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American Morning

Kerry Turns Southern Showdown into Landslide

Aired February 11, 2004 - 07:32   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: Back to politics now. Senator John Kerry is pledging to "take one step at a time" despite the seemingly unstoppable momentum of his drive for the Democratic nomination. Kerry chalked up two more victories yesterday, first in Virginia, where he won 52 percent of the vote; Senator John Edwards, second place, with 27 percent. Wesley Clark picked up nine percent.
It was more of the same in the Volunteer State, Tennessee, where Kerry took 41 percent there. Edwards followed at 26 percent and Clark at 23 percent.

Kerry has won 12 of 14 contests this year. He now has about a quarter of the national convention delegates needed for the nomination. The next big contest is Tuesday, next Tuesday, in Wisconsin.

So, now what happens? After Kerry turned the Southern showdown into a landslide, Bob Franken now with the fallout from Kerry's latest big night, beginning with the thinning field of candidates.

Here's Bob.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): General Wesley Clark is preparing his surrender.

MATT BENNETT, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, CLARK CAMPAIGN: General Clark has decided to leave the race.

FRANKEN: But Clark was not about to give up the ghost today without a final brave word last night.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We may have lost this battle today, but I'll tell you what, we're not going to lose the battle for America's future.

FRANKEN: And so much for the claim that John Kerry is unproven in the South.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Americans are voting for change, east and west, north and now in the south.

FRANKEN: John Kerry rolled over John Edwards, too. But Edwards decided he had done well enough and was not ready to forfeit to Kerry.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The voters who voted today in the election for saying to the country that we're going to have a campaign and an election, not a coronation.

FRANKEN: And lurking up north in Wisconsin, Howard Dean, trying to resuscitate his campaign and trying to knock the wind out of Kerry's.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We'll find out if Wisconsin voters think John Kerry is really about change or not.

FRANKEN: Kerry is leading in most Wisconsin polls thus far.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: And the candidates, other than Kerry, are trying to grasp at his formula for success. But many of the experts, Bill, feel like they're grasping at straws.

HEMMER: Bob Franken, thanks for that.

Much more throughout the morning here -- Soledad now with more.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Bill, thanks.

As John Kerry adds to his list of primary wins, questions are mounting about Howard Dean and his no compete campaign. After skipping yesterday's Southern contests, it appears it's going to be Wisconsin or bust for the former front runner.

Here's CNN's Joe Johns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While the other candidates were waiting for the Virginia and Tennessee returns, Howard Dean was holding a rally in Milwaukee.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thanks very much. Thank you.

JOHNS: Earlier at a middle school in Lacrosse, he offered students a history lesson about his home state.

DEAN: Vermont lost more people per capita than anybody else in the Civil War.

JOHNS: But the outlook for his candidacy has remained gloomy. Even though his campaign has raised more than a million dollars and purchased TV advertising time, Dean is still trailing in the polls. So why not quit? Dean says he owes his supporters.

DEAN: We can't just abandon all those people who we brought into politics. We're going to do what we can, if we're, if I'm not the nominee, to make sure the nominee does win. But we're also going to do what we can, because we owe all those people, to make sure that their voice is heard.

JOHNS: Among those telling him to keep fighting is a key supporter on Capitol Hill.

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D), CALIFORNIA: He called me yesterday to say that, you know, he'd been listening to his massive supporters and was thinking he did need to not fold his tent. And I agreed.

JOHNS: One political analyst says Dean could wield power in the party for a long time if he's careful.

NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: If Howard Dean turns his appeal over to the use of the Democratic nominee and campaigns tirelessly for that Democratic nominee, uses his e-mail lists to try and raise more money and generate support for that nominee, then he becomes a player in Democratic politics after the election.

JOHNS (on camera): Dean says he'll drop out of the race if it becomes certain there's no chance of winning. But for now, he intends to continue stumping for votes in Wisconsin, a state known as progressive and unpredictable.

Joe Johns, CNN, Milwaukee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: A reminder now. Wesley Clark's going to make his withdrawal from the race official today at 3:00 p.m. Eastern in Little Rock, Arkansas. You can watch that right here live on CNN.

