald Trump phenomenon is something we've never seen before, something where Donald Trump has gone out and has questioned whether Ted Cruz can actually run for president. Those kind of attacks we haven't seen in the past.

[01:05:02] And in many ways they might have worked over the past few weeks where we saw Ted Cruz tick down a little bit but the Ted Cruz campaign organization will tell you that they have a get out organization and get out the vote organization that is really superior. So the big question, as we head into tomorrow, will the big rallies, the people who show up for Ted -- for Donald Trump to see him speak, will they come out to vote? We don't know that.

Ted Cruz says that he can get those people to the caucus sites. So we'll see this tomorrow evening whether that's true.

SESAY: And that being said, that very point, as to whether Donald Trump's supporters at these rallies actually make it to caucus for him, Donald Trump saying early on Sunday that he didn't have to win Iowa. Is that perhaps pointing to some doubt about turnout among his supporters?

PRESTON: Well, it's called the expectations game because if he is out now saying that he is going to win Iowa and he loses, that will be a problem for Donald Trump. Having said that, heading to New Hampshire right now, Donald Trump is so far ahead of the rest of the pack that he is doing so well there, a victory here for him in Iowa would be amazing for him because he would expect to win New Hampshire as well.

Now what Ted Cruz is trying to do is to try to stunt any kind of acceleration that Donald Trump could get out of Iowa with an Iowa win. If Cruz wins here, the race will then be turned on its head again. And again, a reformulation as we head into Tuesday -- Isha.

SESAY: Turning to the Democratic side of things, Mark, polls showing a really tight race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. How will they use these final hours?

PRESTON: Well, they are doing the get out the vote rallies. Huge rallies. They spent a lot of time in the eastern part of the state of Iowa. And the reason being, Isha, is that there's a lot of Democratic voters on that side. So we saw that happened yesterday. Now that they're trying to do is do their best at selling the message. Hillary Clinton trying to tell the voters not only will she be a fighter for them but she has the most experience. At the same time, Bernie Sanders really, really revving up the idea there needs to be a political revolution and he is the one that will fight for the middle class.

Very similar strategies in trying to rally their caucus goers. But I have to tell you Hillary Clinton has older voters on her side here, folks who routinely caucus. For Bernie Sanders to win here in Iowa, which very well could happen, he's going to need a very strong turnout amongst college students, college students who are rallying around his candidacy. So we'll see if they actually leave their dorm rooms to come out and caucus for Bernie Sanders -- Isha.

SESAY: Yes. And the point has to be made that Hillary Clinton and her organization, you know, have been in this game since, you know, 2008. They've got a pretty deep organization, pretty well set up. And this is going to be a really big test for them.

PRESTON: It absolutely will be. Now a loss here for Hillary Clinton could be -- could hurt her. Certainly would not be devastating. Don't let anybody say. As you said, not only does she have an organization here in Iowa but she has one built across the country. But heading into New Hampshire right now, a new CNN poll shows that in fact Bernie Sanders is so far ahead of Hillary Clinton. But, again, a Clinton victory tomorrow night, if that were to happen, could change the dynamics of this race heading into New Hampshire.

That's what makes it so exciting. We're not only seeing a battle for the Republican nomination, we're also seeing a battle for the Democratic nomination. It really is amazing what's going on -- Isha.

SESAY: Yes. It really is. You're going to have a busy Monday night, Mark Preston. I think you should go to bed right now so you can stock up on sleep. We look forward to all the great analysis in the hours ahead.

PRESTON: Thanks so much.

SESAY: Well, joining me now to talk about the presidential candidates and the Iowa caucuses, two very, very wise men, Republican consultant John Thomas, and Democratic strategist Dave Jacobson. I'm giving you a very big billing. I'm expecting you to deliver.

John, to start with you, the race on the GOP side essentially down to Cruz and Trump. Help our viewers in the United States and around the world really get a sense of what victory for the respective campaigns would mean. Because it means different thing to each campaign.

JOHN THOMAS, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: It does, and it depends who you are. If you are Donald Trump, you need to win Iowa, he is probably going to win Iowa. And it's important because Trump's pretty much sole justification for why he is going to be president is because he has been number one in the polls. And if in the first state he doesn't become number one then it casts into question, can he actually win it? So he has to come out strong.

