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CNN Live Sunday
Interview With Jenny Backus, John McLaughlin
Aired September 28, 2003 - 11:18 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.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: In the race for the democratic nomination for president, Wesley Clark is reportedly charging past his competitors. He's the top pick for the democrats in the latest "Newsweek" poll, with 16 percent support. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean is next at 12, Senator John Kerry and Congressman Dick Gephardt tied at 10 percent apiece, and the rest of the pack at 9 percent or less.
Well, that sets it up nicely for our weekly political discussion. The California recall is also shifting into high gear this week ahead of the October 7th vote. And intrigue builds for the 2004 presidential race as General Clark surges early.
For our discussion today, two strategists on each side of the political divide. For the republicans, John McLaughlin, who has done polling for Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign. He is in New York. Thanks very much, John, for joining us.
And for the democrats, Jenny Backus, joining us from Washington, D.C. Jenny, thanks very much for being here, as well.
JENNY BACKUS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thanks for having me.
John, I want to start with you. A miserable week for President Bush, arguably, failed at the U.N. to win any support up there, then after meeting with President Putin at Camp David, coming away with absolutely no concessions from the Russian leader that Russia is willing to help out in a postwar Iraq or do anything to slow down the nuclear efforts of Iran. What does this do to our president with poll numbers that are simply dropping?
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, well, they've kind of flattened. The "Newsweek" poll that you showed, he has 52 approval, 40 disapproval. What's ironic about that is, in 1983, Ronald Reagan at this point in time had similar numbers, 53-39. So, you go through a period where you're trying.
I mean, the important thing for the president is he's trying, and he's trying to put forth a program and plan to rebuild Iraq and certainly shore up our success there. I mean, he is a president who won a war, and has done pretty well in advancing America's security in anti-terrorist efforts. And people give him very high marks for that effort, but it's still a long way out from the election, and he's at least putting forth a program and putting forth a plan. And granted, he now has critics on the democratic side going after him relentlessly and daily, but he's... CALLEBS: You don't think those critics are on both sides of the aisle at this point?
MCLAUGHLIN: No, this president's base is solid, very much like Reagan, very much, if you go back to Nixon, they both won re-election with 60 percent of the vote. Looking at much closer elections right now, but there's plenty of time between now and election. He's the person with the policy that can take care of America's security, and he is also the person trying to move forward on the economy. Inside the Republican Party, 80, 90 percent of the republicans approve and support the president.
CALLEBS: Jenny, let me ask you. Even with the poll numbers, we could dispute whether they're dropping or flattening off, very few polls show any democratic candidate could beat the president today. Why is that?
BACKUS: You have to take an interesting look at what John just said. It was interesting that he compared President Bush to Reagan, because I think President Bush has forgotten an important lesson that Reagan taught the country and his party, which is a message of optimism and a message of concern about America's voters. I think Bush had a bad week last week, not only in New York at the U.N., but also at the CNBC/"Wall Street Journal" debate, where you saw a group of energetic democrats, who are not only offering critiques of his leadership, but some real positive policies.
If you look inside those poll numbers the numbers that are dropping for the president that the republicans need to be worried about are independents and women. And I think that goes to the point that you're talking about, which is that people are starting to raise a question of does this administration really care about us? What's happened to our country? Why can't we keep the lights on anymore? Why can't we keep the respect of this world and this nation? And I think they're trying to look around and test out alternatives.
We're early in the process on the democratic side. We don't have any candidates breaking 20 percent yet. But the excitement of the race, the exchange of ideas, and the continuing audiences that we have through these debates and through the primaries, I think voters will get a chance to see the strong positive alternative that the democrats offer.
CALLEBS: John, let me ask you about Wesley Clark. How much do you think he is hurt by the quotes we all saw this week where he goes at lengths to praise not only President Bush, but key members of his administration. Is he just a GOP in democrat's clothing?
MCLAUGHLIN: Right now there is a lot of media hype. He does have serious credentials as far as foreign policy and defense because of his status as the leader of NATO and a former general. What's interesting about that is how is this late entry into the field shattered the democrats' field. They looked like they were headed towards a consensus nomination of Howard Dean.
