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American Morning
Political Landscape Surrounding Democratic Presidential Candidates Looks Different This Morning
Aired January 20, 2004 - 07:31 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: Let's get right back to politics this morning. The political landscape surrounding the Democratic presidential candidates looks a little bit different this morning, now that some votes have actually been cast. Last evening's Iowa caucuses saw Massachusetts Senator John Kerry ride a late wave of support to victory. He won 38 percent of the state's convention delegates. Finishing a strong second was North Carolina Senator John Edwards, with 32 percent. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean won 18 percent. Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt finished fourth with 11 percent.
The result had the winner calling himself comeback Kerry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We came from behind and we came for the fight. And now I have a special message for the special interests that have a home in the Bush White House -- we're coming, you're going and don't let the door hit you on the way out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: John Edwards told his cheering supporters they had begun a movement that "will sweep across America." Edwards said he plans to spend most of the coming week in New Hampshire ahead of that state's primary one week from today. He's going to have plenty of company. Howard Dean has been there, the early leader in the Iowa race, but his campaign stumbled. Dean still leads the polls in New Hampshire.
The big casualty of the evening was the Gephardt campaign. The congressman expected to announce his exit from the race in St. Louis this afternoon, 2:00 p.m. Eastern. CNN is going to carry that live.
We're going to hear from the winner of the Iowa Democratic caucuses, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, coming up in our next hour. We've got a live interview at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
So what can the results of the Iowa caucuses tell us about the race for the Democratic nomination?
Just a bit earlier this morning I spoke with CNN's senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield, and I asked him if we should be surprised by Kerry's victory.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the early excitement about Howard Dean, the way he fired people up with his saying we Democrats have to stick together began to be replaced by a more sober assessment. The fact that three quarters of the Democrats in Iowa who went to the caucuses last night were against the war and yet Dean got only a sliver, a relative sliver, of those votes -- Kerry came in first among those people -- tells you they were looking for something beyond that anti-war statement, some kind of candidate who could stand up to Bush on national security, as Kerry kept arguing.
It absolutely completely scrambles all the assumptions of a couple of weeks ago about now where we were going.
O'BRIEN: Dr. Dean, in fact, came in third place and I want to first, before I ask you a question about it, listen to his, I guess we can call it enthusiastic rant to his supporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Not only are we going to New Hampshire, Tom Harkin, we're going to South Carolina and Oklahoma and Arizona and North Dakota and New Mexico and we're going to California and Texas and New York. And we're going to South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan. And then we're going to Washington, D.C. to take back the White House. Yes!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Quite a speech for a guy who, hey, he came in third.
GREENFIELD: Soledad, you have just shown our audience what could well be one of the most serious self-inflicted wounds in recent political history. I was on the Dean for America Web site last night and read the comments of a lot of his followers, and they were in despair. They described it as un-presidential. They described it as a rant. Remember, this may be the first hard look that millions of Americans on the morning broadcasts like this one, on tonight's evening news, have seen of Dean under fire. And every presidential front runner for the last 24 years has taken an early hit, from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush.
And the question is, all right, what happens? What you just saw now in the wake of the questions that have been raised about Howard Dean's temperament and presidential bearing could not have been more serious and he faces, I think, a very, very serious challenge in trying to redefine himself not only after the loss, but after that election night or caucus night enthusiastic comment.
It's going to be a very tough haul for him and that's going to be -- I hate this cliche, Soledad -- but if you want to talk about potential defining moments, that might be one of them.
O'BRIEN: That's one of them there.
Let's talk a little bit about Dick Gephardt. No official word about pulling out yet from his campaign, but it is expected.
What do you think the effect of that withdrawal, assuming, again, that it does happen, what would that be on this campaign?
GREENFIELD: Two questions the answer to which we don't know. Dick Gephardt was still the favorite of the old unions, the industrial unions, the unions of people who made things with their hands -- auto workers, Teamsters, machinists. Where they go now is a very interesting question.
The other thing it does in a more practical way is February 3rd, where South Carolina and Arizona and New Mexico are on the ballot, also Missouri with 75, I believe, delegates. That becomes the biggest test. That was Dick Gephardt's home state and it's now up for grabs.
And, of course, the other question, if I can anticipate it, is John Edwards. A remarkable second place finish here with no organization, but now he goes to New Hampshire, where Wes Clark is waiting; Joe Lieberman, so far a lesser factor; Howard Dean, with all this money and organization; John Kerry, the neighbor. And John Edwards has an interesting question -- how hard do I contest in New Hampshire or do I kind of pro forma, make that a pro forma state, move down to South Carolina, where I think I'm stronger?