But even tonight we saw a shift in his campaigning where he's started to manage expectations saying, well, it's not fatal if I don't win. I think the Trump campaign is feeling very good but there's -- you just never know and so they are managing expectations. The Cruz campaign has had a string of bad news over the last few weeks and quite frankly they've been out-campaigned by Donald Trump time in and time out.

And the problem was, Cruz said a couple of weeks ago that he was going to come in first place. And now that he doesn't, that is a devastating blow to Ted Cruz.

SESAY: You say he's blown the expectations game?

THOMAS: He has. He's completely messed it up. And he's not going to win New Hampshire.

[01:10:03] DAVID JACOBSON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: On the flipside if, real quick.

SESAY: Yes.

JACOBSON: If Donald Trump does prevail tomorrow night and does triumph, I think it's going to create sort of a domino effect for all these other states. And he could theoretically lock up the nomination. If he does a huge victory tomorrow that propels him with some more momentum to New Hampshire, he could lock up Nevada, South Carolina and ultimately the nomination right around Super Tuesday.

SESAY: I'm going to ask you, Dave, what you make of this from the Democratic side of things as you watch the GOP race and you look at Iowa. Iowa. With the evangelical voters and Trump leading the pack.

JACOBSON: Right.

SESAY: I mean, how do you wrap your head around this? How do you make sense of it? What does it say about America today?

JACOBSON: Right. I think people are frustrated, they're angry. You know, they're looking for someone who's going to represent sort of the anti-establishment, the anti-status quo. You're seeing that on the left with Bernie Sanders and on the right with Donald Trump. The question is, is that going to translate into votes on caucus night tomorrow?

SESAY: Yes.

THOMAS: I think, you know, people have been saying, how is Donald Trump winning with the evangelicals over Ted Cruz? Ted Cruz's father is a pastor. Well, I think the fact is, evangelicals, they don't vote strictly on religion. Of course you've got to check that box and Donald Trump did that a week or so ago by giving a speech and butchered it a little bit but did it enough.

SESAY: Yes.

THOMAS: But the fact is evangelicals are as angry as everybody else, and Donald Trump has been able to capture that anger.

JACOBSON: Well, I think also real quick.

THOMAS: Yes.

JACOBSON: I think people also looking for someone to sort of speak truth to power. Right?

SESAY: Strength.

JACOBSON: Strength, right. Authenticity.

SESAY: This issue of strength is coming up.

JACOBSON: Right.

SESAY: This issue of strength is coming up and as you say it's not just the religious issues, it's the issue of strength and projecting that truth to power.

Dave, I want to ask you about the Democrats now. And this enthusiasm gap between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.

JACOBSON: Right.

SESAY: And what that means for Monday night.

JACOBSON: Right. I think it's genuinely like a battle royale between the two campaigns. I think it's really going to come down to turnout and ground operations. A higher turnout with unlikely voters, folks who haven't caucus in the past, young people, college students, that's going to bode well for Bernie Sanders.

On the other hand you've got a big storm on the way. And people who normally don't caucus, who don't have the experience of actually going and sitting there, participating in the process for several hours, they may not turn out and that could bode well for Hillary Clinton. The hard core caucus goers, people who are older, who have participated in this process before, those are the folks who are going to turn out no matter what for Hillary.

THOMAS: I think it's funny to me, on the Republican side, to look at the Democratic side and say, the fact is, Hillary Clinton should be winning. She should be walking away with this thing. But she is potentially going to be indicted. There may be another candidate, like a Michael Bloomberg that's getting in.

I think Bernie Sanders' rise is not just because of the messaging. I think it's because they don't like Hillary. But the sad thing is, for the Democrats, they still may get Hillary. And that doesn't bode well for them in November.

SESAY: What do you make of that, David?

JACOBSON: Well, I think --

SESAY: About them not liking Hillary.

JACOBSON: Well, I think it's the honesty factor. I think it's the authenticity factor. This is why you're having the Clinton campaign say, hey, we want more debates, we want more town halls because she is introducing herself in a different sort of light than what she -- than what people see on the campaign trail. The stump was just sort of staged and polished. You have a more interactive authentic Hillary at these town halls and these debates and I think that's why her campaign is salivating for more.

