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New Hampshire: Nation's Pivotal First Primary; Upcoming Battles in South Carolina and Florida; What You'll Pay More for in 2012; Family of Killed Florida A&M Drum Major Sues Bus Company; New Hampshire Voter Demographic Different from Iowa's; Ron Paul in Second Place in New Hampshire Polls; Outrage in Mississippi After Governor Pardons 4 Killers
Aired January 10, 2012 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
Want to get you up to speed for this Tuesday, January 10th.
Voters are heading to the polls today in the first primary of the 2012 presidential race. Most polling places in New Hampshire have been opened for about five hours. Two, however, have already closed.
Now, we're talking about, the super tiny towns of Dixville Notch and Hart's Location. Voters there cast their ballots just after midnight. So, in Dixville Notch, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman each got -- yes, that's right, two votes. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul each got one. In Hart's Location, it was five for Romney, four for Paul, two for Huntsman, and one each for Perry and Gingrich.
Those numbers are right. They're super tiny.
A New Hampshire primary is Mitt Romney's to lose. That is according to the latest tracking poll by News 7 and Suffolk University.
Now, it shows Romney maintaining his lead over the rest of the pack. The poll puts him at 37 percent. Ron Paul, second, at 18 percent, followed by Jon Huntsman, at 16 percent. Rick Santorum is fourth and Newt Gingrich in fifth.
Candidates, they are busy, making final pitches for the voters. They're trying to drum up the last-minute votes, getting ready for primary night parties. The exception however, Rick Perry. He's already campaigning in South Carolina. The other candidates are also looking ahead to the first southern primary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON HUNTSMAN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think the key thing is, there's going to be a very clear choice between a Reagan conservative and a Massachusetts moderate. And I think as we get to South Carolina, a choice between those views is going to be pretty decisive in South Carolina and beyond South Carolina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: CNN is live at the polls for the nation's pivotal first primary. Dan Lothian, he is live in Manchester, but New Hampshire is only the beginning. We're also pushing ahead for the next contests in South Carolina and Florida, two more make-or-break states in the fight for the Republican nomination.
Now, David Mattingly and John Zarrella, they're going to join us live from those locations later in the hour. But first up, we want to talk about Mitt Romney calls it his own back yard.
But, Dan Lothian, New Hampshire might not be the lockup for the Romney campaign just yet. What are you hearing?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, as you pointed out, the polling showing that Mitt Romney still having a commanding lead here. For much of this campaign cycle he has been polling at just over 40 percent. In the most recent tracking poll, 37 percent. So he really is the candidate to beat.
And we saw yesterday, when I was out on the trial with some of the candidates, they were really punching back hard at Mitt Romney, realizing that that is the way that perhaps they can get some traction here in this state. But it really is about fighting for that second- place slot.
The candidates have been, for months now, trying to woo voters, trying to make their sales pitch. And as you pointed out, this is the day when the voters actually get to make that mark. And we're at ward one, this polling station here, where people have been coming since 6:00 this morning to make their voices heard -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Pretty cool there.
There's not a lot of drama about who's expected to finish first in New Hampshire. Actually, the drama is over who comes in second and third and how it affects this race moving forward.
I want to bring in Joe Johns in Manchester to talk a little bit about that.
Joe, let's, first of all, talk about Jon Huntsman. He skipped Iowa altogether, went all in, in New Hampshire. What does he have to do to keep going? What does he have to do tonight?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think you sort of said it there at the top, Suzanne. He's got to do better than people expect him to do.
This is a state that's very tough to do well in because there are just so many Independent voters. Right now, Huntsman running third place, about 16 percent. There's also that issue of showing the voters that he's the kind of guy who can go the distance, that he's electable, in other words.
He talked about that a little bit earlier right here on CNN. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTSMAN: And all of that is terribly important because in the general election, electability very much will depend on your ability to get voters by crossing traditional boundaries. And I think I can do that better than anybody else on the Republican side.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: I've talked to a lot of people around this state who say this state is right for Jon Huntsman. They like his world view, they like the fact that he's been engaged in national service as an ambassador to China. So the question is whether he can get those people to the polls and show what he's got -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And Joe, what about Ron Paul? We understand that polls show that he is coming in a close second. Is that right?
JOHNS: Yes, that's what it looks like, at least for now. And it's not that surprising either out here in New Hampshire, simply because he's got a lot of young people who have been listening to his message.
