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Presidential Candidates on the 11th Hour Sprint in New Hampshire; Hillary Clinton Travels to Flint Before New Hampshire Primary; Jeb and Barbara Bush Ger Candid About the Campaign; Aired 1- 2p ET

Aired February 06, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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


[13:00:00] BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: See them side by side, see what jokes they can make from that, right?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. And usually, aren't cameos like this kind of, you know, kept in secret?

STELTER: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Why let the cat out of the bag here?

STELTER: Yes. This one, you know, in this case, as Sanders campaign has said publicly, we're going to be live from New York. So they're sort of letting that secret out ahead of time. But I think that's for two reasons. One, it's kind of hard to keep it a secret when he is not in New Hampshire on the eve of the primary, couple of days before the primary, and then two, it's a way to drive viewer tune in and get people more excited for the "SNL" broadcast.

I have a feeling NBC is secretly happy that the Sanders campaign is teasing it already.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And of course this -- of course it's going to be great for "SNL" and it's got to be good for Bernie Sanders especially since he appeal to so many young voters. Why not bring a few more on board.

STELTER: Yes. And also maybe not so young viewers as well. You know, "SNL" does have a core audience of youthful 20 something and 30 something fans, but Bernie Sanders may need to appeal to some older viewers as well, and "SNL" could be a way to do that.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

STELTER: To try to steal some more votes from Hillary Clinton. It's interesting to think beyond New Hampshire.

WHITFIELD: All right.

STELTER: As he tries to appeal to states all across the country.

WHITFIELD: Good point. All right, thank you so much, Brian Stelter, good to see you.

STELTER: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: Next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM begins right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The longest week in American politics is only halfway over. The week between the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary is like dog years.

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we need someone who can lead our country back to solving problems instead of pushing people down to make yourself look better.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You're ready to make a political revolution?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It's the final push to the New Hampshire primary.

Hello, everyone, Fredricka Whitfield with CNN's special coverage live from Manchester, New Hampshire.

In just three days -- count them, three days -- New Hampshire voters cast their ballots in the first primary of the 2016 presidential race. And today the candidates are fanned out across New Hampshire rallying their supporters, counting down until Tuesday's critical vote.

This hour, Hillary Clinton will hold a rally in Concorde, New Hampshire. Live pictures of that event, we'll take a listen when she does indeed takes the stage. You can see it is filling up there. It's one of three events today planned today for her.

Let's get to CNN's Athena Jones, she's joining me right now on the phone from Henniker, New Hampshire, where Clinton will host a town hall at New England College with students a bit later on today.

So New Hampshire was very kind to Hillary Clinton in 2008. Is she and her camp expecting the same kind of results?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Well, that is a big gap to close. We've seen in our latest CNN-WMUR tracking poll that Sanders has a 30-point lead over Clinton, so the Clinton campaign has been downplaying her chances quite a bit over the last several days, and yet she is out in force holding multiple events. They don't want to give up on New Hampshire. They're hoping to certainly at least close this gap. And we know that she did some door knocking in Manchester just before heading to this event in Concorde.

And as you said, we've seen this before. She was counted out in many ways by many people back in 2008, came back to win here even after that stunning loss in Iowa to senator -- then Senator Barack Obama and to John Edwards. She was able to pull out a victory here. But they're saying, look, we may not win here, but they're looking to close the gap. She's also of course trying to appeal to the young voters who are

overwhelmingly supporting Senator Sanders. She's been speaking directly to them, certainly at a speech last night, she said directly to the people who are supporting Sanders, she said I hope that you can persuade you to give me a look. But I want you to know that I'm glad that you're involved in this process, that you're bringing energy and ideas and urgency to the shared causes of the Democratic Party.

We expect her to make that case again here at New England College when she has a town hall with students later today to say -- you know, to praise young people for being involved in the political process, and make the argument that while good ideas on paper are important, you've got to be able to translate them into action. And so yes, it's good to have the vision and the idealism to Sanders' offer but that she can bring the pragmatic politics up to the table to make a real change in young people's lives. So that's part of the case she'll be making here later today -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Athena Jones, in Henniker, New Hampshire.

All right. Right now New Hampshire is the focus. But both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are already looking ahead to South Carolina where the electorate is much more diverse. The stakes are high.

