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Sanders Defeats Clinton In N.H. Primary; Clinton Campaign Expected To Re-Tool Messaging; Interview with Jeb Bush; Bush: "I'm Going To Keep Fighting". Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired February 10, 2016 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[07:31:37] CHRIS CUOMO, CNNANCHOR: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders leaves New Hampshire victorious and then some. Next comes South Carolina and Nevada. The question is, can Sanders win over African- American voters, Latino voters? Is Hillary Clinton, presumed to have a strong, strong basis there, will she dominate because of that?

Joining us now, CNN political contributor, Michael Nutter. You know him, the former mayor of Philadelphia, a supporter of Hillary Clinton. Mr. Mayor, good to have you with us. How do you explain what happened to Hillary Clinton last night?

MICHAEL NUTTER, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think we've known for a long time that Senator Sanders, a, of course, next door state senator, has had a lead in New Hampshire for some time. But let me just put this straightforward. He is to be congratulated and commended for his win. It was certainly significant in New Hampshire and at the same time, Senator Clinton never gave up, kept fighting for every vote. But a good contest in New Hampshire. And now we've seen Iowa and New Hampshire, each has one of those states, and as you mentioned, we move on to Nevada, to South Carolina. And so I look at this -- we just had the Super Bowl the other day. So in that context, this is the first part of the first quarter. We'll get through Nevada and South Carolina. That pretty much rounds that out. And then you go into a significant second quarter in this election cycle, which is the month of March. The end of March, more than 50 some percent of the delegates, which we need to talk about, more than 50 percent of the delegates will have been accumulated by the various candidates. So there's a race within the race, which is about the citizens coming out, either in caucusing or in voting in primaries, and then there's the delegate award process where Senator Clinton, Secretary Clinton is doing very, very well in the context of this race.

CUOMO: But you have the presumption and then you have the proof of performance, right? I mean, there was one story before Iowa, a different one after it. One story before New Hampshire, a different one after it. My question for you is this. When we look at Senator Sanders's message, labels aside -- because he's got Democratic Socialist hanging around his neck like an albatross, in party and out -- when you look at his actual message, he seems more similar to the giants of your party's past. We must help the middle class in an extreme way. We must fight it as a fight and energize it together. Why wouldn't that sell just as well with African-American voters and Latino voters -- their families are that middle class that need this help, who are looking for a shifting of burden. NUTTER: Well, the message is on point. There's no question about it.

And again, both of the two Democratic candidates have somewhat similar messages in talking about how do we move people up into the middle class? How do we take on many of the challenges across the country? They're different people, they have different styles, different deliveries. And then comes the issue of, who has built up relationships over the last 20, 30 plus years with African-Americans, with Latinos, with other minority groups all across the United States of America? And in that context, based on what most of us know in terms of history, certainly Hillary Clinton has established that relationship over a long, long period of time.

[07:35:00] So the polls have been all over the place for now, these first two states. Polling will continue. It may give some indication of where things are going. But elections, of course, as you well know, Chris, they happen on election day and the days leading up to it, a great ground game, but also paying attention to the delegate count as well. So messages, very, very important. And again, have to give credit to Senator Sanders. He has tapped into, in many instances, the fears of people, the concern about the economy, the concern about jobs, the concern about big money and politics and all of those kinds of issues. But again, we can't neglect that Senator Clinton talks about many of the same things and proposes solutions at the same time. It's going to be interesting to watch this.

CUOMO: So you say we can't neglect that. That's kind of the point, though. The context of that statement is that the message is somehow getting lost in here from Secretary Clinton. As they retool the campaign, what is your advice for what Secretary Clinton needs to do differently, more, any word you want to put on it, to get in this race in a bigger way?

NUTTER: Well, one, you keep fighting for every vote. Two, the message in Iowa, the message in New Hampshire, the message in Nevada, the message in South Carolina, they always get tweaked to some extent as you know your audience and highlight some things and maybe deemphasize some others. I think secretary Clinton will stay focused on who she is and what this campaign is really all about, not only highlighting many of the challenges in America but also putting forward clear, practical, pragmatic solutions to the many issues that people are facing in the United States of America. And I think it is not enough just to quote unquote, highlight the problems. But you also have to have the experience and the focus to get things done, make things happen. And that, I think again, is really her strong suit over decades in various levels of public service.

