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American Morning
Final Hours Before Voting Starts in Iowa
Aired January 19, 2004 - 08:06 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: We expect about 100,000 Iowans to gather at nearly 2,000 caucus locations later tonight as we enter now the final hours before the voting starts. Four candidates -- John Kerry, John Edwards, Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt -- all said to have a realistic chance of winning. It is cold, we know that.
Bob Franken braving the freezing temperatures outside right here in Des Moines -- good morning, Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to Lambeau Field.
HEMMER: Yes, the frozen tundra.
FRANKEN: It's very, very cold. The frozen tundra, of course, is very busy, because the candidates, who, as you pointed out, are all bunched up, if you can believe the polls. The candidates are all over the place.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): One of the most significant of Sunday's events in this Iowa election took place in Georgia.
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But I have been particularly grateful at the courageous and outspoken posture and position that Governor Dean has taken from the very beginning.
FRANKEN: Not quite an endorsement from former President Carter, but still, for Howard Dean, a worthwhile pilgrimage from Iowa.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm here today not just to count down till tomorrow night. I'm here to mark the beginning of the end of the Bush presidency.
FRANKEN: The polls show that Senators John Kerry and John Edwards have both clawed their way slightly past Dean.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Every one of you, if I could reach out and grab you by the shirt and take you there right now, I would, because I need you. I need you at the caucuses.
FRANKEN: So does Richard Gephardt, who is fighting very hard against the perception that he's the fourth man out.
REP. DICK GEPHARDT (D-MO), MINORITY LEADER: Don't believe the polls you're looking at. Polls are unreliable with caucuses. You are the poll. FRANKEN: For his part, Dean even convinced someone to appear with him who has spent almost no time on the campaign trail, his wife.
JUDY DEAN, HOWARD DEAN'S WIFE: My name is Judy Dean. I wanted to come here today and say thank you to the people of Iowa for being so kind and so gracious to my husband, Howard Dean.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: Well, as you can see, they are pulling out all the stops. And well they should, because the candidate who doesn't beat the expectations game here, Bill, is going to be in deep trouble down the road -- Bill.
HEMMER: Hey, Bob, also with this weather being so chilly, what do forecasters say right now on the political side, who that helps or hurts with cold weather later tonight?
FRANKEN: Well, the cold weather could affect the turnout, of course. And there is a feeling that among those who might be less inclined to go out in weather like this is the older voter, the senior citizen. And there are certain candidates who've geared a campaign toward them, specifically Richard Gephardt, who, there is a feeling that that might, in fact, influence turnout in his favor or anybody else who was counting on an elderly vote.
HEMMER: Bob, thanks.
Stay warm out there. Get inside that bus.
Bob Franken here live in downtown Des Moines.
Thank you 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 January 19, 2004 - 08:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We expect about 100,000 Iowans to gather at nearly 2,000 caucus locations later tonight as we enter now the final hours before the voting starts. Four candidates -- John Kerry, John Edwards, Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt -- all said to have a realistic chance of winning. It is cold, we know that.
Bob Franken braving the freezing temperatures outside right here in Des Moines -- good morning, Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to Lambeau Field.
HEMMER: Yes, the frozen tundra.
FRANKEN: It's very, very cold. The frozen tundra, of course, is very busy, because the candidates, who, as you pointed out, are all bunched up, if you can believe the polls. The candidates are all over the place.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): One of the most significant of Sunday's events in this Iowa election took place in Georgia.
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But I have been particularly grateful at the courageous and outspoken posture and position that Governor Dean has taken from the very beginning.
FRANKEN: Not quite an endorsement from former President Carter, but still, for Howard Dean, a worthwhile pilgrimage from Iowa.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm here today not just to count down till tomorrow night. I'm here to mark the beginning of the end of the Bush presidency.
FRANKEN: The polls show that Senators John Kerry and John Edwards have both clawed their way slightly past Dean.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Every one of you, if I could reach out and grab you by the shirt and take you there right now, I would, because I need you. I need you at the caucuses.
FRANKEN: So does Richard Gephardt, who is fighting very hard against the perception that he's the fourth man out.
REP. DICK GEPHARDT (D-MO), MINORITY LEADER: Don't believe the polls you're looking at. Polls are unreliable with caucuses. You are the poll. FRANKEN: For his part, Dean even convinced someone to appear with him who has spent almost no time on the campaign trail, his wife.
JUDY DEAN, HOWARD DEAN'S WIFE: My name is Judy Dean. I wanted to come here today and say thank you to the people of Iowa for being so kind and so gracious to my husband, Howard Dean.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: Well, as you can see, they are pulling out all the stops. And well they should, because the candidate who doesn't beat the expectations game here, Bill, is going to be in deep trouble down the road -- Bill.
HEMMER: Hey, Bob, also with this weather being so chilly, what do forecasters say right now on the political side, who that helps or hurts with cold weather later tonight?
FRANKEN: Well, the cold weather could affect the turnout, of course. And there is a feeling that among those who might be less inclined to go out in weather like this is the older voter, the senior citizen. And there are certain candidates who've geared a campaign toward them, specifically Richard Gephardt, who, there is a feeling that that might, in fact, influence turnout in his favor or anybody else who was counting on an elderly vote.
HEMMER: Bob, thanks.
Stay warm out there. Get inside that bus.
Bob Franken here live in downtown Des Moines.
Thank you 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
