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American Morning

America Votes 2002: Minnesota and Texas

Aired November 05, 2002 - 09:06   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Our election coverage now taking us this morning to all the key battleground states.
Right now Kelly Wallace, as I mentioned, is standing by in Crawford, Texas, and Bob Franken, too, watching and waiting in St. Paul, Minnesota. We will start there this hour.

Bob, it is snowing. The weather looks quite Minnesota like.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, rub it in.

HEMMER: Not to rub it in too bad, I think it's about 80 degrees here in Miami. Any effect from that weather today, Bob, good morning?

FRANKEN: Well, thank you for sharing that with me. I should point out that now we know why so many of the absentee ballots that are being cast in Minnesota are being cast by snowbirds down where you are, and of course absentee ballots could be a factor here. Not only are the lawyers ready here in case there are some challenges to the way that they're counted, et cetera, but they're of course the ones down in Florida.

Now of course this is a race between Mr. Mondale, Walter Mondale, who hasn't run for election since 1984, and his Republican opponent, Norm Coleman. Of course this weather up here wouldn't even be considered a factor. I believe they call this spring up here. It's snowing a little bit, but that should not really have a great effect on the voting.

There's quite a bit of passion in this election. It's extremely close. The passion, of course, brought on by the tragic circumstances that caused it to be a Mondale-Coleman race so I would expect the turnout is going to be heavy. And the one thing to remember with the absentee ballots and the supplemental ballots that had to be created, it could be a longer night than usual here. It could be at least past midnight before they count -- Bill.

HEMMER: Ice fishing just around the corner, too, Bob, in case you're there a while. Thank you, Bob.

Bob Franken in St. Paul.

To Crawford, here is Kelly Wallace watching the president as he casts his ballot with the first lady.

Hey -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Bill.

We're just a few miles away from that local firehouse here in the town of Crawford and that is where the president and the first lady arrived just a short time ago to cast their votes. The president waving to the crowd. He is inside now voting, and we do expect that he will come out and talk to reporters.

There are a couple of very close races in the state of Texas, the race for a Senate seat and also the gubernatorial race. The president jokingly saying yesterday that he is not undecided, that he clearly knows which party he will be voting for.

After voting, the president and the first lady make their way back to the White House to watch the election returns. The White House, in fact, setting up a command center. This after the president really barnstorming across the country, 5 days, 15 states, trying to energize Republicans to get to the polls. There are so many close races. Both parties believe voter turnout could be decisive.

And we have been saying all morning, White House aides cautiously optimistic. They think Republicans will hold on to the House, unclear what will happen in the Senate, but they do believe Republicans won't lose congressional seats in this election. And they say traditionally, of course, the president's party does not do as well in the president's first off-year election. So they think the president could be bucking some historical trends.

Bill, Democrats, of course, see things differently. They think having the president traveling around the country will energize the Democratic base. They expect to have a big day today. Of course, it all remains to be seen.

Back to you.

HEMMER: Yes, hey, Kelly, from your perch at the White House, was this barnstorming tour, was it planned a week ago, was it planned two weeks ago or was the White House essentially fishing and feeling its way through in the past few days?

As I say that, let's go back here to the president. The first lady now has emerged. Her birthday was yesterday for the First Lady Laura Bush. We will wait for her husband right now, see if there are any words here in Crawford.

It is our understanding that we may hear from the president, a few words anyway, and we will stand by to wait for that. If you were with us a few minutes ago when the president emerged from that SUV before going into that firehouse, he yelled across the road there to reporters encouraging all Americans to go to the polls today and vote this Election Day 2002. Looks like there's a scramble for reporters.

Kelly, as we wait for the president, can you answer that question with regard to how the White House plotted it's strategy in the past few days here, did they fish and feel or was that pretty much the set plan to barnstorm of the final five days? WALLACE: Well the plan, Bill, was always to have the president out as much as possible, again, to rally Republicans. Exactly where he would go, those decisions really made on a day-by-day basis, trying to get the president to the closest races around the country. And we saw him over the past several days at places where you have very tight Senate races, Minnesota, South Dakota, Georgia, Missouri. The president also here in Texas. So it was always the plan to have the president out.

White House aides know that there is a lot at stake. The president's political standing can be on the line. If Republicans don't do well, he could get the blame; but they felt they had more to -- more to gain, rather, than lose because the president is enjoying such a high approval rating -- Bill.

HEMMER: Right around 60 percent, if not a bit greater than that.

Kelly, thank you.

And let's take a look at the president right now. He was talking to reporters for about 45 seconds, according to my watch. We'll have his comments for you as soon as we can get them back from Crawford.

In the meantime, though, as Kelly was mentioning, it is essentially an overtime -- an overtime push for the president in the final five days of this. And for now it is Crawford, Texas. Later, back to the White House as we all await, as does the president, awaits the results of this Election Day 2002. We heard the approval rating 60 percent, sometimes a little higher than that depending on the poll. It has been some time since we can say a sitting president was that strong as we head into midterm elections.

