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Campbell Brown
Day Three of the Democratic National Convention
Aired August 27, 2008 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. So there you have it -- Barack Obama nominated as the Democratic presidential nominee. It's now official. This is an historic moment in the history of the United States. Barack Obama, the first African-American to lead a major political party into the presidential contest. It's official now.
And Hillary Clinton made it official by asking for acclamation. And the delegates here quickly, quickly accepted her recommendation. They went forward.
And the speaker, Nancy Pelosi made it official.
Anderson Cooper, you know, the country's been waiting, I guess, a long time for this kind of moment. It hasn't happened in a long time, but it happened right now. An African-American will lead this Democratic Party in the battle against John McCain.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Whether you support Barack Obama or not, whether you support what he believes in or not, it is hard not to be moved by the historic nature of what has just occurred in this country. This is a day for the history books.
BLITZER: It certainly is.
And, you know, we're really happy that Donna Brazile has reached this moment with all of us.
Well, we're waiting to get Donna a microphone there. And she's going to get a microphone right now and we'll get her thoughts.
COOPER: I don't think I've ever seen an auditorium so filled with people. I mean this is -- it's literally standing room only right now. So many people wanting to be here for that moment. Just the joy on people's faces here. Obviously, this is, you know, the most partisan of partisan crowds.
But just looking out at the sea of faces -- and we brought it to you live -- was extraordinary.
BLITZER: You know, they just want to be here and see it and feel it. You know, even the mayor of New Orleans, who's got an emergency awaiting, potentially, his city, Ray Nagin, he's here. He didn't want to leave, but he's going to rush back to New Orleans right away. But he's going to be speaking to us very soon. But he wanted to be here as an eyewitness.
COOPER: Donna Brazile, as you were in the hall and you saw this happening, I mean, not only as a Democratic, as an American, what went through your mind?
DONNA BRAZILE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, there's no question, Anderson, I wanted to be on the floor, not only as a Democrat, as an American but, clearly, as an African-American. This is a moment that many people thought would never be possible. And Barack Obama now becomes the first minority -- the first African-American ever to be nominated by a major political party in it's...
COOPER: Is this possible ever? (ph)
BRAZILE: You know, when I was a little girl, I never thought I would see this day. Again, I never thought I would see a viable female candidate, a viable minority candidate get this far. And when we were kids, our parents would tell us we could grow up to be anything -- anyone we wanted to be. And we giggled because we knew certain doors were closed.
But after this historic year, those gates are now wide open.
So this is a moment of excitement for -- for the entire country. And many who support not just Senator Obama and his historic campaign, but, also, you saw Senator Clinton. She wanted to be here tonight. And she wanted to make sure that this vote was by acclamation. So we salute her, as well, for making this day possible.
COOPER: For Americans -- for African-Americans sitting around the country, for people watching around the world, what do you think is going through people's minds?
BRAZILE: Well, they're thinking about Fannie Lou Hamer. They're thinking about Martin Luther King. They're thinking about all of the people who struggled. John Lewis, who is here in this convention hall. People who literally gave up their lives and put their lives on the line to ensure that every American had the right to participate in the political process.
Today, again, those doors are wide open. And Barack Obama represents the change that this country has so long fought for.
BLITZER: You know, and, Donna, if there was any lingering doubt that this party would be united, Hillary Clinton -- she certainly did her very best to leave those doubts on the sidelines right now.
How did it feel for you to see her make that dramatic move to make sure that it's over with, the roll call ends with acclamation and he gets the nomination?
BRAZILE: She spent the entire day meeting with her delegation, talking to leaders across the party. And she said this is the moment. But Barack Obama is the nominee. And she wanted to come here tonight to make that statement again.
BLITZER: I think, as we watch this unfold -- John King and Gloria Borger are here, as well. The history -- the moment has to be appreciated for all of us who have lived through, you know, in our limited time, but certainly the historic moment -- John, go ahead. JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We will have weeks of debates about taxes and spending, and war and peace, and is he ready, and can he be commander-in-chief.
But let's just set it all aside for five or 10 minutes. And I think many Republicans around the country are setting it all aside for five or 10 minutes or maybe the rest of the night.
Looking around the room, it was stunning. You have over here the South Carolina delegation, the Minnesota delegation -- African- Americans, old and new, tears as the vote came in. And tears of appreciation for Senator Clinton, as well, as she came in.
But looking up at the monitors, at the speakers as they finished it, in disbelief and joy. And it's just a remarkable moment. We'll -- the campaign has a way to play out, but this is a moment to just hit the pause button.
COOPER: I'd also like to go to -- I believe we have Bill Bennett standing by in New York, a Republican, but also an -- no, we don't.
All right. He's no longer there. We'll try to get an appreciator in history. We like to get a little historical look.
Hillary Rosen has been in here -- was in the auditorium when the nomination was passed.
Hillary, a remarkable moment. I mean, again, no matter what your politics, just to be here for this moment.
HILARY ROSEN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, POLITICAL DIRECTOR, HUFFINGTONPOST.COM: It really was. I -- so many historic firsts tonight -- an African-American nominee. And the Obama campaign really wanted this nomination to be about more than just unity in the hall, but really to represent something specific to the country, which is that, you know, for a new generation of leadership.
We saw that in who they choose to be there nominating people.
We had a Republican for the first time ever nominating a Democrat. We had two new young leaders representing generational change.
So they -- and this is also the first time ever, that I know of, where the losing candidate actually moved by acclamation the nomination of the winning candidate.
So many historic firsts. So representative and deliberate for the Obama campaign, to solidify his message of change and of unity and of bringing this country together and of a new way of politics.
COOPER: And for all those watching around the world and watching in the United States, you can all say that you saw it happen live on this day American history.
