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New Hampshire Primary in Three Days; Sanders Struggles To Gain African-America Support; Sanders, Trump Top Latest New Hampshire Polls; New Poll: Jeb Bush In Fifth In New Hampshire; Retirement Rumors Swirl Around Peyton Manning. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired February 06, 2016 - 11:00   ET

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


[10:59:54] CHRISTI PAUL, CNN HOST: And in just three days, of course, New Hampshire voters casting their ballots on the first primary of the 2016 presidential race. Today the candidates are making their last stops, rallying their supporters, counting down. It is a little bit of madness in New Hampshire.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: All right. Let's toss it out to Manchester where our colleague Fredricka Whitfield is leading the coverage for us this morning. Fredricka -- good morning.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning Christi and Victor. It is beautiful out here. And good morning to everyone. Our live coverage begins.

In just three days New Hampshire voters cast their ballots in the first primary of the 2016 presidential race. And today the candidates are making their last stops rallying their supporters, counting down until Tuesday's critical vote.

Good morning again, I am Fredricka Whitfield with CNN's special coverage, live from Manchester, New Hampshire.

This hour we've got a lot for you. The candidates are fanned out across New Hampshire in a last-minute push to get voters to the polls. There are several live events going on. Chris Christie is about to speak to voters in the town of Bedford. Jeb bush is also having a rally there; he has been campaigning with his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush this week. And Bernie Sanders fresh off an endorsement from the former head of the NAACP Ben Jealous is holding a rally in the city of Rindge.

This is all in the context of striking new poll numbers. In New Hampshire, Sanders tops Hillary Clinton by 30 points, 61 percent to 31 percent. This is from the CNN and our affiliate WMUR -- this polling right here.

And for the Republicans Donald Trump continues to dominate at 28 percent; but Marco Rubio snagged second in the Granite State with 17 percent; Ted Cruz and John Kasich are tied for third; Jeb Bush actually climbing more than we've seen in other states at 9 percent.

All right. Seven of those Republican candidates will be debating tonight right here in New Hampshire. Carly Fiorina will not be on that stage among the seven despite her petition to be included.

CNN senior political reporter Manu Raju joining me now from Bedford, just about 25 minutes from us here in Manchester. So Manu, how do you think the candidates will be positioning themselves tonight?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, I think if you're Marco Rubio, you're going to want to wear body armor coming into tonight because he is really going to come under attack particularly among a lot of those so-called moderate, right-leaning establishment type candidates who view Rubio as a big threat.

I mean Donald Trump clearly is in the lead, he's got an 11-point lead. But that's sort of a soft lead at the moment and a lot of these candidates have room to grow. Why I say that is because about 30 percent of voters here in New Hampshire have yet to make up their mind. That means that tonight's debate is going to be critical.

On top of that, that CNN/WMUR poll show that 36 percent of New Hampshire voters have ruled out supporting Donald Trump. That is far more than any other candidate in the field. That means each candidate has some room to grow. And that means that they'll probably going to go after the person who is the biggest threat to them right now, who is Marco Rubio.

So expect a lot of attacks towards him and we'll see how he deals with that because probably it's going to be the first debate when he is center stage and the spotlight will be on him -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Ok. So Manu, you know, we talked about Carly Fiorina just moments ago making -- you know, some hay over -- I thought this was the process where everyone is included, I'm being excluded. Is anyone in your surrounding right now talking about that? Responding to that?

RAJU: You know, a lot of the candidates are saying that we would love to have Carly Fiorina on the stage. Jeb Bush was asked about that in an event that I was at last night. He said sure we would love to have her on the stage.

But clearly there are rules and she may not have passed that threshold. I think that after New Hampshire votes on Tuesday you're going to see a real significant thinning out of the field and that may include Carly Fiorina. Whether she has he support to advance after New Hampshire is an open question.

But not just her, Chris Christie, too, really struggling in the polls. He needs a big showing on Tuesday and the recent polls have him about 4 percent which is a huge warning signal for someone like him. This is going to be -- Tuesday is going to be really a narrowing of the field. We are going to see top tier and second tier and I'm not sure that bottom tier will be able to advance -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Manu Raju -- thank you so much in nearby Bedford.

