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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Next Stops: South Carolina, Nevada; Cruz Campaign Laser-Focused After 3rd Place N.H. Finish; Rubio Disappointed With 5th Place N.H. Finish; Rubio Vows To Do Better; Kasich Positive Campaign Gets Voter Approval; "Feeling The Bern" After N.H.?; What It Takes To Win South Carolina; Sanders Takes Victory Lap, Rakes In Donations; Sanders, Clinton Camps Trade Jabs On Race; Voting On Terror Fears; Intel Officials: ISIS Will Try To Attack U.S. This Year. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired February 10, 2016 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:00:12] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: 9:00 p.m. here in Washington. A whole new world out on the campaign trail. Next stop South Carolina and Nevada.
Hillary Clinton who once the favorite to win all now scrambling to regroup after New Hampshire defeats a lopsided. She even lost the women's vote. As Republicans, they're all now chasing Donald Trump, all but two, Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie dropping out today.
Marco Rubio, he's struggling, Ted Cruz he and Trump are trading attack ad. John Kasich last night's runner up, he is touting his kinder gentler campaign, but also pumps in of a attack, they'll get tough. So now a race like none we've ever seen before, frankly it's about to get more interesting.
I want to start tonight, with Jim Acosta at the Trump rally in Pendleton, South Carolina. Jim?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, that's right and, you know, when it's a figure of speech in politics. A candidate taking a victory lap on stage, but that's literally what happened behind me tonight.
Donald Trump literally took a victory lap on this stage here in South Carolina, savoring that landslide win he had in the New Hampshire primary. There was a point during the speech where he tipped his hat to Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie who dropped out of the race today.
And even though Trump has been attacked by his Republican rivals all day long, even Marco Rubio got into it. He's been sort of taking a kid glove approach with Donald Trump. Donald Trump did not really talk about his GOP opponents at this event here in South Carolina, save a couple of lines for Jeb Bush, but Donald Trump always goes after Jeb Bush.
He did spent some time sounding like a general election candidate. He was predicting confidently that he could win states like New York and Detroit -- excuse Michigan in a general election campaign and he went after Hillary Clinton as somebody who could not beat Bernie Sanders at one point Trump called Sanders a quote, "Wacky socialist guy." So Donald Trump was certainly sounding confident tonight, Anderson.
COOPER: And how confident is he in his ground game? He talked about the other night about how after Iowa he learned a lot about ground games in Iowa and, obviously, it benefited him in New Hampshire. How confident are they in South Carolina?
ACOSTA: They're very confident here in South Carolina, Anderson. You recall, remember last Friday when Donald Trump was snowed in New York and he couldn't travel up to New Hampshire and everybody was saying that this was a massive blunder for Donald Trump.
Well he came down to South Carolina that day, continuing with the strategy where he leapfrogs ahead to the next state down the calendar and builds up a ground operation, builds up excitement through one of these arena rallies like here tonight. That builds up the ground operation. I was talking to Corey Lewandowski, the Trump campaign manager during this event here. He believes Trump has a major advantage over the rest of the field. He says this campaign has staff and volunteers in 20 states right now. They're doing it by jumping ahead to states like Florida and Louisiana which is what Trump is going to do over the next couple of days.
So they feel the table is set very well for Super Tuesday which is less than three weeks away. It is getting close to becoming a narrowed field of candidates in this campaign, Anderson.
COOPER: Yeah, Jim Acosta, thank you.
Now Ted Cruz who came in third official last night holds the distinction of having spent the least campaign money for every vote he got in New Hampshire, half as much as Trump and fall 60 times less than Jeb Bush.
Sunlen Serfaty is traveling with the Cruz campaign, joins now from Spartanburg. How have they been spending the last night's third place finish, or spinning it and I should say?
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Anderson, they have really tried to declare victory even though it was a third place finish for Ted Cruz because they feel that at largely has marginalized and damaged Marco Rubio. Ted Cruz very eager today right off the bat to reframe this race now the two-man race between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
And we seen the Cruz campaign really argue today that they now feel that the only way for the party to beat Donald Trump is to coalesce around Ted Cruz. You know, this was a narrative the Cruz campaign for a while has been trying to make. They tried to make it in the days leading up to Iowa. But Marco Rubio's momentum coming out of Iowa really cut into that core messaging. So they really feel they have opening here with these New Hampshire results to go forward and push this narrative that this is now a two-man race. Anderson. COOPER: And what is Cruz's organization like on the ground?
SERFATY: Well, for one, Ted Cruz will really dig in here. He will spend each and every day between now and the South Carolina primary in 10 days on the ground here holding multiple events. But he has spent a significant amount of time and even when he's not finite in his date, the campaign will argue that they've invested already a lot of messaging, a lot of money, a lot of infrastructure here really putting in the time to build some ground work.
They see it very similar to their Iowa operation. They also feel that this is an electorate here in South Carolina that's not like New Hampshire. It benefits them the large evangelical base. So they're going to really try to rally up those troops in the next 10 days. Really spend a lot of time here. Really dig in here on the ground. Anderson?
