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CNN Sunday Morning
Coleman, Mondale Prepare for Last-Minute Debate
Aired November 03, 2002 - 08:02 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Election 2002 is heading into the home stretch, and a handful of close races could decide who controls Congress. One key contest to watch is the Minnesota Senate race. Former Vice President Walter Mondale is facing Republican Norm Coleman, and they are gearing up a last-minute debate.
CNN national correspondent Bob Franken joins us now live from Minneapolis with all the details. Hi, Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Heidi. And now our magical mystery tour of Minnesota takes us to St. Paul this morning, where we are outside the Fitzgerald Theater, which is going to be where in this very unusual campaign, a very unusual debate.
Unusual because of its timing. The day before the election. Of course, everything is unusual since the death of Paul Wellstone a little over a week ago, and this mad-dash campaign between Walter Mondale, who hadn't campaigned since 1984, and Paul (sic) Coleman. The debate is going to occur at 10:00 local Monday morning. It's going to be 11:00 Eastern -- of course, be carried on CNN live.
But the campaigning goes on. Walter Mondale was in the northeastern part of the state yesterday in what's called the Iron Range, the Duluth area, doing a lot of meeting and greeting, a lot of retail politics, a lot of pressing of the flesh, the kind of thing that has been done in campaigning since time immemorial. Of course, many of his opponents say that he has been personally involved in campaigning since time immemorial. That is sort of the undercurrent of the Republican campaign by Norman Coleman.
Norman Coleman is a relatively youthful 53 years old, compared to Mondale's 74, and he is relying now on heavy hitters among the Republicans. First lady Laura Bush was in the state yesterday campaigning for him. The husband in that pairing, President Bush, as part of his magical mystery tour and campaign, is coming to Minnesota this afternoon. He'll also be in St. Paul, appearing with Norm Coleman. Each of them will sort of settle down this evening and make preparations for that incredibly important debate that occurs tomorrow. Incredibly important because the race is statistically too close to call. The "Star Tribune," the Minneapolis paper, has it separated by five points. That is extremely close. That, by the way, is consistent with internal polling, we're told by sources, being done by the Mondale campaign -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Bob, what's your sense, when you walk the streets of Minnesota, as little as you do because of the cold there, I hope, do you think it's too late for this debate? Do you think people have already identified with who they want to go with here, or what's the word on that?
FRANKEN: Well, as a matter of fact, in this particular race, given the suddenness of this new pairing, there is a feeling that a lot of people are yet to make up their minds. Of course, people are either Republican or Democrat here, but there are some other things that have entered in. For instance, there's the whole question about the antagonism that followed the memorial service for Paul Wellstone that caused many people to believe that it was really just a huge political rally. That might affect Republican turnout. And of course, the Democrats are working very hard at revving up the feelings about Paul Wellstone and Walter Mondale, trying to increase their turnout. But so this is genuinely one that genuinely could be called a toss-up.
COLLINS: All right, we will have to wait to find out. Bob Franken in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Thank you.
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 November 3, 2002 - 08:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Election 2002 is heading into the home stretch, and a handful of close races could decide who controls Congress. One key contest to watch is the Minnesota Senate race. Former Vice President Walter Mondale is facing Republican Norm Coleman, and they are gearing up a last-minute debate.
CNN national correspondent Bob Franken joins us now live from Minneapolis with all the details. Hi, Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Heidi. And now our magical mystery tour of Minnesota takes us to St. Paul this morning, where we are outside the Fitzgerald Theater, which is going to be where in this very unusual campaign, a very unusual debate.
Unusual because of its timing. The day before the election. Of course, everything is unusual since the death of Paul Wellstone a little over a week ago, and this mad-dash campaign between Walter Mondale, who hadn't campaigned since 1984, and Paul (sic) Coleman. The debate is going to occur at 10:00 local Monday morning. It's going to be 11:00 Eastern -- of course, be carried on CNN live.
But the campaigning goes on. Walter Mondale was in the northeastern part of the state yesterday in what's called the Iron Range, the Duluth area, doing a lot of meeting and greeting, a lot of retail politics, a lot of pressing of the flesh, the kind of thing that has been done in campaigning since time immemorial. Of course, many of his opponents say that he has been personally involved in campaigning since time immemorial. That is sort of the undercurrent of the Republican campaign by Norman Coleman.
Norman Coleman is a relatively youthful 53 years old, compared to Mondale's 74, and he is relying now on heavy hitters among the Republicans. First lady Laura Bush was in the state yesterday campaigning for him. The husband in that pairing, President Bush, as part of his magical mystery tour and campaign, is coming to Minnesota this afternoon. He'll also be in St. Paul, appearing with Norm Coleman. Each of them will sort of settle down this evening and make preparations for that incredibly important debate that occurs tomorrow. Incredibly important because the race is statistically too close to call. The "Star Tribune," the Minneapolis paper, has it separated by five points. That is extremely close. That, by the way, is consistent with internal polling, we're told by sources, being done by the Mondale campaign -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Bob, what's your sense, when you walk the streets of Minnesota, as little as you do because of the cold there, I hope, do you think it's too late for this debate? Do you think people have already identified with who they want to go with here, or what's the word on that?
FRANKEN: Well, as a matter of fact, in this particular race, given the suddenness of this new pairing, there is a feeling that a lot of people are yet to make up their minds. Of course, people are either Republican or Democrat here, but there are some other things that have entered in. For instance, there's the whole question about the antagonism that followed the memorial service for Paul Wellstone that caused many people to believe that it was really just a huge political rally. That might affect Republican turnout. And of course, the Democrats are working very hard at revving up the feelings about Paul Wellstone and Walter Mondale, trying to increase their turnout. But so this is genuinely one that genuinely could be called a toss-up.
COLLINS: All right, we will have to wait to find out. Bob Franken in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
