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American Morning
Kerry in Control
Aired January 28, 2004 - 08:34 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: Senator Kerry is planning to campaign in all seven states that hold contests next Tuesday. He's bought TV time, we're told, in all of those states now.
After his Victory in New Hampshire, sounding a familiar campaign refrain last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have a message for the influence peddlers, for the polluters, the HMOs, the big drug companies that get in the way, the big oil, and the special interests who now call the White House their home: Were coming, you're going, and don't let the door hit you on the way out!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: The bounce out of Iowa is certainly significant.
Kelly Wallace, tracking the Kerry campaign, joins us live here in Manchester as well.
What's the credit here now within the campaign for turning this around, Kelly? Where does it go, are they saying?
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, aides credit the candidate himself. They say that over the past several weeks, there was a lot of attention on Howard Dean. And they say during that time, John Kerry got better. He spent hours and hours in town hall meeting, connecting with voters, getting his voice, trying to do a better job on the stump.
But they also credit their strategy. When he was not scoring well here in New Hampshire, his neighboring state, he threw all of his resources into Iowa, hoping to break through there. And once he did there, his aides say, New Hampshire voters were starting to give him a second look here -- Bill.
HEMMER: You know, Kelly, he has tried to avoid this label of the front-runner for the past week now. At this point, it's rather unavoidable. Is there a strategy within the campaign to deal with that now?
WALLACE: It's so interesting, because, Bill, he has definitely avoided the "F" word -- his campaign likes to say -- over the past week and a half, but now a decisive Victory here. He is definitely the front runner. What they are going to do is, they say, continue to fight very hard. They say that they are still going to try and fight in all seven states, up next one week from yesterday. They're going to run television ads, as we have told you. Fund-raising, they say, is up. They have raised more than $1 million on the Internet since Iowa alone.
But they want to try and keep this sort of underdog spirit, saying that now it's seven other states that have to take center stage. He does not a great organization there. He hasn't done a lot. He hasn't been there. So, they way, really, it's a whole new ballgame right now.
HEMMER: Listen, travel well, Kelly. Thanks again. Kelly Wallace there with the Kerry campaign, as she is every day now. 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 28, 2004 - 08:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Senator Kerry is planning to campaign in all seven states that hold contests next Tuesday. He's bought TV time, we're told, in all of those states now.
After his Victory in New Hampshire, sounding a familiar campaign refrain last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have a message for the influence peddlers, for the polluters, the HMOs, the big drug companies that get in the way, the big oil, and the special interests who now call the White House their home: Were coming, you're going, and don't let the door hit you on the way out!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: The bounce out of Iowa is certainly significant.
Kelly Wallace, tracking the Kerry campaign, joins us live here in Manchester as well.
What's the credit here now within the campaign for turning this around, Kelly? Where does it go, are they saying?
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, aides credit the candidate himself. They say that over the past several weeks, there was a lot of attention on Howard Dean. And they say during that time, John Kerry got better. He spent hours and hours in town hall meeting, connecting with voters, getting his voice, trying to do a better job on the stump.
But they also credit their strategy. When he was not scoring well here in New Hampshire, his neighboring state, he threw all of his resources into Iowa, hoping to break through there. And once he did there, his aides say, New Hampshire voters were starting to give him a second look here -- Bill.
HEMMER: You know, Kelly, he has tried to avoid this label of the front-runner for the past week now. At this point, it's rather unavoidable. Is there a strategy within the campaign to deal with that now?
WALLACE: It's so interesting, because, Bill, he has definitely avoided the "F" word -- his campaign likes to say -- over the past week and a half, but now a decisive Victory here. He is definitely the front runner. What they are going to do is, they say, continue to fight very hard. They say that they are still going to try and fight in all seven states, up next one week from yesterday. They're going to run television ads, as we have told you. Fund-raising, they say, is up. They have raised more than $1 million on the Internet since Iowa alone.
But they want to try and keep this sort of underdog spirit, saying that now it's seven other states that have to take center stage. He does not a great organization there. He hasn't done a lot. He hasn't been there. So, they way, really, it's a whole new ballgame right now.
HEMMER: Listen, travel well, Kelly. Thanks again. Kelly Wallace there with the Kerry campaign, as she is every day now. 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.
