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CNN Live Saturday
Analysis of Democratic Primary Races
Aired February 07, 2004 - 14:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, let's talk more about the political battles this weekend.
Democratic strategist Morris Reid is in Los Angeles. And in Washington, Republican strategist Chris Wilson.
All right. Good to see both of you guys.
MORRIS REID, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Fredricka, how are you?
WHITFIELD: I'm doing good.
Morris, let me begin with you.
REID: OK.
WHITFIELD: Kerry out in front. Voters like to pick a winner. So, at this juncture, is he unstoppable?
REID: Well, I don't think that he wants or anyone should be saying that he is unstoppable at this point. He needs to continue to do what he is doing -- stay on message, make the case and rally the troops.
I think it's important that Kerry stays focused and stays very steady. That's what he has done and that's proven to be his success. He hasn't gone up and down like -- like Howard Dean. So if he stays focused, I think he'll do OK.
WHITFIELD: And Chris, we've seen that the Republicans, President Bush, has been very cognizant about what's going on with the Democratic race, making very pivotal stops in all of these places following caucuses and primaries. We saw it in Iowa; we saw him in New Hampshire, as well as in South Carolina.
How closely is the Bush White House watching Kerry in this lead?
CHRIS WILSON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, Fredricka, I think they're watching him very closely. But the fact of the matter is, is they're watching him in a sense of -- sort of a certain degree of disbelief. It's sort of like back during the '90s, everybody became a Chicago Bulls basketball fan, and now the Democrats are kind of going through the same sort of phenomenon, whereas everyone is switching over and becoming a Kerry fan. And I think -- I sort of feel like we've jumped in a time machine and gone back to 1988, and Democrats nominating another Massachusetts liberal and one who's already said, Well, we're writing off the South and we'll just see if maybe we can get enough electoral votes out of other areas, and it's really almost -- it's a recipe for disaster for the Democrats.
REID: Actually, we like to the -- in the 80's as well, think about the first George W. Bush who was out of touch, unfocused, didn't know what was going on on the domestic front. It sounds like this president is doing the same thing.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Military experience is being underscored now. It's really just beginning, isn't it, Chris, with President Bush, John Kerry and Wes Clark, all their military records and lack thereof being compared.
WILSON: Well, they are.
But just to touch on what Morris said. I mean, the fact of the matter is, is Bush in 1988 won 40 states. And I think you're going to see that same sort of sweep this time. It's -- John Kerry can talk about a military record but he can't talk about the fact that he has made the country safer as George W. Bush has done.
REID: George W. Bush hasn't made this country safer. If you looked back to what happened in New York and along the East Coast with the blackout -- if that was a terrorist attack, we would have had a terrible situation, because this president...
WILSON: But it wasn't a terrorist attack.
(CROSSTALK)
REID: This president doesn't have an answer on domestic front, with job creation. He doesn't have an answer on what's going on.
(CROSSTALK)
WILSON: There hasn't been a terrorist attack since September 11. The fact of the matter is, the country is safer. Unemployment rates is going down -- are going down, and the economy is on its way back. I mean, the fact -- all the spin in the world isn't going to change that.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: So we're not going off on a tangent, let's focus a little bit more on the Democratic contenders right now.
The No. 2 spot is now looking to be -- an attractive one for people like John Edwards, even Howard Dean, who, you know, some shine has been wiped off of him in recent weeks.
Morris, how important is it to be a strong No. 2 finisher?
REID: Well, I think it's important to have a strong vice presidential candidate but it's premature to think about that right now.
I think Howard Dean has a significant role to play in the Democratic process still. Even if he is not the nomination, he has shown tremendous ability to raise funds, and I think he can bring that to the table.
But if I could quickly go back to Chris and his comment -- it's not spin when 300 people in San Antonio are going to lose their job at a Boeing mechanic plant. It is just not spin, and the White House needs to come clean on what they're going to about their job and creating jobs.