[21:05:08] COOPER: All right, Sunlen Serfaty, Sunlen thanks.
I want to turn out to Marco Rubio and the reversal of fortune he's had, since Chris Christie simply punch his ballot last week -- weekend's debate. Senator Rubio says he dropped the ball telling supporters that the fault for last night's outcome lies squarely with him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R-FL) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But I want you to understand something. I want you to understand something. Our disappointment tonight is not on you. It's on me. It's on me. I did not -- I did not do well on Saturday night, so listen to this. That will never happen again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well the question now, will South Carolina be the place that he reboots his campaign? CNN Manu Raju joins us now from Spartanburg.
So, I mean political pundits came out after last night results saying Rubio was essentially hammered in New Hampshire. Is his campaign acknowledging that? What's the plan for South Carolina?
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Absolutely, Anderson. They know full well that they severely underperformed here and they're trying to tell their supporters and donors that they get it and they'll make changes. Two big changes we're sensing according to Senator Rubio and his staff.
One of all is that to sharpen the contrast between him and his main rivals, particularly on the debate stage. If he gets punched, to punch back very aggressively. He said, that he should have done that when Chris Christie went after him. He said, he shouldn't have avoided and went back to his message. He should have went after Chris Christie that something we should look at going forward.
And two, to showcase more of his personality. That, you know, he's been known for being a rehearsed, a scripted candidate. His campaign says that's just not fair. He spent 45 minutes with me and a bunch of other reporters on his campaign plane today talking about every issue under the sun and he also spoke with our own Wolf Blitzer earlier today, just a short while ago.
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WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": What's your new strategy in the aftermath of New Hampshire and the aftermath of last weekend's presidential debate?
RUBIO: In terms of the debate?
BLITZER: No, in terms of your strategy going forward.
RUBIO: Oh, well, we have a great -- look. We're going to continue with our message. Our message is not going to change. I find it, you know, it's interesting we're now in an environment -- it used to be we're if you changed your message too often you were accused of flip flopping. And now if you are on message too often you are accused of repeating it.
BLITZER: You did well in Iowa, not so great in New Hampshire. How you're going to do in South Carolina?
RUBIO: Oh, we feel great, we have team there, this is state that's very strong, our national security and on the military. I have as good a record if not better than anyone else in this race, it's a conservative state with a conservative closed Republican primary. I'm most conservative with anyone in this field, but I'm the conservative that can win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: And I was mentioning, earlier, Anderson, he did speak with a bunch of reporters, including me on his campaign plane and one of the things that was interesting that he really went after Donald Trump. Something that he has avoided doing for so long in his campaign. He said that Donald Trump does not have the foreign policy experience to become commander-in-chief.
And also he went after Jeb Bush, similarly making that foreign policy argument saying, as governor he did not have lose engrossed in those national security issues that wait he has been as a Senator. And he also said that the campaign, that the country is ready to turn the page past the bushes. So watch for that fight between Bush and Rubio really to intensify as both men try to become at alternative to Donald Trump. Anderson?
COOPER: Manu, thanks very much, and reporting Manu Raju.
Earlier, John Kasich told Jamie Gangel that he would neither be a pin cushion nor a marshmallow if he likes some of the other rivals comes under attack from Donald Trump or anyone else, at the same time the Ohio governor certainly has made something a name for himself without any too much of this kind of thing. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ, (R-TX) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is no surprise that Donald is throwing yet another temper tantrum or if you like yet another Trumpertantrum.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's a nasty guy.
JEB BUSH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump is a jerk.
TRUMP: It's time to give up, Jeb. This guy can't negotiate his way out of a paper bag.
BUSH: The Senate, what is it like a French work week?
TRUMP: This clown, Marco Rubio.
He's like a kid. He shouldn't be running in this race.
BUSH: But senators.
TRUMP: Jeb low energy Jeb Bush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You fall asleep looking at him.
TRUMP: You know, you started off all the year Jeb, you're moving over further and further. Pretty soon you'll be off the end.
CRUZ: You know my girls are 5 and 7. And I got to tell you Caroline and Kathryn are better behaved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Just a small sampling some of the tough talk we've heard over the last couple of months. And so far it's yielding success for Donald Trump which raises the question, can Governor Kasich be just as successful by doing the opposite? Our Gary Tuchman tonight, reports.
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GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At John Kasich's first campaign stop after his second place showing in New Hampshire, there were many people who had a very specific reason for being there.
GLORIA PRIDGEN, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: Well, because he's very positive. And he doesn't bash the other candidates.
TUCHMAN: The Ohio Governor is attracting many supporters in part because of who he is not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's the total opposite of Donald Trump.
TUCHMAN: And at this town hall, at Charleston pizza restaurant, the first question and answer was about his attitude.
[21:10:00] GOV. JOHN KASICH, (R-OH) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, you know, look, sir. I've always been a believer in a positive campaign.
TUCHMAN: Which is music to the ears of many of those who came for pizza and politics.
