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Voting Under Way in New Hampshire; Battle for Second Place in New Hampshire; Looking Beyond New Hampshire; Family of Ex-Marine Appeals for Compassion; Ron Paul's Media Madness; Voting Under Way in New Hampshire; Interview with Jon Huntsman; Rick Santorum and Same-Sex Rights
Aired January 10, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's a critical day for the Republican candidates. Voting is now underway in New Hampshire. And in just 10 hours results will start pouring in from the first primary of the 2012 race.
The very first votes were actually cast this morning just after midnight in tiny Dixville Notch. And here's the results. Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman scored two votes each. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul one each. Rick Santorum and Rick Perry, goose eggs.
Now if all the polls are correct the question isn't whether Mitt Romney will win New Hampshire, it's a question of how wide a margin.
Dan Lothian is outside one polling place there in Manchester.
So, Dan, how is the turnout?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been pretty steady here. We're at Ward 1. And actually step inside where voters started showing up about 6:00 this morning. Right now you see a few of the voters here.
You haven't seen the long lines, but a steady stream of folks coming in here. This is a very busy ward. We take a look back to 2008, according to officials here, it was so busy that they had to call up the clerk's office here and request additional ballots. So they got those extra ballots this time. Perhaps they won't have to do that.
Overall, state wide, according to the Secretary of State's Office, they're expecting about 250,000 ballots to be cast in this highly contested Republican primary compared to last time in 2008, roughly 9,000 more -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So Romney has had a pretty rough 48 hours. What kind of impact do you think that will have?
(LAUGHTER)
LOTHIAN: Well, you know, I think the real test will come once all the votes are counted. What I can say, though, is that when he made the mistake yesterday of referring to, you know, enjoying firing people, he was talking about insurance companies that aren't up to par. You saw the candidates jump on it. We were with Jon Huntsman and he immediately went after him saying that he was dangerous. That this just shows how out of touch he is with ordinary Americans. So at least -- at the very least it gave some ammunition to his opponents. But right now Mitt Romney is way ahead in the polls and the fight really is for second place.
PHILLIPS: Dan Lothian, thanks so much. Joining us there live from a polling place in Manchester.
Now CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser is here also to break down some of the numbers within the latest polls.
Paul, the battle for second place here is as important as first place.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Oh, no doubt about it. And there's not much drama for first place.
And Kyra, one other thing. It's January. I'm not wearing a heavy coat. It's not that cold here in New Hampshire and there is no snow. Just want to say that.
All right, let's get right to the numbers. Enough about me. This is Suffolk University/7News. They've been doing this tracking poll, Kyra, for about 10 days now. Here's the final one. It came out about two hours ago. And there you go. Same guy on the top. Same as it always was. Mitt Romney.
Remember governor former of -- former governor of Massachusetts, owns a home here. This is like home field advantage for him.
As you said, look at the battle for second place, Ron Paul and Huntsman, basically neck and neck there. And the battle for third place, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. Rick Perry at 1 percent. He's not even campaigning here. He's already in South Carolina. Seven percent say they're still undecided.
One other poll that came out late last night from American Research Group. Kyra, pretty much the exact same thing. Romney again at 37 percent. And there's Huntsman at 18 percent, Paul at 17, again battling for the second spot. Gingrich and Santorum battling for the third.
Kyra, as you said, second and third place, that's where the real stories are going to be tonight. Whoever gets those two positions can get some mojo going into South Carolina. That's 11 days from now -- Kyra.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: We like following the mojo, that's for sure.
Paul, thanks so much.
STEINHAUSER: Yes. PHILLIPS: And stay with us. At the bottom of the hour we're actually going to talk with Jon Huntsman, the Republican candidate who is gambling big on New Hampshire. Why did he ignore Iowa and what will it take for him to stay in the race. His thoughts beginning at 9:30 Eastern.
And CNN tonight all eyes on New Hampshire as the political year heats up. Join Wolf, Erin, Anderson, Candy, and John for live coverage. That's tonight 7:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
Shift our focus, shall we, and travel from New Hampshire to another battleground. South Carolina holding its primary on January 21st, and the outcome there could be pivotal.
CNN's David Mattingly is in Charleston.
David, South Carolina is considered a make or break primary.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kyra, a little quiet right now, but when Mitt Romney finally rolls in here with his momentum from New Hampshire, you can expect the fighting to really ratchet up quickly.
We've just got less than two weeks to go to the primary here. Already millions of dollars are being spent on ad campaigns on television. Expect the airwaves to be saturated here by this weekend.
