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Democratic Debate; Hillary's Defining Moments; Do People Know Who is in Tonight's Debate? Aired 8:30-9a ET
Aired October 13, 2015 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:30:00] ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Election.
You know, debates are really important. And we have just seen it in the last two GOP debates. They can move the needle one way or the other. They can make or break campaigns. They can make campaigns, like Carly Fiorina, they can break campaigns, oops, just ask Rick Perry from Texas. So, you know, it's - it's a very important time. And there's going to be oppo (ph) research teams, oppo - you know, opposition research teams mincing ever word, parsing every word, dissecting every word that's said on stage to figure out what is true, what is false? Tomorrow we're going see what's said on that - on that stage that was false.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Paul, how often does Donald Trump's name come up tonight?
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: A bunch.
CAMEROTA: Does it?
BEGALA: A bunch. He - first off, he is a ratings magnet, right? And so the Democrats know that too. So one of the rules in these things is, never punch down. You can punch up to Donald, OK? You know, he's wealthy, he's powerful, he's leading Republican polls. He's a fair target. And in the debates he has hurt his party enormously because he's dragged them into this anti-immigrant, anti-Latino bashing that will - could make it impossible for them to win the general election. And the equal and opposite factor is not happening in my party.
Even though I'm for Hillary, Bernie Sanders has not said one thing that worries me in November of 2016. He's saying we should regulate the banks. He's saying we should have more generous Social Security benefits. That's fine. He's not demonizing like Trump is. So I want these Democrats to stand up. Particularly in Nevada, with got lots of Latino voters, they need to stand up for these folks who Donald Trump has slurred.
NAVARRO: Careful what you wish for because you just may get it. Because let me tell you something, your girl goes up there and starts bashing Trump, and if I'm every other - a Democrat on that stage, I look over and I say, any of you guys were at his wedding? Any of you guys got $100,000 for your foundation from him?
BEGALA: Who - who wouldn't go?
NAVARRO: People -- people -
BEGALA: And who wouldn't cash that -
NAVARRO: The people who didn't get invited because they - you know, because they weren't cashing in. That's who.
BEGALA: That's not cashing in. That's having fun.
CAMEROTA: Is that going to be a problem?
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, it could be. Look, I think the one danger would be if you get a Facebook question that starts pushing Bernie on the socialism question and Bernie decides he's going to wax eloquent on that. I think that can hurt Democrats. There are moments that if you're a Republican you're waiting for that you can try to push forward, but I think their main concern, how ready is Hillary Clinton for prime time. Listen, they're not really worried about Martin O'Malley. They are worried about Hillary Clinton. They want to know, is the fire they've been directing at her on e-mail gotten her off the game. How much are the CNN folks going to really push her on that in public? Is it -
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, every push -
JONES: Yes.
CUOMO: From Anderson Cooper is not about Benghazi. Members of the right are going to be upset and say she got a pass. The question becomes, you're not going to make that part of the Republican Party happy in the Democratic debate. It's not going to happen. But what does need to happen for Hillary Clinton on that issue of Benghazi, on the e-mail, what does she need to do tonight to help quell the reservations of her own party about those things?
BEGALA: If I may, she has to want the ball. OK, I used to coach little league. When you have to an infielder who's a little nervous, you have to get him thinking, I want them to hit it to me, I want them to hit it to me. This week, this last week, we had a breakthrough moment on Benghazi in the e-mails where now she wants it. Now it is a sword and not a shield.
JONES: Right.
BEGALA: When an investigator, a Republican Air Force major, came forward, he was one of the investigators and he said the investigation is partisan in targeting Hillary. That's game over.
JONES: Yes.
BEGALA: And she now wants that question. She's hoping -
JONES: It -
BEGALA: And if Anderson doesn't raise it, I bet she does. Anderson asks her about Social Security. She says, well, I want to get to that, but, first, let me tell you about how the Republicans have set up a taxpayer funded super PAC called the Benghazi Committee.
