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CNN Live Sunday
Coleman, Mondale in Dead Heat for Minnesota Senate Seat
Aired November 03, 2002 - 18:07 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In Minnesota, it is a numbers game at this point. Polls indicate Republican Norm Coleman and former Vice President Walter Mondale are in a dead heat. Both men want to fill the late Paul Wellstone's Senate seat. CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is in St. Paul, Minnesota with the latest on the race -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And that's why it is so important, Anderson, that the debate is held tomorrow. Of course, this has been such an abbreviated campaign, and here at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, the two candidates will face off at 11:00 Eastern in a statewide televised debate that will include an audience, moderators and even e-mail questions.
That's a look at the future. The future, of course, is the theme that Norman Coleman, the Republican candidate, has been carrying, saying that at age 53, he is the one who is more equipped to deal with the future, and he was backed in his campaigning today by President Bush, who picked up on that theme.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The future of Minnesota rests with Norm Coleman. Not only do I like to promote somebody who is a good, honorable person, I'm looking for an ally. I want somebody from this great state with whom I can work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: And now Walter Mondale, age 74, is the man with whom the Democrats are placing all their hopes. And he's been out campaigning -- of course, it's been a campaign that has lasted just a few days. He is saying that the future requires past experience, a theme that he is picking up in his political advertising.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARRATOR: Vice president, senator. Walter Mondale. Serious challenges demand serious experience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: And as you pointed out, Anderson, this is a race that is so close that it is statistically insignificant no matter what the poll says. So this debate tomorrow is going to be hugely important, and it is going to, to use the cliche, go right down to the wire -- Anderson. COOPER: Bob, what is the tone of the campaign and particularly the campaign commercials? We saw a little bit of Mondale's campaign commercial there. But is it -- do they talk about each other in these commercials or out on the stump?
FRANKEN: They're taking the high road. It's been very, very high road, as a matter of fact. Of course, that's not a hard thing to do when you've only been doing it a couple of days, but there's a tactical decision by both sides that in the environment of mourning in Minnesota, that it would not be appropriate to do the kind of attack ads that so many people think have taken over the American political system.
COOPER: All right, Bob Franken, thanks very much.
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 - 18:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In Minnesota, it is a numbers game at this point. Polls indicate Republican Norm Coleman and former Vice President Walter Mondale are in a dead heat. Both men want to fill the late Paul Wellstone's Senate seat. CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is in St. Paul, Minnesota with the latest on the race -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And that's why it is so important, Anderson, that the debate is held tomorrow. Of course, this has been such an abbreviated campaign, and here at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, the two candidates will face off at 11:00 Eastern in a statewide televised debate that will include an audience, moderators and even e-mail questions.
That's a look at the future. The future, of course, is the theme that Norman Coleman, the Republican candidate, has been carrying, saying that at age 53, he is the one who is more equipped to deal with the future, and he was backed in his campaigning today by President Bush, who picked up on that theme.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The future of Minnesota rests with Norm Coleman. Not only do I like to promote somebody who is a good, honorable person, I'm looking for an ally. I want somebody from this great state with whom I can work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: And now Walter Mondale, age 74, is the man with whom the Democrats are placing all their hopes. And he's been out campaigning -- of course, it's been a campaign that has lasted just a few days. He is saying that the future requires past experience, a theme that he is picking up in his political advertising.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARRATOR: Vice president, senator. Walter Mondale. Serious challenges demand serious experience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: And as you pointed out, Anderson, this is a race that is so close that it is statistically insignificant no matter what the poll says. So this debate tomorrow is going to be hugely important, and it is going to, to use the cliche, go right down to the wire -- Anderson. COOPER: Bob, what is the tone of the campaign and particularly the campaign commercials? We saw a little bit of Mondale's campaign commercial there. But is it -- do they talk about each other in these commercials or out on the stump?
FRANKEN: They're taking the high road. It's been very, very high road, as a matter of fact. Of course, that's not a hard thing to do when you've only been doing it a couple of days, but there's a tactical decision by both sides that in the environment of mourning in Minnesota, that it would not be appropriate to do the kind of attack ads that so many people think have taken over the American political system.
COOPER: All right, Bob Franken, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
