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American Morning
Democrats in Final Debate Before New Hampshire Primary
Aired January 23, 2004 - 07:04 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 begin with politics and that critical debate in New Hampshire. The seven Democratic presidential candidates, meeting last night in what may have been their last chance to together and best chance to sway a large number of voters before the primary on Tuesday, and it is a critical one yet again.
Bob Franken starts us off live in Manchester.
Bob -- good morning there.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
There's a saying about rugby that you don't win at rugby; you survive. Well, the debate was kind of like that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): Rule No. 1: make no mistakes, and in the case of Howard Dean, to smooth over that big mistake.
HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think a lot of people have had a lot of fun at my expense over the Iowa hooting and hollering, and that's justified. The one thing I can tell you is that I'm not kidding about what I say.
FRANKEN: But Al Sharpton couldn't resist a little kidding.
REV. AL SHARPTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I had spent the money you did and got 18 percent, I'd still be in Iowa hooting and hollering.
FRANKEN: But here, the new favorite is John Kerry, who focused from the top on President Bush.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And he has not helped the average worker in America to advance their cause.
FRANKEN: Joe Lieberman tried, meanwhile, to stand out as impervious to Republican attacks.
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think the reason is that the Republicans can't run their normal playbook on me that they try to run on Democratic candidates.
FRANKEN: That other 2004 first-timer, Wesley Clark, was still trying to justify being a brand new Democrat.
WESLEY CLARK, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I'm in this party now, and I'll bring a lot of other people into this party, too.
FRANKEN: This was a defensive battle; for John Edwards, defense against the nagging charges of inexperience.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think 32 percent of Iowans decided it was not too early, that they wanted me to be their president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: Well, it was debate-lite. Each of the candidates seemed intent on not antagonizing each other or, for that matter, antagonizing any Democrats -- Bill.
HEMMER: Bob, meanwhile, there is a much talked about interview, airing on ABC with Diane Sawyer, Howard Dean and his wife sitting down and talking, and largely talking about what happened late Monday night with that speech back in Iowa. How is that playing so far? Can you tell yet or not?
FRANKEN: Well, it's hard to tell, but anybody who watched it realized that there seems to be an intense effort going on to show Howard Dean as warm and fuzzy and have a complete, dramatic turnaround in the image that he portrays.
HEMMER: We're going to play a little bit of that interview a bit later today. Bob, thanks -- Bob Franken there in Manchester.
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 23, 2004 - 07:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with politics and that critical debate in New Hampshire. The seven Democratic presidential candidates, meeting last night in what may have been their last chance to together and best chance to sway a large number of voters before the primary on Tuesday, and it is a critical one yet again.
Bob Franken starts us off live in Manchester.
Bob -- good morning there.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
There's a saying about rugby that you don't win at rugby; you survive. Well, the debate was kind of like that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): Rule No. 1: make no mistakes, and in the case of Howard Dean, to smooth over that big mistake.
HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think a lot of people have had a lot of fun at my expense over the Iowa hooting and hollering, and that's justified. The one thing I can tell you is that I'm not kidding about what I say.
FRANKEN: But Al Sharpton couldn't resist a little kidding.
REV. AL SHARPTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I had spent the money you did and got 18 percent, I'd still be in Iowa hooting and hollering.
FRANKEN: But here, the new favorite is John Kerry, who focused from the top on President Bush.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And he has not helped the average worker in America to advance their cause.
FRANKEN: Joe Lieberman tried, meanwhile, to stand out as impervious to Republican attacks.
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think the reason is that the Republicans can't run their normal playbook on me that they try to run on Democratic candidates.
FRANKEN: That other 2004 first-timer, Wesley Clark, was still trying to justify being a brand new Democrat.
WESLEY CLARK, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I'm in this party now, and I'll bring a lot of other people into this party, too.
FRANKEN: This was a defensive battle; for John Edwards, defense against the nagging charges of inexperience.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think 32 percent of Iowans decided it was not too early, that they wanted me to be their president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: Well, it was debate-lite. Each of the candidates seemed intent on not antagonizing each other or, for that matter, antagonizing any Democrats -- Bill.
HEMMER: Bob, meanwhile, there is a much talked about interview, airing on ABC with Diane Sawyer, Howard Dean and his wife sitting down and talking, and largely talking about what happened late Monday night with that speech back in Iowa. How is that playing so far? Can you tell yet or not?
FRANKEN: Well, it's hard to tell, but anybody who watched it realized that there seems to be an intense effort going on to show Howard Dean as warm and fuzzy and have a complete, dramatic turnaround in the image that he portrays.
HEMMER: We're going to play a little bit of that interview a bit later today. Bob, thanks -- Bob Franken there in Manchester.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