JONES: She's got a - she's got this - it's delicate, though. It's delicate. On the one hand she's got to show the outrage. It is three strikes and you're out on this committee. You've had McCarthy come out and say it's political. You've had selective leaking against one of her top aids.
BEGALA: Right.
JONES: And now you have a - an actually worker there saying they're going after Hillary. She's (INAUDIBLE) outraged. (INAUDIBLE) Americans still want to see some contrition. She got herself into this mess. Even the president has said it was a mistake. So she's got to balance contrition with outrage. That's tough to do for the most emotionally savvy candidate. I wonder how Hillary deals with it.
NAVARRO: Look, Benghazi is the, you know, the d-day on Benghazi for Hillary Clinton is coming up in, what, a couple of weeks when she testifies. We really know nothing about this man who came out with these allegations. We don't know if he is a disgruntled nut case or if he is a true whistleblower giving out information. He's got an ongoing mediation, which I think is scheduled for today, actually, to go up for mediation today. And we're going to, you know, see how it (INAUDIBLE) out.
CUOMO: Well, he was hired as an investigator.
BEGALA: Right.
CUOMO: The question is why he was dismissed.
NAVARRO: Well, but he's a -
CUOMO: That's the mediation.
NAVARRO: Yes, but he's a - he - listen, he was also in counseling for deficient performance for months before this.
BEGALA: Well, but you also have - as you pointed, the three - there's a fourth strike. The chairman of the committee himself, Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, a congressman, went on "Fox News Sunday," Chris Wallace asked him, what is all this e-mail stuff have to do with Benghazi, and he said, not much of anything. So the chairman says it's not on the level. The House majority leader says it's a partisan investigation. The investigator said it's partisan.
NAVARRO: I respect - I respect him for saying that. I think -
BEGALA: Forgive me if I think it's a partisan investigation.
NAVARRO: By the way, I respect him for saying that because -
CUOMO: Why -
BEGALA: He told the truth. [08:35:05] NAVARRO: Because the e-mails are being investigated by the federal agencies, by the FBI, not by Benghazi. They are two completely different issues that we shouldn't be conflating. And that's Hillary Clinton's problem. That Benghazi committee may go away, but the FBI and the, you know, DOJ are still investigating her unsecured server.
JONES: And this - and this is why Biden is so important. There is some - it's a far-fetched scenario, but it's a possible scenario, nightmare for us, that there's some real trouble for Hillary Clinton coming from the FBI, not from Trey Gowdy, not from these other people. If that happens, the most important person in the debate is not on the stage. It's Biden. Because Biden really, as from - as far as I'm concerned, is the ultimate insurance policy against a Hillary Clinton implosion. I think it's unlikely (ph).
NAVARRO: By the way, Joe - Joe, if you're watching, we have a lectern for you. You (ph) have a plane. Get on it. We're waiting for you, day or night.
CUOMO: The White House says that (INAUDIBLE) - they say he's staying in Washington, D.C. But it's interesting, though, that people find that as the (INAUDIBLE) Hillary if there is some type of criminal fallout from the FBI.
JONES: (INAUDIBLE) percent possibly.
CUOMO: Would have to be against her personally, though.
JONES: Yes. Let me say it, 2 percent (INAUDIBLE). But if there is an implosion -
CUOMO: DOJ has said there's no chance.
JONES: Of course.
CAMEROTA: All right. We've got to go.
BEGALA: If my aunt had a mustache, she'd be my uncle. It's not going to happen, OK?
CAMEROTA: Paul -
CUOMO: My uncle (INAUDIBLE). Not in my family.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're having a few technical issues there in Las Vegas. Don't forget tonight is the big night and, of course, right here on NEW DAY tomorrow morning we'll have a special early edition of our show starting at 5:30 Eastern.
But right now let's give you the five things you need to know for your NEW DAY.
At number one, a violent surge of shootings and stabbings this morning in Jerusalem and central Israel. At least three people have been killed, dozens more injured. A just released report by the Dutch safety board says a Russian
surface to air missile detonated outside the cockpit of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, bringing it down in July of last year. The report rejects Russia's claim that Ukrainian troops fired that missile.