It's an absolutely fascinating, fascinating redrawing of the contest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Senior analyst Jeff Greenfield joining us this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Candidates Looks Different This Morning>
Aired January 20, 2004 - 07:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get right back to politics this morning. The political landscape surrounding the Democratic presidential candidates looks a little bit different this morning, now that some votes have actually been cast. Last evening's Iowa caucuses saw Massachusetts Senator John Kerry ride a late wave of support to victory. He won 38 percent of the state's convention delegates. Finishing a strong second was North Carolina Senator John Edwards, with 32 percent. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean won 18 percent. Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt finished fourth with 11 percent.
The result had the winner calling himself comeback Kerry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We came from behind and we came for the fight. And now I have a special message for the special interests that have a home in the Bush White House -- we're coming, you're going and don't let the door hit you on the way out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: John Edwards told his cheering supporters they had begun a movement that "will sweep across America." Edwards said he plans to spend most of the coming week in New Hampshire ahead of that state's primary one week from today. He's going to have plenty of company. Howard Dean has been there, the early leader in the Iowa race, but his campaign stumbled. Dean still leads the polls in New Hampshire.
The big casualty of the evening was the Gephardt campaign. The congressman expected to announce his exit from the race in St. Louis this afternoon, 2:00 p.m. Eastern. CNN is going to carry that live.
We're going to hear from the winner of the Iowa Democratic caucuses, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, coming up in our next hour. We've got a live interview at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
So what can the results of the Iowa caucuses tell us about the race for the Democratic nomination?
Just a bit earlier this morning I spoke with CNN's senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield, and I asked him if we should be surprised by Kerry's victory.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the early excitement about Howard Dean, the way he fired people up with his saying we Democrats have to stick together began to be replaced by a more sober assessment. The fact that three quarters of the Democrats in Iowa who went to the caucuses last night were against the war and yet Dean got only a sliver, a relative sliver, of those votes -- Kerry came in first among those people -- tells you they were looking for something beyond that anti-war statement, some kind of candidate who could stand up to Bush on national security, as Kerry kept arguing.
It absolutely completely scrambles all the assumptions of a couple of weeks ago about now where we were going.
O'BRIEN: Dr. Dean, in fact, came in third place and I want to first, before I ask you a question about it, listen to his, I guess we can call it enthusiastic rant to his supporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Not only are we going to New Hampshire, Tom Harkin, we're going to South Carolina and Oklahoma and Arizona and North Dakota and New Mexico and we're going to California and Texas and New York. And we're going to South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan. And then we're going to Washington, D.C. to take back the White House. Yes!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Quite a speech for a guy who, hey, he came in third.
GREENFIELD: Soledad, you have just shown our audience what could well be one of the most serious self-inflicted wounds in recent political history. I was on the Dean for America Web site last night and read the comments of a lot of his followers, and they were in despair. They described it as un-presidential. They described it as a rant. Remember, this may be the first hard look that millions of Americans on the morning broadcasts like this one, on tonight's evening news, have seen of Dean under fire. And every presidential front runner for the last 24 years has taken an early hit, from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush.
And the question is, all right, what happens? What you just saw now in the wake of the questions that have been raised about Howard Dean's temperament and presidential bearing could not have been more serious and he faces, I think, a very, very serious challenge in trying to redefine himself not only after the loss, but after that election night or caucus night enthusiastic comment.
It's going to be a very tough haul for him and that's going to be -- I hate this cliche, Soledad -- but if you want to talk about potential defining moments, that might be one of them.
O'BRIEN: That's one of them there.
Let's talk a little bit about Dick Gephardt. No official word about pulling out yet from his campaign, but it is expected.
What do you think the effect of that withdrawal, assuming, again, that it does happen, what would that be on this campaign?
GREENFIELD: Two questions the answer to which we don't know. Dick Gephardt was still the favorite of the old unions, the industrial unions, the unions of people who made things with their hands -- auto workers, Teamsters, machinists. Where they go now is a very interesting question.
The other thing it does in a more practical way is February 3rd, where South Carolina and Arizona and New Mexico are on the ballot, also Missouri with 75, I believe, delegates. That becomes the biggest test. That was Dick Gephardt's home state and it's now up for grabs.
And, of course, the other question, if I can anticipate it, is John Edwards. A remarkable second place finish here with no organization, but now he goes to New Hampshire, where Wes Clark is waiting; Joe Lieberman, so far a lesser factor; Howard Dean, with all this money and organization; John Kerry, the neighbor. And John Edwards has an interesting question -- how hard do I contest in New Hampshire or do I kind of pro forma, make that a pro forma state, move down to South Carolina, where I think I'm stronger?
It's an absolutely fascinating, fascinating redrawing of the contest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Senior analyst Jeff Greenfield joining us this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Candidates Looks Different This Morning>