Jessica Yellin is with some delegates who were clearly also very moved by what they witnessed in the hall -- Jessica.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, I'm with State Senator Henry Marsh, a civil rights attorney. You were born when there was segregation. You saw this tonight. What is going through your mind?
STATE SEN. HENRY MARSH (D), ILLINOIS: I was overcome by joy. I never expected this to happen. And even though I'm aware that this is just a beginning, this is one of the most significant events in American history.
YELLIN: Let me ask you, sir, you are still crying. I saw both of you crying earlier.
Why so emotional?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, because I'm originally from Mississippi. And the first person I thought about was my dad, who died 15, 16 years ago, and how he grew up in the '60s and the '50s and what we saw with Fannie Lou Hamer and Dr. King and Medgar Evers.
And to get to this point in our lives and this moment in history, to be able to witness it, is just overwhelming.
YELLIN: What does Barack Obama represent to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He represents -- obviously, he represents change. He represents a movement. He represents -- this is bigger than just an election. This is a movement. This is bigger than just a campaign. It's a movement.
YELLIN: Thank you so much, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
MARSH: It's not about race, it's about Obama being the right person that the country needs and the world needs at this time. I'm proud because he's an African-American. But I would support him just as hard if he were Caucasian.
YELLIN: Thank you both so very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). Thank you.
YELLIN: And, Anderson, I can tell you, throughout this area, people are weeping. Many are still crying. A very emotional moment.
COOPER: We'll continue to talk to some of those people throughout this evening.
Gloria Borger is also...
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: You know I was just thinking about this country's amazing ability to self-correct. When you think of what people went through in the civil rights movement, with those gentlemen, just talking about it, it wasn't that long ago. And this country has an ability to look at our children.
We see how our children regard race, very differently from the way our parents regarded race growing up. And so change is something that this country does all the time. And this is a milestone that we witnessed here tonight in our country's ability sometimes to just say, you know, the past is the past.
COOPER: It's interesting, we all stand on the shoulders of those who came before. I wonder if those who came before could have in their lifetime envisioned a day like this.
BRAZILE: You know they helped to prepare this day. Whether it was Shirley Chisholm who sought the nomination in 1972 with 151 delegates or Reverend Jesse Jackson who you know while he might not be here tonight, his spirit is very much a part of this moment. Because it was Reverend Jackson who in 1984 inspired a new generation to go out there and register to vote, to participate.
And he talked about the RAINBOW Coalition and reconciliation. There's so many people who deserve credit for this moment. It's the American people who I believe right now, they are prepared for this as well.
KING: There's a big question going forward, I don't -- not to bring up at this point, but what happens now, between now and the election day? Barack Obama won the nomination of his party. Now he has to convince a country. And there are many skeptics out there not only about the race issue, about his age, his experience level, and it is going to be very fascinating now that history has been made to watch the tone and the tenor of this campaign going forward over the next several weeks.
This is -- we've never been here. And people are saying all sorts of things about race will be an issue here, it won't be an issue there. I think the biggest question tonight as we celebrate history, rightly so, is we don't know how this will play out between now and election day.
COOPER: It's interesting sitting here, you know through a kind of interesting but kind of dry roll call. You could feel as the momentum increased and -- you know, from Illinois passing to New York, and then when it suddenly happened and it was done, to see the sort of spontaneous reaching out of people I mean who were sitting next to each other or sitting rows close to each other but haven't necessarily talked to each other but literally reaching out to touch one another, it was incredibly moving.
KING: It's hard to keep math in the room -- keep count in the room (INAUDIBLE) had this methodical mathematical process going on.
COOPER: And all of a sudden it was...
KING: And states started to pass. I think everybody figured, OK, this is -- we're at the limit. When New Mexico passes to Illinois which passes to New York, everybody took the cue of what was about to happen. BLITZER: Donna, what will be key in this election -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- is registering new voters, young people, young African-Americans, older African-Americans, in several of those key battleground states, especially someplace like Florida or Pennsylvania or Ohio. But even in a state like Georgia or in Mississippi, if you could get out, as you -- and I speak to you as a Democrat, you could get out and register those young people and get them to the polls and get them to actually vote, there could be a dramatic change in this country.
BRAZILE: Wolf, tomorrow night, as we gather in Invesco Field (ph), Senator Obama's campaign will be out there, doing voter registration campaigns in all 50 states. Tonight there are house parties literally all across America where people are being handed out voter registration forms. They're being encouraged to go and talk to their neighbors and their friends. And there's not a question that Senator Obama can expand the number of people who participate. Then those polls that we're seeing today that demonstrate that Obama still has some work to do, it won't be much of a problem if he can expand the electorate.
BLITZER: Let's go to Candy Crowley. She's up on the podium. You're an eyewitness to history like all of us, Candy. Tell us what you saw and what you felt and what's happening right now.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, one of the things listening to you all talk about what you saw and felt, I have to tell you, on the campaign trail with Barack Obama, especially when he drew those large crowds, you saw a couple of things. And you saw, really, what happened here.
Just one quick story. We were down in Mississippi at one point at Jackson State University, I think, and we were up doing our live shots and there were guards all around and local police. And there was one local policeman that was stationed right where we were and so I was talking to him and he was from Jackson. And I said, you know, have you ever heard him speak before?
And he said no. and I said well this will be exciting. And he said oh, well I have to -- I'm working, you know but I've seen him on TV. And about halfway through Obama's speech, I looked over at this guard and just tears streaming down his face, so you saw that a lot. That just sort of -- and you knew what a sense of history and how important this really was, in particular, to African-Americans.
But I will also tell you that you would talk to -- Obama tends to draw very diverse crowds. And I would say -- ask white people in the crowd what do you like about him? And they generally said well, he's against the war or I like this or that plan. But the second thing they almost always said to me invariably was, I think it would say so much about our country if we nominated a half black/half white man.