He's got people here who subscribe to some of his libertarian views. Again, so many Independents in this state. So, not that surprising that Ron Paul is doing well.
What does it mean for the race? It means that he's not getting out anytime soon. So, more and more people now saying they think this could be a long slog before we get a nominee.
MALVEAUX: All right. A long slog -- that's good for folks who love politics and want to see this thing go on for a little bit. But obviously they want to wrap it up as soon as possible.
JOHNS: That's for sure.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Joe.
All eyes are on New Hampshire. Tonight, the new political year heating up. Make the best choices for politics, CNN "America's Choice 2012." Join my friends and colleagues Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, and John King for live coverage of the New Hampshire primary, CNN, tonight, beginning at 8:00 Eastern.
OK. So here's your chance to "Talk Back" on the big story of the day, the New Hampshire primary. We're all watching it very closely. There are more than 312 million people in the United States. OK? But in New Hampshire and Iowa, even if all the registered Republicans voted, that would only be about one percent of the total population. The U.S. population we're talking about.
Yet, these two early contests, they get so much attention, play a huge role in whittling down the list of the men and women who get a shot at becoming the next president. As comedian Andy Borowitz put it in a recent tweet, "The last time so few people decided a presidential race, they were all on the Supreme Court." Ouch.
That brings us to our "Talk Back" question. Do the early primary and caucus states have too much influence on the presidential race? Is our system even fair?
Leave your thoughts at Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN. I'm going to share some of them later in the hour.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Parents of Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion, killed in a suspected hazing incident in November, they are holding a news conference right now. We are going to bring that to you as soon as they take the podium. They are suing a bus company over his death.
An attorney for the family says that Champion's friends say he was gay and that relatives think that actually might have been a factor that led to his killing.
Again, we're going to bring that to you live as soon as they start speaking.
Outgoing Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is under fire now for pardoning four convicted murderers. They were all serving life sentences and worked as inmate trustees at the governor's mansion. Well, one of the pardoned men is David Glenn Gatlin, and he had just been denied parole in his conviction for shooting dead his estranged wife while she held their baby. That happened back in 1993.
Well, now the wife's mother is speaking out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY ELLIS, VICTIM'S MOTHER: Is Governor Barbour going to pardon us for our aches and pains and heartache that we have to suffer? Is he going to pardon a child that had to grow up without a mother? Is he going to pardon me from never being able to feel her arms around my neck again?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: In West Virginia, three men who went missing while exploring caves are now safe this morning. Volunteers started searching for these guys after they didn't come back from a weekend trip. Now that they're out, they are talking about how great it feels.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRANT BLAISDELL, RESCUED FROM CAVE: "Hey, there's people! There's people!" And my friend Jay over there, he was just so excited. He's like, "Oh, man."
I can't believe it. I feel like I'm still in a cave, and it's just -- it freaked me out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: A rare and defiant speech today from Syrian's embattled president, Bashar al-Assad, blamed the violence wrecking his country on what he calls external conspiracies. He criticized the Arab League as toothless. He said the international call for reform wasn't taking into account that his country is facing terrorism.
Reports of bloodshed in Syrian cities are escalating virtually every day. More than 5,000 people are estimated to have been killed so far. President Assad denied that he commanded forces to open fire on protesters
Less than two hours from now -- we told you about this -- we're going to hear from scientists about how close we are as a society to destroying ourselves. That's right. They use this symbolic doomsday clock to get the point across. If they decide the second hand closer to midnight, it means they're increasingly worried about things like nuclear weapons, climate change, and security issues.
Decision day in New Hampshire. Most are predicting the first primary is going to be nothing more than a battle, actually, for second place.
I want you to take a look at this new poll -- it's by the American Research Group -- of likely New Hampshire voters. It shows Mitt Romney has more than twice the support of second place, Jon Huntsman.
Want to take a look ahead the next two primaries. You've got South Carolina. That's on January 21st. And you've got Florida on the 31st.
Want to bring in John Zarrella, live in Plantation, Florida, and David Mattingly. He is in Charleston, South Carolina.
So, David, we'll start with you for a look at the next big race. This is an important one. The candidates all hitting South Carolina. Do we know how their doing so far?