CUOMO: Michael Nutter, the three most loaded words in politics apply here, we will see. Thank you for your perspective this morning.

And we can put a date and time on when we will see tomorrow night. Why? Clinton and Sanders face off in Wisconsin, the PBS news hour Democratic debate, and guess what, simulcast here on CNN, 9:00 pm Eastern. You get to see the two go head to head. Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: OK, Chris. Trump rival, Jeb Bush, getting a big bounce in New Hampshire. So what's his plan now? We'll ask him live. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:40:59] JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The pundits had it all figured out last Monday night when the Iowa caucuses were complete. They said that the race was now a three-person race between two freshman senators and a reality TV star. And while the reality TV star is still doing well, it looks like you all have reset the race. And for that, I am really grateful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: That was former Florida Governor Jeb Bush with a strong fourth place finish in New Hampshire last night in a crowded race for the establishment alternative to Donald Trump. Joining us now by phone is the Republican presidential candidate, Jeb Bush. Good morning, Governor.

BUSH (via telephone): Good morning, Alisyn. I hope you're doing well.

CAMEROTA: I'm doing well. How are you doing is the question?

BUSH (via telephone): I got to Hilton Head around 2:00 this morning and I've been up for a couple hours. So, I'm living the dream just to be able to run for the president of the United States, to share a hopeful, optimistic message, and post that up against candidates that are appealing to people's anger and their fear.

CAMEROTA: Now, there's two different ways to look at your finish last night. Either you can say you came in fourth, which does not sound as impressive as you exceeded expectations. And if you look at what the polls suggested, the day before New Hampshire, they predicted that you were going to have 7 percent. You came in with 11 percent. So I know you prefer to see it that way than the other way, but what do you mean by you have a reset now?

BUSH (via telephone): Well, it was -- there's this emerging conventional wisdom that kind of forms during the week by the (ph) oventry class. I don't know, there's some secret meeting where everybody gets together to decide how it's supposed to be. And exceeding those expectations are always important. The bigger issue is, what are we going to do for the next eight years? Are we going to elect a president that can fix the mess in Washington, to restore our national security and give people some sense that economic security if possible again? Or are we just going to be mired in this deep divide? And so here in South Carolina, I'm going to focus on economic and national security issues and leadership skills necessary rather than just the skills of preying on people. And I'm going to keep fighting.

CAMEROTA: You obviously are alluding in part to Donald Trump. You have been taking shots at Donald Trump, or at least returning fire, calling him a liar and whiner. But the fact is that he trounced everyone last night. He got more than twice his closest competitor who was governor Kasich. And he won with all sorts of different people. He won with conservative voters. He won with moderate or liberal Republicans. He won with women. And so, so what's your message to the people who voted for Trump? Why should you be able to peel away some of his support towards you?

BUSH (via telephone): Well, first of all, remember he didn't get 70 percent of the voters, he got 30 percent of the voters. That's a great win. And I commend him for it. But there's two-thirds of Republican voters that didn't support him. And a lot of people won't support him because he insults people. He disparages people. He divides people. My view tends to me, look, I understand why you're angry. Here's the solution. The solution is, let's forge consensus on how we tax, how we regulate. Let's have career civil service reform so that public employees in Washington aren't our masters and we're the servants, but shift power back to the states. Let's repeal Obamacare. I have an agenda that will be the anecdote to the angst that people feel. And so that's my case. Trump's the master at capturing people's angst. He hasn't offered a compelling alternative to where we are right now. He just says, I'll fix it, I'll solve it, it'll be fine, it'll be huge or whatever, but there's nothing tangible that would suggest he has the skills to do it.

CAMEROTA: But, I mean, you're touching on something that's very important. And we've heard it throughout this entire race, is that Donald Trump appeals to people who are disgusted or at least disgruntled with the Federal government and the Republican party. So how do you convince those people that you don't represent, you know, the Republican party?

[07:45:10] BUSH (via telephone): Well, I'm in the establishment, Alisyn, because I'm the son of George H.W. Bush, Barbara Bush, and my brother, George W. Bush as president. I love them all. But my record is one of being a disruptor in Tallahassee. I haven't lived in Washington. I'm not a creature of Washington. 32 years in the private secotr, 8 years as governor of the state of Florida, where I did what people want to see happening in Washington D.C. And then you had the national security issues. They want a commander in chief that will have a steady hand to act on and will support the troops and have detailed plans how to keep us safe as it relates to Islamic terrorism. Here in South Carolina, particularly, that's an important issue. So I'm going to stay focused on what I can control. I can't control being insulted by Donald Trump. I can't control his incredible ability to consume the news, just basically to fill the space. But I'm on the side of people who are really struggling right now. And I think over the long haul, and this is the long haul process, we will continue to move up.