I think it would say how much we've progressed over the years, so you always got that sense of history when you were traveling with him from the very first day that I was with him in Springfield, Illinois, when he announced. And you would ask people what are you doing here? Because it was freezing. And there were just blocks and blocks and blocks of people.
You say, why are you here? And they said because you know what, this could be history. So there was always that sense that this already was history that he was running and really seemed to have a chance. But today, you know you sort of saw it come to a fulfillment for so many people, but along the campaign trail, you really saw the kind of thing that you saw here in the reaction.
BLITZER: Candy, this night is only just beginning right now. And we're going to be hearing from the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton. It's going to be a tough act for him to follow, the speech that his wife delivered last night. But he's going to go forward and the thrust of his remarks will be that what, that Barack Obama is, in fact, ready to be commander in chief, is that right?
CROWLEY: Absolutely. We're told this will be a wholesome endorsement of Barack Obama. You know this has been a rocky relationship from the get-go. We remember that there were when Bill Clinton referred to Barack Obama's position on Iraq as a fairy tale in how Barack Obama described his positions all along. There has been certainly some open animosity.
There has been tension behind the scenes, but I have to tell you that I talked to a Clinton person today and said, well, I hear he didn't really want to talk about foreign policy, that he wanted to talk about the economy, because Bill Clinton was insulted over the course of the primary that Barack Obama seemed to kind of diss the Clinton era in some ways and the aide said to me, someone who was around the Clintons said to me, listen that is baloney.
That is baloney. He has never said that he would rather do an economic speech. He is happy to be here. He will give a fulsome endorsement of him, so you know we're going to parse this as we parsed Hillary Clinton's, but this is certainly -- as the Clinton entourage moves forward, this is certainly the word from them that he has no hesitation about coming here tonight and talking about Barack Obama as commander in chief, Wolf.
BLITZER: Stay tuned, Candy. We have a special guest here up on the platform with us. The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin. I know Anderson and I are anxious to speak with you, all of us are anxious to speak with you. You've got an emergency awaiting you in New Orleans potentially right now. We hope it doesn't await you.
But before we get to that, I want to quickly get your reaction to what we just witnessed, this historic moment. I saw you dancing out there when that love train was moving through this Democratic National Convention. Tell us how you felt when Hillary Clinton asked for acclamation, the crowd said yes, and that Barack Obama becomes the first African-American in our history to lead a political party into a presidential campaign.
RAY NAGIN (D), MAYOR NEW ORLEANS, LA: You know it's really hard to describe my emotions. You know I remember talking to Senator Obama 18 months ago. And he said, I'm going to do this. And I said, there's no way, how are you going to do it? And he has pulled it off. So I am blown away. I'm amazed. I'm humbled. And I am so excited that America seems to be moving to a whole other level that I never thought I'd experience in my lifetime.
COOPER: State of emergency has been declared in Louisiana by the governor. The National Guard has been mobilized. Is New Orleans ready?
NAGIN: Well, we are ready to evacuate. The big question is, what shape are our levees in? All the work that the Corps of Engineers has done, is it going to be sufficient enough to handle what is projected to be a category three, that right now is poised and pointed toward New Orleans.
COOPER: Are you confident then? The history of the Corps of Engineers is hotly debated. A lot of hard work and people have been trying to rebuild these levees. Do you think they'll hold?
NAGIN: I am cautiously optimistic. This will be a good test for us. I wish we didn't have to go through this test and I hope this thing veers at the last minute. But right now, the best levees that we have and hopefully they will hold.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what would you say to the people of New Orleans right now?
NAGIN: I will say to them, make sure that you have your evacuation plans in order. Know where your family is, your relatives, and hopefully if you have any senior citizens who are in your neighborhood, understand what they need to do and help them.
COOPER: This time around, the plan in new Orleans is not to have evacuations -- and as far as I understand, is not to have evacuation centers like the Convention Center or the Superdome. Is that correct?
NAGIN: Big learning from the last time with Katrina. We will not have a shelter of last resort like the Superdome or the Convention Center. Everyone will be getting out. We will start that process 72 hours outside of landfall.
COOPER: What would make you declare a mandatory evacuation? I mean as you watch the track of this storm, what is the calculus in your mind?
NAGIN: If it's greater than a category two storm and the storm surge is greater than the levee height right now or at about 17 to 20 feet, then we would call for a mandatory evacuation.
COOPER: You obviously came under a lot of criticism, a lot of folks came under, the governor, the president of course came under a lot of...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Everybody came under criticism, what did you personally learn, besides the evacuation centers, what do you feel you've learned?
NAGIN: Well, I've learned that it takes some effort to evacuate an entire city. And no one has ever done it to the levels that we did. We evacuated 1.3 million people. There was only 50,000 left. But when we had that challenge to deal with, I thought, mistakenly, that the federal government would come in and rescue the rest of our people. And it just didn't happen. So we're not going to repeat that mistake.
BLITZER: Mayor, the governor of your state, Bobby Jindal, has already declared a state of emergency. He's activating the National Guard in advance of this hurricane, potential hurricane, Gustav, moving towards the coast of Louisiana. Let me put it bluntly, are the state authorities and the local authorities and the federal authorities all on the same page?
Can their radios talk to each other? Can there be the cooperation now -- god forbid, we hope it's not needed -- that there wasn't almost exactly three years ago when Katrina hit?
NAGIN: You know I'm very hopeful. Since Katrina, we have been working cooperatively together. We've tested our plans. We've gone through mock drills. And it all seems to be in place. And we've got a new player and a new governor, who has a better relationship with the president, so hopefully up and down the line there will be better communication.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donna?
BRAZILE: Clearly, for those in New Orleans, as you all know, Mayor, who cannot afford to leave...
NAGIN: Yes.