STEPHEN SMITH, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: I think the country needs to do a 180 in terms of its overall attitude. And we need to be more positive in order for everything to get rolling again.
TUCHMAN: South Carolina is notorious for dirty politics. In 2000, John McCain was victimized by bogus telephone calls made to voters suggesting the Arizona senator had fathered an African-American child out of wedlock.
Two presidential elections later, South Carolinians received a Christmas card suggesting Mitt Romney support polygamy. The people we met here don't want repeat of that.
TEMPERANCE PARKER, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: I think politics is a mess now, in Washington is a mess and everybody is at loggerheads and fighting. And what not and I really did don't like all the negativity in the campaign.
TUCHMAN: Some of the people I've talked with here say they recently have done the Kasich bandwagon and they consider hopping off if he decided to go negative.
KASICH: I'm not going to be a pin cushion or marshmallow, but I'm also not going to spend my time trying to trash other people.
TUCHMAN: You say you're not a pin cushion or marshmallow.
KASICH: Yeah.
TUCHMAN: Is that fair warning that you could go negative as this campaign goes on?
KASICH: Well, I'm going to defend myself that's all. You know, as a pin cushion, I'm not going to get pummeled and just ignore things. But I'm not interested in being out there and just going on the attack against somebody. Right now that's not where my mind is.
TUCHMAN: And that's good enough for most of his supporters here. Defending yourself, they say, is not abandoning the principles of being positive.
MARK DAVIES, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: I'm tired of personalities in the election. I want to get to the facts and move on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Gary Tuchman joins us now from Charleston. Does Kasich feel that his positive campaign can actually work -- can actually propel the victory in South Carolina or are they just talking about getting out of South Carolina and moving on?
TUCHMAN: Yeah, the answer according to John Kasich, Anderson, is no. He hopes to do well here but he doesn't think he'll win here. So that honest answer begs a question, where will -- will he win somewhere else I'm trying to say, that's the point.
You cannot be the Republican presidential nominee unless you win a primary or caucus. Somewhere the most fertile territory for him will likely be in the midwest, that doesn't come until March 8th, the Michigan primary, then March 15th the -- at Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio.
COOPER: Yes.
TUCHMAN: If he doesn't win there or win before then and the writing is likely on the wall for John Kasich, Anderson.
COOPER: Yeah, and the state pretty far off. Gary Tuchman, thanks.
Coming up next, whether it's the high road or the low road, we're going to look at the route to victory in South Carolina for a number of candidates which Jeb Bush seems to think include his brother, the former president campaigning for him now, we'll talk about that and more asking one of the state's top GOP strategists how these candidates can leave the state a winner.
And later a new insight to Bernie Sanders' plans to maintain his momentum coming out of New Hampshire and heading across the primary night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I-VT) DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, New Hampshire, where now it's on to Nevada.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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[21:16:32] COOPER: Well Donald Trump obviously goes into South Carolina a winner he goes and a leader in the polls was sound certainly sounds good for him there, but the same token though that win came in a very different looking state, New Hampshire and the South Carolina polling is exactly up to the minute which makes on the ground expertise important.
And weighing the race and it's why we're glad for a chance to talk to Katon Dawson, National Republican Consultant and former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party. Caden, thanks very much for being with us.
So Trump obviously comes in to South Carolina with a very big win under his belt. How much does that help him there and how much is it just a completely different ball game?
KATON DAWSON, FMR CHAIRMAN SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PARTY: Well, South Carolina is completely difference. Iowa is already in the rear view mirror, Anderson. New Hampshire matters some for the press but it comes out, but this is a primary that's going to have probably 700,000 Republicans. About 100,000 new Republicans, one of the largest turnouts we'll probably ever have in the Republican Party.
And certainly Trump has changed the dynamic of the race. I applaud him for his campaign strategy of these huge crowds and people that are showing up to see him, whether he's a reality star, or want to be the next president. But the challenge he has in South Carolina is this is a very different place to run. This is a reliable Republican state. Two Republican United States senators in different camps. Six Republican congressmen. And every statewide elected official is Republican.
So, this is a hard hitting place, having done politics all my life here, I've witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly and been a part of all three. So your going to see a really tough race next week, Anderson.
COOPER: So, who do you think? I mean I don't know if you say this, who do you think is your party's strongest candidate right now, obviously you're a former George W. Bush supporter. He's going to be campaigning for Jeb Bush. I mean does Bush stand a chance there?
DAWSON: Anderson, let me -- I'm excited about George W. Bush coming, regardless of the results from we've been looking forward to having a leader in our party and a president for eight years that South Carolina loves and respects him. And he has tremendous followings here.
Now whether he can transfer that over to the former governor of Florida, his brother, is questionable. But if Trump does try to take a piece of that action, us did no George W. Bush, he won't take lightly to that debate. So it will be exciting to see. I do think the president coming, if he engages, we can reset the race. It's Donald Trump's to lose right now I'll be square with you, I mean there's a lot of closet Donald Trump people that are telling me they're voting for him.