CAMEROTA: Governor, what do you think happens to two of your rivals after last night, Marco Rubio and Chris Christie?

BUSH (via telephone): You know what, they're both good people and they'll make up their minds about how they're going to go forward. My guess is that we're going to see them in South Carolina. I don't know. I haven't talked to them. I just kind of focus on what I can do to be able to become the alternative to Donald Trump so we can win. So we can beat Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders and begin to fix the mess in D.C.

CAMEROTA: It's still a big field. And you had been focused on some of Marco Rubio's weaknesses. Is it time to turn your attention to Governor Kasich?

BUSH (via telephone): Governor Kasich, I commend him for his election. He worked hard in New Hampshire, but he has nothing going on down here. He has no tangible support. We've been building an organization here. He's been a capable governor for sure. I'm the most conservative capable governor in the field and here in South Carolina, they generally support the most conservative candidate that can win and I think that's me.

CAMEROTA: Let's talk about what you're going to do in South Carolina. In 2000, your brother, George W., moved to the right in South Carolina to beat John McCain and he did have a bit of a different message in South Carolina than he had in say, New Hampshire. What is your plan is South Carolina and will your brother, former President Bush, be coming out to campaign for you?

BUSH (via telephone): The answer to that is yes, he is going to campaign for me. They're working out the details. I'm excited about that. And the answer to the first question is, I'm going to stay true to who I am. I am a limited government, personal responsibility, individual freedom, loving conservative with a reformer's heart. And that's exactly the message I had in New Hampshire and that's the message I will continue to express here. With a focus on the national security issues that are so important for people, growing tensions around the world require American leadership. We see it each and every day. The director of National Intelligence Testimony the last couple of days when we were finding out in New Hampshire was chilling in his assessment that we are more vulnerable to attack than ever before. So people here in South Carolina love the military. They want to see a strong military. They don't want to see a sequester. They want someone that will be on the side of veterans as well.

CAMEROTA: Governor, last night, Carly Fiorina, Ben Carson and Chris Christie did not have strong finishes. Would it help the race for some of them to get out?

BUSH (via telephone): Well, ultimately everybody makes their decision based off of the conditions that are in front of them. All three of those people are extraordinary men and women. They've made great contributions to the process. I would love to have their support. And they go forward, which I'm going to respect as well.

CAMEROTA: Well, Governor Jeb Bush, we really appreciate you taking the time to be on NEW DAY. We appreciate it. We know you're feeling good after last night and we look forward to watching what happens in South Carolina. Thanks so much for being here.

BUSH (via telephone): Thanks, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: My pleasure. Over to Michaela.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Someone else feeling pretty good about New Hampshire, Ohio Governor John Kasich scoring big there with a strong second place finish. Is it a sign his positive message is resonating? We are going to speak with someone who knows Kasich well, his lieutenant governor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:53:18] CAMEROTA: It was a big night in New Hampshire for Ohio Governor, John Kasich. He came in second behind Donald Trump. Kasich running what he calls a positive campaign and basically avoiding the mud slinging that has gone on between his rivals. Does he now have a target on his back?

Joining us is Kasich's colleague, Ohio lieutenant governor, Mary Taylor. Lieutenant Governor, thanks so much for being here.

MARY TAYLOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, OHIO: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: Looks like you're going to continue running that state while Governor Kasich happens to be on the road. You're not going to get the respite if that's what you were expecting.

TAYLOR: Well, I'm still here in Manchester so I am going home today so I've been gone for several days, looking forward to it. But John Kasich's already in in South Carolina, his first public event is this morning. So the team has packed up and they are in South Carolina and ready to go.

CAMEROTA: So Governor Kasich had been telling us at CNN for weeks that he predicted a very big finish in New Hampshire. He really thought that this is what was going to happen, even though he exceeded expectations. He did better than the polls suggested. Why do you think he was so confident?