BRAZILE: ... they need help. Are there plans now to help those who perhaps cannot afford to leave, to depart in a timely fashion? And will the state reopen or open up shelters in say Baton Rouge or Lafayette? Because at this point there are no available hotel rooms in Louisiana or Mississippi. I've been on the phone with my family while James (ph) is up here, and the only place I could find was in Memphis, Tennessee.
NAGIN: Well, let me answer your first question. We have an evacuation plan that goes out into the neighborhoods and picks people up. We also have been registering individuals on our Web site, calling into our 311 number so we know where you are and we can go out and get you.
COOPER: Well I just can't believe that 7,000 people have registered and there may be as many as 30,000 people who might be in need of evacuation.
NAGIN: And that's part of the challenge going forward, but even the ones that we have not identified, we will still go out into the communities with the police officers, with their bull horns and alert everybody and try and bring them in. COOPER: Are there buses? I mean and are there drivers? That was one of the issues before.
NAGIN: There's buses, there's drivers, there's trains, there's planes, there's a whole different strategy for getting people out, starting with the people who have special medical needs.
COOPER: Are you going to go back?
NAGIN: I am leaving tonight right after this event. You know, CNN is so special I delayed my flight so that I could do this.
COOPER: Well, I'll there be on Friday so...
NAGIN: You will?
COOPER: I will. I hope I'll just spend the weekend eating in nice restaurants and nothing will happen. That's what I'm hoping for...
BRAZILE: And Anderson, there's another special group, people with pets, I mean, that's another...
COOPER: Huge issue.
NAGIN: I tell you big learning last time. People would not leave New Orleans because of their pets. The SPCA has mobilized. They have, like, 15,000 cages that we have pre-positioned to help people with their pets to get them out also.
COOPER: You know the thing that is so horrible about this -- and any hurricane is horrible -- but on the third anniversary of this storm, you know, the last six months, I've been coming to New Orleans, folks are optimistic. There's a sense that you know what, things are kind of turning the corner.
NAGIN: (INAUDIBLE) people are very optimistic...
COOPER: The education system...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Schools are coming around...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The restaurants are open...
NAGIN: The money is starting to flow.
COOPER: It's a great place to visit...
NAGIN: Everything is happening and now we've got another category three storm and maybe this is another test that we're going to have to pass. But let me tell you one other aspect I'm really worried about right now. We still have about 3,000 travel trailers in our community. And those are only wind-rated to 30 to 35 miles an hour. Those are going to turn into missiles...
BLITZER: What are you going to do with the people who live there?
NAGIN: Well they have to leave. But those things are going to be dangerous and I was hoping that the federal government -- we would have them out by now, but we don't.
COOPER: Well we don't want to delay you at all in going to New Orleans, so we're going to let you go. We appreciate you taking the time to talk to us.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: And we'll see you in New Orleans.
NAGIN: This is a great night and look forward and hopefully this hurricane will turn and go somewhere else, not hit the United States or Mexico but just go out to sea and dissipate.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: (INAUDIBLE) goes to some unpopulated area.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: That would be really good.
NAGIN: Particularly not New Orleans.
BLITZER: Good luck to all the folks in New Orleans. Good luck to all the people...
NAGIN: Keep us in your prayers.
BLITZER: Mayor, thanks very much.
NAGIN: God Bless.
BLITZER: Mayor Ray Nagin. He's going to listen here a little bit, but then he's going to head right back to New Orleans. Hurricane Gustav moving towards that coast. And you heard Anderson say he'll be heading down there on Friday as well, right after this convention.
We're going to take a quick break. But we have a lot more coverage. Here's a couple of things you have to keep in mind, cnnpolitics.com. That's where you should be. Watch us if you have a laptop, you might want to go there. We're streaming everything happening up on the podium behind me.
You can see all the speeches. You can see what's going on. And this is going to be an important night. This is the third...
(AUDIO GAP)
BLITZER: Barack Obama is the Democratic presidential nominee. Later tonight, Joe Biden will become the vice presidential nominee. We'll be hearing from him. Before we hear from Senator Biden, we'll be hearing from the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton. Wow. Get ready for what he has to say. Our coverage continues from the floor of the Democratic National Convention right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're here on the floor at the Democratic National Convention as history has just been made. These Democrats have nominated Barack Obama to be their presidential candidate. This is the first time in U.S. history an African-American has been nominated to lead a major political party into this race for the White House. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer.
We're here on the floor. Campbell Brown is here with us. You're going to be with us for all. Welcome, Campbell. We've got the best political team on television. Gloria Borger is here, Donna Brazile. John King is going to be going over to the magic map shortly. Over at the CNN Election Center, we have some of the best analysts in the business as well. Our own Jeff Toobin and Amy Holmes. We've got Ed Rollins, Carl Bernstein and David Gergen.
They're going to be offering insight throughout this night. And remember, it's going to be a night where we're going to be hearing from the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton, and we'll also be hearing from Joe Biden. He will be nominated to become the vice presidential candidate. Also with us here at the Convention Center, Hilary Rosen, our Democratic analyst, Leslie Sanchez, she's here as well, our Republican analyst, on the floor.
We've got Candy Crowley. She's up on the podium behind us. Suzanne Malveaux is here. Jessica Yellin is here. Jessica, you're on the floor right now. Tell us -- tell us what's going on. But before we do that, I want to show you, Jessica, what's happening up there on the podium right now. There are a lot of women up there.
And they're the women of the United States Congress. We saw women of the U.S. Senate. These are women of the House of Representatives. And as we know, the -- how the women vote in this contest, given the fact that there are more women voters out there than male voters and they vote in bigger percentages as well, that will be divisive in determining the next president of the United States. All right, let's go back to Jessica on the floor -- Jessica.
YELLIN: Well, as you can hear, Wolf, there's just a sense of elation in this room. I was standing with the Virginia Delegation. People were weeping. The governor of Virginia was weeping. People talking about how they never thought they'd see this day.
