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American Morning
Iowa Caucuses Just Five Days Away
Aired January 14, 2004 - 07:37 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Turning to talk about politics now. And all eyes are on the Hawkeye State. The year's first big presidential contest, the Iowa caucuses, just five days away.
CNN's Bob Franken taking a ride on the election express this morning. He is live for us from the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City -- hey, Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
And whether the other Democrats like it or not, this is really ending up as a vote for or against Howard Dean. He is really the focus of much of the attention here and he's got some new television ads that are out that are being characterized by his opponents as attack ads. The opponents are saying they are shocked, shocked that there would be attack ads.
Well, here is what they are shocked about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM HOWARD DEAN CAMPAIGN AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where did the Washington Democrats stand on the war? Dick Gephardt wrote the resolution to authorize war. John Kerry and John Edwards both voted for the war. Then Dick Gephardt voted to spend another $87 billion on Iraq. Howard Dean has a different view.
DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I opposed the war in Iraq and I'm against the...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Well, Howard Dean's view is not a view, of course, shared by his opponents. John Kerry was out, as a matter of fact, showing off support from Vietnam veterans, trying to point up his war record.
It's important to note that Iowa has a very large, large population of veterans, nearly 300 in the state. This is where a state, which, of course, has such importance everybody is pulling out all the stops, playing every advantage he can. Howard Dean and everybody else looking for a win in the expectations game and everybody looking to surprise everybody else -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: There's a huge undecided population, though, if you look at the polls.
What's the mood like there? What's the tone? Is there a sense that this thing could go any way?
FRANKEN: Well, there is a sense that we are making it sound like that. Right now the polls show that it's very close between Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt. Dean is now in the position where he has to do well here. Gephardt has to do well here because this is considered a strong state for him. Kerry and Edwards are trying to beat each other, in effect, so they can spring into New Hampshire having beaten the expectations game.
O'BRIEN: Bob Franken is out there for us this morning, looking a little cold.
Thanks, Bob.
We appreciate it.
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 January 14, 2004 - 07:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Turning to talk about politics now. And all eyes are on the Hawkeye State. The year's first big presidential contest, the Iowa caucuses, just five days away.
CNN's Bob Franken taking a ride on the election express this morning. He is live for us from the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City -- hey, Bob, good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
And whether the other Democrats like it or not, this is really ending up as a vote for or against Howard Dean. He is really the focus of much of the attention here and he's got some new television ads that are out that are being characterized by his opponents as attack ads. The opponents are saying they are shocked, shocked that there would be attack ads.
Well, here is what they are shocked about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM HOWARD DEAN CAMPAIGN AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where did the Washington Democrats stand on the war? Dick Gephardt wrote the resolution to authorize war. John Kerry and John Edwards both voted for the war. Then Dick Gephardt voted to spend another $87 billion on Iraq. Howard Dean has a different view.
DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I opposed the war in Iraq and I'm against the...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Well, Howard Dean's view is not a view, of course, shared by his opponents. John Kerry was out, as a matter of fact, showing off support from Vietnam veterans, trying to point up his war record.
It's important to note that Iowa has a very large, large population of veterans, nearly 300 in the state. This is where a state, which, of course, has such importance everybody is pulling out all the stops, playing every advantage he can. Howard Dean and everybody else looking for a win in the expectations game and everybody looking to surprise everybody else -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: There's a huge undecided population, though, if you look at the polls.
What's the mood like there? What's the tone? Is there a sense that this thing could go any way?
FRANKEN: Well, there is a sense that we are making it sound like that. Right now the polls show that it's very close between Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt. Dean is now in the position where he has to do well here. Gephardt has to do well here because this is considered a strong state for him. Kerry and Edwards are trying to beat each other, in effect, so they can spring into New Hampshire having beaten the expectations game.
O'BRIEN: Bob Franken is out there for us this morning, looking a little cold.
Thanks, Bob.
We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