One of the things I noticed is the era of triangulation appears to be over. It's an era of polarization. Where the democrats are running left and President Bush, even though he may be in trouble in his job ratings, and my republican colleagues correctly predicted they would come down for him, but I don't think they expected it this fast and this hard. But what's going to happen, his numbers, he's focused and he's got a plan. And Wesley Clark comes in, the only one with significant foreign policy credentials collapses the democrat field.
CALLEBS: Jenny, what do you think about that? And who do you think won the debate this past week?
BACKUS: I think you had a bunch of different candidates who did what they needed to do in that debate. And I think John is wrong. John is talking about a national race, and we're going to have a primary race. And I think he needs to look carefully at the calendar, Iowa, New Hampshire, and then the group of primaries that come on February 3. I think there's a bunch of candidates that have different strategies here.
Dean and Wes Clark will be engaged in the head-to-head fight for the national primary, the buzz factor through the Internet or through sort of this national celebrity. But then you've got Gephardt and Kerry, and to some extent, Edwards, starting to engage in more regional attacks. Gephardt taking on Dean in Iowa. Kerry starting to ratchet it up in New Hampshire. And Edwards down in South Carolina.
So I think that each of those candidates achieved their goals. Gephardt got Dean engaged on Medicare and social security, which are big in Iowa. Kerry started to come in as the alternative to Wes Clark/Dean fight. It is shaping up to be quite an interesting race.
CALLEBS: Real quickly, John, I want to ask you and very, very quickly here, I know you've done polling for Arnold Schwarzenegger, but can he win if McClintock stays in the race?
MCLAUGHLIN: I think you'll find republicans will make their vote count going to Schwarzenegger. He's the one who can beat Bustamante. So you'll see him ticking up in the polls this week. And certainly see the yes vote on the recall ticking up, as well.
CALLEBS: John McLaughlin, republican strategist, joining us from New York today. And Jenny Backus from the Democratic Party, thanks for joining us from D.C.
BACKUS: 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 September 28, 2003 - 11:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: In the race for the democratic nomination for president, Wesley Clark is reportedly charging past his competitors. He's the top pick for the democrats in the latest "Newsweek" poll, with 16 percent support. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean is next at 12, Senator John Kerry and Congressman Dick Gephardt tied at 10 percent apiece, and the rest of the pack at 9 percent or less.
Well, that sets it up nicely for our weekly political discussion. The California recall is also shifting into high gear this week ahead of the October 7th vote. And intrigue builds for the 2004 presidential race as General Clark surges early.
For our discussion today, two strategists on each side of the political divide. For the republicans, John McLaughlin, who has done polling for Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign. He is in New York. Thanks very much, John, for joining us.
And for the democrats, Jenny Backus, joining us from Washington, D.C. Jenny, thanks very much for being here, as well.
JENNY BACKUS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thanks for having me.
John, I want to start with you. A miserable week for President Bush, arguably, failed at the U.N. to win any support up there, then after meeting with President Putin at Camp David, coming away with absolutely no concessions from the Russian leader that Russia is willing to help out in a postwar Iraq or do anything to slow down the nuclear efforts of Iran. What does this do to our president with poll numbers that are simply dropping?
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, well, they've kind of flattened. The "Newsweek" poll that you showed, he has 52 approval, 40 disapproval. What's ironic about that is, in 1983, Ronald Reagan at this point in time had similar numbers, 53-39. So, you go through a period where you're trying.
I mean, the important thing for the president is he's trying, and he's trying to put forth a program and plan to rebuild Iraq and certainly shore up our success there. I mean, he is a president who won a war, and has done pretty well in advancing America's security in anti-terrorist efforts. And people give him very high marks for that effort, but it's still a long way out from the election, and he's at least putting forth a program and putting forth a plan. And granted, he now has critics on the democratic side going after him relentlessly and daily, but he's... CALLEBS: You don't think those critics are on both sides of the aisle at this point?