Again, make it or break it for all the competitors of Romney trying to gain their footing here with the conservative voters of South Carolina. This state always fancies itself as a kingmaker. Everyone who has won the primary here for the Republican race has gone on to win the nomination.
So that's something that everyone is going to be mindful of when they come here, that there's a great deal of image to be carried out of this state as they go on to future primaries. But right now in South Carolina shaping up to be the place where Romney could finally say, I have won the hearts and minds of the conservatives in the Republican Party.
It's also the place where his competitors can say this is where we're going to make our stand and turn our campaigns around. Really expect a fight and it's already starting here.
PHILLIPS: And now the evangelical vote, powerful in South Carolina, but values aren't issue number one this time around, right?
MATTINGLY: That's right. When we talk about evangelicals, we're talking about the born-again Christians. They make up about 60 percent of the Republican voters here. They are a very, very strong voice in this primary. And I've had conversations with many of them over the past week. So far the social issues barely come up in the conversation at all, like gay marriage and abortion. Instead, everyone is talking about the economy, about jobs, about fiscal policy, and that's how they're going to be sizing up the candidates. Surprisingly when you look at the recent polling, you drill down into that and you'll see that Romney is leading among born-again Christians, but it's the born-again Christians who are leaning toward the Tea Party that aren't quite as strong with Romney as the others. So, again, you see how elements about the economy are going to be playing heavily into this race.
PHILLIPS: David Mattingly, thanks so much.
And now the important primary set for the end of the month. According to the latest poll of Quinnipiac University, Mitt Romney has an early lead in the January 31st contest in Florida. Thirty-six percent of likely primary voters chose him compared to 24 percent for Newt Gingrich. Rick Santorum is in third place with 16 percent followed by Ron Paul. Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman at the bottom of the poll.
Much more coverage of the New Hampshire primary ahead and a reminder for full results and all the latest political news you can always go to our, 24/7, Politics.com.
Well, a defiant Syrian president blames the West and Arab factions for inciting violence in his country. Bashar al-Assad also denied ordering Syrian forces to fire on protesters. Al-Assad was speaking today. An opposition activists says a person was shot to death by government forces in the city of Homs.
Well, the parents of an ex-Marine are pleading with Iran to free their son from a death sentence. Iran accuses that American of spying.
Zain Verjee has been following the story for us and actually just a short time ago spoke to the family attorney.
And Zain, what exactly was said?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, I spoke to Pierre Prosper, who was here in London and he has been secured by the Hekmati family to get the release of their son out of Iran. The son is 28 years old. His name is Amir Hekmati. And he just went to visit, he says, his two grandmas in August when he was arrested by the Iranians and sentenced to death for being a CIA spy among other accusations.
Now Pierre Prosper says that, number one, he wants to open the lines of communication with Iran. He's done this sort of thing before. And he says he's going to activate his previous contacts at the Foreign Ministry and see where they can go.
Just listen to what else he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: Have you had any contact with him at all? Do you know his physical condition, his state of mind, anything?
PIERRE PROSPER, HEKMATI FAMILY ATTORNEY: We've had no contact. The family in the United States has been -- has not spoken with him since his incarceration, his detention. From the videos we've seen, he looks to have lost weight. He appears to be under duress and and we are concerned.
VERJEE: What is the family's message to Iran?
PROSPER: The family's message is, please show some compassion. You've made your decision. We obviously disagree with the decision. But we are where we are. Allow him to come home back to the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: Prosper added, too, Kyra, that this case is entrapped in so much political tension right now between the United States and Iran. And he said his goal is really to get the Iranians to treat this as a humanitarian case, to see Amir Hekmati as a human being and not as a political pawn. He was successful a couple of years ago in getting out another Iranian American who was held in Iran in the notorious Evin prison for a couple of years.
He had to make three trips to Iran and send something like 300 e- mails dealing with Iranian officials. And it took two years to get him out -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: We'll follow the story, Zain. Thanks so much.
Several voters in New Hampshire were not too happy with the disappearing act that Ron Paul made from one of his scheduled stops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN HELLER, NEW HAMPSHIRE INDEPENDENT VOTER: Wait a second. You were supposed to come here. We came here early. We held a table. You were supposed to come and talk to us and now you're taking off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: But Ron Paul says, don't blame him. Blame the media. We'll explain.
Also coming up, building a button and a boy's special wish. How this all comes together, right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Checking stories "Cross Country" now.
In West Virginia three men missing in a 13-mile cave complex are found alive and unhurt. Searchers began looking for the men when they didn't return from a weekend cave exploring trip as expected.