All right. So one person who's been following the candidates long before the primary weekend, political director and anchor for New Hampshire One Paul Steinhauser, also a former CNN political editor. I know this is a very familiar setting -- people used to see us together a lot on the weekends. Good to see you here in New Hampshire.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, NEW HAMPSHIRE ONE: It so -- this is like 2008 and 2012 all over again -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: That's right. This is your paradise.

STEINHAUSER: It really is.

WHITFIELD: It really is because I know you live and breathe politics all the time. So this is an interesting, you know, scenario because New Hampshire is very unique. These voters are unlike most states. They are politically astute. They have high expectations.

How does a candidate need to campaign differently here in New Hampshire?

[11:05:05] STEINHAUSER: You're absolutely right because for New Hampshirites, for Granite Staters, politics is a full contact sport. We live it, we breathe it and we are lucky because every four years we get to see the candidates for almost a year. They've been coming up here for almost a year now.

And New Hampshire voters are very good at asking very smart questions. They're very plugged in. In fact the other day at the town hall that Anderson Cooper had with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, I think both candidates complimented the New Hampshire people in the audience on their smart questions.

For the candidates though, it's not just about the national issues. Hillary Clinton, her first event up here last April, right after she announced, the first question was about a local issue -- the heroin epidemic which is very acute up here.

So local issues, the candidates have to learn them. The candidates have to talk about them and offer solutions.

WHITFIELD: The heroin issue is huge. It's hard to be here and not be brushed by that topic in some way. I talked to several voters as you have been doing since you live here. I've talked with cab drivers. Everybody here has a story about how they've been personally touched by heroin.

So that the candidates come here, that they spend time here is one thing. But they have to be so attuned to the needs of people here in a very big way.

STEINHAUSER: Very big way.

WHITFIELD: It's not just talking it, but they are actually challenged with some solutions. What do you have in mind for us here?

STEINHAUSER: And you know, New Hampshire voters are very lucky. We get to hear the candidates over and over again, see them over and over again. We don't take this lightly though. This is a role that New Hampshire has had for many, many generations. But the beauty of it is we get to talk to them over and over again.

And that's why so many voters here make up their mind so late in the game because they like to see the candidates, four or five times and talk to them a number of times before they make their minds up. Some voters here in New Hampshire, maybe a quarter of them, still haven't made up their minds with just three days to go.

WHITFIELD: And that really is amazing because voter turnout here is traditionally very high with what -- more than a million people here, 1.3 million -- 30 percent usually do participate. But while you have people who may be affiliated with a party, they may say they are a Democrat or Republican and many are Independent here, they may change their mind, I've been told this by many voters, the day of putting their ballot in the box.

STEINHAUSER: It could happen. It definitely could happen. And you mentioned the undeclared voters, the Independents -- they are 40 percent of the electorate up here. They can vote in either primary. Which way they go could be very telling. Will they vote in the Democratic primary or will they go with where the action is, because it seems like it is, on the Republican side.

WHITFIELD: Right. On the Democratic side in terms of the delegates, there are eight super delegates -- right. But they too could change their mind at the last minute as we get closer to the general election.

STEINHAUSER: Yes, they sure could.

WHITFIELD: A unique dynamic here?

STEINHAUSER: Yes.

WHITFIELD: So what is another distinguishing factor about New Hampshire that really sets it apart from other states? It's not just the first primary state, but for here, for people here, it's like the Super Bowl. It's much bigger than that.

STEINHAUSER: It really is. And you know, we've had the candidates for a while. We have the national media up here. Now we finally got the snow as you can see.

WHITFIELD: That doesn't stop people.

STEINHAUSER: No, that doesn't stop people at all. In fact there was a lot of criticism yesterday of Donald Trump because he canceled his event up here. All the other candidates, they kept going.

WHITFIELD: And is it true the answer in part was about snow? How does that go over with people?