THOMAS: It's problematic for Hillary because still the majority of Americans both Democrats and Republicans, say they don't trust Hillary Clinton. That's the problem, Isha.

SESAY: The trust issue, the authenticity issue, it keeps coming up time and time again for Hillary Clinton.

Have to ask you, gentlemen, as a parting shot, what will you be looking out for as those results start to come in from Iowa late Monday night?

THOMAS: I think for me, Donald Trump, obviously, is he going to take it? It looks like he is going to but that's not what I'm interested in. I'm interested in Marco Rubio. Because Marco Rubio, if he comes in third and if he sneaks out a second or comes at a tight third, all of a sudden Marco is the story. You know, everybody knew Donald Trump was the top of the pack but Marco is peaking or surging right at the right time. So I would -- I'm going to be interested to see if Marco supporters realize that they can make the difference tomorrow. Marco could then go -- if he has that three, two, one strategy, that could be well executed. He could become the anti-Trump and could start tomorrow night.

SESAY: Which at this point that a second place for Cruz could be worse than a third place for Rubio.

THOMAS: Exactly.

SESAY: Dave, what would you be looking for?

JACOBSON: On the Democratic side I think it's a function of what turnout is going to be. If you're going to see somewhere around 200,000, sort of the Obama surge caucus-goer number that we saw in 2008, I think that's going to translate to a possible victory for Bernie Sanders. The other question is whether or not these college students who are sort of, you know, closely located in dense populations, where you've got big universities, the question is, do they sort of go out to the rural communities where their parents are and caucus. If they do and they turn out, that could translate into a victory for Bernie. If they don't, if they stay home, I think it's Hillary wins.

THOMAS: Yes, if Hillary wins Iowa, it's a big blow to Bernie Sanders.

SESAY: Yes, gentlemen, it's going to be a very, very interesting night. CNN will have all the drama, all the action. So keep it here with us.

Gentlemen, thank you as always. Very, very wise, and you lived up to the bill.

THOMAS: Appreciate it. Thank you.

(LAUGHTER)

SESAY: All right. Time for a quick break, straight ahead, more on the political heat in Iowa with voters getting phone calls and door knocks from the campaigns eager to get them to the caucuses. After the break how voters are responding to all this attention.

[01:15:06] Plus, the curious way to caucus differs from a primary. We'll show you what happens when they close the doors to vote. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(SPORTS)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: Welcome back, everyone. Good to have you with us.

Behind every candidate in Iowa, there are volunteers, thousands of them. Drumming up support ahead of the caucuses. They have been working in Iowa, but they come from all across the United States.

Dana Bash introduces us to some of them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOLLY MADDUX, VOLUNTEER: This is Molly Maddux with the Ted Cruz campaign.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hustle and bustle at Ted Cruz Iowa headquarters accelerated to an all-out frenzy.

MADDUX: Are you supporting Ted Cruz.

BASH: To get out the vote.

(On camera): You can see this. I mean, there is obviously a lot of buzz here.

SPENCER ROGERS, DEPUTY STATE DIRECTOR, CRUZ CAMPAIGN: We are definitely making a lot of calls. 27,000 calls yesterday, which is just -- it beats our record.

BASH (voice-over): Cruz campaign aides boldly boast about the size and scope of their operation.

ROGERS: 2500 doors yesterday out of this office alone. We have Camp Cruz, where a lot of the people are staying. We have two dorms, 830 plus people.

[01:20:09] When people check in, they put a pin where they are from. So we have people from California. We obviously have a lot from Texas. A lot from Iowa, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York.

BASH: Still it's the candidate who has to close the deal. He did with some, but James Gray Bach still isn't sold.

(On camera): Are you still on the fence after hearing Ted Cruz?

JAMES GRAY BACH, IOWA VOTER: You know, I think I'm probably closer.

BASH: But you're still not 100 percent sold.

BACH: Well, you know, I'm going to go listen to Marco here in a little bit so.

BASH (voice-over): Iowa Congressman Steve King is a veteran of the caucuses and a fixture on the trail with Cruz. REP. STEVE KING (R), IOWA: I'm going to pick 135,000 Republicans as

the turnout. And if that number goes well above that, then Donald Trump has a shot.