Let's talk about this with CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and Bill Press, he is the host of the "Bill Press Show." He is also the author of "Buyer's Remorse: How Obama Let Progressives Down."

[13:05:07] Maria, let me begin with you, and good to see both of your, by the way.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you. You too, Fred.

BILL PRESS, HOST, THE BILL PRESS SHOW: Thanks Hi. Hi.

WHITFIELD: So Sanders just received -- thank you. Sanders just received a potentially powerful endorsement from former NAACP president, Ben Jealous. He has also received endorsements from other power players like Dr. Cornell West.

Do voters pay attention to those endorsements? Will that help make a difference for Bernie Sanders' standing, particularly among African- American voters? Is there a way of knowing that, Maria?

CARDONA: Well, I think certainly time will tell, Fred. Look, I think that is terrific news for Senator Sanders, good for him. Cornell West and Ben Jealous are terrific leaders, very well respected in the African-American community, and this is exactly what Senator Sanders needed. I think the question is, is it enough and is it enough in terms of timing? I think one of the -- one of the big things that has been underscored in terms of Senator Sanders is that he doesn't have a long history of working for and long commitment of working with the African-American community and the Latino community and other multi- cultural communities of color around the country. Obviously he represents a state that is 95 percent white, and so I

think people understand why that's the case, but so now it turns to whether there's enough time for Senator Sanders to show that he does have that commitment, that he is willing to work with these communities when you have Secretary Clinton who has been working with African-American and Latino communities for four decades. And so I think that's a big difference that is going to be drawn in the next couple of weeks.

WHITFIELD: You know, and I spoke with Bernie Sanders' spokesperson Simone Sanders earlier today, and she countered that saying Bernie Sanders has a history in the civil rights movement, he has been active. But the difference between he and a Hillary Clinton is she has the name, the more well-known name, and that may serve her well as it pertains to her involvement with the black and Hispanic community.

So, Maria, is that response enough in your view?

CARDONA: Well --

WHITFIELD: Sander, that perhaps people don't know about the breadth of his work and his commitment like they do Hillary Clinton?

CARDONA: Well, I think -- I think they don't know but I also don't think he has the depth and the breadth of commitment that Hillary Clinton has shown, and what I would counter is, there's much more than the name that resonates with African-American and Latino communities. Hillary Clinton in 1972 was down in the Texas Valley registering Latino voters, back way before it was cool to be registering Latino vote, and she was down in Alabama three decades ago working for desegregation of the public schools there.

So it's much more than the name. It's actually action, it's legislation, it's the commitment that she had shown. She has rolled up her sleeves and shown that she has worked with these communities for decades, and so I think that is the big difference.

PRESS: Yes. Can I get --

WHITFIELD: And Bill, what about the voters -- go ahead, Bill, respond to that. Yes.

PRESS: No, I'd just like to get a word in here if I can. Look, Maria is absolutely right. I mean, Bernie Sanders does not match the experience and the years of work that both Clintons have had in the minority community, there's no doubt about it, and nobody should pretend otherwise.

At the same time, I think Bernie does have a record that we were not aware of. Like when he talked about his work with CORE way back when on segregated housing when he was a student, he talked about that at the town hall. People are just getting to know that Bernie Sanders. But he talked about his marching with Martin Luther King Jr., people are getting to know that Bernie Sanders.

But in addition to what Maria said, I will add two points. One is, he's talking about -- he's grown a long way, I think. He's talking about issues now in the debate and the town hall this week he talked about police community relations, he talked about diversity on police forces, demilitarizing police forces, those are good issues for the minority community particularly and I'll tell you, a big win in New Hampshire will propel him and do a lot of good for him in all the states to come.

WHITFIELD: And then, Bill, what about this, you know, kind of, quote- unquote, "ownership" over the word progressive. Bernie Sanders has been using that for a very long time, saying he is that. Hillary Clinton just in the past week saying, you know, when I look at the word progressive, I'm talking about progress, and that's what I'm going to bring.

Is that going to be what resonates with voters? Does it even matter, Bill?

PRESS: I don't think that's going to be the deciding issue. I just have to say as a side bar as a progressive and a lifelong liberal, trying to get the Democratic Party to move further to the left, I rejoice -- I rejoice in the fact right now that the two leading Democrats are arguing about which one is farther to the left.