TAYLOR: Well, first of all, we had 11 or 12 public polls in a row that showed him in solid second. He obviously finished very well. I can tell you, being on the ground last weekend, of course over the last day and a half, there was a lot of support for John Kasich and I talked to a lot of people here that in the last few hours made up their mind and made their decision to support John Kasich. He brings people together, he has a positive message, he has the right experience to lead this country and I think that's the message that really won the night, and obviously I think it describes his very strong finish.

[07:55:02] CAMEROTA: Here's our math. We believe he had 106 town halls in New Hampshire and that he spent 62 days there in the state talking to voters. Obviously, he can't be everywhere all the time. So now what happens in the southern states and in South Carolina where he doesn't, you know, he hasn't been able to invest the time and sort of build that up that ground game as much.

TAYLOR: Well the one thing about governor Kasich and his campaign organization, I can tell you, they do grassroots very well. And the team is on the ground working in South Carolina and I would expect they're going to have the same ground force that we saw here in New Hampshire. I think that because of the way the primary season goes, of course you saw the candidates primarily spending time in Iowa and New Hampshire, and of course, now Governor Kasich's going to focus on South Carolina and then move on throughout the Southeastern states and then of course to the Midwest where we know Governor Kasich will finish very strong. John Kasich is going to win Ohio and he's the only Republican that absolutely can win. And so he is, he's the candidate that brings not only the winning message but the right campaign and the right grassroots structure that's going to win.

CAMEROTA: But of course the issue is that you don't get to Ohio until March 15th and there's all this territory to cover before that including the southern states where it's been suggested that his message of moderation and pragmatism may not play as well with the more conservative voters there. In fact, Senator Lindsey Graham had something to say about that. As you know, he's endorsing Jeb Bush, but listen to what he says will be the challenge for Governor Kasich. It says, South Carolina has always been Jeb's best, in terms of infrastructure and dynamics. We have a reputation for voting for the most conservative candidate who's electable. John, meaning Kasich, is a good guy and a good governor, but when it comes to military issues he's been more of a budget cutter than a hawk. What do you say to that criticism?

TAYLOR: Well governor Kasich is a conservative and I think all you have to do is look at what he's done in Ohio. Cut taxes by $5 billion, more than any sitting governor in the country. We're up about over 400,000 private sector jobs. We have fewer state employees than we've had in the last 30 years. He was the last person to balance the federal budget. When he was in congress, he led the charge there. As far as military, Governor Kasich wants to spend the money where it should be spent with regard to the military. He wants to shape up the Pentagon, get rid of the red tape and bureaucracy, and make sure more of that money goes to the men and women who are fighting to protect this country. He has the experience, he has the conservative principles, and he has the leadership that is going to win the day and I believe that voters in the South and South Carolina will see that governor Kasich is a conservative. His record demonstrates that. And he is the Republican that can win in the general election.

CAMEROTA: Last, lieutenant governor, he ran a positive campaign and he prided himself on his message. That was quite different than Donald Trump, who as you know, took shots at his rivals, and it worked for him. So do you think that Governor Kasich is going to be able to stay purely positive and not go negative as the race moves ahead?

TAYLOR: That's who governor Kasich is. It's in his DNA. The last campaign that he ran in Ohio where he won 86 of 88 counties, we ran a positive campaign and that's what Governor Kasich does. He has a message to deliver to the American people that's positive, that brings people together. He works across the aisle and that's the kind of leadership we need in Washington. And so yes, that is who governor Kasich is. He has a positive message and the right leadership and I would expect that that's what we'll see more of from John Kasich.

CAMEROTA: Ohio lieutenant governor, Mary Taylor, thanks so much for taking the time to be with us on NEW DAY today. TAYLOR: Great. Thank you.

CAMEROTA: We're following a lot of news, including where the presidential race goes after last night, so let's get right to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (i-VT), democratic PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, New Hampshire.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: New Hampshire.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: New Hampshire.

We are going to start winning again.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: John Kasich had a good night.

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: From this day forward, I'm going to go slower and spend my time listening.

TRUMP: We're going to win so much. You are going to be so happy.

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This campaign is not dead. we're going on to South Carolina.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We decided we're going to go home to New Jersey and we're going to take a deep breath.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our disappointment tonight is not on you. It's on me.

I did not do well on Saturday night. That will never happen again.

TRUMP: I am going to be the greatest jobs president that God ever created. Remember that.

SANDERS: We have sent the message that will echo from Wall Street to Washington.

CLINTON: It's not whether you get knocked down that matters. It's whether you get back up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.