WHITFIELD: And Chris, jobs, jobs, jobs. That seems to be, you know, the primary mantra that all of the candidates are impressing upon right now -- Chris.
WILSON: Well, it's got to be. I mean, the fact of the matter is, is -- I will agree with Morris, is jobs are the most important aspect. But you can't really pull out one -- one example and say, OK, this is -- shows things are going bad. Unemployment rates are going down.
And to go to your point about the No. 2 candidate, I think that is a very important -- it is very important to finish second. And, I guess -- you kind of look back to where Howard Dean was -- he was in first place and Al Gore stepped forward and endorsed them. I guess now I'm kind of waiting to see who Al Gore endorses next. You can take them off the table and figure, All right, someone will rise to the top and then you may have someone who is -- qualified to be the vice president candidate.
REID: Well, this isn't about -- this isn't about Al Gore. This is about 3.5 million jobs that have been lost since George Bush has taken office. This president needs to come clean on job creation, just as he is going to be forced to come clean on the WMDs, which there was no WMDs. The panel that he's going to pull together is going to prove that. And he needs to fess up and come clean with the American people on what he's going to do about jobs.
WHITFIELD: Well, we're not going to hear about that until after the election. Anyway...
WILSON: From a jobs standpoint, I think it's a little bit -- it's a little bit dishonest to talk about the number of jobs that have been lost when you do have what happened on September 11 to factor into that. It did have a tremendous effect on our economy.
But we are coming back since then. I think takes the country working together as one, and that's where we've really got to throw politics out of the -- out of it and say, Let's work together as a country.
WHITFIELD: All right.
WILSON: But when it comes down to the election -- I go back to my original point. I really feel like I'm in a time machine. We are going back to 1998. The Democrats are about to nominate someone who, frankly, cannot win this election. You can't win the South.
WHITFIELD: All right. Chris Wilson, you get the last word, while Morris Reid got the first word.
WILSON: Sorry, Morris.
WHITFIELD: Thanks very much gentlemen, appreciate it.
REID: Thanks.
WILSON: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 7, 2004 - 14:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, let's talk more about the political battles this weekend.
Democratic strategist Morris Reid is in Los Angeles. And in Washington, Republican strategist Chris Wilson.
All right. Good to see both of you guys.
MORRIS REID, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Fredricka, how are you?
WHITFIELD: I'm doing good.
Morris, let me begin with you.
REID: OK.
WHITFIELD: Kerry out in front. Voters like to pick a winner. So, at this juncture, is he unstoppable?
REID: Well, I don't think that he wants or anyone should be saying that he is unstoppable at this point. He needs to continue to do what he is doing -- stay on message, make the case and rally the troops.
I think it's important that Kerry stays focused and stays very steady. That's what he has done and that's proven to be his success. He hasn't gone up and down like -- like Howard Dean. So if he stays focused, I think he'll do OK.
WHITFIELD: And Chris, we've seen that the Republicans, President Bush, has been very cognizant about what's going on with the Democratic race, making very pivotal stops in all of these places following caucuses and primaries. We saw it in Iowa; we saw him in New Hampshire, as well as in South Carolina.
How closely is the Bush White House watching Kerry in this lead?
CHRIS WILSON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, Fredricka, I think they're watching him very closely. But the fact of the matter is, is they're watching him in a sense of -- sort of a certain degree of disbelief. It's sort of like back during the '90s, everybody became a Chicago Bulls basketball fan, and now the Democrats are kind of going through the same sort of phenomenon, whereas everyone is switching over and becoming a Kerry fan. And I think -- I sort of feel like we've jumped in a time machine and gone back to 1988, and Democrats nominating another Massachusetts liberal and one who's already said, Well, we're writing off the South and we'll just see if maybe we can get enough electoral votes out of other areas, and it's really almost -- it's a recipe for disaster for the Democrats.