But look, you know, they're both progressives, I would say.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

PRESS: And Bernie has to explain his vote against the Brady Bill, Hillary has to explain her support of the death penalty or her opposition to restoring Glass-Steagall.

[13:10:10] There are other issues. I think it's hard to say that Hillary is to the left of Bernie, but I would say they're both progressives and I am glad they are.

CARDONA: But, Fred, if I could add here.

WHITFIELD: All right, Bill.

CARDONA: And I think Bill will agree with me.

WHITFIELD: Real quick because we're almost out of time.

CARDONA: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

CARDONA: This is terrific, this is so great for the Democratic Party.

PRESS: Yes, absolutely.

CARDONA: It's so great for the American people. Let's compare that to what's going to go on tonight which is going to be the circus of the Republican Party.

PRESS: Exactly. WHITFIELD: And we're hours away from that. We will soon find out,

won't we?

CARDONA: That's right.

WHITFIELD: All right. Bill Press, Maria Cardona.

CARDONA: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much to you both. Appreciate it.

PRESS: All right. Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. You will hear from Hillary Clinton later on this hour. But if you missed it, watch "STATE OF THE UNION" tomorrow, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time right here on CNN. Jake Tapper is talking with Clinton and Bernie Sanders, plus he'll sit down with Donald Trump, John Kasich, and Chris Christie. A whole host of folks.

"STATE OF THE UNION" tomorrow morning, 9:00 a.m. Don't miss it.

All right. Coming up, here live from Manchester, New Hampshire. Tomorrow Clinton is headed to Flint, Michigan, to address the water crisis there.

Next, the potential impact of that decision to leave New Hampshire just two days before the primary. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:15:53] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The country's problems have grown in size and in severity over the past decade. And this is a different election because really the clock has run out on solving these problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. While he is Republican and says he has made a decision, he is not revealing who he is going for, he says it's down to two candidates, and we know that seven Republicans are taking to the stage tonight for a potentially fiery debate.

We're here in Manchester, New Hampshire. Welcome back. I am Fredricka Whitfield.

Democrat Hillary Clinton is making her last-minute push for New Hampshire voters right now. Let's take a look at live pictures. Clinton is about to hold the first of three scheduled events in New Hampshire at this hour but she will not be campaigning in the Granite State tomorrow. Why? She is instead headed to Flint, Michigan, to highlight that city's contaminated water crisis.

A congressional delegation is about to hold a news conference on the situation there in Michigan. So let's talk about Clinton's decision to leave New Hampshire so close

to the primary on Tuesday. Let's talk about that with CNN senior political reporter Nia Malika-Henderson, who's on the phone with us.

Nia, you spent a lot of time here in New Hampshire covering Clinton. And now you're off to another place where you'll also be covering Clinton, at least from New York. So help us understand the psychology here that the camp is really embracing. Why it's important for Hillary Clinton to be in Flint, Michigan, which is dealing with this horrible poisoned water crisis while on the campaign trail, you know, highlighting national issues, but at the same time letting New Hampshire voters know that she is still very much in this race.

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (via phone): Hillary Clinton was really the first presidential candidate to draw attention to this way back in January, January 11th, she talked about this. She has been pushing for federal intervention, pushing the governor there to accept some federal intervention. The mayor there, Karen Weaver, has endorsed her, and she actually dispatched aides to Hillary Clinton campaign there to collect information on what was going on there.

She also more recently pushed forward debates that happened in Flint, Michigan. So she's been weaving this into her speeches, even in that last debate, she talked about it there. This is something that she feels like she's in the spotlight now and she can shine a light on this terrible problem in this town, about 100,000 people that is dealing with essentially water poisoning.

And also I think gives a glimpse of what kind of president she would be, that's what her aides are saying. She has been very involved in this, you know, getting briefings on it, and talking to folks about it. And she feels like this is what she could do as president, and in some ways they compare it to what Bernie Sanders has done. Now Bernie Sanders of course has pushed for the resignation of Governor Snyder, and he did that more recently.