Iran's parliament passing a bill backing the historic nuclear deal with the U.S. and other world powers. The pack lifts sanctions on Iran if the country curbs sensitive nuclear activities.
Six Baltimore Police officers will be in court this morning for a pre- trial hearing in the Freddie Gray case. Lawyers for five of them expected to ask a judge to throw out statements made by their clients because they weren't read their rights.
And, of course, we are just 12 hours away now from tonight's Democratic debate on CNN. Hillary Clinton facing off with Bernie Sanders and three other challengers. Don't forget 8:30 Eastern tonight on CNN.
And, of course, for more on the five things, you can always visit newdaycnn.com.
All right, tonight, all eyes will be on Hillary Clinton. She has certainly been in the national spotlight, oh, since back when Bill Clinton began his presidential campaign in '92. Is that going to play in her favor or not. We'll examine that deeper ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:42:05] PEREIRA: OK, that was not "The Daily Hit," but we're here at the magic wall to talk about tonight. Tonight is the night the Democratic candidates for president will face off for the first full- time. In the center of the stage, Hillary Clinton. She's been in the national spotlight since 1992 when her husband launched his presidential bid. How will Hillary defend her record and trustworthy issues. Here to discuss it all, John Avlon, CNN political analyst and editor in chief of "The Daily Beast."
JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.
PEREIRA: You and are holding down the fort here.
AVLON: Let's do it.
PEREIRA: And making things sort of, you know, some context to who she is now, where she's come from. You say that this moment was a really defining moment, the first time we saw the two of them, let's listen to it, in a joint interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, I'm not sitting here as some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette. I'm sitting here because I love him and I respect him and I honor what he's been through and what we've been through together. And, you know, if that's not enough for people, then, heck, don't vote for him. (END VIDEO CLIP)
PEREIRA: That was an idea of how formidable this woman is, but also she got some heat for that, didn't she?
AVLON: She sure did. I mean there was definitely a lot of blow back. Tammy Wynette fans not amused.
PEREIRA: Yes, not so much.
AVLON: But when, in fact, the irony, of course, being she was standing by her man. But this is one of those rhythms that's peculiar (ph) to this couple. You know, the Clinton's story is about self-inflicted scandals and the remarkable resurgences. But frequently they rely on the other person.
PEREIRA: Ah.
AVLON: Sometimes the person they've wronged to pull their, you know, fat out of the fire, so to speak.
PEREIRA: Right.
AVLON: And that's really what she did right there. She showed she was tough, she was formidable and she wasn't just going to simply play a traditional role of the first candidate's wife or the first lady.
PEREIRA: Right.
AVLON: And she hasn't.
PEREIRA: You brought our attention to this moment. This was (INAUDIBLE).
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: It is time for us to say here in Beijing and for world to hear that it is no longer acceptable to discuss women's rights as separate from human rights. If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights once and for all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PEREIRA: An important message back then. Still an important one that we haven't made much headway on.
AVLON: No, that's right. And sometimes it the rear view mirror of history -
PEREIRA: Yes.
AVLON: It just seems like a succession of scandals when you look at the Clintons.
PEREIRA: Sure. AVLON: But what's important to understand and appreciate is the way they have been forces for change. And this really was an elevated moment that is aged incredibly well. An important moment that creates a degree of moral authority behind her candidacy amid the sort of scandals (INAUDIBLE).
PEREIRA: Right. I mean we've got all these options here. And I'm going to jump around a little bit.
AVLON: All right.
PEREIRA: I want to move to this moment here because we see a side of Hillary Clinton in 2008, America sees a side of her that we weren't accustomed to seeing.
AVLON: Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: I have so many opportunities from this country. I just don't want to see us fall backwards. You know? So - you know, this - this is very personal for me. It's not just political. It's not just public. I see what's happening. We have to -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[08:45:00] PEREIRA: She teared up there.