STEINHAUSER: Well, that may hurt him a little in the polls but Donald Trump up here has a lot of very faithful followers. And so even if there's a little deterioration because he didn't come up here because of the snow, right now it looks like Donald Trump is probably going to win the primary in the Republican side. It's a battle for second place. Manu was just talking about that -- a crucial battle.

WHITFIELD: At the same time, is it a huge gamble? I mean Donald Trump went into Iowa as the heavy favorite but we've seen what happened. So he can't necessarily take it for granted here just because the polling shows him out front.

STEINHAUSER: And he hasn't. This past week he did step up the number of events. And his campaign structure here in New Hampshire is much bigger, deeper than it was in Iowa. He spent a lot more time here than he has in Iowa. So he's not taking anything for granted. You're absolutely right.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paul Steinhauser -- always good to see you.

STEINHAUSER: Right -- Fred. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.

All right. Tomorrow morning we have a very special commercial-free edition of CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION". Jake Tapper will be live here in New Hampshire and he's going to talk to Donald Trump -- the whole list -- John Kasich, Chris Christie and Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. That's at 9:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

All right. Also coming up, Bernie Sanders' press secretary joining me live to talk about his strategy in these final few days in New Hampshire. Even though the polling shows him way out front, he is not taking it for granted.

Plus I'm talking to you about the town that has 100 percent voter turnout. And it's been that way for 46 years. We'll be right back with the journey to this special place.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:13:49] WHITFIELD: Welcome back. A beautiful view here over the New Hampshire town of Breton Woods -- that's Mt. Washington in the background, the highest peak in the northeastern United States.

The New Hampshire secretary of state is predicting record turnout for this primary. A few inches of snow, well it's not typically an obstacle for the hardy people of New Hampshire. Just drive three hours or so north of here in Manchester to Dixville Notch just shy of the Canadian border. Well, these are some indeed Super Bowl-like conditions for the handful of very excited, but diehard registered voters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: In the snowy shadows of the once majestic New Hampshire Balsams Resort, across the now frozen Lake Gloriette, Dixville Notch polling station, a brown cabin where some of the nation's votes are cast for the presidential primaries and general election.

At midnight -- so voters come in here and then what happens? TOM TILLOTSON, DIXVILLE NOTCH VOTE MANAGER: Well, the voters come in.

We'll have a table here where the town officials will check off each voter off the checklist. As they get checked off the checklist they are given their ballot -- Democrat, Republican, whichever they choose.

[111509] Then behind you there's individual voting booths. Each voter will go into one of these voting booths. They will mark their ballot. I'll keep a close watch on the time and at precisely midnight the first voter who had been selected by lottery, the first voter will drop their ballot and that's the start.

WHITFIELD: This is family tradition for Tom Tillotson.

TILLOTSON: It's like a lot of things. What you grow up with you kind of take it for granted.

W1: He grew up watching his father Neil Tillotson, who for nearly 50 years cast the first ballot. A tradition that got its start thanks in part to New England's winter weather. Driving 45 minutes to the nearest polling station was risky. So Tillotson brought voting to Dixville Notch in 1960.

TILLOTSON: It was suggested to him that if you incorporate it for the purposes of voting, you could actually do it right here.

WHITFIELD: Tillotson's dad died in 2001 at the age of 102. Now his son manages the night.

TILLOTSON: We really hope we're setting an example of the American civics process -- the voting, high voter turnout.

WHITFIELD: So traditionally, 100 percent of eligible voters have voted in primaries and general elections here, whether it's 38 people or whether it's nine people who are eligible voters, all of them.

TILLOTSON: Yes. We have for 46 years had 100 percent voter participation.

WHITFIELD: This election cycle, Tom is one of nine voters in Dixville Notch priding themselves on the rich history here, which includes the distinction of the first vote and the usual parade of presidential candidates from the Bushes to the Doles, John McCain, Bill Clinton, Dick Gephardt and Ronald Reagan, to name a few.

TILLOTSON: The candidate that would come and stroll with us around this park go in that door over there. That's really the benefit to the Dixville voters to be able to look somebody in the eye and get a sense as whether that's a good person. Everybody gets their 15 minutes of fame in their lifetime. After four years, you're ready for another 15 minutes. It's a privilege and it's very exciting.