George Bush can probably put some Senate into the race but right now, you're going to have a big debate on Saturday night, Anderson and you know what debates mean. You know, what they meant to Newt Gingrich. Then on Sunday after church bells out at noon, you're going to watch the gloves come off in South Carolina, and it's going to be a hard- hitting race on the issues. The mail boxes will be full. And I contend that there's probably 50 percent undecided electorates here.
Rubio is got -- got a good position. Cruz has a good position. Donald Trump sitting in the gold medal position. But this is a fluid race in South Carolina, and very different than a caucus in Iowa and certainly the primary in New Hampshire.
COOPER: Katon Dawson stick around because -- stay with us. I want to bring in our panel. Joined right now also by Trump supporter and CNN political commentator Jeffrey Lord, among others.
Jeffrey you hear what Katon says about Donald Trump's, you know, game in South Carolina. The competition he faces there. Obviously a win in New Hampshire is a big deal for him. Doesn't guarantee anything there. [21:20:00] JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, No. It certainly doesn't. I mean we've got 50 states they're all unique. South Carolina is South Carolina. Katon is one of my friends in life was late Lee Atwater, who was a pretty unique kind of guy that came out of that sort of South Carolina political culture.
It's very hard-hitting. It's very different than New Hampshire. And I imagine, you know, everything is up for grabs there. Donald Trump has got a lot of support. So and other people and they'll be at it in earnest.
COOPER: And John I mean you were looking at the map earlier, a lot of the evangelical voters there which obviously for Ted Cruz and even Donald Trump who has been playing nationally very well with the evangelical.
JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Right, in other way if the other candidates the mainstream candidates start to do better that could help Ted Cruz, because Donald Trump, Governor Bush, Marco Rubio and Governor Kasich competing for your mainstream ramming Republicans if you will by allowed Cruz to consolidate an evangelical base.
Look, it is a fascinating state. And Katon knows this from living there and I talked too many times of the using Kevin knows this from the both Romney campaigns. It was a different state just four years later.
He used to be Governor Carol Campbell, he was Lee Atwater guy. He delivered the state for George H.W. Bush even though you thought George H.W. Bush didn't fit in a Southern Republican state. It is more of an establishment, reliable Republican state like Katon says. But it's also change over the
years. You have Nikki Haley now, Mark Santon was the governor there years ago where, you know, a Charleston guy where, you know, a Charleston guy, where you could do about he's the veto the Republican legislature's budget saying that, you know, they spent too much money.
You thought, so Kasich might have a lay, but it's more Tea Party, Christian conservatives and also more retirees. So you have a much more diverse interesting state. Now with these five candidates, like we talked that earlier this is a car crash.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: I also think national security is going to be a big issue. And taking off and you can talk about that because, you know, I think all of these candidates are going to be put on the spot about what their plans are specifically on national security.
COOPER: And Katon I mean Kevin Madden earlier was talking about obviously the large military population in the state of South Carolina.
DAWSON: Right.
COOPER: That is going to be an important voting bloc.
DAWSON: You know, Anderson it's the largest per capita the military retirees ...
BORGER: Right.
DAWSON: ... is in South Carolina. That is the monolithic vote that you can count on. It delivered John McCain a win in 2008. Pretty important -- I think what we're forgetting on our panel is we have a ton of NASCAR voters here in South Carolina. People that go across all groups and they're focus it like to watch a car wreck. And you saw the car wreck ...
BORGER: We got one.
KING: We're about again.
DAWSON: ... and Christie last week. So you're getting ready to see another one Saturday night. So let's see how they survive and let's watch the NASCAR voters coalesce next week.
COOPER: Kevin, what did you learn about South Carolina?
KEVIN MADDEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well I think that what Chairman Dawson makes a good point. And I remember in 2012 when Mitt Romney won New Hampshire, we went in to South Carolina, with probably about a 10 to 12-point lead. And in the space of a week we were down 10 to 12 points. So that the race is very fluid and a lot of these -- that's why you have a lot of these car wrecks because there's so many of these cars and this different lanes just slapping paint back and forth trying to move each other out of position. So I expect that we'll see a very, very vigorous debate down there this week.
COOPER: Chairman?
MIKE ROGERS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY COMMENTATOR: Yeah, this national security piece, the military piece and I think is going to be critical. I think you're going to see all of those candidates trying to corner that market or at least being able to say, I can prove my chops on these issues in South Carolina. So you have those different tactics.
Cruz was going after the evangelical vote trying to get his national security chops up for months. He's been doing that. Donald Trump, I think they'll try to hit him on -- there's got to be more to this, right? We're with you but there's got to be more to it. And then the other candidates you're going to fight over that scraps on this military issue and I think that was smart for George W. Bush to come in.
COOPER: Yeah, they knew the state.
DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: They shouldn't forget about Walmart moms, especially down in South Carolina. I mean women voters in that state, they tend to be traditional conservative voters, but we saw in the last election where they started moving toward Newt Gingrich after that debate performance. So I would also pay attention to Walmart moms. NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Yeah, and I -- we'll see Rubio down there. He's got Tim Scott. You know, he's going to be campaigning with him. Jeb Bush is going to be down there with Lindsey Graham.