And National Guardsmen helping dig out a city in Alaska buried in snow. The isolated coastal town of Cordova received 18 feet of snow in recent weeks. And more is on the way. The city hasn't seen this much snow since the 1970s. And it's a wish come true for an Ohio boy. Seven-year-old Max Hinton has spent about two years of his life battling cancer. Well, the Make A Wish Foundation asked what he wanted to do. You know what he told them? Push a button and blow up a building. So he did just that as part of a planned implosion of a former plant. We're told that everything went off without a hitch.
Well, it may not be on top, but Ron Paul's star has certainly been on the rise. And in the final hours before voters headed to the polls, he's making the case for New Hampshire and beyond.
CNN's Dana Bash spoke with the candidate about his approach.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Mojo's Restaurant in Manchester, Ron Paul's offbeat campaign goes mainstream. He came to press the flesh but had trouble getting through the press.
RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's a lot of congestion here.
BASH: A crush of cameras and reporters out to see the insurgent candidate on the rise. So he scrapped plans to sit for breakfast and left.
Up the road in Hollis a less chaotic scene and a chance for voters to hear firsthand what makes him so different from every other candidate. Wanting to cut all foreign aid.
PAUL: Every penny you spend overseas doing almost anything overseas is a drain from the economy.
BASH: Appealing to New Hampshire's live free or die sensibilities.
PAUL: We know what our government is supposed to do. It's supposed to protect our liberties.
BASH: Meanwhile, Paul's campaign is gaming out how to stay in the race for the long haul. He told CNN that may mean putting resources into caucus states like Nevada, Maine, and Louisiana and not focusing on Florida, which comes first.
PAUL: We don't have a big campaign plan there, but they'll know we're there. And we have the caucus states that we'll be paying more attention to.
BASH (on camera): Does that say anything about your efforts to actually secure the nomination? I mean it's sort of hard to do it without really competing in a state like Florida.
PAUL: No, well, I think it tells you that we are realistic. And that's the way we approached Iowa. We thought we did pretty well there. And right now polls are looking pretty good up here. So I think we're being realistic. We shouldn't be acting like the government and planning to spend money we don't have.
BASH (voice-over): Translation, he may be able to raise more cash and compete in Florida if he does really well here in New Hampshire. This independent voter came undecided. Now?
REGINA MCCALMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE INDEPENDENT VOTER: I am going to vote for Ron Paul.
BASH (on camera): Did he just convince you?
MCCALMONT: Yes, he did. I was sitting on the fence last night. I had been considering Jon Huntsman as well.
BASH (voice-over): But Paul's early exit back at Mojo's turned of Karen Heller who even tried to follow him outside.
KAREN HELLER, NEW HAMPSHIRE INDEPENDENT VOTER: It's like, wait a second. You were supposed to come here. We came here early. We held a table. You were supposed to come and talk to us and now you're talking off.
BASH: We asked Paul about Heller's beef. He blamed the media madness.
PAUL: Because you, the media, did that to her. She should have been furious with you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Oh, Dana Bash, joining me live from New Hampshire.
Boy, Dana, it's all your fault. How are you dealing with that?
BASH: You know what, I'm kind of used to it, I have to tell you. Aren't you?
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. Believe me, it's he been worse, right?
BASH: Yes, exactly, exactly. Look, obviously, that was a chaotic scene. He was right. The campaign afterwards issued a pretty lengthy statement talking about what they called a mob-like mentality by the press that made it unsafe for Ron Paul and his wife to stay at that location, which is why they decided to leave.
Look, I have been at many events that are chaotic here. It's kind of the way it goes. That's kind of the point that that independent voters who was a little bit upset was making.
She said that she's seen that before and the candidates kind of work through it. That's the way it goes here. That's what New Hampshire voters demand.
PHILLIPS: All right. Focusing on today, what kind of voter is Paul banking on coming out of tonight for him?
BASH: He is really banking, Kyra, on the fact that there is about 40 percent independent or undeclared voters, I should say, here. So, those are the kind of voters that Ron Paul really, really hopes comes his way. Anecdotally, it really does seem as though those voters are potentially going to go his way.
And, you know, I'll give you an anecdote that I'm sure he'll appreciate, talking to just two voters this morning at our hotel having the breakfast, the waitress and hostess. They were both independent voters. They are both undecided. And they are both deciding between Ron Paul and one other candidate.
So, that gives you a sense of how people are breaking here and a sense of how it's going to be late breaking for many of these voters. And that is why even though we think we kind of know -- we think we know who is going to be in first and the race is for second, you never really know until New Hampshire voters actually go to the polls, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: That is true. Anything could happen.
Dana, thanks so much.