LES OTTEN, BALSAMS RESORT DEVELOPER: It's sort of a privilege and pleasure.

WHITFIELD: New resident Les Otten is also thrilled about watching his vote tallied in this way, and as a developer, spearheading a massive resort renovation. Why is this so exciting?

OTTEN: I know when I vote, somebody is going to know and the people around me are going to know.

WHITFIELD: This really has become a magnet, hasn't it for presidential candidates. They take this location even if it's just nine votes or 38 votes, very seriously.

OTTEN: Look, our results are going to be plastered across the United States and all across the world at one minute after midnight.

WHITFIELD: The only disappointment so far here? That more candidates didn't show up.

OTTEN: John Kasich is the only one that's actually been on the property so far.

WHITFIELD: Does he get the upper hand because he has had the face time here?

OTTEN: Yes. I think he made a lot of points with our small group up here, just by being here and being so down to earth.

WHITFIELD: Andy Pearson has voted here four times.

ANDY PEARSON, DIXVILLE NOTCH VOTER: You know, I think if you were to look back, many of those primary and general elections, you could say as Dixville went as did New Hampshire so did the nation. So whether that's coincidence? You know, who knows. But Dixville has had a fairly good track record in picking some winners.

WHITFIELD: When the Balsams Resort fell on hard times closing in 2011, the intense campaign trail attention also melted away. Well, in politics everybody loves a good comeback story. And the people of Dixville Notch and the Balsams Resort are counting on it here.

After renovations here of the Balsams, is it your feeling that presidential candidates will come back in droves?

TILLOTSON: I hope they will. I think that's a possibility.

WHITFIELD: And it's a possibility when renovations are complete here in two years. There may be more eligible voters in Dixville Notch eager to be among the first in the nation to cast ballots.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So the nine voters in Dixville Notch -- just nine, start assembling as early as 8:00 Monday night. But of course, a lot of folks from all over the town actually come out so they won't be the only ones there. But similar to a football tailgate, inside that cabin, they will eat. They'll have a little hot cocoa, no alcohol, and fellowship before going behind the curtain and casting their ballots. Pretty cool stuff.

[11:20:07] All right. Well, we've got so much more straight ahead here from New Hampshire. Bernie Sanders expected to speak at a rally this hour. He is way ahead of Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire by about 30 points. But can he keep that momentum going?

Next I'll talk to his press secretary about these final three days and moments and what comes next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[11:24:42] WHITFIELD: What about this political process? Have you made up your mind so far?

PETER WHITE, NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENT: Well, I have. I have a tradition I never vote for candidates who accept PAC money because contributions from political action committees -- I consider legal bribes. The biggest issue which is why we are all here today is to get money out of elections.

So no matter what issue you care about with all these candidates in congress, the best congress money can buy, they are going to listen to who is giving them their campaign contributions and they can't bite the hand that feeds them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:25:09] WHITFIELD: All right. That was Peter White from Nottingham, New Hampshire.

Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Yes, we are still in Manchester. We are just inside now.

So he says for him it all boiled down to either Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders. He is picking Sanders. You heard him talking about the Super PACs.

All right. Let's take a look outside again -- live pictures. At an event the Vermont senator is hosting in the New Hampshire city of Rindge. So far Sanders is enjoying a 30-point lead over rival Hillary Clinton but his campaign is also laser focused on some very different polling numbers.

This is an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist Poll. And it shows Bernie with only 17 percent support from African-American Democratic voters in South Carolina, the next stop, compared to Hillary Clinton at a whopping 74 percent. In recent weeks, the Sanders campaign has been working very hard to improve Sanders' support among nonwhite voters. How's he doing?

And then on Friday he picked up a potentially powerful endorsement -- that of former NAACP president Ben Jealous on a conference call.

So let's go right back out to that Bernie Sanders event. Let's listen in to what he's saying. And we'll talk more about this endorsement from Ben Jealous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We uniquely chose not to have a Super PAC. It looks like on both counts they were wrong. We went to Iowa 40 or 50 points down in the polls and we end up getting a virtual tie.