BASH: That's because Donald Trump is trying to turn out first-time caucus-goers like Sue Alpin who we met at a Trump rally.

(On camera): And have you caucused before?

SUE ALPIN, FIRST-TIME CAUCUS-GOER: No, this will be my first time. I'm really excited. I didn't ever think I'd do something like this. But he certainly got me charged up.

BASH (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) Lopez told us she's a born-again Christian usually drawn to candidates who talk her talk, but not this time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now we don't need a pastor, we don't need a Sunday school teacher. We need someone who has the authority and the power and the guts to say what's on his mind.

BASH: Trump aides are somewhat secretive about their get-out-the-vote operation but several Iowans here say the campaign is reaching out. The open question, will the celebrity candidate's crowds translate to votes? It may with Stephanie Reagan Lavarone. We talked to her before seeing Trump.

(On camera): You're not sure if you're going to support him?

STEPHANIE REAGAN LAVARONE, IOWA VOTER: Right. I'm teetering between Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

BASH (voice-over): On the way out, all in for Trump.

LAVARONE: Because after listening to him and just thinking about everything that he does, I just feel like he resembles the American dream.

JILL CAPPS, MARCO RUBIO CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER: I am a volunteer calling from the Marco Rubio campaign.

BASH: Meanwhile at Marco Rubio headquarters.

TIM HUTCHINSON, FORMER ARKANSAS SENATOR: I learned a new word today. Marco-mentum.

BASH: Friends like former Senator Tim Hutchinson flew in from Arkansas to help.

HUTCHINSON: Yes. We'll be driving about an hour and a half out to one of the caucuses and representing the campaign.

CAPPS: I have been volunteering since before Christmas.

BASH (on camera): Wow.

CAPPS: So I've probably made close to a thousand anyway.

BASH (voice-over): But now volunteers like Jill Capps are calling Iowans already committed to Rubio to make sure they actually show up because for all the rewritten rules in 2016 --

CAPPS: Every vote does count.

BASH: That rule will never change.

Dana Bash, CNN, Des Moines, Iowa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Well, before the break we had two wise men in the studio. Joining me now is the wicked smart who could throw in the bomb. The wicked smart, Christina Bellantoni. She joins us now to talk about the Republican race. She is the assistant managing editor on politics for the "L.A. Times."

Christina, great to have you with us.

CHRISTINA BELLANTONI, ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR ON POLITICS, L.A. TIMES: Thanks for having me.

SESAY: You're always tipping thing on their head saying, Donald Trump not a slam dunk in your view of winning Iowa.

BELLANTONI: Not a slam dunk. That poll that came out yesterday, the "Des Moines Register" poll, that's sort of gold going into the caucuses. It's usually very close, but it's not always exactly accurate. And it shows that things are very, very tight there. Trump, as Dana's piece referred to, doesn't have the exact same operation that some of these other candidates do. That's the benefit of having some of the establishment tools and some of those staffers that used to work for the establishment working for you having that. He doesn't have that.

And a lot of the Iowa voters that I have been talking to have really been considering him brand new. They're taking this weekend to make up their mind and they're saying, I've heard alternatives who are tapping into the same things he is who are less bombastic than he is, and who are not offering those types of things that he is offering. And so my sense is that Cruz is probably the one with the momentum, but really it's still a wide open tied up deal.

SESAY: Doesn't that -- I don't know. Doesn't it blow your mind, for want of a better word -- better turn of phrase that we are still seeing Trump do well with evangelicals? I mean how do you read that? What does that say to you?

BELLANTONI: So much of this is about anger, voter anger. And you've seen a lot of the same thing that's spurring the Democratic side and Bernie Sanders getting some attention and voters being frustrated, is what's happening on the Republican side. So even though these are voters that are polar opposites in some of their ideology, and that goes for evangelicals just like anyone else. And you have to win evangelicals to be able to win in Iowa.

And think about the candidates they have in the past, Rick Santorum, his message is not that different than Trump's. He's just not as flashy about it and he's not able to command so many millions of people with his Twitter followers. Mike Huckabee, in 2008, someone who, you know, was able to go out there and be a pastor, sort of evangelist. Well, Ted Cruz is tapping into that. So people that are remaining Trump is attractive to them. And he's going to stay in this race for a long time.

