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New Hampshire and Iowa Still Critical?
Aired October 23, 2003 - 15:18 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: By virtue of their spots on the political calendar, Iowa and New Hampshire step into the presidential spotlight every four years.
But our Bruce Morton reports, there are increasing signs, other states are taking steps to increase their own political clout.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRUCE MORTON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It used to be easy. The first Iowa presidential caucus in 1972 drew a handful of reporters, who wrote that George McGovern had finished a strong second behind front-runner Ed Muskie. On to New Hampshire. McGovern would be the nominee; 1976, Jimmy Carter won Iowa, never looked back; 1980, George Bush won Iowa, but Ronald Reagan thumped him in New Hampshire and rolled to victory; 1984, Mondale won Iowa. Gary Hart won New Hampshire and they fought it; 1988, Michael Dukakis was third in Iowa, but won New Hampshire and the nomination. Republican Bush did the same thing.
In 1992, Iowa didn't count because its own senator, Tom Harkin, was running for the Democratic nomination. But Bill Clinton finished second in New Hampshire and went on to win, calling himself the comeback kid.
(on camera): Simple. You made your mark in those two states. Party rules said they got to go first. But more recently, well, there have been a few challenges to that. Louisiana held early caucuses in '96, but, in the end, they didn't matter. Pat Buchanan won, but then disappeared. In Florida, Republicans held a straw vote that year, lots of attention, big news.
(voice-over): Florida Democrats are talking about a straw vote this year. The national party is warning the candidates not to play. But it's a state convention and reporters will be there and cameras. And, gosh, could they really stay away, especially when two presidential candidates, Wesley Clark and Joe Lieberman, are skipping Iowa?
Even the poor old District of Columbia, which has an against- party-rules beauty-contest primary before New Hampshire, although it picks its delegates later, is getting noticed. Joe Lieberman has an event in D.C. this evening. A political event? A spokesman says, "We're continuing to work on that." And John Kerry will campaign here, but for delegates, of course. Don't want to get New Hampshire mad. Can somebody win without the first two states? Maybe. The calendar is more front-loaded in 2004. Seven states have primaries or caucuses the week after New Hampshire. Maybe you can wait that long to win something. It would be different.
Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 October 23, 2003 - 15:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: By virtue of their spots on the political calendar, Iowa and New Hampshire step into the presidential spotlight every four years.
But our Bruce Morton reports, there are increasing signs, other states are taking steps to increase their own political clout.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRUCE MORTON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It used to be easy. The first Iowa presidential caucus in 1972 drew a handful of reporters, who wrote that George McGovern had finished a strong second behind front-runner Ed Muskie. On to New Hampshire. McGovern would be the nominee; 1976, Jimmy Carter won Iowa, never looked back; 1980, George Bush won Iowa, but Ronald Reagan thumped him in New Hampshire and rolled to victory; 1984, Mondale won Iowa. Gary Hart won New Hampshire and they fought it; 1988, Michael Dukakis was third in Iowa, but won New Hampshire and the nomination. Republican Bush did the same thing.
In 1992, Iowa didn't count because its own senator, Tom Harkin, was running for the Democratic nomination. But Bill Clinton finished second in New Hampshire and went on to win, calling himself the comeback kid.
(on camera): Simple. You made your mark in those two states. Party rules said they got to go first. But more recently, well, there have been a few challenges to that. Louisiana held early caucuses in '96, but, in the end, they didn't matter. Pat Buchanan won, but then disappeared. In Florida, Republicans held a straw vote that year, lots of attention, big news.
(voice-over): Florida Democrats are talking about a straw vote this year. The national party is warning the candidates not to play. But it's a state convention and reporters will be there and cameras. And, gosh, could they really stay away, especially when two presidential candidates, Wesley Clark and Joe Lieberman, are skipping Iowa?
Even the poor old District of Columbia, which has an against- party-rules beauty-contest primary before New Hampshire, although it picks its delegates later, is getting noticed. Joe Lieberman has an event in D.C. this evening. A political event? A spokesman says, "We're continuing to work on that." And John Kerry will campaign here, but for delegates, of course. Don't want to get New Hampshire mad. Can somebody win without the first two states? Maybe. The calendar is more front-loaded in 2004. Seven states have primaries or caucuses the week after New Hampshire. Maybe you can wait that long to win something. It would be different.
Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