We're here in New Hampshire where our opponent won, let's not forget it, she won the Democratic primary back in 2008, ran her campaign successfully the number of campaigns here. Here in New Hampshire, if we can bring out a decent vote Tuesday, I am confident we are going to win.

I feel the reason that we did well in Iowa and doing well in New Hampshire and doing better all across this country is we are doing something extremely radical. We are telling the American people the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Bernie Sanders there firing up the crowd there in Rindge, New Hampshire, not far from where we are here in Manchester.

Let's again talk more about how he is trying to win more support. He is not taking just New Hampshire for granted, even though polling shows him more than 30 points ahead of his rival Hillary Clinton.

He just recently clinched the endorsement of the former NAACP chair Ben Jealous. Ben Jealous saying this, "Bernie Sanders has the courage to confront the institutionalized racism and bias that stains our nation. Bernie Sanders leads with the sort of freedom-minded conviction that strikes fear in the military industrial complex, the prison industrial complex and the worst of Wall Street," end quote. That from Ben Jealous.

I want to bring in Symone Sanders. She is the national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders campaign. Joining me right here in Manchester. So Symone, you know, Jealous also made references to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his endorsement.

Tell us more about the senator's record as it pertains to civil rights, you know, being in the fight of equality, and how he was able to get this endorsement.

SYMONE SANDERS, BERNIE SANDERS NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY: Well, you know what, I think, one, we are very happy to have the endorsement of Ben Jealous. He was here with us yesterday for a brief time. He is in South Carolina actually today stumping for us. He is starting off in Barnwell County which I think is important and it's a testament to Senator Sanders' message.

Barnwell County, they recently closed the last hospital, it's a very rural county, largely African-American county. And when we fail to expand Medicaid in these states, when we don't, when there are 29 million Americans that are still uninsured, many of them, you know, poor people, many of them black and brown in this country -- that's something we have to address. So Senator Sanders is on the right side of that issue. He's calling for universal health care. And Ben Jealous noted that is one of the things that drew him to Senator Sanders. He has a very long history in advocating for the civil rights, standing up to the billionaire class, addressing economic inequality.

Again -- his stance on universal health care, education as a right. These are all things that speak directly to hard working Americans in this country but African-Americans, especially.

[11:30:05] WHITFIELD: So given his history in civil rights, why does he remain the underdog when compared to Hillary Clinton as it pertains to appealing to African-American voters.

S. SANDERS: Well, you know, I think, you know, Senator Sanders name recognition was still relatively low when he burst on to the scene. Secretary Clinton, her last name is very well known. She has high name recognition. Her husband is very well known, very well liked.

We know we still have some work to do where name recognition is concerned. But we have seen that when folks get to know who Senator Sanders is, they get to know what his message is.

They learn about his record. They like him and want to join the political revolution and we believe would like to vote for him.

WHITFIELD: He spent a lot of time at historically black colleges and universities in recent months. We've been talking about last summer when he started making more appearances on HBCU campuses.

But then what do you say to those in the African-American community who will say it's more than that. It's more than appearing at an HBCU or at a church.

But it's what kind of commitment can you demonstrate you have made to this community so as to convince more African-American voters or more brown voters over all, Hispanics, et cetera, that he is there for them? That he knows their polite, their story, and their needs?

S. SANDERS: So Senator Sanders, yes. He's been to HBCUs, black searches. When we were in Charleston a couple of weeks ago, we went to Mother Emanuel, the church where nine people were just shot during a bible study, which know it's more than that.

The senator's message speaks to African-Americans and Latinos in this country. When we talk about raising the minimum wage, 54 percent of African-Americans would stand to get a wage raise under Senator Sander's plan.

So we are really doing the work of taking our message directly to voters of color in this country and really demonstrating how it connects to them. I like to say when the barber shops, beauty shops and bible studies.