Because Barack Obama represents such an historic -- he's an historic figure because of race, but also because of the message they say and also an insistence that there will be unity in the party. Even the Hillary supporters I've spoken to tonight, by and large, say the party will come together and they're feeling a sense of excitement.
There are holdouts, but they are the minority and right now people are optimistic. And just -- it feels like a party here. You feel it. It's exciting in a way, the energy, because they have a real sense that this is part of democracy and the -- in the end -- Wolf.
BLITZER: It's certainly an exciting moment and it's an historic moment. Campbell Brown is here. You know there's no doubt about it all of us will be able to say, people who were here, people who were watching on live television, we were eyewitness to history.
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: I agree with that, Wolf. But you also have to look at it I think from the perspective of a supporter of Obama. And as you know, the campaign motto for them has been "no drama". You always hear the campaign staffers talking about how that's how they sort of operate.
And, boy, has there been a lot of drama at this convention starting -- you know last night with her speech. But going in into today, with what we saw late this afternoon and early this evening was an enormous amount of drama. And I think that continues into the evening with Bill Clinton's speech, maybe not exactly what the Obama campaign wanted this to be about, the sort of Clinton drama extending for this long a period.
BLITZER: Remember, these are Democrats. And there's always going to be drama...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, a fair point...
BLITZER: ... with Democrats...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A fair point...
BLITZER: Let's go down to the floor, Candy Crowley is up on the podium right now. Candy, talk to us a little bit about what it was like where you are, where all the big shots are, on this historic night.
CROWLEY: Well, you know, it was the same as all the little shots if you will. I mean this is something that seemed to has moved everyone. I talked with a Hillary Clinton person who said this was pretty cool. And he meant not just what his former boss said, but what happened here today in terms of history.
And someone else who said you know no matter what else happens, this was history. So, we don't know what's going to go on ahead. We don't know who's going to be elected president. But we do know that this is history in and of itself. So just an enormous sense of excitement.
But also an enormous sense of -- hey, I guess the word is "awe". You know just some really awe, like holy cow. I mean, we all have known since June at least that this was going to happen. But when it did, as unsurprising as it was, it just sort of hit everybody as kind of a big surprise or is something that just immediately put them into a sense of awe.
BLITZER: And there are people probably waiting until the very last moment, skeptics who were saying, you know what, I'll believe it when I see it. But they just saw it. They just felt it. And it has happened. Jessica Yellin -- we've heard from Candy Crowley. I want to go to Suzanne Malveaux. She's on the floor as well -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It was really an historic moment, Wolf. We were all on the phone when that happened. Senator Clinton essentially ending the vote and giving it to Barack Obama, allowing that vote to continue.
Joining me here, obviously, tell us about that moment. Can you hear me? Tell me about that moment when Hillary Clinton -- tell me about that moment -- can you hear me? Tell me about that moment when Hillary Clinton...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When Hillary pushed us over the edge for Barack?
MALVEAUX: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was very emotional for me. I've spent a lot of time working on this campaign for Hillary. I spent a lot of time working on Bill's campaigns as well. And I didn't understand earlier that Hillary would actually be the person to push Barack over the edge and I think it just took me back for a moment. And I broke into tears and some people got concerned here.
It hurts a lot. I feel like I've lost something. But I think the election's more important than my personal feeling, so I'll go on. I'll be a Democrat and I'll work for Barack just like Hillary wants me to. But it will hurt for a while, I'm sure.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thank you (INAUDIBLE). Thank you so much (INAUDIBLE). Thank you very much. Obviously, a lot of emotion, but people saying that they are reconciled with going for Barack Obama -- Wolf.
BLITZER: She wasn't the only one, Suzanne, who was crying. There were a lot of people crying at that very moment, women as well as men. John King is here with us. John, I want you to go over to the magic map. Because you have a special guest who can give us a little bit more insight.
KING: I do, Wolf. I have with me here Steve Hildebrand. He's the deputy campaign manager for Barack Obama. And your candidate has made history tonight by being the Democratic nominee, the first African-American nominee of any party. But to make true American history, he would have to win the White House.
And I want Steve to walk us through the map. Now this is an electoral map showing the last race for president. If you put the names Bush and Kerry here, this is how it turned out, 286 to 252. But the map is changing this year and Steve can walk us through it. I'm going to switch now to the CNN map, as we call it today. This is a new change today. We've moved New Mexico from a tossup to lean Obama. And the electoral count we have at the moment is 226 electoral votes leaning Obama's way, 189 leaning McCain's way. Let me start with that simple premise. Is that about where you would call the map right now?
STEVE HILDEBRAND, OBAMA DEPUTY CAMPAIGN MGR.: I'd be a little more optimistic than that.
(CROSSTALK)
HILDEBRAND: That's probably not a surprise.
KING: It's our job to be a little bit more cautious.
HILDEBRAND: Of course.
KING: I want you to tell me, Steve, the easiest way -- and let me turn off this to make it easy and I'll show you how to do it. You're the first campaign strategist to touch the map. If you want to turn Virginia, you show it to electoral votes, tap it once it goes Republican. Tap it twice it goes Democrat.
You tell me, I want you to get me -- and I'm going to go back to default and show you where we start. I want you to show me the path you think Barack Obama will take to get from 226 to the magic number of 270.
HILDEBRAND: We feel very good, John, about Minnesota. So we're going to press that to blue. Feel pretty solid about Iowa. It's a state that John McCain has kind of blown off over the course of his career. We're here in Colorado and we're here for a reason...
KING: (INAUDIBLE) a poll today.
HILDEBRAND: Colorado's going to be good. I think we get to Colorado and we go blue. We're at 252.
KING: Now you're pausing. I see this is where it gets hard.
HILDEBRAND: It does get hard. I mean this -- none of this is going to be easy. We got to go to New Hampshire.