So I think it give to John's point, this idea that everybody is in these different camps trying to get as many endorsements as they can.
COOPER: To Jeffrey I know your ...
LORD: Anderson? Just one thing. If Donald Trump wins this -- wins in South Carolina, the pressure is really going to start to build and he'll have some considerable momentum. If he loses, I think that what we're going to see here is this situation of this primary situation is going to go on for a good long while here with perhaps Donald Trump winning one state and somebody else winning another and this will go on through the rest of the winter and the spring.
COOPER: Katon, in term of, you know, these big rallies Donald Trump has been having, there were questions in other states, you know, in Iowa in New Hampshire where it's more retail politics, whether that would translate into votes. In a state like South Carolina though you said it's a lot more voters than they faced thus far and that's certainly plays, I mean large rallies help Donald Trump enormously.
[21:25:12] DAWSON: Well, I think they help him here, too. The question is, does he have the apparatus to catch those, much like Barack Obama did in 2008. He came with a cellphone numbers a good appa -- a good mechanism to do it.
I think one things that Kevin will appreciate it, (inaudible) is when you hit South Carolina, this is the talent you're getting ready to hit. You're hitting people who are running national campaigns that grew their teeth in South Carolina out of the McCain campaign the Romney campaigns and a ton of us out of the Karl Rove camp.
So you've got some really professional operatives here. They understand and say that understand how to move the vote that know where a Conway South Carolina is, that no way Anderson, South Carolina, is. So you're going to see a much more sophisticated primary here on message, in the mail box and come Monday, take the gloves off because here it comes.
BORGER: Are you saying it separates the men from the boys here in South Carolina?
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: I'm all for anything named Anderson.
DAWSON: It's going to start -- it's going to start doing the comparison campaigns and South Carolina does one thing. South Carolina measures how you can take a punch. They understand that the Clintons are going to be tough if they are the winners. South Carolina reward you for taking a good solid clean shot. They will punish you on negative campaigning if you aren't telling the truth. So we'll see.
COOPER: All right we would, we shall -- Katon Dawson great to have you on. Jeffrey Lord as well, thanks. Everyone else stick around. We're going to turn next to the Democrats.
Big primary win for Bernie Sanders, obviously stinging loss for Hillary Clinton and a new round right around the corner.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:30:37] COOPER: Well the Democratic race, obviously a two-person battle that has not been any list or matter but unpredictable than a Republican self declared Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders crushed Hillary Clinton by more than 20 points last night. A rout by most measures. As we've said he also won among women voters just as he did in Iowa.
And while Mrs. Clinton still has a dead in delegates. Her loss last night was a setback. She kept a low profile today no public while her rival hit the ground and air waves running hard. Here's Brianna Keilar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: Tonight we serve notice to the political and economic establishment.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Bernie Sanders claiming a big win in the New Hampshire primary taking a victory lap on "the view." Tasting the ice cream named after him, Bernie is yierning.
SANDERS: The first time I've tasted it.
KEILAR: And showing off his basketball skills. While also looking to expand his appeal to a broader swath of the Democratic Party.
SANDERS: There's a lot of hard work in front of us, but with you I think the message that we're bringing forth is that this country is supposed to be a nation of fairness. And we're not seeing the fairness right now.
KEILAR: Sanders is also firing back at former President Bill Clinton for recent attacks like this.
BILL CLINTON, FMR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When you're making a revolution, you can't be too careful about the facts.
KEILAR: Sanders trying to appear above the fray.
SANDERS: I was disappointed in President Clinton, and I've known him for 25 years and I like him and I respect him, and I hope that this campaign does not to generate into really ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But he's playing for his wife.
SANDERS: Right, I understand that ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.
SANDERS: ... but nonetheless, let's keep it on the issues, not making personal attacks.
KEILAR: Sanders' New Hampshire victory is also proving to be good news for his campaign coffers, hauling in $5.2 million in the 18 hours after the polls closed Tuesday night.
As the Democratic primary fight enters a new phase, Sanders faces a new challenge. Making inroads with African-American voters. A crucial constituency in states like South Carolina which holds its primary later this month.
Part of Sanders' stepped up outreach, a meeting today with Reverend Al Sharpton, the civil rights activist saying after word he'll wait until he meets with Hillary Clinton next week to pick a candidate.
One South Carolina poll shows Sanders trailing Clinton by 57 points with black voters. A sign of his uphill climb, but that was taken before Clinton's narrow win in Iowa and Sanders' deices a victory in New Hampshire.
Following last night's stinging laws, Clinton said she's ready for a long fight.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And here's what we're going to do. Now we take this campaign to the entire country. We're going to fight for every vote in every state. We're going to fight for real solutions that make a real difference in people's lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: One day after defeat in the state that gave Hillary Clinton such a sweet victory back in 2008, she was laying low preparing for the PBS Democratic debate that will take place here at the yesterday University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee tomorrow night, Anderson?