Senator Sanders didn't just started advocating for these issues. His entire career, his life is predicated on the work of Dr. King. Dr. King did not just work to eradicate racism in this country. He also worked to address economic inequality. He said the second fight before Dr. King was assassinated, he was marching with the sanitation workers, the union workers in Memphis.

He was marching, talking about economic freedom. Talking about the need that yes, racial inequality, we have to get there. We have to get to economic inequality. That's what Senator Sanders is talking about.

So you know, this isn't new to him. We know we still have work to do, but we are very dedicated to taking our message to these communities of color across the country.

WHITFIELD: Now as it comes down to maintaining and fighting for any undecided voters in New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders, even though he is 30 points ahead, he is still campaigning in this state.

But at the same time, we are seeing kind of a more aggressive fighting Bernie Sanders up against Hillary Clinton this past week on the stages that they have both shared. We've heard from voters who say they may be for him because he is a standout, he doesn't have a super PAC.

Others are also saying we may be for him because he seems like the gentleman. When the gloves are off and he and Hillary Clinton are going at it the way they have in the past week, is there any concern that that might exhibit a different kind of Bernie Sanders?

S. SANDERS: No. I don't think Senator Sanders has not been doing anything differently. He has always --

WHITFIELD: Even when he said for while he didn't want to go negative.

S. SANDERS: He hasn't gone negative. He's never run a negative campaign in his life.

WHITFIELD: That is being a contender.

S. SANDERS: That is being a contender. Campaigns are talking about your position. Letting the voters know where you stand. When Senator Sanders talks about he doesn't take super PAC money. He doesn't take money from Wall Street. That he is standing up to Wall Street. You know, that's him talking about his record.

WHITFIELD: Hillary Clinton said he was distorting her reputation of using money from big banks that that was buying her vote.

S. SANDERS: Secretary Clinton has certain thoughts about what she thinks Senator Sanders is saying. That is not going negative. He's been clear. What Senator Sanders is saying, you cannot effectively take on the establishment, take on Wall Street in this country if you are taking money from their interest.

That is exactly what he is saying. That's what voters in New Hampshire are responding to. You just heard voters say, I'm supporting Senator Sanders because he doesn't take money from a super PAC.

We have heard other people stand up and say that, you know, if Senator Sanders' commitment to fighting for the little guy is why they are supporting him. So that's not going negative.

You know, Senator Sanders is more than willing to have a conversation about the issues. That's what campaigns are about and that is what we are doing. That's what people should be able to do.

[11:35:05]You know, folks in this country, this election, unlike the Republican election is really about the issues. It's about where people stand.

Folks want to know how are you going to put more money in their pockets, keep put food on their tables, and keep their communities safe, and that's what we are talking about.

WHITFIELD: What is your history behind how you became a Sanders surrogate, spokesperson, got onboard?

S. SANDERS: You know, I worked on trade before I joined the campaign. That Senator Sanders, as we know, is a trade champion. He has taken on these disastrous trade deals advocating for hard-working American people and we found our way to one another.

He asked me do I want to join the political revolution and I said yes. I'm happy to be here. The thing Senator Sanders was talking about, those are the conversations I was having with friends.

Yes, his stance on criminal justice, racial justice, economic inequality, his stance on universal health care, education as a right, those are all things I was like, hey, I can get behind that.

WHITFIELD: Nobody else has a spokesperson who shares the same last name.

S. SANDERS: There you go.

WHITFIELD: All right, Symone Sanders, thanks so much. Good to see you.

S. SANDERS: Glad to be here.

WHITFIELD: All right, next, we'll talk about the Republican candidates, Donald Trump, on bashing Jeb Bush on Twitter today and Trump brought Barbara Bush into the melee. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:34]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back to our special weekend coverage in Manchester, New Hampshire, just days away from the primary. Right now, the candidates are really trying to nail down some support. Chris Christie is speaking in Bedford, New Hampshire, right now. Let's listen in. GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- but because they are afraid for their reputations from attacks from gutless front-running politicians who believe that it's more important to score a headline in the morning than to stand with our law enforcement officers in the evening.