KING: That's the state that made John McCain the nominee with a comeback.
HILDEBRAND: Yes, but it's also a state that's really trended Democratic over the course of the last couple of years so we're going there, OK. We got to put Michigan in there, right. There.
KING: All right, you're switching Michigan over. That makes Barack Obama -- under that scenario, Barack Obama would be the next president of the United States, without winning Ohio, without winning Missouri, without winning Florida and without winning a state you think you have a good chance in Virginia. That is your most likely scenario.
HILDEBRAND: Well, look, there are -- we have 22 states in the battleground plan. Eighteen of them we feel are a little bit harder than four of them. There are 13 of them that really are kind of in a dead heat. You know, we're either up -- you know two, three points or we're down two or three points, and so there's -- this is going to bounce around some, but today I would say that's how we get there.
KING: Let me play devil's advocate for one second here. I'm going to give New Hampshire instead to John McCain. I'm going to say John McCain surprises you out here and takes Colorado. Again, it's a hypothetical situation. And let's even say John McCain takes -- somehow manages to take Nevada off that map and that one stays red. Now when it gets harder, how does Barack Obama get there under this scenario when Barack Obama would be at 260, but you have to go into some states that have been red, red, red, and red in the last two presidential elections?
HILDEBRAND: Pretty solidly, we're going to go to Virginia.
KING: That would do it right there. Virginia alone is enough to do it.
HILDEBRAND: Democratic governor, we're on our way to two Democratic senators and we're on our way, I think, to providing electoral votes in Virginia for a Democrat for the first time in several years.
KING: And let me say this one last time before we toss it back. How people often talk of a 50-state strategy, there's no such thing. And no campaign runs in all 50 states. You right now from the convention to November plan on spending time, money and resources in how many states?
HILDEBRAND: Well we have staff in all 50 states. We're focusing a ton of energy on voter registration, as you know, and we're having great success. More than 400,000 new registrants in Michigan, over 400,000 in Georgia, over 400,000 in Pennsylvania. You know things are coming together and John, of those 400,000 in those states, over 60 percent under the age of 35. These are voters we're really working hard to convince and get involved in our campaign.
KING: And, Wolf, as you hear that, Wolf, they are trying to change the map in a way that has not been done. The republicans have nominated electoral politics as you know. Not since Bill Clinton has a Democrat elected president and only Jimmy Carter before that. They're trying to change, use the combination of demographics and new voters to change the electoral map. An optimistic perspective from Steve Hillenbrand. We'll see how it plays out in the weeks ahead.
Again, Barack Obama making history tonight. Steve and the rest of the staff have to pull off electoral magic to make true history come November.
BLITZER: If they can get a lot of new registered voters, young voter, a lot of new African-American voters in some of these states, maybe even southern states like Georgia or Mississippi, especially in Florida. There's a great potential for them.
Next week, John, when we're in St. Paul, I'd like you to do the same thing with Steve's counterpart for the McCain camp because I suspect he'll probably have a little different analysis. Maybe not, maybe he'll have the same analysis. He'll have a different bottom line as far as the analysis is concerned.
KING: We'll bring him up here and give them their chance as well.
BLITZER: All right, guy, thanks, thanks to Steve as well. We'll take another quick break.
Remember, CNNpolitics.com. You can see what's happening up on the podium do behind us. We're streaming it all live. This is going to be the night, the third night, of this Democratic convention. Tomorrow night, Barack Obama will speak at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium. Tonight, we're standing by to hear from Bill Clinton and Joe Biden. A lot more going on here on the floor of the Democratic National Convention and our coverage continues right after this.
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BROWN: Welcome back, everybody, to our coverage of the Democratic convention in Denver, Colorado. Here with the best political team on television.
Tonight, we of course are waiting to hear from Bill Clinton. He'll be speaking in the 9:00 eastern hour tonight and then Barack Obama's choice for vice president, Joe Biden, speaking a little bit later tonight.
I've got with us here Paul Begala, who is just joining us, former adviser to Bill Clinton. Talk to us about what you think he'll say tonight. I'll be frank, I've talked to a lot of people today, a lot of Obama supporters who are a little nervous who are afraid he's not going to be as gushing as everybody wants hem to be.
PAUL BEGALA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: He will go on stage and donate a kidney to Barack in front of this crowd and even still some people in the media will complain.
BROWN: Will complain.
BEGALA: Right. Look, he has never let his party down. Friends of his have talked to him recently. He's told him it has been a form of torture in his words, to watch the slow unwinding of everything he believes in under President Bush. He's very convinced that John McCain will continue. He obviously thought his wife would be the very best person to be president, but short of that, he is enthusiastically supporting Barack Obama. I think all of this sort of hyper ventilation in the hall and in the media only help set the table for Bill Clinton, making him look better still, so maybe we're doing him a favor.
BROWN: You've done some reporting on the speech itself. What are you hearing?
BORGER: I'm hearing that Bill Clinton is really working on it himself. That he's got a bunch of speech writers around him. But as typical with Bill Clinton, he's revising and revising --
BROWN: And probably will be right up until the moment.
BORGER: May not get it up into the prompter in time, we've seen that --
BROWN: That doesn't give them a chance to vet it either.
BORGER: They will, they will. There was some concern he wanted to talk about the economy because he feels that was a trademark of the Clinton years. He's install talking about national security. I was told he's going to sort of link them. Because you have to talk about the national security these days. It's a different world. So I think he's going to manage to do what he wanted to do in the first place.
BROWN: But --
BEGALA: Some of the senior most people in the Obama campaign today and they feel very strongly, this is what -- Bill Clinton can say whatever he wants. The highest level of that campaign, I know, the Obama people are not at all nervous. And I think there was something of a misunderstanding, a part that I misunderstood, strictly required to stay on foreign policy as commander in chief.