And coming up at 9:30 Eastern, Jon Huntsman will join us. He's got some traction going. We're going to ask what happens if he wins, or has a strong finish today, and how he would carry any momentum beyond New Hampshire.
Well, beat the price hike right now. We're going to tell you about six things that will cost you more as the year goes on.
Also ahead, Brits advised to cut back their drinking to just five days per week. Can they do it?
And this lion might need a stiff drink after his terrifying experience -- a staring contest with a little girl.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Britain, home of the pub, the pint, the pimps, Boddingtons, Newcastle Brown -- hey, I could go on and on. But Brits are kind of going to get cut off. A government panel is actually advising them to go alcohol-free two days per week. Good luck there.
Zain Verjee is in London.
So, Zain, what are you going to do after work?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Cheers, mate.
PHILLIPS: In other words, little water on the rocks for Zain Verjee.
VERJEE: All right. Two days. Oh, my goodness. They're recommending, the Science and Technology Committee saying just cut down two days of booze a week. I don't know if the British can do it, Kyra.
Well, this committee is saying the public -- you know, they just don't understand that there are down sides to drinking. Really? And they say, too, that one of the major health risks is liver disease. And Britain has the glory of being number one in liver disease in all of Europe. There was something like a million people last year that did have liver disease.
And also, this committee is saying that something like half of the crimes committed in this country are fueled by alcohol.
So, what do you ask are the British saying? I looked through some newspapers, Kyra. They aren't too happy, darling. They're saying, "So much for getting rid of the nanny state. And to be told to cut down drinking by MPs," member of the parliament.
And then, one other person writes this, 'Mind your own business, bar bills and beer bellies."
So, giving the advice is everything in moderation, Kyra. Cheers.
PHILLIPS: Of course. Hey, you can save money. You can fit into those jeans you wore in 1982.
I'll tell you who needed a stiff drink. Yes, exactly, I'm not quite sure if it's the lion in this stare down or the little girl that needed the stiff drink.
VERJEE: Yes. I think it was the lion actually if you look at this piece of video, right? It's pretty cool. What happens is that this little girl, Sophia, goes off to a zoo, Wellington Zoo, and look what happens with the lion who's eating and just minding his own business. Whoa, he just goes nuts. There's a thick piece of glass obviously here at the zoo.
And Sophia is just cool as a cucumber saying, "Mommy, what's he telling me?" Listen to how she and the dad responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe it felt threatened as Sophia is much (INAUDIBLE). Although he preferred to eat her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: What did she say?
VERJEE: What would you have done?
Yes, she said, I was brave, wasn't I? Kind of like, yes. Yes, she was though. She didn't flinch. I mean, she just said, what is the lion asking me? Why is it behaving this way?
PHILLIPS: Why is he so upset?
VERJEE: So, that was Simba in the cage. Yes.
PHILLIPS: Zain, thanks. Cheers.
VERJEE: Cheers, mate.
All right. Get out your plastic now. You're going to want to drink when you hear this story. Prices going up on all your favorite things you're going to want to buy.
Christine Romans is breaking it down. How many items in 2012? Can you even put a number?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've got six. And CNNMoney.com has an amazing gallery showing you all. I want to run through them because, be prepared.
Airlines -- airfares are going up. They're going up a lot in some cases because airlines are cutting routes. So, expect hikes in ticket prices. They went up last year. They're going to go up this year too.
Meat and fish -- this is the center piece of your dinner table. Beef, pork, seafood, the cost of corn, the cost of feeding all of these things is going up, the cost of moving all these things because gas and oil is going up. So, 8 percent they rose last year. They'll do another 4 percent this year.
Coffee up 18 percent whole sale prices last year. They're going up again this year.
Gasoline -- tensions in Iran, we talked about this yesterday. This is only going to make this still the story. Some folks are telling me $3.50 a gallon for you this spring
But this is going to be pretty unpredictable. So, I'm not going to say by the end of the year for sure. It's going to be a whole year of bad gas prices.
Mail prices going up 45 cents for a stamp. Come on.
And clothes -- cost of cotton has been really skyrocketing for the past year or two. Expected to continue again this year. NPD Group says 8 percent to 10 percent higher you can expect to pay for things like a sweater, skirt, shirt, workout clothes. All things are expected to go up this year.
PHILLIPS: Are folks going to make more money?
ROMANS: Yes, we're all going to make 8 to 10 percent more to cover the costs. No. Sadly we are not and that's where the pinch comes.
I'm expecting to see people do -- using credit cards this year trying to cover the gap between what they're bringing in and what's going out. We'll have to be frugal and be fiscally challenged shoppers this year I think.
