Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Analysis of Democratic Presidential Debate

Aired October 27, 2003 - 15:14   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: Back now to INSIDE POLITICS and more on that Democratic presidential debate that we were telling you about just a minute ago in Detroit. I'm joined by CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein of the "Los Angeles Times."
Ron, you argue -- we listened to Candy's report just a moment ago. You argue though that what's going on with this Democratic contest is that, in a way, they are hurt because they're stuck on one subject.

RON BROWNSTEIN, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": They are really getting wrapped around the axle here, and it has implications for both the primary and the general election. Probably for the primary this is a good thing for Howard Dean. I thought last night was good for him for two reasons, Judy.

They spent most of the evening focusing on the issue where he is strongest, at least in the context of the primary, the war in Iraq and the aftermath. And as a result, they really -- the other candidates who want to move on to other issues weren't able to introduce them. Particularly, you see John Kerry and Dick Gephardt, I think, giving clear signals that they view their best opportunity against Dean in the coming weeks is to focus on his comments about Medicare both in the '90s, and more recently, try to broaden the debate to that domestic issue. But it's being continued to be overshadowed by the war in Iraq.

WOODRUFF: But what's to stop them, Ron, from turning questions in the direction that they want? Why can't they do that?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think, clearly, what you're seeing now is that the candidates -- first of all, you're right, Judy. The candidates are complicit in this because they have concluded that right now this is the issue that is moving voters more than any other. The distinctions over Iraq have been the sharpest and the most purposeful in this campaign.

There are differences about health care, there are differences about the economy, there are differences about the environment. But no one has really found a way to make those meaningful to voters in the same way that Iraq is.

But there's also another factor: reality. Reality counts. Iraq is burning literally today. It is an issue that is of great moment for the country and certainly for the Democratic primary voters. It's hard to get away from it entirely. On the other, I think there is a frustration among many of the candidates that the debates continue to be dominated by this one concern.

WOODRUFF: But Ron, couldn't it be that Iraq turns out to be a crucial issue, a critical issue next year when people get into the voting booths?

BROWNSTEIN: Absolutely.

WOODRUFF: Both in the primaries and...

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, I think it will be a critical issue both in the primaries and in the general election. The question is, of course, whether it will be the only issue.

Many Democrats would argue they need to begin sharpening their domestic case against President Bush on issues like job loss and health care and so forth. And I think it would be hard for you to sit here and say that we could between us rattle off John Kerry's or Howard Dean's or Dick Gephardt's answer on most of these questions simply because they have not been forced to articulate them and sharpen that critique. They are centering again and again on this one concern in Iraq.

WOODRUFF: But in the meantime, Howard Dean, because he's been the front-runner lately, remains the front-runner, essentially.

BROWNSTEIN: I think this benefits him to have the focus right now. You could see it last night. Dick Gephardt, trying to defend his position on supporting the $87 billion for reconstructing Iraq, used a double negative to explain why he did it. But the candidates who support the war and the aftermath are on the defensive. Democratic voters, by and large, are suspicious of the war, suspicious of the $87 billion. As long as they are arguing about that, I can't see how that's not, to use a double negative, in Howard Dean's interest.

WOODRUFF: So what's it going to take for one of these other candidates besides Dean to break it out?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think what you're seeing is the first indication of how they might do that between Dick Gephardt and John Kerry focusing on entitlements, Kerry adding the tax cut issue, aiming at a less affluent, less well educated audience that is more moved by bread and butter concerns than the broader sort of ideological issues of foreign policy. Both in Iowa and beyond New Hampshire, they have a potential constituency in non-college educated voters. And now they are showing they may have a message for them, attacking Dean on the entitlement front and, to some extent, taxes.

WOODRUFF: Lots more to watch. It's only October 27. Is that right? We've still got a few weeks to go.

BROWNSTEIN: That's right. They're with us full-time now.