COOPER: Brianna, thanks very much, we're obviously going to be broadcasting that debate live starting at 9:00. We'll be on the air in the hour before starting at 8:00. Now let's talk that with our panel, I mean Donna is this in the way 2008 repeating itself for the Clinton campaign? Is there that concern?
BRAZILE: Well, Bernie is not black and if he becomes black over the next couple of hours, let me know. I might have some ice cream with him.
The truth is that Bernie Sanders sets a record, and he can run on his strong record of leadership in the civil rights community, but Hillary Clinton also has a strong record. We're now arguing about the guy who got arrested for public housing with Martin Luther King and the woman who went down to Alabama and Mississippi to ensure that blacks had legal aid. So I'm glad that we now have a fight between two candidates with a tremendous strong civil rights record. And it's going to be a great conversation that I think we'll have tomorrow night.
COOPER: Yeah, some Clinton supporters came out today on a conference call essentially saying Bernie Sanders kind of new to the table on this. Is that really fair?
BRAZILE: No, it's not. Because Bernie has voted the right way. The difference, of course, is that when you look at some of the individuals supporting Hillary Clinton, they've been in the trenches, they have been the ones who've been marching. She has deep ties in the black community and tomorrow the Congressional black caucus will lend their voice and their support to Hillary Clinton.
And the reason why that's important is because Bernie Sanders has been a member of Congress. He's been a member of the House and the Senate. Cory
Booker with Hillary Clinton and tomorrow you will hear from perhaps Jim Clyburn, who is from South Carolina, you'll hear from others who have been with Secretary Clinton.
[21:35:11] I have to say one last thing. I've been in the trenches with the Clintons as well, I've been in the battle with Bernie and others on the civil rights front. The Clintons have been very much involved in the battle for civil rights. And I got to tell you a funny story, Anderson, back in the 2000s, it was Hillary Clinton who told organizers and activists like me, there's a guy names Barack Obama, Barack Obama, you need to go and meet him and help raise money. That's Hillary Clinton. That's why ...
KING: She'll regret that.
BRAZILE: ... she can dial up this kind of support that you see is because she has been out there. Now some people don't appreciate some of the votes. You can cherry pick votes if they don't like, but the Clintons, I can tell you this, as someone who knows them, I know Bernie Sanders, they've been engaged in -- and she got bruises to show for it.
BORGER: Are you saying Clyburn is going to endorse?
BRAZILE: No, I'm saying that he's a member of the Congressional black caucus, the Congressional black caucus PAC, so they're making an endorsement tomorrow. But I think Clyburn is a very key individual ...
BORGER: He's absolutely.
BRAZILE: ... he did not endorsed since 2008. Nor I did that, and I haven't endorse tonight.
KING: You see the emotion here though, I mean the Clintons too look there with Bill Clinton to go in Arkansas a Bernie Sanders, a senator from Vermont. Bernie Sanders doesn't have the relationships in the history with the community does not a criticism, she's fact in his life and his background and he's trying very now to build the make those relationships and it critical to him he has top break there.
If Bernie Sanders does not break through with a decent share, he's not going to beat her among African Americans or he's not going to beat him among Latino. But he has to start, I mean that at least in the first one or two contents, he has to start by getting his share.
But to Donna's point about the Clintons they have a deeper history, they have deeper relationships, they have deeper friendship and endorsements matter when you've got 8 or 10 states at a time and you need surrogates out there helping you and lending you their organizations because you don't have time to build them.
But, even though they have deeper relationships, because of the history, there's also some grievances. There also some bruises out there.
HENDERSON: And that's going to be one of the interesting now things to watch, one of the things we've seen out of New Hampshire in some ways in Iowa is that there's this generational divide.
COOPER: Right.
HENDERSON: It will be interesting if that's something ...
COOPER: Right, where Van Jones mentioned that yesterday I think he was saying that look there's a lot of young African Americans who don't have the experience of ...
HENDERSON: Exactly used they're black millennials who have been reading the new Jim Crow and following may be the evangelist on have criticisms about the Clintons record in terms of criminal justice, if they're going to be more in tune with where Bernie sanders is.
I mean in 2008, it was obviously 80/20 in terms of where the black vote went. 80 percent for Obama, 20 percent divided between the others there. So it isn't typical that you see that generational divide. But maybe that's something Bernie Sanders ask.
BRAZILE: I can't wait to go to church in South Carolina while the Republicans are out fighting. I'm sure there will be pamphlets put out with Hillary right next to Barack Obama when he took down ...
HENDERSON: Yeah.
BRAZILE: ... Ben Lott. Hillary is standing next ...
BORGER: Yeah.
BRAZILE: ... because, you know, what this is politics.
COOPER: Right.
BORGER: But her big problem is we saw in New Hampshire was this question of cares about people like me and she lost to Bernie Sanders on that 5-1, because he talks about income inequality. He talks about working people. BRAZILE: Yes.
BORGER: He, you know, he doesn't -- the goal Goldman Sachs speeches for $600,000 hurts her. And I think that's a weakness for her in South Carolina.