PHILLIPS: Oh, boy. All right. Christine, thanks.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
PHILLIPS: Well, in just a few minutes, presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is going to join me from Manchester, New Hampshire. All the hands he's shaking, speeches he's given, babies he's kissed. All those eggs he's put in the New Hampshire basket. Today's the day we find out if it all paid off.
And we can all disagree, but it should never lead to disrespect. That's why L.Z. Granderson says when a presidential candidate crosses the line, you still can't hate them. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Checking top stories now.
Syria's president blames external conspiracies by Western and Arab elements for bloodshed in his name that has left thousands of people dead.
During a rare speech, a defiant Bashar al-Assad denied ordering government forces to open fire on protesters. Assad says a referendum on a new constitution will happen in March.
The Supreme Court begins hearing arguments over what is considered indecent material on broadcast TV. The networks want the court to forces the FCC to ease up or at least specify in detail what's acceptable and what isn't.
And Alabama fans are celebrating their second BCS national championships in three years. The Crimson Tide rolled over LSU New Orleans 21 to zip. It was sweet victory indeed over LSU who's beating them during the regular season.
In New Hampshire, results will start pouring in less than 10 hours in the nation's first primary, but voters in one tiny village have already spoken.
CNN political reporter Shannon Travis is in Dixville Notch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: In the first primary voting in the United States, the first votes have been cast here in New Hampshire, and results are historic. Two votes for Mitt Romney, two votes for Jon Huntsman, one for Ron Paul and one for Newt Gingrich.
But the reason why this is historic is because the man overseeing this contest, this voting in this small town in New Hampshire, says there's never been a tie before, that this is the first time that it's happened.
Also, another bit of history about this actual voting procedure. This has been going on in this town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, near the Canadian border since 1960. They have been getting up and voting at the stroke of midnight. And tonight's voting, there were nine registered voters. Four of them were independent, three of them were Republicans, two of them were Democrats.
That actually mirrors the exact same number of nine voters that voted in 1960 when they first instituted this process.
Also of note, every year since 1968, the winner of this contest has gone on to become the Republican nominee in the race for the White House. But, again, tonight, there was no clear winner. We had a tie between Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman. So, you can absolutely believe that both of those candidates will be trying to spin that result in their favor come tomorrow when voting continues here in New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Great.
All right. Coming up in just a few minutes, Jon Huntsman is joining me. He's got some traction going. We're going to ask him what happens if he wins or has a strong finish today and how he would carry any momentum beyond New Hampshire.
Also, the bell just rang on Wall Street. Dow Industrials up 95 points, quick break. More from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor, is the one Republican flavor that's still waiting on his month. Huntsman tied front-runner Mitt Romney in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.
Izak, the presidential picking goat, likes him. Give him a love bite actually on the knee. And Huntsman is the candidate who scares the White House the most, and he seems poised for a strong finish today. Maybe January will be his month.
Jon Huntsman joining us now live from Manchester.
Good to see you, Jon.
JON HUNTSMAN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Kyra, great to be with you. Thanks for the opportunity.
PHILLIPS: You bet.
Look, you're polling fairly well in New Hampshire, but you're pretty much off the radar in South Carolina, Florida, and nationally. So, outline for me, if you don't mind, a path for Jon Huntsman to become the GOP presidential nominee.
HUNTSMAN: Here's what has to happen. You know, it starts in Dixville Notch. I like the idea that we did pretty well in Dixville Notch. I think that's a harbinger of things to come.
And then, tonight, we have to make the market move in New Hampshire, which is to say we've got to exceed expectations. And if you can exceed expectations in New Hampshire, which is a broad-based primary turnout, then you're going to light up South Carolina and the states beyond, because they're going to see for the first time that you have that thing called electability, that you can bring folks together in a very competitive environment like you have here in the New Hampshire primary and you can do well.
If you don't beat market expectations, you know, it becomes really hard to create the momentum down market. But when it comes to fundraising, when it comes to broadening your organization, when it comes to upping name recognition like we'll need to do in South Carolina, if you hit the mark here in New Hampshire, all of that will follow suit.
PHILLIPS: You know on that note of electability. Mitt Romney criticized you on Saturday for serving in the Obama administration as ambassador to China. You say your first priority is to serve your country. But what do you say to Republicans who say you'd be better to run as a Democrat?
HUNTSMAN: Well, I say when you look at my record as governor of Utah, it's a pretty consistent conservative record. You combine that with an attitude that says I'm always going to put my country first. That's always been my philosophy in life and it always will be. I'll take it to my grave.