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Let's put it this way, Suzanne -- this is the place where campaigns will be broken, and no one will be safe. Even though Mitt Romney may have some momentum coming in from New Hampshire, he still has to appeal to the conservative voters here of South Carolina who are the Republican base.
More than half of them are Evangelical Christians. And surprisingly, this time, they're not looking at social issues first. They're looking at the economy, they're looking at jobs, and they're looking at fiscal policy.
They're going to have a lot of hard questions for all the candidates when they do arrive here in South Carolina. And it's going to be a big fight.
Already, millions of dollars have been spent on air time at television stations throughout this state. So, expect a lot of work and a lot of fighting and a lot of damage to be done before this primary -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, David.
I want to go to John here.
John, Romney -- can he do what he did before? If he also takes Florida, is this race basically going to be done after Florida, or are they going to go further?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, I would say a few years ago, that might have been the case, because Florida had 100 delegates at stake. But you'll remember when Florida moved up the primary to the 31st, Republicans slapped the party of Florida on the wrists and said, OK, you only 50 delegates. So there still may be some play after Florida no matter what happens here.
But Romney right now, in the latest poll, has 36 percent Gingrich's 24 percent. Santorum, with 16 percent. And then the others. That's a Quinnipiac poll that just came out.
A couple of the big things here, though, are going to be TV advertisements. You have to spend a lot of money.
It's estimated up to $10 million to run an effective campaign in Florida because it's such a widespread state with big cities in all parts of the state. And a lot of the candidates won't have that kind of money to spend here, but certainly Romney does. And Gingrich may.
MALVEAUX: All right. It could be a dead end for some of those folks there. Florida, extremely important
John, thank you.
So, which one doesn't belong? Is it coffee, chocolate? How about clothes or mail? Which items are you actually going to be paying for more next year? Find out what it costs. Those costs going up -- next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Right now, all across New Hampshire, people are hitting the polls. So what is it like? What does it take to earn a vote in New Hampshire?
We caught up with one woman there who said she voted for Newt Gingrich.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like the way he delivers, I like his knowledge. I know he knows Washington. I know that he doesn't mind making people not liking him, and that doesn't bother him. In other words, he's going to stand for what he believes in and what's best for us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: A new year, new expenses, actually. We know you're watching your budget. So let's take a look at what you're going to be paying more for in 2012.
Felicia Taylor, she is joining us from the New York Stock Exchange.
And Felicia, this is almost everything that affects all of us here. Tell us what some of the biggies are.
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, this is kind of across the board, and it's not really going to come as much of a surprise to most people.
But you can expect to pay more for airfare. Analysts are saying that we're going to see about a 15 percent increase in domestic and international airfares this year. That is about a $37 increase on a $250 flight. That's if you can even find a fare that's actually that cheap. I have hard a time.
Airlines say that they are still losing money, so they have to cut -- well, seriously, when was the last time you took a flight for 250 bucks?
MALVEAUX: I am telling you --
TAYLOR: It's usually topping $300 when I'm looking.
MALVEAUX: I know -- $850 round trip just to get to New York. Crazy. Go ahead.
TAYLOR: Oh, crazy is right.
Anyway, so airlines say that they're still losing money. So they're cutting down on flights and, therefore, they're consolidating and they're charging us more for it. OK.
So, when it comes to going to the grocery store, you're going to pay more for meat and fish prices. They will also increase, along with most food prices this year.
The biggest increase though is going to be in that meat and fish department. They could go up by about four percent. Why? Because of the rising price of other commodities such as corn and wheat, and that naturally will mean that you're going to be spending more on your bread that you're buying.
So, even when you wake up in the morning, grabbing that morning cup of coffee is going to cost more. Starbucks already raised prices this month. And overall, coffee prices are going to rise by 18 percent, and that was just last year. And that rising trend is expected to continue.
So, plan to dig deeper.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: That's like everything from the beginning of the day to the end of the day is actually going to go up. I don't know. Maybe cocktails, wine, beer, who knows? Maybe that will go up as well. But coffee, that's important.
TAYLOR: That I'm willing to pay for.
MALVEAUX: Yes. OK.
What about gas prices? I think that the last couple of weeks we've seen them shooting up. Is that going to continue, do we think?
TAYLOR: Yes. Unfortunately, it is. And this is what really hurts most consumers, because obviously most people in America are driving to get to work, driving to get home. And one analyst said the gas may top about $3.50 a gallon.