BROWN: Right.
BEGALA: That's not the case. I've been told that by the senior people in the Obama campaign. He will -- obviously, he's been the commander in chief, he can speak to that but he'll cover the gamete.
BROWN: John beyond the speech itself and the actual words, do you think there's any concern with the fact we're now three nights in, three nights, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday --
KING: Yes.
BROWN: And it is Clinton we're talking about, another Clinton we're talking about tonight, as opposed to Barack Obama?
KING: Well, they think that President Bill Clinton, especially the former governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton, who was criticized back in 1992 by George H.W. Bush, who is of the generation of John McCain of not having the leadership to be, the quality, the experience to be the commander in chief. They think it's a powerful testimonial to have Bill Clinton go up and make that case in the Obama campaign. They also think he'll be very helpful in some places. They're not going to repeat what many call the Gore mistake and they're going to put Bill Clinton out there on the road.
All that said there are some very strong, hard feelings left over from the primary campaign when people very close to Senator Obama if not Senator Obama himself, believe that Bill Clinton at least went right up to the line of playing the race card during some of the campaign.
But the whole effort here is to put all of these bruises behind. One of the things they're not happy about, Campbell, is even here in the convention city, Bill Clinton has been -- we have been told, and the Obama people have been told that in some small private meetings he has continued to tell people and he has to know this, Bill Clinton knows this right now, nothing is private in politics, that he thinks the media is biased against his wife and cost her the nomination. He continues to say, again, small groups of friend, not in a public way, that he thinks Hillary Clinton would be a much stronger candidate. When the Obama people hear that, they cringe.
BEGALA: Wait a minute. Does anybody expect Michelle Obama to say Hillary Clinton would be a better candidate? Obviously he's for his wife. This is breaking news, CNN reports, Bill Clinton thinks his wife would be better --
KING: The fact he still talks about it in the convention city. Bill Clinton is a very emoted guy. Paul knows him better than anybody up here. He says what's on his mind in small groups all the time. It's how he works.
BROWN: Let me bring in David Gergen who is from New York. There was a great piece in "The Washington Post" today, about the similarities between Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, how much they have in common, and how in a way that might fuel a little bit what appears to be somewhat of a tortured relationship.
GERGEN: Well, I do think that -- you know, it's very, very hard if you're a part of that generation that has dominated the stage for a long time. When you're sort of asked to go to the sidelines and let someone else take the stage. I think there's -- under the circumstance, particularly important for Bill Clinton that he believes -- there are a lot of other people who agree with him that his eight years as a Democratic president, the only eight years the Democrats have enjoyed holding the white house since Franklin Roosevelt, were very good years for the country and for the party.
And that Barack Obama has not sufficiently honored those years that somehow in the primaries, there was, you know, when Obama went against his own wife, that somehow diminished his legacy, especially his economic legacy, which is why he wanted to speak tonight about the economy and be able to compare the Clinton years versus the Bush years.
After all, under Clinton, average wages went up about 16 percent. Under Bush, they've gone down, slightly down. Under Clinton, poverty went down. Under Bush, poverty's gone back up. You know Clinton had an excellent job record. Under Bush, we've had the worst job creation since Eisenhower. Or actually since the Second World War.
There are all those talking points the Democrats have that he would like to give voice to and I think he's been, frankly, hurt some, not only by the media, but by the fact that the man who's now won the nomination, who is ushering him, as you would, gently toward the sidelines, has not given him due deference, we'll have his moment in the sun tonight.
I do think he will be generous. I think Paul Begala is right about that. He'll be magnanimous. He'll surprise us on the upside. But he does nurse some wounds. It will and I think Barack Obama needs to reach out for him -- not only for his help in the election, but he his counsel to be a good president. He's got Joe Biden on one side. He needs Bill Clinton helping him on the international security side, as well as the economic side.
BLITZER: All right, David, stand by. Jim Clyburn, the highest ranking African-American in the United States congress, the number three member in the house, speaking on this historic night.
REP. JIM CLYBURN (D-SC) HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP: People like my wife's uncle Joseph Henry Washington who survived Pearl Harbor, serving aboard the USS Arizona. People like Barack Obama's grandfather who signed up just after Pearl Harbor was bombed and fought in Patton's army.
This moniker, the greatest generation, is well deserved because all who served in World War II contributed greatly to the prosperity of this nation. Many paid the ultimate price. Those at home supported the effort anyway that they could. Veterans returned to attend college. Raised families and helped create the middle class. Everyone played a role in our nation's security. It is what made our nation great.
Today, a new generation faces a different reality. This generation lives in a time when threats no longer come from nations with borders but from terrorist groups, to the rise and tide of global warming and the spread of HIV/AIDS. The uncertainty of these times creates an opportunity for those who would exploit them for political, but that's what we've seen, whether it's under the expansion of the presidential powers, OR when they dared to think the truth to power, the personal discretion of noble veterans like John Garrett and Max Clearer, that approach must be relegated to the past.
Real national security is not bought with arsenals of weapons, miles of chain link fences, or endless tirades of shallow tough talking. Real national security begins with the hart and soul of every American. It is earned by dismantling the fortress of mistrust and deceit, which has been constructed by this administration. It begins by tearing down the barriers of human intolerance and suspicion that have been elected by this administration.
Barack Obama recognizes that, like the greatest generation, we all have roles to play in our nation's security. He recognizes that even those who don't wear the uniform have the opportunity to serve. Around the globe, our leadership is needed. Al Qaeda is still recruiting and the hunt for Bin Laden continues. Instability plagues the former Soviet Union. Tensions persist in the Middle East and genocide ravages Sudan.
In this world, in this time, we cannot afford more of the same. Barack Obama's approach to foreign affairs does not consist of might make it right. But uses right to buttress our might. He is the leader America needs in these difficult times. We need visionary leadership that will make this ...
