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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Chris Gallaway, Eric Hoplin
Aired February 08, 2004 - 07:42 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.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Here are the results from the latest state caucuses in Michigan. Senator John Kerry carried the state with more than 50 percent of the vote. Howard Dean was second with 17 percent.
Washington was also a winner for Kerry. Dean, again, came in second, this time with 30 percent. And the best showing so far for Dennis Kucinich, with 8 percent of the vote.
Today, voters in Maine head to their state's presidential caucuses. And Tuesday, voters in Tennessee and Virginia make their choices in primaries. But along with watching which candidates are chosen, experts are watching who is voting.
For a look at the impact young voters are having on the campaign, we are joined by Chris Gallaway of the Young Democrats of America and Eric Hoplin of the College Republican National Committee. Thanks for joining us, fellows.
And we will start first with the Democrats and ask on the question of who do you believe can beat George W. Bush?
CHRIS GALLAWAY, YOUNG DEMS OF AMERICA: Well, I think any of our Democratic candidates running for president now can beat George W. Bush. We've got a strong field. And I think whoever ultimately comes out of this is going to have a great chance to take back the White House in November.
BUCKLEY: All right, and can the -- I'll ask our Republican young Republican guy, can any of the Democrats beat George W. Bush?
ERIC HOPLIN, COLLEGE REP. NATL. CMTE.: Well, I think we've -- the president has been saying all along that it's going to be a close election. But if you look at the president's record of growing this economy and protecting the security of the American people, I think he's been a tremendous commander and chief. And they're going to want to re-elect him in certainly a landslide. That's what I think the youth of America are thinking certainly.
BUCKLEY: You know, the young voters are always energetic. You see them at the rallies. And I've been covering the Edwards campaign for the past week. And many of the events have been at college campuses, but the conventional wisdom is that the young voters don't vote.
I'll ask both of you, first on the Democrat side, what are you doing to mobilize your folks to actually get out to the polls this year?
GALLAWAY: Well, young voters do vote. And they vote when the issues that are important to them are addressed by the candidates. And they vote when other people in their peer group ask them to vote.
So we're doing a massive effort on the ground, going voter to voter, having young people talk to other young people to get them to the polls. Young people don't respond to the TV ads. They don't respond to the direct mail about Social Security. They're interested in their issues. And they want to hear it from somebody who's in their same age group. And so that's what we're doing on the ground.
BUCKLEY: Eric, what about you?
HOPLIN: Well, we have a two pronged approach. First of all, we're taking the message that is being communicated by the president of protecting the security of the American people and creating more jobs in the economy. And young people are excited about those two issues, coupled with what Chris said, is we're going door to door. College Republican National Committee is going to deploy 60 field representatives across the country that are going to go door to door on the college campuses and register people to vote, get them out to the polls and activate them to get them involved in the political campaign, to do the volunteer work that's going to make such a big difference in November.
BUCKLEY: Chris, let me ask you. In these primaries right now, you'd think that some of the things that Dennis Kucinich is saying, that those types of things might appeal to younger voters, but he's not getting huge numbers. Why is that?
GALLAWAY: Well, I think that young voters are going to be drawn to all the candidates for different reasons. I think a lot of young voters are excited about the Kucinich campaign. And I think the more important factor is, no matter why young people are getting involved, and no matter which campaign that they are, that they are getting involved in the process, that each candidate has a little bit of a spark for certain young voters, whether it's Kucinich or Dean or Kerry or Edwards. And those candidates are going to deliver young voters to the polls and find a way to engage young people in the process. So that's what I think is the most important fact about that.
BUCKLEY: I'm curious, and I'll ask this to both of you guys, out on the campaign trail, how is it that the candidates employ you? That is, not just you personally, but the young voters? And what is it that they do to get you guys involved in the process and to get these younger voters out into the process?
HOPLIN: Well, I think really that -- if you look at, I think the messaging is what's so important. If you look, for example, at some of the surveys that have come out from Harvard University, they're showing that there are now more Republicans on campus than Democrats. 33 percent to 27 percent. And I think what that shows you is that the issues that the president is talking about, and what he's doing to help move this economy forward, are exciting young people. And that's what gets them into the process. I think that Internet campaigning and the -- using the Web site and talking about the issues, and really reaching out to students is what is working so well in getting them involved.
And it's interesting to see. Our organization, College Republicans, has tripled in size over the last few years. And I think that's a direct response to the fact that students on college campuses are excited about George W. Bush and the direction that he's leading the nation.
BUCKLEY: Chris, are all the students on college campuses turning Republican?
GALLAWAY: Well, I don't think that that's the case at all. I think that a lot of college students on campuses are identifying not only with the Democratic party as a whole, but with our Democratic candidates. There's a growing trend for lack of partisanship as a whole on college campuses, but we have just as many Democrats on campuses as the Republican party does. And this primary and caucus process has been a great example of a way for more of our people to get involved, more of our membership to come out and be active.
You know, YDA is growing exponentially because of all these activists that have been working on these campaigns.
To your original question, the campaigns very much engage our membership, not only to help build the organization, to deliver their message door to door and grassroots, but to be the campaign staff and the campaign volunteers that actually deliver that message, not only to young voters, but to the other generation of voters as well.
BUCKLEY: Well, we wish you both success in getting young voters out to the polls this year in the general election in November. Chris Gallaway of the Young Democrats of America and Eric Hoplin of the College Republican National Committee. Thanks for joining us, guys.
HOPLIN: Thank you so much.