And I'm here to tell you, I think there are a lot more people out there than we might imagine, a lot of people who are in this -- you know, even in the Republican category, some in the unaffiliated category who you've got to win over. We forget that in order to beat Barack Obama at the end of the day, we've actually got to convince people who voted for him last time to cross over and vote for me. And that means you've got to have the math that works on your side, which means you've got to break out of just the one party box. You have to win independents.
So, establishing that model here in New Hampshire remembering full well when you go into South Carolina, you have an open primary there as well. You've got to be able to win over independents as well.
Why is that important? All of that is terribly important because in the general election, electability very much will depend upon your ability to get voters by crossing traditional boundaries. And I think I can do that better than anybody else on the Republican side.
PHILLIPS: Well, talking about crossing traditional boundaries, I do have a couple of thoughts on that. Let me ask you about the debate on Saturday night when you slammed Mitt Romney in Chinese. Some Republicans saw that as a bit of grandstanding.
I'm curious -- why did you do that?
HUNTSMAN: it was spontaneous. I'm sometimes a spontaneous guy. I didn't think ahead.
Everybody has these pre-cooked rehearsed lines for the debate stage. This is the one thing I don't like about those debates. You rarely get a shot of a candidate's spontaneity.
And I don't like rehearsed lines. I typically don't use them. And maybe that was evidence of it for good or bad.
PHILLIPS: You know -- well, you know, you and Romney don't seem to like each other very much.
HUNTSMAN: Oh, I have nothing against Romney. I don't know him very well. I respect him. He's a great family man. He has a good, strong business career.
I just think I present a much different vision for America. I represent a new energetic generation that I think this country is looking to. I think I embody this thing called trust that will be a critically important part of the election cycle because the American public, let's face it, Kyra, they've lost trust in their institutions of power and they've lost trust in their elected officials.
And I say, how pathetic is this? You know, a nation founded in trust and we're running on empty.
So, I think that's going to be summarized in one word -- something that the electorate is going to be looking for in the next president.
PHILLIPS: All right. We're going to go deeper into that point that you just made so stay with me. Jon Huntsman, more with you after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: And we're back with Jon Huntsman.
You know, Jon, just before the break, on Sunday morning, you had said that it was attitudes like Romney's that are what's dividing this country. You actually received a huge applause after that comment during the debate.
Do you think Romney is a divisive candidate and how are you the guy to bridge that divide in American politics right now, huge divide?
HUNTSMAN: Well, he's certainly established in the debate that he is the person that wants to put politics first. For me it's always going to be country first.
And as I've gone around to 170 public events in New Hampshire, I mean, we have worked our tails off the last six, seven months, we talk about country first. And I realize that, you know, in a hyper charged political environment, that might not be the best sound bite in the world.
But I think the results from tonight, I have no idea what we'll be looking at, will be in some measure an indicator of our message, which is really about pulling together as Americans first and foremost, about putting our country first.
The divisiveness, I think we've all had enough of that as Americans. We want to move along. We're going to disagree on our pathways forward on the big issues of the day. But I think we can all agree as Americans that the legacy we're about to hand down to the next generation is totally, totally unacceptable.
But we premise all of that on putting country first, not politics first. And we'll see what tonight has to render in terms of a verdict, but it could be a very telling sign in terms of where this electorate is in terms of a desire to see a leader begin to talk about putting country first.
PHILLIPS: You come from a family that has made billions of dollars in the chemical industry. What do you think of the way that Romney made money with Bain Capital?
HUNTSMAN: You know, he'll have to explain that. I wouldn't choose to take him on in that regard. People can dig into our record in the manufacturing sector. And I'm sure they could be critical of things here or there.
But the bigger issue if you want to get right down to it is his record as governor. Elected by the people, he had custody of the state for four years just as I did, although I was twice elected. And I think there you can compare and contrast records.
You know, he didn't put forward anything bold in the area of tax reform. He raised taxes. He was number 47 in terms of job creation in this country.
We took our state to number one. We delivered a flat tax, the largest tax cut in the history of our state. We moved our state to number one in terms of the most business-friendly environments in the country. We prepared it for the 21st century.
So, I say a legitimate course of discussion and analysis really is what he did when he had an opportunity to improve his state from an economic standpoint. That's what I did during my tenure.
PHILLIPS: Well, I think it's legitimate to talk about wealth. It tells a lot about a person's character. And, you know, Romney is getting hammered about his wealth and for being insensitive to the employees of companies that were closed down by Bain Capital. Your family's wealth pretty much makes Romney's look like pocket change.
So, tell me what makes Huntsman the millionaire different from Romney the millionaire?
HUNTSMAN: Well, I can only speak to my own experience, and we've lived the American Dream. We didn't start with a family business. We all pulled together and helped build it.