REID: Actually, we like to the -- in the 80's as well, think about the first George W. Bush who was out of touch, unfocused, didn't know what was going on on the domestic front. It sounds like this president is doing the same thing.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Military experience is being underscored now. It's really just beginning, isn't it, Chris, with President Bush, John Kerry and Wes Clark, all their military records and lack thereof being compared.
WILSON: Well, they are.
But just to touch on what Morris said. I mean, the fact of the matter is, is Bush in 1988 won 40 states. And I think you're going to see that same sort of sweep this time. It's -- John Kerry can talk about a military record but he can't talk about the fact that he has made the country safer as George W. Bush has done.
REID: George W. Bush hasn't made this country safer. If you looked back to what happened in New York and along the East Coast with the blackout -- if that was a terrorist attack, we would have had a terrible situation, because this president...
WILSON: But it wasn't a terrorist attack.
(CROSSTALK)
REID: This president doesn't have an answer on domestic front, with job creation. He doesn't have an answer on what's going on.
(CROSSTALK)
WILSON: There hasn't been a terrorist attack since September 11. The fact of the matter is, the country is safer. Unemployment rates is going down -- are going down, and the economy is on its way back. I mean, the fact -- all the spin in the world isn't going to change that.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: So we're not going off on a tangent, let's focus a little bit more on the Democratic contenders right now.
The No. 2 spot is now looking to be -- an attractive one for people like John Edwards, even Howard Dean, who, you know, some shine has been wiped off of him in recent weeks.
Morris, how important is it to be a strong No. 2 finisher?
REID: Well, I think it's important to have a strong vice presidential candidate but it's premature to think about that right now.
I think Howard Dean has a significant role to play in the Democratic process still. Even if he is not the nomination, he has shown tremendous ability to raise funds, and I think he can bring that to the table.
But if I could quickly go back to Chris and his comment -- it's not spin when 300 people in San Antonio are going to lose their job at a Boeing mechanic plant. It is just not spin, and the White House needs to come clean on what they're going to about their job and creating jobs.
WHITFIELD: And Chris, jobs, jobs, jobs. That seems to be, you know, the primary mantra that all of the candidates are impressing upon right now -- Chris.
WILSON: Well, it's got to be. I mean, the fact of the matter is, is -- I will agree with Morris, is jobs are the most important aspect. But you can't really pull out one -- one example and say, OK, this is -- shows things are going bad. Unemployment rates are going down.
And to go to your point about the No. 2 candidate, I think that is a very important -- it is very important to finish second. And, I guess -- you kind of look back to where Howard Dean was -- he was in first place and Al Gore stepped forward and endorsed them. I guess now I'm kind of waiting to see who Al Gore endorses next. You can take them off the table and figure, All right, someone will rise to the top and then you may have someone who is -- qualified to be the vice president candidate.
REID: Well, this isn't about -- this isn't about Al Gore. This is about 3.5 million jobs that have been lost since George Bush has taken office. This president needs to come clean on job creation, just as he is going to be forced to come clean on the WMDs, which there was no WMDs. The panel that he's going to pull together is going to prove that. And he needs to fess up and come clean with the American people on what he's going to do about jobs.
WHITFIELD: Well, we're not going to hear about that until after the election. Anyway...
WILSON: From a jobs standpoint, I think it's a little bit -- it's a little bit dishonest to talk about the number of jobs that have been lost when you do have what happened on September 11 to factor into that. It did have a tremendous effect on our economy.
But we are coming back since then. I think takes the country working together as one, and that's where we've really got to throw politics out of the -- out of it and say, Let's work together as a country.
WHITFIELD: All right.
WILSON: But when it comes down to the election -- I go back to my original point. I really feel like I'm in a time machine. We are going back to 1998. The Democrats are about to nominate someone who, frankly, cannot win this election. You can't win the South.
WHITFIELD: All right. Chris Wilson, you get the last word, while Morris Reid got the first word.
WILSON: Sorry, Morris.
WHITFIELD: Thanks very much gentlemen, appreciate it.
REID: Thanks.
WILSON: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