COOPER: A lot more to talk about including as we mentioned the next debate tomorrow night. The Democrats in Milwaukee. We'll be simulcasting it with PBS. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders gets our under way at 9:00 eastern right after 360, will be followed by a late edition of this program for full analysis. So join us at 8:00 and stick with us through the night, get some popcorn and we'll watch together.
Up next, John King runs the numbers on what we just talked about can Hillary Clinton hold on to her support from African-American community in South Carolina clearly not a foregone conclusion and it could make all the difference.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:42:50] COOPER: Hey welcome back. We've been talking about the African-American vote in South Carolina which of course is crucial. In 2008, African Americans made up 55 percent of the Democratic primary electorate.
CNN Inside Politics anchor John King is back with a breakdown by the numbers. South Carolina obviously a pivotal moment for Barack Obama and then Senator Clinton when she was running. How does it look for her this time?
KING: It could be a potential huge day as she tries to get the momentum back of this race. This map is the national African-American population. The deeper the color, the bigger there population of African-American voters and just for a way of example.
Look, his getting into the state of New Hampshire, hardly any. Mostly white state. Now the campaign goes out to Nevada first, for Latinos and some African Americans but then the democrats come into South Carolina. And look at that tells you everything you need to know. A very significant African-American population and Nevada and just note it, in the 2008 Democratic primary, 55 percent, a majority of the votes in this primary are or the Democrats are likely to be African- American.
And in 2008, Barack Obama won nearly 8 in 10 of those votes and it was over, game over. An African-American candidate winning a huge slice of the African-American vote. Hillary Clinton ran second to John Edwards for the white vote and Obama was third there. But now it's Hillary Clinton versus Bernie Sanders. The big question is can Bernie Sanders make inroads in time?
That vote coming up in the next two weeks. Can he make inroads in time to at least narrow her lead? This is what Hillary Clintons hopes for. In 1992 when Bill Clinton was running for president came in second place in New Hampshire, came down to South Carolina looking to get on track and he did because it was then 43 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary and Bill Clinton got nearly 8 and 10 of those votes.
So the Clintons have a history with the African-American community in South Carolina. It's not all good. 1992 was a plus. In 2008 there were tensions. But Hillary Clinton believes that's her greatest advantage now and Anderson, the question is can Senator Sanders who has not had to do this as a Senator from Vermont, can he build those relationships as quickly as he needs to cut into what is definitely a Clinton advantage in South Carolina.
COOPER: Amazing John, John King, thanks very much.
A short time ago I spoke with Todd Rutherford, minority leader in the South Carolina State House and a Hillary Clinton supporter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Representative Rutherford, how tough do you think Hillary Clinton's path forward in South Carolina is with the loss last night?
[21:45:03] STATE REP. TODD RUTHERFORD (D-SC), CLINTON SUPPORTER: I don't think it suffered at all. I think in South Carolina we've been watching as the races in Iowa and the race in New Hampshire folded out unfolded. But we know what she's going to be able to do here. Her support amongst African-American voters is strong, it will remain so.
She's been in South Carolina for 40 years working on things from children separating teenage prisoners from adult prisoners, 40 years ago up until now when she's comes back to a host of people who remember the Clintons not just Hillary but her husband Bill and what they've done in South Carolina, what they've done for African- Americans overall. So she'll have a relatively easy path the way that I see it up until our election on February 27th.
COOPER: What do you believe Hillary Clinton has done for African- American? There's a very critical article in The Nation from an author who essentially is saying both her husband and her really haven't done as much as many believe.
RUTHERFORD: You know, that article, and I didn't see the article, but the writer of that article could slander anyone that he chose and say they haven't done what they say they have. Unfortunately, in South Carolina, African Americans, myself included, remember the Clintons, remember the fact that Hillary Clinton came here, like I said, 40 years ago and advocated back then, back when it was not popular at all to talk about prisoner rights, talk about African Americans in jail and doing things for teenagers.
So again, looking back at the history that the Clintons have had not just in this country but in this state. In particular Hillary Clinton, get appointed by Barack Obama to Secretary of State position and what most of us feel like she did yield means job in that position and have watch the Republicans attack and attack and attack and try and tear her down. And we're not swayed by articles that say she didn't do for us what African Americans know that they have done. COOPER: You were in a conference call today a Clinton supporter said you were quoted to saying, "Unlike Bernie Sanders, Hillary isn't new to issues facing African Americans." Is that fair to Senator Sanders? I mean he led protests against segregated housing in the university of Chicago way back as a young man in -- I think when he was 20 years old.
He was arrested for that, there's a civil rights activist. Given he is from a state that has an overwhelmingly white population. But do you really think he's new to issues facing African Americans?
RUTHERFORD: It is fair to say because in South Carolina, we believe that someone that's going to run for president as a Democrat should have run as a Democrat before now. He's run as an independent. He's new to the game of catering to African Americans and caring about our interests. And because you get arrested, I believe he was quoted as saying that he "Marched on Washington."