AVLON: She did.
PEREIRA: I mean this is a - this is a more human side of her. Do you think we're going to see more of this?
AVLON: Well, you know, that was really the - in some ways the transformational moment of the 2008 campaign. It was enough to help her win New Hampshire after she lost Iowa. It was obviously not enough to change the overall trajectory of the race.
But the lesson for Hillary Clinton there is take the risk of intimacy. Be yourself, try to tap into a deeper emotion as the human being that you are beneath all the steely ambition, accusations and the battle- hardened toughness from 22 years of public life. When candidates and speakers take that risk of intimacy, people connect to them. And that is what she needs to do, not only in tonight's debate, but I think overall. That was the most important moment of her political career to date.
PEREIRA: Another moment in 2008, interesting. Because this is when she ended her campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time. Thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it.
(AUDIENCE CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PEREIRA: What resonated here for you?
AVLON: Not only was it a good-natured defiance admittance of defeat, but it set the stage for the comeback we're seeing right now. It set the stage for her becoming part of that team of rivals in Barack Obama's first-term cabinet and now a run again after a really hard- fought race. So that is a key moment where she made the campaign that she had just run about something larger than herself and that is what's essential for a winning campaign and a winning --
PEREIRA: She showed formidable grace there, too.
AVLON: She did. She did.
PEREIRA: You know, not easy to do when you are making that kind of speech.
AVLON: Not always.
PEREIRA: And then now fast-forwarding to more recent times. 2013 is in our very clear memory. Obviously testifying about Benghazi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided to go kill some Americans?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PEREIRA: We saw her fired up, we saw her angry there. This issue is not going to go away and she's going to face it tonight.
AVLON: Yep. She's going to face it tonight. She's going to face it again October 22nd for the Benghazi testimony. Although the integrity of the most recent investigative commission has been questioned, as Jake Tapper interviewed one of the former investigators whose said it was partisanship. Look, two things here. One, this was not a great moment for Hillary Clinton. This is where that passion and self- righteousness she felt really seemed tone deaf and got misused by 100 republican attack ads. But once thing else about the Clintons, they are blessed with enemies who inevitably overreach. And that has also been one of their secrets to coming back.
PEREIRA: Just some of the moments from her very storied career. We'll see more tonight, I'm sure.
AVLON: We will.
PEREIRA: John Avlon, thanks so much. We appreciate it.
Ali, we'll head back to you in Vegas. CAMEROTA: OK, Michaela. As you know here on NEW DAY we like to get out
and talk to real voters so we hit the Vegas Strip to do just that. And we started with what we thought was a simple question. Which candidates are running for president?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Have you ever heard of Hillary Clinton?
Do you know who's in the debate?
Who are you looking for?
Lincoln Chafee?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were they at the party last night?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERICAL BREAK)
[08:51:30] CAMEROTA: Welcome back to NEW DAY. Shortly after we landed here we hit the Vegas Strip to talk with the people that matter, of course the voters. So how much do they know about who will be on stage tonight? Listen to this.
CUOMO: I was gambling.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMEROTA: Do you know any of the other candidates who will be at the debate?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the Democrats? There are more than -- Hillary, Bernie. That's about it.
CAMEROTA: There's three more that are going to be --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh. O'Malley.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And let's see here. Oh what's that other guy - Webb, I believe.
CAMEROTA: You win (ph).
Have you ever heard of Hillary Clinton?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Oh yes. I've heard of her, yeah.
CAMEROTA: Bernie Sanders?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
CAMEROTA: Jim Webb? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
CAMEROTA: Martin O'Malley?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
CAMEROTA: Lincoln Chafee?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
CAMEROTA: Do you know who's in the debate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course.
CAMEROTA: Who?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton. Uh -- Who's the other person?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have no idea.
CAMEROTA: Who are you looking for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bernie.
CAMEROTA: Do you know who else is going to be in the debate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't it going to be Hillary and -- I don't know if Trump's going to be there because I try not to pay attention to him, but --
CAMEROTA: It's just the Democrats. There are three other guys running for president on the Democratic side.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No clue.