I had parents that were great visionaries. I've got a brother now who is CEO. We didn't start with a family business, never expected we would have one.
And our philosophy throughout has been: if you're lucky enough to make it, you give it back. Our philosophy has been to build a great cancer institute, to help leave scholarships behind, to help expand humanitarian needs for people who might need them most in life.
So you start the journey with nothing. You end the journey with nothing. All the while you've been able to build a great business. And we do have a very unique philosophy in terms of what we do with our profits. And that may be a little different than -- than most others, I admit.
PHILLIPS: Looking at the numbers, at what point do you, Jon Huntsman, get out of the race?
HUNTSMAN: Well, Kyra, tonight is going to tell it all. And the pundit class that likes to roll into town here and tell you what the order of the universe is going to be are going to be surprised by the vote of the people of New Hampshire. Why? Because that's always the case, the voters always speak their piece and they tend to upend conventional wisdom here in New Hampshire.
So I think later on tonight wherever the marketplace, which is to say the analytical pundit class, wherever they say Huntsman needs to be, we need to do one better in terms of our performance. And if we can exceed the expectations that are set by the -- by the pundit class, we're going to be just fine remembering full well that we were in single digits just a couple of days ago. Nobody associated the word "surge" with our name, and I get around this morning and everybody's saying, hey, you're surging. We're hearing anecdotally that a lot of votes are coming in for you. And I say, hey, I'm still the underdog. I'm the margin of error candidate who's barely in single digits just a few short days ago.
If what I think happens tonight does in fact play out, it will be a testament to work on the ground, the old grassroots approach to politicking, speaking from your heart and soul, speaking in ways that do address putting your country first and bringing us together as Americans first and foremost. I think there's a genuine desire on the part of people to see a leader who will articulate that.
PHILLIPS: All right, Mr. Underdog, let's see what happens tonight. And I hope we get a chance to talk tomorrow. You tell me you'd call in or join us; we're going to work it out, Jon.
HUNTSMAN: All the best to you.
PHILLIPS: I appreciate it.
HUNTSMAN: Thanks so much, great being with you.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Jon.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is going to keep the conversation going. She's actually going to talk with Jon Huntsman's wife, Mary Kaye at noon Eastern. And CNN tonight, all eyes on New Hampshire as the new political year heats up. Join Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King for all the live coverage; that's tonight 7:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
Well, L.Z. Granderson says that Rick Santorum's anti-gay rhetoric helps create a climate of hate. And even though it makes him angry, L.Z. says he wants to hate Santorum but he just can't. He'll explain why.
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PHILLIPS: Well, L.Z. Granderson says he wants to hate Rick Santorum. But he can't. Maybe it's because he was a pastor, maybe it's because he's gay and he's used to hearing hurtful comments about his sexuality. Well whatever the reason L.Z. says, and he writes this in his CNN.com opinion piece, "That because of his personal insight into why he thinks Santorum is disrespectful to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people", he's got a point to make.
L.Z., you're right, Santorum is more than his homophobic rhetoric and you are more than a gay guy who opposes it.
L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, you know I think it's very easy to fall into labels. To fall into constituent groups because we're in a voting year and letting one or two items in our lives define our entire human being.
And trust me, I have said some things in my household about Rick Santorum that are not very good. And I regret saying those things because I know they come from a place of hate. And I cannot allow myself to be dragged down to hate because once you hate, then you start to give up. You start to lose hope.
And I don't want to lose hope. I don't want to lose hope in this country. I don't want to lose hope in the people who oppose me because there are a lot of people who are against gay rights. And if I lose hope in them then you know what does that really say about the future of not just gay rights but just civility in this country in general?
PHILLIPS: With that said, you also write that he sows seeds of discord for political gain.
GRANDERSON: Yes, you know it's no different than any of the other politicians who -- who turn to social issues as a way to divide this nation as opposed to looking at the things we have in common and finding ways to bridge those differences.
In Santorum's case, you know, I talked about gay rights in the piece. But you know, there's also issues about him doing sort of a flip flop if you will with the issue of the abortion.
The discussion about President Obama's intent, saying things like he's setting out to destroy this country when that just sounds absolutely ludicrous. I mean, you may not agree with his politics but to pretend that he's out to destroy the country to scare people to vote for you is just disingenuous. And I think that's the reason why this conversation has gotten so skewed.
PHILLIPS: So -- so what do you say then to those conservatives L.Z. that say, "But L.Z., I'm not going to give up on my religious values."