MCLAUGHLIN: No, this president's base is solid, very much like Reagan, very much, if you go back to Nixon, they both won re-election with 60 percent of the vote. Looking at much closer elections right now, but there's plenty of time between now and election. He's the person with the policy that can take care of America's security, and he is also the person trying to move forward on the economy. Inside the Republican Party, 80, 90 percent of the republicans approve and support the president.
CALLEBS: Jenny, let me ask you. Even with the poll numbers, we could dispute whether they're dropping or flattening off, very few polls show any democratic candidate could beat the president today. Why is that?
BACKUS: You have to take an interesting look at what John just said. It was interesting that he compared President Bush to Reagan, because I think President Bush has forgotten an important lesson that Reagan taught the country and his party, which is a message of optimism and a message of concern about America's voters. I think Bush had a bad week last week, not only in New York at the U.N., but also at the CNBC/"Wall Street Journal" debate, where you saw a group of energetic democrats, who are not only offering critiques of his leadership, but some real positive policies.
If you look inside those poll numbers the numbers that are dropping for the president that the republicans need to be worried about are independents and women. And I think that goes to the point that you're talking about, which is that people are starting to raise a question of does this administration really care about us? What's happened to our country? Why can't we keep the lights on anymore? Why can't we keep the respect of this world and this nation? And I think they're trying to look around and test out alternatives.
We're early in the process on the democratic side. We don't have any candidates breaking 20 percent yet. But the excitement of the race, the exchange of ideas, and the continuing audiences that we have through these debates and through the primaries, I think voters will get a chance to see the strong positive alternative that the democrats offer.
CALLEBS: John, let me ask you about Wesley Clark. How much do you think he is hurt by the quotes we all saw this week where he goes at lengths to praise not only President Bush, but key members of his administration. Is he just a GOP in democrat's clothing?
MCLAUGHLIN: Right now there is a lot of media hype. He does have serious credentials as far as foreign policy and defense because of his status as the leader of NATO and a former general. What's interesting about that is how is this late entry into the field shattered the democrats' field. They looked like they were headed towards a consensus nomination of Howard Dean.
One of the things I noticed is the era of triangulation appears to be over. It's an era of polarization. Where the democrats are running left and President Bush, even though he may be in trouble in his job ratings, and my republican colleagues correctly predicted they would come down for him, but I don't think they expected it this fast and this hard. But what's going to happen, his numbers, he's focused and he's got a plan. And Wesley Clark comes in, the only one with significant foreign policy credentials collapses the democrat field.
CALLEBS: Jenny, what do you think about that? And who do you think won the debate this past week?
BACKUS: I think you had a bunch of different candidates who did what they needed to do in that debate. And I think John is wrong. John is talking about a national race, and we're going to have a primary race. And I think he needs to look carefully at the calendar, Iowa, New Hampshire, and then the group of primaries that come on February 3. I think there's a bunch of candidates that have different strategies here.
Dean and Wes Clark will be engaged in the head-to-head fight for the national primary, the buzz factor through the Internet or through sort of this national celebrity. But then you've got Gephardt and Kerry, and to some extent, Edwards, starting to engage in more regional attacks. Gephardt taking on Dean in Iowa. Kerry starting to ratchet it up in New Hampshire. And Edwards down in South Carolina.
So I think that each of those candidates achieved their goals. Gephardt got Dean engaged on Medicare and social security, which are big in Iowa. Kerry started to come in as the alternative to Wes Clark/Dean fight. It is shaping up to be quite an interesting race.
CALLEBS: Real quickly, John, I want to ask you and very, very quickly here, I know you've done polling for Arnold Schwarzenegger, but can he win if McClintock stays in the race?
MCLAUGHLIN: I think you'll find republicans will make their vote count going to Schwarzenegger. He's the one who can beat Bustamante. So you'll see him ticking up in the polls this week. And certainly see the yes vote on the recall ticking up, as well.
CALLEBS: John McLaughlin, republican strategist, joining us from New York today. And Jenny Backus from the Democratic Party, thanks for joining us from D.C.
BACKUS: 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