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 February 11, 2004 - 07:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to politics now. Senator John Kerry is pledging to "take one step at a time" despite the seemingly unstoppable momentum of his drive for the Democratic nomination. Kerry chalked up two more victories yesterday, first in Virginia, where he won 52 percent of the vote; Senator John Edwards, second place, with 27 percent. Wesley Clark picked up nine percent.
It was more of the same in the Volunteer State, Tennessee, where Kerry took 41 percent there. Edwards followed at 26 percent and Clark at 23 percent.

Kerry has won 12 of 14 contests this year. He now has about a quarter of the national convention delegates needed for the nomination. The next big contest is Tuesday, next Tuesday, in Wisconsin.

So, now what happens? After Kerry turned the Southern showdown into a landslide, Bob Franken now with the fallout from Kerry's latest big night, beginning with the thinning field of candidates.

Here's Bob.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): General Wesley Clark is preparing his surrender.

MATT BENNETT, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, CLARK CAMPAIGN: General Clark has decided to leave the race.

FRANKEN: But Clark was not about to give up the ghost today without a final brave word last night.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We may have lost this battle today, but I'll tell you what, we're not going to lose the battle for America's future.

FRANKEN: And so much for the claim that John Kerry is unproven in the South.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Americans are voting for change, east and west, north and now in the south.

FRANKEN: John Kerry rolled over John Edwards, too. But Edwards decided he had done well enough and was not ready to forfeit to Kerry.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The voters who voted today in the election for saying to the country that we're going to have a campaign and an election, not a coronation.

FRANKEN: And lurking up north in Wisconsin, Howard Dean, trying to resuscitate his campaign and trying to knock the wind out of Kerry's.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We'll find out if Wisconsin voters think John Kerry is really about change or not.

FRANKEN: Kerry is leading in most Wisconsin polls thus far.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: And the candidates, other than Kerry, are trying to grasp at his formula for success. But many of the experts, Bill, feel like they're grasping at straws.

HEMMER: Bob Franken, thanks for that.

Much more throughout the morning here -- Soledad now with more.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Bill, thanks.

As John Kerry adds to his list of primary wins, questions are mounting about Howard Dean and his no compete campaign. After skipping yesterday's Southern contests, it appears it's going to be Wisconsin or bust for the former front runner.

Here's CNN's Joe Johns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While the other candidates were waiting for the Virginia and Tennessee returns, Howard Dean was holding a rally in Milwaukee.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thanks very much. Thank you.

JOHNS: Earlier at a middle school in Lacrosse, he offered students a history lesson about his home state.

DEAN: Vermont lost more people per capita than anybody else in the Civil War.

JOHNS: But the outlook for his candidacy has remained gloomy. Even though his campaign has raised more than a million dollars and purchased TV advertising time, Dean is still trailing in the polls. So why not quit? Dean says he owes his supporters.

DEAN: We can't just abandon all those people who we brought into politics. We're going to do what we can, if we're, if I'm not the nominee, to make sure the nominee does win. But we're also going to do what we can, because we owe all those people, to make sure that their voice is heard.

JOHNS: Among those telling him to keep fighting is a key supporter on Capitol Hill.

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D), CALIFORNIA: He called me yesterday to say that, you know, he'd been listening to his massive supporters and was thinking he did need to not fold his tent. And I agreed.

JOHNS: One political analyst says Dean could wield power in the party for a long time if he's careful.

NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: If Howard Dean turns his appeal over to the use of the Democratic nominee and campaigns tirelessly for that Democratic nominee, uses his e-mail lists to try and raise more money and generate support for that nominee, then he becomes a player in Democratic politics after the election.

JOHNS (on camera): Dean says he'll drop out of the race if it becomes certain there's no chance of winning. But for now, he intends to continue stumping for votes in Wisconsin, a state known as progressive and unpredictable.

Joe Johns, CNN, Milwaukee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: A reminder now. Wesley Clark's going to make his withdrawal from the race official today at 3:00 p.m. Eastern in Little Rock, Arkansas. You can watch that right here live on CNN.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com