I'll tell you this, here's another example of leadership. When Baltimore had controversy, when Baltimore had violence, and their mayor was AWOL, nowhere to be found as the streets were burning.

There was one man who left the state capitol, got in his car and stood with his police officers to let him know mayhem would not reign, but peace and stability would reign. He didn't just talk about it.

He went and stood on the street corners where they were burning buildings and riots, and told the people of Baltimore, the people of Maryland, I am here. I will lead. It will be all right because I know the right path, follow me. That's what governors do.

Senators can't do that. They have no ability to do it. They have no understanding to do it because they are not accountable for anything. When America watched the tragedy going on in Baltimore, they saw the triumph that real leadership can bring.

Maryland should count their lucky stars every day they've got a leader like Larry Hogan who put Baltimore back together. So here's what I'm trying to tell you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Chris Christie right there in Bedford, New Hampshire, about 25 minutes away from Manchester. And Jeb Bush speaking in the same city in Bedford at a town hall. Let's listen in to Jeb Bush.

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- I will run to the challenge. I will make sure that I will never blame my predecessor. I won't read polls. You don't have to worry about a focus group. This is not about politics. This is about leadership.

If you want someone who has a steady hand, who will accept personal responsibility and forge consensus so we can get back on the track of creating high sustained economic growth, where more people have a chance at earned success, I hope you'll vote for me Tuesday because you all have the chance to shape this election.

The final thing I want to tell you is I believe life is precious. That it is divinely inspired, it is a gift from god. This is formed by my faith and my life experience. At 62 years of life, I've just seen it. I see it play out.

I truly believe that if a country can make sure that people reach their full potential, everybody, that nothing will stop the United States because in my heart, I know the American people are what are exceptional extraordinary.

It's not our government. Government needs to be limited. It needs to be much more efficient, but it needs to be limited. WHITFIELD: All right, Jeb Bush there in Bedford echoing the same sentiment he actually told Jamie Gangel in a sit-down interview between Jamie Gangel, Jeb, and his mother, Barbara Bush.

So the candidates making their final push now to win the first primary of 2016 right here in New Hampshire. Let's talk more about the strategies.

CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist, Maria Cardona, both with me here. Hello and all bundled up. Good to see you all.

OK, Brian, you first. Let's talk about the strategy of these candidates. You've got Chris Christie there. You've got Jeb Bush pushing hard, really to help define to the New Hampshire voters who they are.

BRIAN MORGENSTERN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes. The goal here for these guys is obviously personal connections with these voters. They all want to know -- they want to look the candidates in the eye and figure out who they are and what they stand for and their fortitude.

[11:45:02]Of course, you saw Chris Christie talking about how governors are better than senators, a theme that he has been harping on throughout this campaign.

But you know, the senators, Senator Rubio and Senator Cruz have been doing quite well and of course, the nonpolitician all together, the elephant in the room, the Donald has been doing well so far.

It's crunch time now. These voters like to make up their mind at the last second. I've campaigned in New Hampshire before. These people are fiercely independent.

They will not let anyone tell them who to vote for an about 1/3 of them are going to make up their mind the next couple of days.

WHITFIELD: Right. And speaking of which, Donald Trump tweeting out this today. He loves those tweetings. Wow, he says, "Wow, Jeb Bush whose campaign is a total disaster had to bring in mommy to take a slap at me. Not nice." So Maria, we are talking about -- she's kind of America's mom, right? I mean, he went there.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He sure did. Look, I think it's a double-edged sword because there is no question that she is, can be a secret weapon. Everybody loves Barbara Bush. She is like America's grandmother.

Out of the Bush family, she is probably the most beloved, her and Laura Bush I think are the two women that have been focused on what is great about the Bush family and what they have to offer this country.

But on the flip side, and I've seen a lot of people talking about this, it kind of also smells of desperation because why now? You know, before he was kind of trying to run away from the Bush family --

WHITFIELD: Separation on whose part? CARDONA: On Jeb Bush's part. Sorry.

WHITFIELD: Really?