That's the thing. No matter what happens in Iowa tomorrow night he's not going to away. We're going to see him compete. And he has the money to stay in this race potentially all the way to the California June 7th primary which will be awesome.

(LAUGHTER)

SESAY: Many, many more exciting days ahead.

Christina, do stand by for us. Lots more to discuss. I want to bring our viewers up to speed with the Democratic race. We'll talk about that.

[01:25:06] On that side of things, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton made their final pitch to voters on Sunday. As the latest Iowa polls showed, the two candidates virtually tied.

CNN's Brianna Keilar has all the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the homestretch in Iowa, Hillary Clinton positioning herself as the defender of President Obama's legacy.

CLINTON: We are at 90 percent universal coverage right now. Senator Sanders wants to start all over again. He wants to plunge the country into a contentious debate.

KEILAR: Sanders pushing back.

SANDERS: I am disappointed by the tone of her campaign. She is talking to the people of Iowa and saying Bernie Sanders wants to dismantle health care. Dismantle health care. I've been fighting for universal health care my entire life.

KEILAR: The Clinton campaign is criticizing Sanders for his endorsement of a new book, "Buyer's Remorse: How Obama Let Progressives Down," even as he meets with the president and courts his supporters.

SANDERS: It's also important to remember how far we have come in the last seven years under the leadership of President Obama and Vice President Biden.

KEILAR: A key confidante of the president, who has endorsed Clinton, his former top aide, David Plough, tweeting, "Be honest then, Senator, run firmly against Obama record."

Despite the attacks, Sanders refusing to hit Clinton on one of her biggest vulnerabilities, the controversy over State Department e- mails. The administration announcing it will not release 22 e-mails because they are top secret.

SANDERS: There is a legal process taking place. I do not want to politicize that issue. It is not my style.

KEILAR: This is Sanders style.

SANDERS: Join the political revolution. Thank you all very much.

KEILAR: Rallying a crowd of almost 4,000 college students this weekend in Iowa City. If he has enthusiasm on his side, Clinton is arguing she will be a more effective president.

CLINTON: I am a progressive who likes to get things done. I'm a progressive who actually likes to make progress.

KEILAR: The latest "Des Moines Register" poll showing Clinton and Sanders neck-and-neck here one day before the crucial Iowa caucuses.

SANDERS: We're feeling great. I think we're going to win this.

KEILAR (on camera): Bernie Sanders is relying much more on first-time caucus-goers. They do tend to be more unreliable about showing up but when they come they can really make the difference. We saw that in 2008 with then senator Barack Obama.

Brianna Keilar, CNN, Des Moines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Well, Christina Bellantoni is still with us to take a look at the Democratic race.

Christina, much has been said about the enthusiasm gap between Sanders and Hillary Clinton. How much does that affect or shape the way the candidates use the final hours of the race for Iowa?

BELLANTONI: You know, voters like feeling like they're with a winner. Right? In this case, all the voters that I've talked to on the Democratic side have recognized that it's all tied up. And generally they're not saying anything bad about either one, they're like, well, I really love what Bernie says but I don't think he can win, or well, I really love what Hillary is saying but I'm worried about some of the things that could hurt her later. So they're really liking the general Democrat field, and Martin O'Malley, too, I should point out.

SESAY: Yes.

BELLANTONI: People like him quite a bit. He's just not able to break through to that next level for them. So enthusiasm matters a lot. You see scenes like that rally feel like you're part of something, but Hillary Clinton has those crowds, too, and she's also got Bill Clinton out there for her as well. And a lot of people still love his presidency. Look at him, they have the opportunity to meet him, they get very dazzled.

And this is also a state where just eight years ago she had a very organized caucus effort. She came in third but she still came in third getting a good number of votes. And people coming out to caucus for her. So those people are being activated yet again. They're even more galvanized because she didn't get it last time. She just released her financial numbers and she's got $38 million in the bank as of the first of the year.

SESAY: Wow.

BELLANTONI: That's a lot of money.

SESAY: I think the point to be made about Iowa for our viewers, to underscore for them, is you just don't know how it's going to go just because you were saying the way the delegates are apportioned. It's anyone's guess. So you've got to watch throughout the night.