But again, I think, this -- her campaign says she wants to tackle big problems and use this time to shine a light on this problem. So she'll be there. And also I think, Fred, tells you what the campaign is thinking. They're 30 points behind in this latest poll in New Hampshire. They think the map looks much better for them going forward in states like South Carolina, in big states like Michigan as well, because as you said, those are bigger states and they're more diverse states.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nia Malika-Henderson, thanks so much for being with us on the phone from New York, even though you've been criss- crossing the state with Hillary Clinton and momentarily when Hillary Clinton there arrives in Concorde just about 20 minutes from where we are here in Manchester, we'll take you there.

All right. Coming up, we'll turn to focus on the Republican race. We'll hear from Jeb Bush and his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Is he your favorite son?

BARBARA BUSH, FORMER FIRST LADY: Today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:19:48]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Manchester, New Hampshire.

It's do or die for some of the Republican presidential candidates, right here in New Hampshire could either build or break them. One candidate fighting for momentum in this state, in the Granite State, is Jeb Bush. Here's what he had to say about the economy earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J. BUSH: They came in difficult times economically. For those that remember, we had double-digit unemployment, double-digit inflation. Interest rates at 18.5 percent. We have a malaise where people thought their future wasn't as bright as it could be.

I'm inspired by Ronald Reagan's leadership because Ronald Reagan didn't tear down people, he didn't disparage people. He had a hopeful, optimistic, conservative message, and he had proven leadership skills. He was a successful governor for eight years before he became president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. That was Jeb pitching himself as a Reagan man. The presidential race has been a challenging one for him because he hasn't been at the front of the pack, which is why lately he is leaning heavily on someone very close and very politically savvy.

[13:25:10] She is a senior member in what some have called the Bush family business. She, of course, is former first lady Barbara Bush. Today she and her son Jeb spoke at length with CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GANGEL: Your secret weapon has come to New Hampshire because?

J. BUSH: Because she loves me. I'm her favorite son temporarily. She's incredibly popular, the connection between mom and dad and the people here in the Granite State is phenomenal. I mean, anybody that has lived through all of these campaigns can remember having dinner, having a picture, having a handwritten thank you note, going to Kennebunkport. There's just a connection that's phenomenal. And I learned it by coming here and doing 90 separate events on 25 trips. And it's just -- she's incredible popular as you might expect.

GANGEL: Right. She's your not-so-secret secret weapon.

J. BUSH: Yes. Exactly.

GANGEL: You're his mother, you are prejudiced obviously, but tell us why you think Jeb would be a great president?

B. BUSH: He has the best record. He's wise, he's decent. He knows American values. He knows the values of people in New Hampshire. I mean, they care about their country. I love my country. I adore my child. Every mother in New Hampshire knows why I'm here, period. They know.

GANGEL: Is he your favorite son?

B. BUSH: Today.

(LAUGHTER)

J. BUSH: It always gets a laugh when I say that so I keep saying it until no one stops. Just no one -- the day that you're up here and no one laughs any more, I'll stop saying it.

GANGEL: You got quite a crowd and also you got pretty emotional.

J. BUSH: Yes.

GANGEL: Because?

J. BUSH: Because, look, my mom doesn't have to be doing this. She's got her stroller with her Jeb sticker on.

GANGEL: Right.

J. BUSH: She's 90 years old. It's pretty -- it's a pretty big ask to have someone to fly from Houston, Texas, to come up here in the snow, campaigning in front of people, to relive all those things that she used to do, you know, quite naturally. It was a big sacrifice. And every time I see my mom I think about my dad.

B. BUSH: It was no sacrifice, trust me. A great treat.

GANGEL: It is no secret this has been a rough race for him.

B. BUSH: For everybody.

GANGEL: For everybody. Why do you think it's been so rough for Jeb?

B. BUSH: I don't think it's been rougher for Jeb than anyone else. I think honestly the press does not ever mention Jeb. And I think they don't. I mean, he's a nonperson and they should mention him because he's the best qualified, he has the best record. He was a great governor. I think they should mention him.

GANGEL: I heard you say that you think he's too polite. B. BUSH: I do think he's too polite. He ought to interrupt. The

others interrupt all the time. And he ought to butt in. But that's because he's too nice.

J. BUSH: You know, there's no such thing as being too nice. Nice -- being nice doesn't mean you're not strong, that you don't have fortitude. I got to be governor of the largest swing state in the country, I made really tough decisions, but you don't have to disparage people, that's not a sign of strength. And in the reality TV world we're living in, you know, insulting people is measured by strength, but that's just ridiculous.