GALLAWAY: 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 February 8, 2004 - 07:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Here are the results from the latest state caucuses in Michigan. Senator John Kerry carried the state with more than 50 percent of the vote. Howard Dean was second with 17 percent.
Washington was also a winner for Kerry. Dean, again, came in second, this time with 30 percent. And the best showing so far for Dennis Kucinich, with 8 percent of the vote.
Today, voters in Maine head to their state's presidential caucuses. And Tuesday, voters in Tennessee and Virginia make their choices in primaries. But along with watching which candidates are chosen, experts are watching who is voting.
For a look at the impact young voters are having on the campaign, we are joined by Chris Gallaway of the Young Democrats of America and Eric Hoplin of the College Republican National Committee. Thanks for joining us, fellows.
And we will start first with the Democrats and ask on the question of who do you believe can beat George W. Bush?
CHRIS GALLAWAY, YOUNG DEMS OF AMERICA: Well, I think any of our Democratic candidates running for president now can beat George W. Bush. We've got a strong field. And I think whoever ultimately comes out of this is going to have a great chance to take back the White House in November.
BUCKLEY: All right, and can the -- I'll ask our Republican young Republican guy, can any of the Democrats beat George W. Bush?
ERIC HOPLIN, COLLEGE REP. NATL. CMTE.: Well, I think we've -- the president has been saying all along that it's going to be a close election. But if you look at the president's record of growing this economy and protecting the security of the American people, I think he's been a tremendous commander and chief. And they're going to want to re-elect him in certainly a landslide. That's what I think the youth of America are thinking certainly.
BUCKLEY: You know, the young voters are always energetic. You see them at the rallies. And I've been covering the Edwards campaign for the past week. And many of the events have been at college campuses, but the conventional wisdom is that the young voters don't vote.
I'll ask both of you, first on the Democrat side, what are you doing to mobilize your folks to actually get out to the polls this year?
GALLAWAY: Well, young voters do vote. And they vote when the issues that are important to them are addressed by the candidates. And they vote when other people in their peer group ask them to vote.
So we're doing a massive effort on the ground, going voter to voter, having young people talk to other young people to get them to the polls. Young people don't respond to the TV ads. They don't respond to the direct mail about Social Security. They're interested in their issues. And they want to hear it from somebody who's in their same age group. And so that's what we're doing on the ground.
BUCKLEY: Eric, what about you?
HOPLIN: Well, we have a two pronged approach. First of all, we're taking the message that is being communicated by the president of protecting the security of the American people and creating more jobs in the economy. And young people are excited about those two issues, coupled with what Chris said, is we're going door to door. College Republican National Committee is going to deploy 60 field representatives across the country that are going to go door to door on the college campuses and register people to vote, get them out to the polls and activate them to get them involved in the political campaign, to do the volunteer work that's going to make such a big difference in November.
BUCKLEY: Chris, let me ask you. In these primaries right now, you'd think that some of the things that Dennis Kucinich is saying, that those types of things might appeal to younger voters, but he's not getting huge numbers. Why is that?
GALLAWAY: Well, I think that young voters are going to be drawn to all the candidates for different reasons. I think a lot of young voters are excited about the Kucinich campaign. And I think the more important factor is, no matter why young people are getting involved, and no matter which campaign that they are, that they are getting involved in the process, that each candidate has a little bit of a spark for certain young voters, whether it's Kucinich or Dean or Kerry or Edwards. And those candidates are going to deliver young voters to the polls and find a way to engage young people in the process. So that's what I think is the most important fact about that.
BUCKLEY: I'm curious, and I'll ask this to both of you guys, out on the campaign trail, how is it that the candidates employ you? That is, not just you personally, but the young voters? And what is it that they do to get you guys involved in the process and to get these younger voters out into the process?
HOPLIN: Well, I think really that -- if you look at, I think the messaging is what's so important. If you look, for example, at some of the surveys that have come out from Harvard University, they're showing that there are now more Republicans on campus than Democrats. 33 percent to 27 percent. And I think what that shows you is that the issues that the president is talking about, and what he's doing to help move this economy forward, are exciting young people. And that's what gets them into the process. I think that Internet campaigning and the -- using the Web site and talking about the issues, and really reaching out to students is what is working so well in getting them involved.
And it's interesting to see. Our organization, College Republicans, has tripled in size over the last few years. And I think that's a direct response to the fact that students on college campuses are excited about George W. Bush and the direction that he's leading the nation.
BUCKLEY: Chris, are all the students on college campuses turning Republican?
GALLAWAY: Well, I don't think that that's the case at all. I think that a lot of college students on campuses are identifying not only with the Democratic party as a whole, but with our Democratic candidates. There's a growing trend for lack of partisanship as a whole on college campuses, but we have just as many Democrats on campuses as the Republican party does. And this primary and caucus process has been a great example of a way for more of our people to get involved, more of our membership to come out and be active.
You know, YDA is growing exponentially because of all these activists that have been working on these campaigns.
To your original question, the campaigns very much engage our membership, not only to help build the organization, to deliver their message door to door and grassroots, but to be the campaign staff and the campaign volunteers that actually deliver that message, not only to young voters, but to the other generation of voters as well.
BUCKLEY: Well, we wish you both success in getting young voters out to the polls this year in the general election in November. Chris Gallaway of the Young Democrats of America and Eric Hoplin of the College Republican National Committee. Thanks for joining us, guys.
HOPLIN: Thank you so much.
GALLAWAY: 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