BELLANTONI: Yes. And that's one of the fun things we get to do.

SESAY: Christina, it's going to be a lot of fun. Appreciate it. Thank you.

BELLANTONI: Thank you.

SESAY: Wicked smart.

Time for a quick break. Everybody is watching Iowa right now as voters get ready to cast votes in the first presidential contest. A look at how it works is just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:33:09] SESAY: Hello, everyone. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles, I'm Isha Sesay.

Republican U.S. presidential candidate, Donald Trump, spent the final hours leading up to caucus day pushing for more support. The Iowa causes mark the very first votes in the 2016 race. In the most recent poll, Trump has a narrow lead over his chief rival, Ted Cruz. But Cruz is just five percentage points behind Trump, and he has been fighting hard to close that gap. And in his busy campaign day, he questioned Trumps conservative authenticity on issues like abortion and religion.

Well, the latest polls in Iowa show Hillary Clinton virtually tied with Bernie Sanders. Former President Bill Clinton and daughter, Chelsea, joined the Democrat contender at a campaign stop Monday night as she made a final pitch for voters. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders accuses Hillary Clinton of running a negative campaign against him after Clinton appeared to take a swipe at Sanders. Sanders says the attacks are distorting his record.

Now Monday's Iowa caucuses are the first contest in the U.S. presidential nominating process. And they work differently for each party.

CNN's Randi Kaye explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You all wouldn't mind filing in, we'd like to get started.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd like to call this Republican caucus to order.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Caucuses as a run, if you wouldn't mind filing in.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's caucus night at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd like to call this Democratic caucus to order.

KAYE: Not the real thing yet. Just a mock caucus to teach first-time caucus goers how it works. This training session is called WTF, a caucus.

(on camera): How many times have you asked yourself, WTF is a caucus?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot. It made everything work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can somebody help us?

[01:35:11] KAYE: It is easy to get confused. Republicans and Democrats caucus on the same night but do it differently. On the Republican side, voters here a speech from the surrogates. Jeb Bush Junior surprised everyone at this mock caucus --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With hat, we'll start with Jeb Bush.

(CHEERING)

KAYE: -- practicing his own selling skills before the big night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good evening. My name is Jeb Bush Junior. It is an honor to be here tonight on Drake, the Bulldogs.

(CHEERING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope you come out and caucus on Monday night.

KAYE: Then Republicans simply fill out a piece of paper with the candidate they want.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once you have voted, fold the paper in half and return it to the second.

KAYE: Next, the votes are counted and a winner named for that caucus site. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a winner. Looks like Jeb Bush.

(CHEERING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Democratic caucus as you can see because we have no chairs is different from the Republican caucus.

KAYE: Now it's the Democrats' turn.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our process on the Democratic side is an active process, dynamic. There is a lot of engagement and enthusiasm.

(CHANTING)

KAYE: The Democrats divide themselves into groups, each one supporting a different candidate. So if you like Martin O'Malley, you caucus with his supporters.

Drake Student Lara Cox told us she's voting Democratic but is still undecided.

LARA COX, DRAKE UNIVERSITY STUDENT: I think it is a lot of pressure.

KAYE: Lara first caucused with Hillary Clinton supporters.

COX: I think that Hillary is so deep in the establishment that I don't know if she really wants to change things or if she just wants to be president.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The whole goal of this thing is to get 15 percent.

KAYE: Then she caucused with Bernie Sanders's group.

COX: I think the race ends up with Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Do you think Bernie Sanders could get any moderate Republican votes?

KAYE: She feels pressure from both sides, and time is running out.

COX: How much time do I have?

KAYE: This is exactly what makes the Democrat caucus so interesting. So much pressure from friends, neighbors, each roommate, to get others to vote their way.

COX: One of my roommates is over here. And one is over here, either way. I have to go home with one of them. And they are going to be mad.

KAYE: In the end, Lara decides to caucus for Hillary Clinton mainly because she likes her experience.

COX: Here I am.

KAYE: Randi Kaye --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you all for coming out again.

KAYE: -- CNN, Des Moines, Iowa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: It is a complicated process.