Well a number of others have as well, you know, I came from a state where Republicans sometimes stand in the room or be present at a march but that doesn't mean they believe in what we believe in. What we're talking about are the history that the Clintons have in this state. The history that they have with individuals on a one on one basis of doing what it takes to care about African Americans and their interests. And so I applaud Bernie Sanders for what he may have done in the past.
It simply does not move the needle in South Carolina as relate to Africa-Americans and their interest.
COOPER: Representative Rutherford, I appreciate your time. Thank you, sir.
RUTHERFORD: Thank you Anderson.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well just ahead some of the next commander-in-chief may face a troubling new development in war against ISIS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:51:59] COOPER: While exit polling in New Hampshire suggested voters fears about terrorism helped Donald Trump secure his big win. At a Senate hearing today top intelligence officials warn that ISIS will likely attempt direct attack in the U.S. this year and is hiding operatives among refugees from Iraq and Syria. 24 hours later in a House hearing today, top state department official they may be troubling assessment of fight against ISIS and Syria and now Russia is hampering it. CNN chief national security corresponded Jim Sciutto joins us.
Jim, I understand the special presidential envoy in fight against ISIS had some choice words for Russia's involvement today.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right, from the beginning the U.S. is said that Russia is not trying to stop ISIS, that they're just trying to protect the Assad regime. Now he's stating that a step further saying that Russian military action is actually damaging the coalition's fight against ISIS. Listen to what Brent McGurk had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRENT MCGURK, SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY: As the Russian airstrike campaign has begun particularly north of the left for those fighters are now peeled off that line to go fight the regime advance. And this is causing us real problems for the counter ISISL campaign.
And frankly we tell the Russians is very clear, you say your fighting ISIL, but what your doing is actually having a detrimental affect of the fight against ISIL.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: What it's doing is taking fighters that U.S. was backing, moderate rebels on the ground that were contesting ISIS, taking them away from the fight, they're now fighting against the Assad regime. It's a real damage to the U.S. strategy there.
COOPER: And this is coming just the day after the director of National Intelligence Clapper said that there are more terrorist havens the world now that anytime in history.
SCIUTTO: That's right, I've really seen Director Clapper more blunt or more sovereign, he says basically two things were happening, one they're expanding their global foot print, ISIS is in eight countries and counting now failed stage like Yemen, Syria, certainly Libya as well, the Sinai part of Egypt but there also expanding their global strategy a new focus on attacking the west, not just inspiring attacks there but directing attacks there and warnings from Director Clapper about attacks on U.S. soil this year, Anderson.
COOPER: Jim, thanks very much, appreciate it.
SCIUTTO: Thank you.
COOPER: As we talked about previously South Carolina is home to a lot of troops and veterans. It's not a stretch to say that when voting they do not grade on a curve on the next commander-in-chief. Back now with our panel.
When you -- it's interesting Chairman Rogers when you look at last night's exit polls, nine out of 10 Americans are worried about another terrorist attack. Although there really is a big party breakdown among Republicans this race in much higher in terms of causes or concern of voting issues, the Democrats much lower.
ROGERS: Yeah, and then the Republicans in all of the early states, all of the early states, including New Hampshire was third which is pretty high for New Hampshire. Iowa was number two, South Carolina it goes back and forth between the number one and number two issues for the voters in South Carolina. If they're right and some event happens and I even hate to say this, if an event happens, it will change the make-up of going forward, for whatever that event is, it will impact this election in a way that we probably haven't seen before. And to have the DNI, the Director of National Intelligence, be as forceful about the fact that they are planning attack in the United States, that's astounding.
[21:55:07] COOPER: Yeah.
ROGERS: And then backed up by that, the Defense Intelligence Agency head, a guy name Steward General Stewart, a marine general, also came out and doubled down on that. That tells me there is more to that story, there is something bigger they know through probably San Bernardino and that investigation and other investigations, something's brewing and they don't like it.
COOPER: And this plays on both the Republican side and the Democratic sides. I mean for Bernie Sanders, foreign policy is often viewed as one of his weak point, points though his supporters say, well he and the judgment on his vote against the one round (ph).
KING: Safest bet is that this is a big issues tomorrow night when the Democrats debate and this is a big issue Saturday when the Republicans debate, because it is a potential breaking issue, a splitting issue in both those, no question. Secretary Hillary Clinton thought in the last debate Bernie Sanders couldn't answer the Afghanistan question didn't give a good answer.
She thinks that her real house and she wants to use that against him. And then the Republican debate in a state with such a original military history, no question. Trump's going to say they said, I'm right, I'm right, there are ISIS guys hiding with the refugees, ban Muslims. He's going to say he's right, the other guy ...
BORGER: The oil fill.
KING: Yeah, the other guy will say it's not serious and off we go.
COOPER: We got to take a break right there, we'll be right back. More ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well that does it for us. Thanks for watching. Again we'll see you tomorrow night at 8:00. And then right after the Democratic debate in Milwaukee with the best conversation in politics.
[22:00:04] Time now for CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.
DON LEMON, CNN TONIGHT HOST: So much winning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The place is massive, look at all this people ....