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 November 5, 2002 - 09:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Our election coverage now taking us this morning to all the key battleground states.
Right now Kelly Wallace, as I mentioned, is standing by in Crawford, Texas, and Bob Franken, too, watching and waiting in St. Paul, Minnesota. We will start there this hour.

Bob, it is snowing. The weather looks quite Minnesota like.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, rub it in.

HEMMER: Not to rub it in too bad, I think it's about 80 degrees here in Miami. Any effect from that weather today, Bob, good morning?

FRANKEN: Well, thank you for sharing that with me. I should point out that now we know why so many of the absentee ballots that are being cast in Minnesota are being cast by snowbirds down where you are, and of course absentee ballots could be a factor here. Not only are the lawyers ready here in case there are some challenges to the way that they're counted, et cetera, but they're of course the ones down in Florida.

Now of course this is a race between Mr. Mondale, Walter Mondale, who hasn't run for election since 1984, and his Republican opponent, Norm Coleman. Of course this weather up here wouldn't even be considered a factor. I believe they call this spring up here. It's snowing a little bit, but that should not really have a great effect on the voting.

There's quite a bit of passion in this election. It's extremely close. The passion, of course, brought on by the tragic circumstances that caused it to be a Mondale-Coleman race so I would expect the turnout is going to be heavy. And the one thing to remember with the absentee ballots and the supplemental ballots that had to be created, it could be a longer night than usual here. It could be at least past midnight before they count -- Bill.

HEMMER: Ice fishing just around the corner, too, Bob, in case you're there a while. Thank you, Bob.

Bob Franken in St. Paul.

To Crawford, here is Kelly Wallace watching the president as he casts his ballot with the first lady.

Hey -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Bill.

We're just a few miles away from that local firehouse here in the town of Crawford and that is where the president and the first lady arrived just a short time ago to cast their votes. The president waving to the crowd. He is inside now voting, and we do expect that he will come out and talk to reporters.

There are a couple of very close races in the state of Texas, the race for a Senate seat and also the gubernatorial race. The president jokingly saying yesterday that he is not undecided, that he clearly knows which party he will be voting for.

After voting, the president and the first lady make their way back to the White House to watch the election returns. The White House, in fact, setting up a command center. This after the president really barnstorming across the country, 5 days, 15 states, trying to energize Republicans to get to the polls. There are so many close races. Both parties believe voter turnout could be decisive.

And we have been saying all morning, White House aides cautiously optimistic. They think Republicans will hold on to the House, unclear what will happen in the Senate, but they do believe Republicans won't lose congressional seats in this election. And they say traditionally, of course, the president's party does not do as well in the president's first off-year election. So they think the president could be bucking some historical trends.

Bill, Democrats, of course, see things differently. They think having the president traveling around the country will energize the Democratic base. They expect to have a big day today. Of course, it all remains to be seen.

Back to you.

HEMMER: Yes, hey, Kelly, from your perch at the White House, was this barnstorming tour, was it planned a week ago, was it planned two weeks ago or was the White House essentially fishing and feeling its way through in the past few days?

As I say that, let's go back here to the president. The first lady now has emerged. Her birthday was yesterday for the First Lady Laura Bush. We will wait for her husband right now, see if there are any words here in Crawford.

It is our understanding that we may hear from the president, a few words anyway, and we will stand by to wait for that. If you were with us a few minutes ago when the president emerged from that SUV before going into that firehouse, he yelled across the road there to reporters encouraging all Americans to go to the polls today and vote this Election Day 2002. Looks like there's a scramble for reporters.

Kelly, as we wait for the president, can you answer that question with regard to how the White House plotted it's strategy in the past few days here, did they fish and feel or was that pretty much the set plan to barnstorm of the final five days? WALLACE: Well the plan, Bill, was always to have the president out as much as possible, again, to rally Republicans. Exactly where he would go, those decisions really made on a day-by-day basis, trying to get the president to the closest races around the country. And we saw him over the past several days at places where you have very tight Senate races, Minnesota, South Dakota, Georgia, Missouri. The president also here in Texas. So it was always the plan to have the president out.

White House aides know that there is a lot at stake. The president's political standing can be on the line. If Republicans don't do well, he could get the blame; but they felt they had more to -- more to gain, rather, than lose because the president is enjoying such a high approval rating -- Bill.

HEMMER: Right around 60 percent, if not a bit greater than that.

Kelly, thank you.

And let's take a look at the president right now. He was talking to reporters for about 45 seconds, according to my watch. We'll have his comments for you as soon as we can get them back from Crawford.

In the meantime, though, as Kelly was mentioning, it is essentially an overtime -- an overtime push for the president in the final five days of this. And for now it is Crawford, Texas. Later, back to the White House as we all await, as does the president, awaits the results of this Election Day 2002. We heard the approval rating 60 percent, sometimes a little higher than that depending on the poll. It has been some time since we can say a sitting president was that strong as we head into midterm elections.

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