Time for a quick break. ISIS is reportedly claiming responsible for killing dozens of people in one of Syria's holiest shrines. Details on that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:41:04] SESAY: Dozens of people have been killed in another raid by Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria. This is what is left of a village where locals say gunmen opened fire on civilians before burning down homes. Reports say people were burned as well. At least 46 people were killed in the attack with many more wounded.

ISIS reportedly is claiming responsibility for a bomb attack that killed dozens of people in Syria. It happened outside Damascus near the country's holiest shrine. The news agency says 45 people were killed and 100 others injured when a car bomb detonated. Onlookers and medics who arrived on the scene were then targeted.

The state of trade relations with China is an important matter for Iowans and people throughout the United States. And it's hard to get much closer to what that really is than from the deck of a giant cargo ship headed from California to China.

Matt Rivers is aboard the "Benjamin Franklin."

Matt, that is quite the mega ship you are on. Give us a sense of what it's like being there. And the bigger picture, what a ship like that means for trade relations between the U.S. and China.

MATT RIVERS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR: I can tell you that being on the ship, you cannot be afraid of heights because it is quite steep.

But in terms of what it means for U.S./China, the shipping industry really is the front line for trading between the two countries. And what we've seen here in China is an economic slowdown over the past several quarters. And it's something that shipping companies are having to deal with. It's also something that will have an impact in a place like Iowa, which is a huge partner with China in terms of trade.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS (voice-over): It's longer than the Eiffel Tower. It's got an 80,000 horsepower engine, and weighs up to 240,000 tons. And yet, thanks to the magic of buoyancy, the "Benjamin Franklin" floats. It's leaving China soon heading for Los Angeles. This is the largest container ship that has ever docked in the U.S.

(on camera): Being on board, you really get a sense of scale, mainly because of how small you feel. But for a transplant ship hike this one, the most important figure is how much it can hold. The "Benjamin Franklin" can take on 18,000 containers. Placed end to end, they would stretch 68 miles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's cheaper to have a bigger ship so you can carry more products and you have less things to pay out.

RIVERS: On the other side of doors like these are things like electronics, toys, clothes, consumer goods made in China that will sell in American stores. This is what trade between the two countries looks like.

(voice-over): And far more stuff is exported from China to the U.S. than the other way around, a difference of hundreds of billions of dollars. That imbalance has been a source of conflict for some time.

In the middle of a U.S. presidential race, it makes for easy fodder.

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: They are killing us. And if you want to do business with China, it's almost impossible.

RIVERS: Republican front-runner, Donald Trump, suggested slapping a 45 percent tax on Chinese goods to even the playing field. But critics have attacked his idea as bad for business and bad for states.

Trump's political future, along with his rivals' relies in a big way on Iowa, where caucuses are set to kick off in this year's presidential election. And it's a state that exports billions of dollars worth of things like crops and machinery to China each year.

(on camera): U.S./China trade is incredibly intertwined and the next U.S. president will have some ability to influence those ties. And that will impact people's lives on both sides of the Pacific, which is why we are talking about U.S. politicians in Iowa while we are thousands of miles away on this giant ship in the South China Sea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:45:17] RIVERS: And how busy this port here remains over the next several months could depend on the kind of exports and the kind of manufacturing levels we see here in China. Just this morning, a key manufacturer announced it hit its lowest levels in several years. That is a reality the shipping industry and container ships like these are going to have to deal with for the foreseeable future -- Isha?

SESAY: Matt Rivers, thank you for the report. You are very brave to be so high up on the "Benjamin Franklin." I appreciate the reporting. Be safe. Thank you.

Time for a quick break. Hollywood's awards season is in full swing. Up next, who took home top honors at the Screen Actors Guild Awards amid growing controversy over diversity.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK RUFFALO, ACTOR: OK. No way.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:49:58] SESAY: That is a breathless Mark Ruffalo who stars in the film "Spotlight." It took the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Saturday night, winning for outstanding cast in a motion picture.

And the crowd was on its feet and overjoyed as Leonardo DiCaprio won the best actor award for the gritty, extremely gritty drama "The Revenant." After winning the Golden Globe and now the SAG Award many are saying this could finally be the year he takes home an Academy Award.