CARDONA: Yes. I've heard this from quite a lot of people. Before he was trying to run away from the Bush name. His mantra doesn't even have Bush in it. It's just "Jeb." It also reminds people that early on when Jeb was thinking about running that it was Barbara Bush herself who said, we don't need another Bush running for president.

It is a double-edged sword. I think at this point, to Brian's point, everyone has got to leave everything on the table. Why not do this? Right? She is beloved. New Hampshire voters are fiercely independent.

So to them, what other people say doesn't matter. They are going to make up their minds on their own, listening to the last messages these candidates are going to be giving to them.

WHITFIELD: So I wonder, Brian, you know, it almost seems even in hindsight maybe Jeb Bush or the whole campaign was thinking, what if we had never used Barbara Bush, might that have been a mistake?

Because he did explain that he's always said Jeb in his campaigning, whether it was in Florida, et cetera, claims he is not running away from the Bush name.

But you think bringing out Barbara Bush, would it have been a mistake not to use the name, the family name and the most notable and likable of Barbara Bush?

MORGENSTERN: It's pulling out all the stops now. But earlier in this campaign, there was the issue of do we need another Bush? Do we need another Clinton? People were saying if we have a Bush versus Clinton race, it's going to be the lowest turnout ever.

Because so many people would be disillusioned by it, especially the mood of the country looking for outsiders to ensure the system isn't rigged. For a new direction on foreign policy to keep us safe.

So having the same old names was strategically, he was sort of keeping them at bay. Now that we are on the final weekend before New Hampshire, and these guys need to get every single voter to the poll.

They'll put him in wheelbarrows, though them over their shoulders, whatever they have to do to get them out to the polls. Everybody loves mom. Bring her out here. Let's do it.

WHITFIELD: The gang's all here. All right, Maria Cardona, thanks so much, Brian Morgenstern. Good to see you both. Thank you.

CARDONA: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up in the next hour, you'll hear CNN's interview with Jeb and Barbara Bush.

Plus I'm talking to Ben Carson's communications strategist about his campaign. We will be right back.

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[11:53:31]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back to Manchester, New Hampshire. The talk this weekend isn't all politics here, it is also about Super Bowl. CNN sports correspondent and former NFL player, Coy Wire is in San Francisco for the big show, joining me now.

All right, so could future hall of fame quarterback, Peyton Manning, be playing his last game tomorrow?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fred. A lot of people are saying this could be Peyton's last game, 18-year career. I have the honor and privilege of playing against Peyton Manning during my NFL years.

Now as fans is certainly still a privilege for all of us to watch one of the NFL's all-time greatest players perform before our eyes.

This is Peyton's fourth Super Bowl. He's already won one of them, won league MVP five times. Ending with one more championship. Couldn't write a more perfect ending to Manning's story unless you're a Panthers star defender, Thomas Davis, who is working on his own story. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS DAVIS, PANTHERS LINEBACKER: This is a story line created by the media. We don't get caught up in that. Of course, everybody wants to see him go out and perform at a high level, you know, ride off into the sunset, but that's not what we're trying to do. We're going out to compete and trying to win this football game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Thomas is right, it is the media that often dictate the story lines. Well, about the Thomas Davis' story, emotional leader of the Panthers, dynamic defense, this guy has overcome so much to reach the Super Bowl.

[11:55:00]He's had three ACL knee ligament injuries in his career. Now less than two weeks ago at the NFC championship game broke his right forearm, had a plate, a dozen screws placed in the arm, but Fred, he is going to start in the Super Bowl tomorrow.

He will be wearing a brace. He hopes to lead the panthers to their first Super Bowl title ever. I know Thomas, talked to him a couple days ago. What an awesome man, last year's Walter Peyton man of the year award winner as well.

WHITFIELD: My gosh, a story like that, now that really does change the game. I am sure it will change the opinion or sway the opinion of many folks who thought they were leaning one way. Right? For Peyton Manning and his team. I don't know. Now it is going to be like this on Super Bowl Sunday. All right, Coy Wire, thanks so much. Good to see you.

WIRE: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: All right, we have much more special coverage of the New Hampshire primary just ahead in the NEWSROOM. We are back live in Manchester after this.

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