We're electing a president. Presidents need to have a steady hand and they need to be strong on behalf of people that are struggling. So I don't think I'm getting a bad shake here with the press. I don't think -- you know, I'm focused on earning it. And the expectations are high on me because of family and I have higher expectations than anybody else on myself. So I don't feel bad at all. In fact, you know, what's weird about this, this is supposed to be a rough and tumble election. This is pretty tamed compared to previous elections, at least, I mean --

GANGEL: Really?

J. BUSH: Yes. I mean, it's crazy. You've got people saying crazy stuff. But in terms of give and take, there's nothing different about this than previous elections. Ask Mitt Romney what it was like to get hit by the Obama team or the rowdy, ruckus debates of the primary. Ask my brother, ask my -- you know, my dad. This is nothing different.

GANGEL: But none of them had Donald Trump.

J. BUSH: That's true.

(LAUGHTER)

GANGEL: Out there.

J. BUSH: No, that's different. That's different.

GANGEL: Have you ever seen a race like this?

B. BUSH: No, but as Jeb says, every race is different, but it is slightly shocking to me.

GANGEL: Because?

B. BUSH: Because he doesn't give many answers to how he would solve problems.

[13:30:02] He sort of makes faces and says insulting things. I mean, he said terrible things about women, terrible things about military. I don't understand why people are for him for that reason. I'm a woman, I'm not crazy about what he says about women.

GANGEL: He's called Jeb low energy, he's called him dumb as a rock. Between us, what do you really think of Donald Trump?

J. BUSH: Be careful, mom.

B. BUSH: He's not -- he's not dumb as a rock nor is he what the other thing he called you.

GANGEL: Low energy.

B. BUSH: Low -- that is just not true at all. He's got lots of energy. He's been up here how many times?

J. BUSH: I spent -- this is my second home. Look, measuring strength by how loud you are or how you push people down to make yourself look good is a sign of deep insecurity, it's not a sign of strength.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Next, you'll hear what Barbara Bush thinks of Donald Trump in greater detail. Plus Donald Trump reacts to Jeb Bush's interview and the comments from Barbara Bush on that. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:35:19] WHITFIELD: All right. We're back with the second part of the exclusive interview with Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush and his mother, former first lady, Barbara Bush. They talk strategy, moving forward, and Jeb's opponent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GANGEL: Mrs. Bush, what do you think of Donald Trump? You are known for being blunt and plain spoken.

B. BUSH: I don't think about him at all.

GANGEL: Really?

B. BUSH: I think about Jeb and the qualified candidate.

GANGEL: Is it true your husband sometimes throws things? A shoe?

J. BUSH: No. That's the silliest thing. He can't even throw any more. He's got Parkinson's. If he threw it, he wouldn't aim it anyway. But he's wonderful, my husband. And he's very much for Jeb and very proud of him.

GANGEL: Jeb, you have talked about -- a minute ago you said that there's a lot of pressure on you living up to your family. You have struggled with how you balance being your own man.

J. BUSH: Yes.

GANGEL: And your family. Now your mom is up here campaigning for you, your brother is just cut an ad for you. Have you changed strategy? J. BUSH: No. No. And I didn't say I'm struggling with being a Bush,

I am 62 years old for crying out loud. I stopped getting therapy about this a long time ago. You know, I did it when I was in my mid- 20s. I am a goal driven guy, got out of college in two years, already had a family. I decided I wanted to be half the man my dad was. And my adult life has worked out pretty good if I can get to half as good as he is in terms of being a husband, a father, a person that cares about people.

So I don't have any struggles about being a Bush. It's not a conflict at all. The fact that my brother is supporting me, my mom is up here campaigning, the way I think of it, it'd be kind of weird if they weren't. What would that say?

GANGEL: Donald Trump is still leading in the polls. And Wolf Blitzer recently asked your supporter, Senator Lindsey Graham, if he would support the Republican nominee, even if Trump wins and Lindsey Graham said, yes. I'm buying a ticket on the Titanic.

(LAUGHTER)

GANGEL: You -- vintage Lindsey Graham. You repeatedly said Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee.

J. BUSH: Yes.

GANGEL: But he is still leading in the polls.