WOODRUFF: That they are, and we're glad for it. All right. Ron Brownstein, thanks 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 October 27, 2003 - 15:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Back now to INSIDE POLITICS and more on that Democratic presidential debate that we were telling you about just a minute ago in Detroit. I'm joined by CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein of the "Los Angeles Times."
Ron, you argue -- we listened to Candy's report just a moment ago. You argue though that what's going on with this Democratic contest is that, in a way, they are hurt because they're stuck on one subject.

RON BROWNSTEIN, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": They are really getting wrapped around the axle here, and it has implications for both the primary and the general election. Probably for the primary this is a good thing for Howard Dean. I thought last night was good for him for two reasons, Judy.

They spent most of the evening focusing on the issue where he is strongest, at least in the context of the primary, the war in Iraq and the aftermath. And as a result, they really -- the other candidates who want to move on to other issues weren't able to introduce them. Particularly, you see John Kerry and Dick Gephardt, I think, giving clear signals that they view their best opportunity against Dean in the coming weeks is to focus on his comments about Medicare both in the '90s, and more recently, try to broaden the debate to that domestic issue. But it's being continued to be overshadowed by the war in Iraq.

WOODRUFF: But what's to stop them, Ron, from turning questions in the direction that they want? Why can't they do that?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think, clearly, what you're seeing now is that the candidates -- first of all, you're right, Judy. The candidates are complicit in this because they have concluded that right now this is the issue that is moving voters more than any other. The distinctions over Iraq have been the sharpest and the most purposeful in this campaign.

There are differences about health care, there are differences about the economy, there are differences about the environment. But no one has really found a way to make those meaningful to voters in the same way that Iraq is.

But there's also another factor: reality. Reality counts. Iraq is burning literally today. It is an issue that is of great moment for the country and certainly for the Democratic primary voters. It's hard to get away from it entirely. On the other, I think there is a frustration among many of the candidates that the debates continue to be dominated by this one concern.

WOODRUFF: But Ron, couldn't it be that Iraq turns out to be a crucial issue, a critical issue next year when people get into the voting booths?

BROWNSTEIN: Absolutely.

WOODRUFF: Both in the primaries and...

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, I think it will be a critical issue both in the primaries and in the general election. The question is, of course, whether it will be the only issue.

Many Democrats would argue they need to begin sharpening their domestic case against President Bush on issues like job loss and health care and so forth. And I think it would be hard for you to sit here and say that we could between us rattle off John Kerry's or Howard Dean's or Dick Gephardt's answer on most of these questions simply because they have not been forced to articulate them and sharpen that critique. They are centering again and again on this one concern in Iraq.

WOODRUFF: But in the meantime, Howard Dean, because he's been the front-runner lately, remains the front-runner, essentially.

BROWNSTEIN: I think this benefits him to have the focus right now. You could see it last night. Dick Gephardt, trying to defend his position on supporting the $87 billion for reconstructing Iraq, used a double negative to explain why he did it. But the candidates who support the war and the aftermath are on the defensive. Democratic voters, by and large, are suspicious of the war, suspicious of the $87 billion. As long as they are arguing about that, I can't see how that's not, to use a double negative, in Howard Dean's interest.

WOODRUFF: So what's it going to take for one of these other candidates besides Dean to break it out?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think what you're seeing is the first indication of how they might do that between Dick Gephardt and John Kerry focusing on entitlements, Kerry adding the tax cut issue, aiming at a less affluent, less well educated audience that is more moved by bread and butter concerns than the broader sort of ideological issues of foreign policy. Both in Iowa and beyond New Hampshire, they have a potential constituency in non-college educated voters. And now they are showing they may have a message for them, attacking Dean on the entitlement front and, to some extent, taxes.

WOODRUFF: Lots more to watch. It's only October 27. Is that right? We've still got a few weeks to go.

BROWNSTEIN: That's right. They're with us full-time now.

WOODRUFF: That they are, and we're glad for it. All right. Ron Brownstein, thanks 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