CAMEROTA: Do you know who will be in the debate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know Hillary is running. And Joe Biden is running.
CAMEROTA: Not yet. Deciding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Or - Yeah, he's running.
CAMEROTA: You heard it here first.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's so gonna run.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Breaking news, he's running.
CAMEROTA: All right. You guys seem to be in the know. That's cool. OK, so Hillary, probably Joe Biden. Anybody else you can name?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
CAMEROTA: Have you ever heard of Bernie Sanders?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
CAMEROTA: Jim Webb?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
CAMEROTA: Lincoln Chafee?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were they at the party last night?
(LAUGHTER)
CAMEROTA: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, they weren't there? Oh, no. No.
CAMEROTA: I don't know. Maybe they were there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe.
CAMEROTA: Do you recognize this handsome man?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely did not take shots with him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, we did not. No.
CAMEROTA: Martin O'Malley.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(LAUGHTER)
CAMEROTA: There is nothing like a girls' weekend in Vegas. I can tell you that much.
PEREIRA: We got to do one of those.
CUOMO: So it seems that people didn't know the other three candidates other than Bernie and Hillary. Is that a safe assumption?
CAMEROTA: That is - I think -
CUOMO: Did you have anybody who nailed all five?
CAMEROTA: No.
PEREIRA: There was -- four out of five.
CAMEROTA: No, but the first guy we saw - CUOMO: He was strong.
CAMEROTA: He worked his way around to it.
PEREIRA: Four out of five.
CAMEROTA: Yeah, four out of five.
PEREIRA: Yeah.
CUOMO: That's an 80.
(CROSSTALK)
CAMEROTA: You know what, I liked their honesty. I mean, everybody was honest and candid about what they didn't know. But everybody did say they were planning to watch and that they were looking forward to it. Everybody did know Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton for the most part.
PEREIRA: And we also got a little bit of information there that Martin O'Malley was not doing shots in the bar with the girls last night. So there you go.
(LAUGHTER)
CUOMO: So they say.
PEREIRA: My goodness.
CAMEROTA: Oh and that Joe Biden is running --
PEREIRA: Yeah. Yeah.
CAMEROTA: -- according to the "girls' weekend" girl
PEREIRA: Yeah. Exactly. All right, guys. I think we need a little "Good Stuff." How about that? We'll have it when we come back.
[08:54:31] We're going to tell you about this wonderful woman who is lending a helping hand, putting in fact a personal touch on helping the homeless. She is our "Good Stuff."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PEREIRA: All right. Here is your "Good Stuff." Kathy Acre never forgot the struggles that she faced as a young single mom. In fact, her empathy for those in need only strengthened while working with families in need. Last year she had a stroke of genius. She started "BACK@YOU" out of her basement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY ACRE, STARTED BACK@YOU FOR HOMELESS: What we do is we fill backpacks with essentials for the homeless and a handmade scarf so that they know someone really cares. (END VIDEO CLIP)
PEREIRA: A year later, Kathy's group is a full-fledged nonprofit. They recently had to move to a large church basement because they need more room to assemble these custom backpacks. They distribute to the homeless in the St. Louis area.
You are a fantastic lady. Thanks so much for all you do, Kathy. She's "The Good Stuff." Guys, back to you in Vegas.
CUOMO: Well done. Always good to get some "Good Stuff" to start the day. And we have good stuff for you tonight as well. Don't forget less than 12 hours - Look, that is screwing up my picture of my suit there. Just 11.5 hours left.
CAMEROTA: Or enhancing it.
CUOMO: Tonight -- Thank you very little. The first Democratic debate, 8:30 Eastern right here on CNN.
CAMEROTA: Also, tomorrow morning we will have all of your post-debate analysis on a very special early edition of NEW DAY. It begins at 5:30 Eastern. That is 2:30 out here, if anybody's counting. CNN's debate coverage continues now on "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello.