J. BUSH: Sure.

GANGEL: If he is the nominee, are you buying a ticket on the Titanic, too?

J. BUSH: I don't -- I can't spin a line like Lindsey. I will support the Republican nominee no matter who he or she is, period. I have done it my entire adult life, I've signed a pledge to do it, I'll do it. I want to win, though. I want the Republican Party's candidate to win. I want a conservative to serve in the White House. I believe I'm best qualified. That's why I am fighting for this.

GANGEL: You have a new ad coming out that contrasts you and Marco Rubio.

J. BUSH: Yes.

GANGEL: Right now, he is leading in the polls, going into New Hampshire. Is it hurting the establishment lane if you are attacking him?

J. BUSH: He's attacking me, so does that count or is this just only a one way street? Is this the child of privilege that has a free pass when everybody else has to fight for it? This is a bean bag. You know. This is politics. Every campaign will be -- every candidate will be contrasted and compared. Their records need to be shown. He has no record of accomplishment. He's a gifted politician. He got elected at the age of 26. He is very charismatic and he is a wonderful person, but he doesn't have a record.

GANGEL: Chris Christie has been going as we say full New Jersey. He has taken the gloves off attacking Marco Rubio and there was a report that your campaign and his campaign behind the scenes are coordinating.

J. BUSH: No, no.

GANGEL: Absolutely not?

J. BUSH: No, I have gotten -- I have gotten the full New Jersey from Christie during this campaign and it's good not to be his target because he's pretty good at that stuff.

Look, John Kasich, Chris Christie and I share a common feature. We had to make tough decisions. They do it today as governor, I did it for eight years. My record of accomplishment is out there for the world to see. And other candidates, they may have the virtues of being a great speaker, and I'm sure they'll brag about that, but my record is a record of accomplishment. I don't need to have it coordinated with anybody.

[13:40:11] GANGEL: There is a theory out there that it's personal between you and Marco Rubio.

J. BUSH: Not at all.

GANGEL: That if you're not going to win, you're going to make sure he doesn't win.

J. BUSH: No, no. I will support the Republican nominee, as I always have. I have always worked hard to elect the most conservative person to be president of the United States because I think that that philosophy is the one that can lift people out of poverty, can create income for the middle class, can keep us safe. There's nothing personal about this at all.

GANGEL: Mrs. Bush, going into New Hampshire, what would you like people to know about your son?

B. BUSH: I'd like them to know he's wise and decent and he has values that we want our children to have, that he wants to serve. I think that's very important. I'd like to remind you, George Bush came out of Iowa with big mo, and then there was no mo after that. So remember, the campaign has just started, and I want them to know that Jeb is the finest man almost I know. He's very much the same values of service that his father has, and his brothers and his sister, and maybe his old lady.

J. BUSH: That's you?

B. BUSH: Yes.

J. BUSH: You're not my old lady.

GANGEL: You dodged me on Donald Trump. Do you want to -- B. BUSH: No.

GANGEL: Do you want to go full New Jersey on Donald Trump?

B. BUSH: No. No. I do not. I don't even think about him. I am sick of him. That's very strong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Strong words from a strong woman. The Bushes giving their thoughts on Donald Trump. And now, well, Donald Trump, he can't hold back, he's responding, too, on social media, tweeting this, quote, "Wow. Jeb Bush whose campaign is a total disaster had to bring in his mommy to take a slap at me. Not nice."

All right. Let's talk about all of this and some more with CNN political analyst and editor-in chief at the "Daily Beast," John Avlon, and CNN political commentator, Republican consultant, and Sirius XM Radio host Margaret Hoover.

All right. Good to see all of you. John, you should be here. We have a chair poised right next to your wife here. And we can have this conversation.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I should be next to my wife.

WHITFIELD: In person. Yes. And of course if you were to come, you've got to have the fancy footwear.

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: OK.

WHITFIELD: We're dressed for the weather, waist down.

HOOVER: We're here in New Hampshire. Here we are. Here we are.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Here we are with your Uggs and my North Face.

All right. So let's talk about what's happening here. So, Margaret, you first. Too little too late to -- you know, for Jeb Bush to be bringing in, you know, the big guns in terms of, you know, his mom, Barbara Bush?