BROWN: South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn speaking there, a very influential congressman and Wolf, you do remember of course, he was also a big player during the primaries. He had some pretty tough words for Bill Clinton during the primary campaign, telling him to cool it, with regard to his attacks against Obama. And then recently when he was interviewed, think Bill Clinton said that they used to be friends.
BLITZER: Right.
BROWN: In referencing --
BLITZER: I believe he said he wanted Bill Clinton to chill a little bit.
BROWN: Yes.
BLITZER: I remember when I was down in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina moderating one of those Democratic presidential debates that we co-sponsored with the Congressional Black Caucus, he was very much involved. He couldn't endorse Barack Obama formally because as the whip, as the congressional whip, he had to stay sort of neutral, but it was clear where his sentiments were at that time.
But you know what? He makes it clear he's really fond of the Clintons. He thinks they were -- you know, Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton -- was a great president. Yes, they've had some tough time but that was -- I want to move on because we have to take a quick break.
There's a lot more coming up. Before all the big political speeches, coming up even before that, Melissa Etheridge, Campbell, she's here. We're going to hear her perform here on the floor of the Democratic convention.
Remember, later, Bill Clinton will be speaking. He'll be followed by Senator Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential candidate.
CNNpolitics.com is a place you can see everything going on, streaming everything live; CNNpolitics.com. Stick around. Much more of our coverage from the Democratic convention in Denver right after this.
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BROWN: And we're back. More coverage from the Democratic convention here in Denver, Colorado. I'm with Wolf Blitzer and the best political team on television.
We want to check in now with Candy Crowley who is down on the podium for us, and I believe that she's with Congressman Jim Clyburn who we just heard speak a few moments ago -- Candy?
CROWLEY: Hi, I am indeed with the congressman. Congressman, a pretty historic moment here, not so long ago. And I need to ask your personal feeling.
CLYBURN: Well, it's a very, very emotional feeling. I was conflicted for a while when it started, the roll call. And then when it got to Arkansas and Arkansas pledged all of its 47 votes for Barack Obama, I really got a lump in my throat. That was very, very emotional and I think it's demonstrative of the fact that this party has in fact come together and we're going to go from here a very united group.
CROWLEY: And it was a united party but it also is a party that has nominated the first African-American nominee of a major party. And that must have hit you someplace very deep.
CLYBURN: Well, it's a very emotional thing for me. I find it very difficult to talk about. I thought all afternoon about my childhood. I thought about my parents. Just got to go on the stage tonight. One of the handlers said to me I just wish my dad would have lived to see this day.
It's hard to explain what this really means. It means, though, that we -- this party, has taken a step that will help this nation to get behind it, one of those things that it impeded our progress for a long, long time. I do believe that whatever happens from here, we have taken a giant step towards reconciliation in this country.
CROWLEY: And did you flash to anything that has happened in your career? You have seen this country at a very divided point, black versus white. What was actually in your mind when that moment came?
CLYBURN: Well, I really flashed back to sitting in a jail cell. I won't name the city today, it happens to be in my district. Thinking about whether or not the things that we were doing back then would have any real impact. I thought a lot this afternoon about John Lewis who gave it all and all that he through. All of that stuff would have any real beneficial impact. It came to me this afternoon that we did in fact succeed in starting a journey that still is not completed but we started a journey back then that tomorrow night will get us much closer to a more perfect union.
CROWLEY: Congressman James Clyburn,we thank you very much. Big moment for you and the country. You mentioned John Lewis, and we happen to have him standing by.
CLYBURN: That's very good.
CROWLEY: An interesting interview.
I want to throw it to Jessica Yellin who is maybe some place near the Georgia delegation I assume.
YELLIN: That's right, Candy, right here in Georgia with Congressman John Lewis who has lived through so much, the civil rights' struggle. What's going through your mind right now? REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: Well, this is unbelievable. It's unreal. I think about all this suffering, all of the pain, all of the hurt on so many people. So many people gave all they had, so many young people who stood in the line. I think about the three civil rights workers who was killed in Mississippi in 1964. Think about those people who stood and wouldn't give up. They kept the faith and what we see here happening here tonight is a down payment on the fulfillment of the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr.
You know just a few short years ago in Georgia, in Alabama, in Mississippi, many people of color are not even registered to vote. Now these people are about to vote for an African-American to be president of the United States of America. And so when people tell me nothing have changed, I feel like saying, come walk in my shoes.
YELLIN: Thank you very much, sir. Thank you for your time. Congressman John Lewis. Am I tossing, Wolf?
BLITZER: Yep.
BROWN: What a powerful statement from him. You can't overstate what a moment this must feel like on an emotional level.
BLITZER: People like Congressman John Lewis and Congressman Jim Clyburn they've lived through this turbulent era in our history and they remember what happened you know back in the '40s, '50s and '60s and Martin Luther King and off the division in this country and to reach this moment, when Congressman Jim Clyburn who I know quite well, when he says -- he can't even talk about it because he gets so emotional. He remembers. And he's the son of the south in South Carolina. He remembers quite well what this country has gone through and now that these Democrats have nominated Barack Obama to be the -- their choice, to be the next president of the united states, for these people individual it is such a powerful inspirational moment that this country has reached the new level. I know that Paul walks away ...
BEGALA: Mr. Lewis was the leader of the march of Selma and Montgomery on the bridge. He knelt in prayer and George Wallace's thugs beat him over the head and all that he did was pray to resist. And every year, he leads a re-creation of that march. He brought Barack Obama and Barack said I'm a son of Selma. It was a pivotal moment in the campaign.
BLITZER: All right. Guys, I want to take a quick break but our coverage is going to continue, a lot more going on here from the floor. Bill Clinton getting ready to address this Democratic convention. We'll be right back.
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