GRANDERSON: I'm not asking you to give up in your religious or your Christian value. I'm actually asking you to follow them. I mean, if you read the Bible thoroughly, the one word you see repeated over and over again is love. And I've sat through hours and hours of debates, as I'm sure you have and many of the people who are watching now. How often have you heard the word "love" said by these men and women and woman who claim to be these great Christians, who claim to be these followers of the Bible?
You know they've talked about gay people, they've talked about the poor, immigrants and I don't hear the word "love". So if you're truly are a follower of Christ then do what his greatest commandment said and that is to love. If you love first, and I think you will see the turn of the rhetoric to take a much more civil turn.
PHILLIPS: L.Z. Granderson thanks for sharing a little love this morning with us. I appreciate it. And you can read L.Z.'s at CNN.com/opinion. If you like, join the conversation, leave a comment for him, he loves to engage with you.
All right, we're following lots of the developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with our Jim Acosta -- Jim.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi Kyra. We're outside a polling place in Manchester where several of the GOP candidates are expected to make one last appeal for votes on this primary day in New Hampshire. Newt Gingrich we understand is coming up right now. He is -- he is arriving right now in the Newt bus, just over my -- my left shoulder. We'll have a live report in just a few minutes.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm David Mattingly in Charleston, South Carolina. Conservative voters in this state are exactly the position they wanted to be in, the chance to be the kingmaker in this Republican race. I'll talk about that in the next hour.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm John Zarrella in Miami. You know they call this the sunshine state and I'm going to tell you upon which Republican candidate the sun is shining.
PHILLIPS: All right, thanks guys.
And a Supreme Court showdown today in Washington as broadcasters take on the FCC and indecency rules. Next hour we're going to take a look at what's being challenged and how it could impact what you see on television.
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PHILLIPS: Checking stories cross country now. A high school senior in Durango, California -- or Colorado defends her photo as artistic. 18-year-old Sidney Spies (ph) submitted two professional pictures which school administrators say are a little too racy for the school year book. Spies was told she can pay for her pictures to appear in the year book as ads.
Fayetteville, Arkansas a woman says that she was forced to rob a bank with a bomb strapped to her ankle. The 73-year-old named Betty Davis told that police that a man broke into her house, tied her husband up and followed her to the bank to get money.
And some girl scouts in Aurora, Ohio will not be selling cookies this year. Marie Cassidy a troop leader and former girl scout is boycotting the annual fund-raiser after four state camps were closed and put up for sale. Northeast Ohio Girl Scouts CEO only about 10 percent or 15 percent of members use the camps.
Revenge is sweet for the tide.
JEFF FISCHEL: Certainly is.
It's college football's biggest game of the year, right? There was actually some ambivalence going into last night's LSU-Alabama rematch. By and large college football fans, they don't really like the bowl system. Many didn't want to see a rematch and it was kind of ugly unless you like defense. But now there's no doubt who's number one.
A battle of SEC rivals, Alabama and LSU. LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson harassed all night. The Tigers got just 92 yards of offense the entire game. Alabama has one of the best defenses for the past 25 years. LSU won earlier this season, the game that didn't have any touchdowns. Last night, Bama built a 15-0 lead on five field goals and finally Trent Richardson scored for the Crimson Tide. 21-0 the final. And incredible performance by Alabama. Coach Nick Saban, there he is, winning his third national title.
The game was in New Orleans. Check out this great front-page headline from "The Anniston, Alabama Star", "Big easy". Oh the Crimson Tide fans, they love it.
And how about this middle of the game tweet from NFL running Tashard Choice? "This game is so boring." That pretty much sums it up. The social media buzz had a lot of fans. All my friends on Facebook saying the same thing. Like can I get my 3.5 hours back. But I'll tell you want defense wins championships. Just doesn't necessarily win you a lot of love from your average fans.
Baseball Barry Larkin's going into the Hall of Fame. The shortstop spent an 18-year Major League career with his hometown Cincinnati Reds. Larkin hit a career of .295, played in 12 all-star games, won an MVP award and has a World Series ring. He'll be inducted into Cooperstown in July along with the late Ron Santo.
Tim Tebow can take the credit for a new record, not on the football field but in the field of social media. Right after he who threw this winning touchdown pass in overtime Sunday against the Steelers, the Twitter world exploded, 9,420 tweets per second were sent.
PHILLIPS: Wow.
FISCHEL: That's a new Twitter Sports record. Well-deserved I'd say. One of the biggest plays we've seen in a long time in sports.
PHILLIPS: Here we go. And he's down. I just had to makes sure we got it in there.
FISCHEL: Guess, we'll see it again.
PHILLIPS: Yes, because it's Tebow. All right. Thank you so much Jeff.
FISCHEL: Ok.