I had the pleasure of being on the red carpet for the SAG Awards. Here's a tiny taste of the star-studded event.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

SESAY: How are you feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Excited. I'm feeling -- I'm kind of nervous, I don't know, because I have -- I have some tough people -- I have tough competition. I mean, I have Batman in mine.

(MUSIC)

SESAY: What does a lead lady keep in a clutch like that on a night like this?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Rolos.

SESAY: You have -- she has nuts in her bag and Rolos. Try and sum up just the experience of being here.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I mean, to me, it's just great. An African story like this is getting represented on such a big stage. That's the bottom line. That's awesome.

(MUSIC)

SESAY: You guys all get to enjoy this together. It makes it a really special night.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Yeah, I mean it's like sitting around a Christmas tree opening presents. It's like we are crazy good friends.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: This is my favorite, favorite part. Everybody is like you are going to SAG. I'm like I'm going to see my friends.

SESAY: Can you come home with me and you can be my little friend? What do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I don't know.

(MUSIC)

SESAY: It was a lot of fun.

Well, the Academy Awards have drawn heavy criticism for a lack of diversity in their nominations but it was a different story at the SAG Awards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to diverse TV.

(LAUGHTER)

SESAY: The suave British actor who took home two SAG Awards, a supporting actor win for the film "Beast of No Nation" and the lead actor for TV movie or mini series.

Singer and actress, Queen Latifah, won for her role in HBO's biopic "Bessie." In her acceptance speech, she urged viewers to just do you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUEEN LATIFAH, SINGER & ACTRESS: I hope that anyone out there who does to the come in the package people say you should keep fighting for it. Turn those rocks over, keep pushing, turning, you build your own boxes. Not people. Knock that thing away and do you!

(CHEERING)

QUEEN LATIFAH: Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: The only Queen Latifah. Do you.

For more on the SAG Awards, we are joined by Gil Robertson, the president and cofounder of the African-American Film Critics Association.

So good to have you with us the day after the SAG Awards.

Let me ask you, when you look at the fact that diversity was the big winner of the night at the SAG Awards you have got to ask the question why the disconnect with members of the act me who decide the Oscars.

GIL ROBERTSON, PRESIDENT & COFOUNDER, AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION: It certainly is curious, especially considering many of the members of sag are also members of the Motion Picture Academy. It really makes you wonder what happened. Because, you know, with, you know, such an overwhelming display of diversity in the wins last night, how couldn't the Academy get it so wrong? And it's -- you for example it's certainly an indicator that the changes that are being implemented are very much need.

SESAY: Were you surprised that Edrisel Ber (ph) and Queen Latifah used the opportunity to push P.R. various ways and various styles.

ROBERTSON: No. I just spoke before the British particle men about it in the U.K. And to know Queen Latifah, you know she is passionate about social issues. Of course they would use that platform to speak out and to sort of express their thoughts about that issue.

SESAY: You know, it's great that the Academy is making the changes. They are welcome. There is no doubt about that. But I've got to ask you about the issue in the studios. Those decision makers who make the decision which films are green lit and who is cast. Are they having the conversation about diversity? That's the question, have they taken up the conversation?

ROBERTSON: They may not be yet but I think they soon will be, especially given the fact that a great percentage of their box office revenue is devised now from overseas. And I think that business is going to force them to really strongly consider, you know, whether or not they should cast more -- be more inclusive in their casting. If you look at a franchise like the fast and the furious, custom has done mind boggling business all over the world that speaks to the multicultural factor and how having a multicultural audience can really deliver the bottom line. So I think eventually, you know, with that being the case, you know, the studios are going to be forced to adhere and basically change their casting and business practices.

[01:55:43] SESAY: Quick question, and yes or no. Chris Rock hosting the Oscars, the opening monologue, will people go running with their hair on fire when he starts?

ROBERTSON: I think the Academy Awards is going to yield a record number in terms of ratings. Chris Rock is going to be absolutely on fire. I mean, I cannot wait.

SESAY: I'm excited. I'm scared. I'm many things. More than anything, I can't wait.

ROBERTSON: Yeah. It should be very, very exciting.

SESAY: It certainly will.

Gil Robertson, a pleasure. Thank you so much.

ROBERTSON: Thank you.

SESAY: Thank you.

You are watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. The news continues Errol Barnett right after this. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)