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American Morning
Kerry Beats Edwards in Close Wisconsin Race
Aired February 18, 2004 - 07:02 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: Our top story, we're starting with politics and Kerry's closer-than-expected victory in the Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary. Kerry won 40 percent of yesterday's vote, John Edwards was second with 34 percent, followed Howard Dean, who had 18 percent.
The win in Wisconsin was Kerry's 16th victory in 18 Democratic contests. Only Edwards and Wesley Clark, who has already left the race, had won other state.
The surprising finish has energized Edwards' campaign. He now appears to be moving much closer to a one-on-one battle with John Kerry.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us from Milwaukee this morning with the latest on that.
Hey, Bob, good morning to you.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
And notwithstanding Jack's upset, John Edwards has a bit of momentum, because he beat the expectations game.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): He didn't win, but with a strong second- place showing, John Edwards had once again snuck up on the opposition.
SEN. JOHN EDWARS, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Wisconsin. Today, the voters of Wisconsin sent a clear message. The message was this: Objects in your mirror may be closer than they appear.
FRANKEN: Exit polls showed that a large number of Independents and Republicans in Wisconsin's open primary voted for Edwards and contributed to his late surge that caused the John Kerry steamroller to sputter just a bit. Now it looks like a Super Tuesday showdown.
Kerry's message was sounding very similar to Edwards'.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Everywhere I have been in this campaign and Teresa and the rest of us, we've seen the hurt of workers without work, the hurt of families without health care, struggling to afford it if they have it and struggling to find it when they don't, of Americans whose savings have been swept away by corporate scandal, of so many dreams that have been deferred or denied.
FRANKEN: And where did that leave Howard Dean? In third place, far down in the pack, and publicly ignoring the growing clamor to pack it in.
HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will change America, and we will change the White House. Thank you very much for your help. Let's fight on. On Wisconsin. On Wisconsin. Keep up the fight for a better America. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up. Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: Well, the fight is now on Vermont, or in Vermont. Howard Dean is holding an event today. That's the only way he'll describe it. But this event comes after his participation in the expectations game. He didn't do any better than expected, and, Soledad, he really needed to.
O'BRIEN: Bob Franken joining us this morning. Bob, thanks a lot.
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 18, 2004 - 07:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Our top story, we're starting with politics and Kerry's closer-than-expected victory in the Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary. Kerry won 40 percent of yesterday's vote, John Edwards was second with 34 percent, followed Howard Dean, who had 18 percent.
The win in Wisconsin was Kerry's 16th victory in 18 Democratic contests. Only Edwards and Wesley Clark, who has already left the race, had won other state.
The surprising finish has energized Edwards' campaign. He now appears to be moving much closer to a one-on-one battle with John Kerry.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us from Milwaukee this morning with the latest on that.
Hey, Bob, good morning to you.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
And notwithstanding Jack's upset, John Edwards has a bit of momentum, because he beat the expectations game.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): He didn't win, but with a strong second- place showing, John Edwards had once again snuck up on the opposition.
SEN. JOHN EDWARS, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Wisconsin. Today, the voters of Wisconsin sent a clear message. The message was this: Objects in your mirror may be closer than they appear.
FRANKEN: Exit polls showed that a large number of Independents and Republicans in Wisconsin's open primary voted for Edwards and contributed to his late surge that caused the John Kerry steamroller to sputter just a bit. Now it looks like a Super Tuesday showdown.
Kerry's message was sounding very similar to Edwards'.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Everywhere I have been in this campaign and Teresa and the rest of us, we've seen the hurt of workers without work, the hurt of families without health care, struggling to afford it if they have it and struggling to find it when they don't, of Americans whose savings have been swept away by corporate scandal, of so many dreams that have been deferred or denied.
FRANKEN: And where did that leave Howard Dean? In third place, far down in the pack, and publicly ignoring the growing clamor to pack it in.
HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will change America, and we will change the White House. Thank you very much for your help. Let's fight on. On Wisconsin. On Wisconsin. Keep up the fight for a better America. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up. Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: Well, the fight is now on Vermont, or in Vermont. Howard Dean is holding an event today. That's the only way he'll describe it. But this event comes after his participation in the expectations game. He didn't do any better than expected, and, Soledad, he really needed to.
O'BRIEN: Bob Franken joining us this morning. Bob, thanks a lot.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