HOOVER: You know, he's clearly pulling out all the last tools in his tool kit, but it's unclear that the -- you know, the biggest vulnerability Jeb has is actually his name. I mean, he's -- nobody doubts his credibility, nobody doubts that he's wise and savvy and capable of sitting in the Oval Office as Barbara Bush said. The problem is that he's the third Bush. And you know, in the 2000s, the Republican Party lost thousands and thousands of registrants to the independent line in New Hampshire. Now they're 44 percent of the primary voters in New Hampshire. Independents, not Republicans.

The Republican Party has never recovered from its really bad run in New Hampshire in the Bush years. Bush never won in New Hampshire. And what Jeb Bush has done is bring in a lot of surrogates from outside to New Hampshire, whereas some of the other governors who are competing for the same slice of primary electorate have brought -- gotten local New Hampshire endorsement.

John Kasich has gotten basically every paper in the state aside from union leader to endorse him.

WHITFIELD: And you said that it's making a huge difference potentially.

HOOVER: He's done an incredible ground game. He is more poised to break out of the three governors than any of the others.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then real quick, while we're looking at Barbara Bush, you know, joining her son on the campaign trail, let's also go live now because you see Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail really to clinch those last minute-voters here in New Hampshire. You see she's got, you know, New Jersey's Cory Booker with her, and she's got the former secretary of state Madeleine Albright also accompanying her there.

So I wonder, John, how much of a difference might this make for the New Hampshire voter who really is thinking in terms of locally what are you going to do for me as national leader, what can you do for me -- how impactful is it that she would bring in these heavy hitters?

AVLON: Well, I think she's trying to make a case. She has been rallying surrogates to her side. Senior female senators in the Democratic Party, and now Booker and Madeleine Albright. You know, John Sununu used to say that Iowa picks porn and New Hampshire picks presidents. And clearly that's the case that Hillary Clinton is trying to make with surrogates here. And Clinton-Booker has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, you know, let's talk about tonight.

[13:45:01] You've got seven candidates who are going to be on stage, Margaret. And they are trying to, you know, come out in front. It's going to go beyond the tweets, we would hope. You know, Donald Trump tweeting today about, you know, Jeb Bush's mother. And when I talked to Chris Christie, New Jersey governor, earlier today, he said, you know, this is choosing time, so it is time to distinguish yourself. How do these candidates distinguish themselves if they haven't done so already?

HOOVER: Well, you know, as of now, more than 40 percent of the electorate, primary electorate, haven't made up their mind in New Hampshire. So it's a matter of who has their moments in the debate and who's able to capture the news cycle. It's more than just Twitter, it's more than just a sound bite, who really distinguish themselves. But to an electorate that's primarily independent. This is the live free or die state. And you don't know where those 44 percent of independents are going to go.

WHITFIELD: Right. HOOVER: If it largely looks like Bernie Sanders is running away with

it, well, then maybe those independents break on the Republican ticket. If they break on the Republican ticket, somebody who has an independent record like a John Kasich could be poised to break out. But truth be told, for all the time that Chris Christie has spent here, he has gotten less traction. For all the time that Jeb Bush has spent, which is considerably less, he has also gotten less traction. This is not a state that is poised to really break out for Ted Cruz. So --

AVLON: Yes, but --

HOOVER: Because of the DNA of the state you've got --

WHITFIELD: Go ahead, John.

HOOVER: But Rubio or a Kasich I think are more poised than anyone else along with Trump.

WHITFIELD: Interesting, John?

AVLON: Well, it's -- first of all it's about, you know, time on task. You know, as Margaret said, Kasich and Christie has spent an enormous amount of time here. And the most credible conservative criticism of President Obama was that he had no executive experience before going in. So the fact that the top tier Republican candidates now have no executive experience in government is significant. So this is really a time for choosing, I agree, whether it's Christie, Kasich, Bush. The governors need to break through.

And that libertarian tradition in the state, those folks are not politically homeless with Rand Paul dropping out. And don't forget, a corollary with the number of independents in the state, what Margaret just said, is that New Hampshire is the least religious state in the country. So the formula that Ted Cruz used to romp to victory in the caucus is not going to work in New Hampshire. There needs to be a strong candidate for the center right and if one doesn't emerge, the Republican Party is in deep, deep trouble come the fall.

