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Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate

Aired September 04, 2003 - 15:22   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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Not to be outdone by those political scene-stealers in California, the Democratic presidential candidates have their own debate tonight in New Mexico. The first in a series of DNC-sponsored forums is targeted at Latino voters.
Ron Brownstein of "The Los Angeles Times" will be watching the televised debate.

Ron, what about who's going to go after Howard Dean? Is that something we can count on happening tonight?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I spoke to almost all the campaigns yesterday. And I think they are surprisingly ambivalent about that question.

On the one hand, clearly, the common strategic imperative for all of the Democrats is finding a way to slow down Dean, who really has powered his way to the front of the field this summer. On the other hand, as you recall, there was considerable backlash after the last debate in South Carolina at all the Democrats, where many in the party have felt they had been too negative on each other.

And there's also a concern that, if they all gang up on Dean, it may make him stronger. One candidate said it was the Russert effect. You remember, when Howard Dean had a very rough outing on "Meet the Press" earlier this summer, his donations went up. His e-mail support went up. So they're worried about rallying his supporters around him. But there is a need, if not tonight, then soon, for them to find a way to really break his momentum.

WOODRUFF: Well, who has the greatest need? Who would you say has the most at stake tonight?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think John Kerry probably, I think, has the most at stake tonight. He has the greatest need to find a way to cut into Dean, for several reasons, Judy.

One, I think most of the campaigns believe that they are competing to a large extent for the same voters, more upscale, socially liberal voters. Secondly, New Hampshire is shaping up as a titanic contest between of two of them. If Dean significantly beats Kerry there, it may be a fatal wound. Third, Kerry was hoping to relaunch his campaign this week with his formal announcement in Charleston. I was there for that.

And, by and large, it received very mixed reviews from the press and from others in the party, even from some in his own camp. So I think he needs to find a way to start generating some momentum. And tonight would be a good way to do it.

WOODRUFF: One last thing, Ron. This is a targeted, supposedly, toward Latino voters, a Hispanic audience. Is that going to be a factor in the debate, and in the election, for that matter?

BROWNSTEIN: I think fascinating, Judy.

Joe Lieberman came out last night endorsing a comprehensive immigration reform package, which means that now all of the Democrats, all of the major Democratic candidates, are saying that we should provide a process for people who are here illegally, illegal immigrants, to move toward citizenship and, at the same time, provide new guest worker programs that business wants, so sort of a grand compromise.

President Bush put that idea on the table himself two years ago, but has largely backed off of it. And it could be something that you could see all of the Democrats stressing, as they try to secure Latino support against what has been a very concerted effort from Bush to cut into that vote. So, yes, we could see that tonight, yes.

WOODRUFF: A lot to watch for tonight, both with the Hispanic question and on Howard Dean and the rest of it.

Ron Brownstein, joining us today from Tallahassee, thank you very much.

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 September 4, 2003 - 15:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Not to be outdone by those political scene-stealers in California, the Democratic presidential candidates have their own debate tonight in New Mexico. The first in a series of DNC-sponsored forums is targeted at Latino voters.
Ron Brownstein of "The Los Angeles Times" will be watching the televised debate.

Ron, what about who's going to go after Howard Dean? Is that something we can count on happening tonight?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I spoke to almost all the campaigns yesterday. And I think they are surprisingly ambivalent about that question.

On the one hand, clearly, the common strategic imperative for all of the Democrats is finding a way to slow down Dean, who really has powered his way to the front of the field this summer. On the other hand, as you recall, there was considerable backlash after the last debate in South Carolina at all the Democrats, where many in the party have felt they had been too negative on each other.

And there's also a concern that, if they all gang up on Dean, it may make him stronger. One candidate said it was the Russert effect. You remember, when Howard Dean had a very rough outing on "Meet the Press" earlier this summer, his donations went up. His e-mail support went up. So they're worried about rallying his supporters around him. But there is a need, if not tonight, then soon, for them to find a way to really break his momentum.

WOODRUFF: Well, who has the greatest need? Who would you say has the most at stake tonight?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think John Kerry probably, I think, has the most at stake tonight. He has the greatest need to find a way to cut into Dean, for several reasons, Judy.

One, I think most of the campaigns believe that they are competing to a large extent for the same voters, more upscale, socially liberal voters. Secondly, New Hampshire is shaping up as a titanic contest between of two of them. If Dean significantly beats Kerry there, it may be a fatal wound. Third, Kerry was hoping to relaunch his campaign this week with his formal announcement in Charleston. I was there for that.

And, by and large, it received very mixed reviews from the press and from others in the party, even from some in his own camp. So I think he needs to find a way to start generating some momentum. And tonight would be a good way to do it.

WOODRUFF: One last thing, Ron. This is a targeted, supposedly, toward Latino voters, a Hispanic audience. Is that going to be a factor in the debate, and in the election, for that matter?

BROWNSTEIN: I think fascinating, Judy.

Joe Lieberman came out last night endorsing a comprehensive immigration reform package, which means that now all of the Democrats, all of the major Democratic candidates, are saying that we should provide a process for people who are here illegally, illegal immigrants, to move toward citizenship and, at the same time, provide new guest worker programs that business wants, so sort of a grand compromise.

President Bush put that idea on the table himself two years ago, but has largely backed off of it. And it could be something that you could see all of the Democrats stressing, as they try to secure Latino support against what has been a very concerted effort from Bush to cut into that vote. So, yes, we could see that tonight, yes.

WOODRUFF: A lot to watch for tonight, both with the Hispanic question and on Howard Dean and the rest of it.

Ron Brownstein, joining us today from Tallahassee, thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com