WHITFIELD: All right. And we know, New Hampshire is a couple of days away. We still have the primary on Tuesday here in New Hampshire. But candidates are really thinking beyond that. So not just South Carolina, not just Nevada. But now we're talking about viability.

How well they do or how poorly a candidate does here in New Hampshire might determine who might drop out? What's your prediction?

HOOVER: Look, I mean, if Chris Christie doesn't get any juice here, there's a hard reason to see, there's a hard rationale for him to stay in the race. Ditto Jeb Bush, frankly. A lot of these -- a lot of these, sort of Carly Fiorina. You know, how do they stay in the race if they don't get any traction coming out of New Hampshire? I mean, that's the real question.

WHITFIELD: All right. And quickly, John, do you have a -- you have a thought on who might be out? AVLON: Well, look, the governors -- I mean, you know, there can only

be one or two who are going to survive this. But again, Jeb and Christie and Kasich are three impressive candidates who won in quintessential swing states, reelections by large margins. They should, if the Republican Party was at its senses be at the top of the ticket, but one of them needs to break out, the other two are going to be in real trouble.

WHITFIELD: All right. We're going to leave it right there. John Avlon, Margaret Hoover, good to see both of you. Thanks so much.

HOOVER: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: Good to see Margaret in person. John, I'm laying it on thick, could have been you.

HOOVER: Where are you?

WHITFIELD: OK. Next time.

All right. If you want to see more of what the presidential candidates have to say, watch CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" tomorrow. You don't want to miss it, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Jake Tapper is hosting a commercial free -- yes, I said it, commercial free -- show with five candidates. You'll hear from Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, John Kasich, and Chris Christie, all of them right here in New Hampshire.

"STATE OF THE UNION" airing Sunday, 9:00 a.m. We'll be right back from Manchester.

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[13:53:10] WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back to CNN and our special coverage from Manchester, New Hampshire. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Good to see you. Thanks so much for being with us. Beautiful landscape views of New Hampshire, no matter which direction you turn.

So before we get to Tuesday's primary, there is one -- one big game going on, on the sports calendar. What would that be? Oh, the Super Bowl. Super Bowl 50. Whatever happens between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos, we could be saying, farewell to a legend. This could be the last-ever game for quarterback Peyton Manning.

Our crew is on the ground in San Francisco taking in all of the pregame action.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right. What a show we have for you coming up. Chris Cuomo, the one and only Dan Marino here with me in Super Bowl city, San Francisco. Talking Super Bowl 50, all the ins and outs of the game, and what a special treat.

You sitting down with Joe Montana. DAN MARINO: Yes. This week I sat down with Joe and had an

opportunity to talk a little bit about football, a little bit about Peyton Manning and a lot about our of wives.

(LAUGHTER)

MARINO: It's a lot of fun, though, isn't it?

JOE MONTANA, 4-TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMPION QUARTERBACK: Yes, it's fun.

MARINO: Did you go to the --

MONTANA: Yes, once, for the 2012 and then I've been just going to the releases. If you get a chance when they blend, it's so much fun because you get test tubes, and you just mix a bunch of different blends, so you --

MARINO: So you go to the releases, and you get to drink the wine and see how happy everybody is. All right. There you go. OK. Thank you.

MONTANA: You bet. Thank you.

MARINO: Always wanted your autograph.

MONTANA: Yes.

CUOMO: What amazing perspective that you guys have about how to live your life during the game. How to get out of the game. And what to do afterwards. Peyton Manning now really standing on the precipice. Right? How much thought did you give to, when is it time to go?

[13:55:01] And what do you think it is for Peyton Manning to be doing that with a Super Bowl appearance on the line?

MARINO: I don't think personally, I know how Peyton is and what he's thinking. You know, he's not thinking about, you know, Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, he's thinking about Sunday afternoon, 6:00, 6:30, whenever the game starts, you know, what he's going to do to be able to win that game, and after he wins that game, or if he loses that game, then he'll look about, you know, should I keep playing, shouldn't I keep playing. That's how focused he is. That's why he is the great player that he is.

CUOMO: So you deal with it when it's time. First the game.

MARINO: Right now it's all about the game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All about the game. All right. Watch "Kickoff by the Bay," a CNN "Bleacher Report" special, next hour on CNN.

And stay with us. CNN NEWSROOM continues right after a quick break.

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