The national average right now is hovering at about $3.37. So we're not too far from that level.
One reason, of course, is the threat from Iran that it may shut down a key shipping lane. There's also the ongoing fighting in Iraq and, of course, the closing down of a big refinery in Delaware. But if the global economy slows down, that may actually limit the price like.
So, in one respect, the slowing down of the economy is good thing with regards to gas prices. But overall, that's not exactly what we want to see.
The other thing --
MALVEAUX: Yes.
TAYLOR: Go ahead.
MALVEAUX: No, no, no. Real quick. What were you going to say?
TAYLOR: Well, I was just going to talk about postal service prices. A lot of people use the Internet now to pay their bills. However, stamps, priority express mail, that's all going to go up in the next couple of weeks. First-class stamps are going to increase by a penny to 45 cent, and frankly that's quite a bit when you have to pay your bills.
MALVEAUX: When you add it all up.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Felicia. Appreciate it.
Republican lawmakers, this did not make them happy. They did not want him to get the job, but that did not stop President Obama from throwing Richard Cordray into the driver's seat at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. We're going to ask him how he can still protect consumers and fight unfair banking practices with all that bad blood. It's coming up in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
And round two in the presidential race. Voting is now under way in the New Hampshire primary. We're going to talk with a Democratic strategist about what he hopes is going to come out of this Republican contest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. It's no mystery the Democrats, they already know who their nominee is going to be, but they're going to be watching the results of the Republican primary in New Hampshire to see just how this race is shaping up.
Jamal Simmons, he's a Democratic strategist and principal of The Raben Group, and he's joining us from Manchester.
Jamal, great to see you, first of all. I know you're following all of the action out there. You're not the only Democrat, but certainly outnumbered by many Republicans.
What are you watching for tonight?
JAMAL SIMMONS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, first of all, it's an alternate universe out here. I'm used to being in New Hampshire and going to events with labor members and all sorts of other people, and out here it's completely different. People look the same, but they say exactly opposite things I'm used to hearing.
What we're looking for, I think, as the Democrats are probably looking for today, just having somebody rough up Mitt Romney a little bit. If Romney is going to be the nominee, it looks like he's probably the most likely person to be the nominee, he just shouldn't get a free ride all the way to the nomination. And it looks like Newt Gingrich is loading for bear, and it may not happen in New Hampshire today, but certainly by the time they get to South Carolina, it looks like there's going to be some tough road ahead for Mitt Romney.
MALVEAUX: And let's talk a little bit about down the road here. Let's assume here that Mitt Romney becomes the Republican nominee. It's, ,you know, not a far assumption. But let's just assume for now. And the big fight, it looks like, is going to be over Bain Capital, the company that Romney ran, acquired. It sold companies and it was responsible for laying off folks from time to time, hiring folks from time to time.
He wants to use his business experience and portray himself as a job creator, not a job killer. We've already seen the DNC trace out some of these employees who lost their jobs under Romney's watch. How do you think this is going to play out, this narrative? SIMMONS: You know, this is a tough year to be running as a financier. I mean, we have seen these Occupy movements all over the country. Even the Tea Party people are a little nervous about big power, big business. They're obviously worried about big government also.
So for Romney and the Republican primary, I think the working class voters who are unemployed, or who are concerned about the wage stagnation, not making enough money -- they've got credit card bills, all sorts of things to do -- I think the fact that he laid people off, that he was part of an enterprise that Newt Gingrich said looted money from companies, that's a pretty big charge from a fellow Republican. And he's going to have some tough questions to answer.
MALVEAUX: And Jamal, do you think in some ways, Gingrich -- he puts that out -- that essentially the Republicans are doing the dirty work for the Democrats, for Obama?
SIMMONS: Well, I mean, if these Republican candidates want to win the nomination, they have to go after the front-runner. And if they bring the front-runner down a peg, they may have a shot. They can't keep shooting at each other.
For the Democrats, of course, I think the Democrats want to see Newt Gingrich and these other candidates go after Romney as much as possible because they're laying down some of the predicate that will be used later when they make the arguments against Romney if he is ultimately the nominee.
MALVEAUX: All right. Jamal, good to see you. I know less friendly territory this go-around, 2012, in New Hampshire. But you'll let us now how things go and what your observations are tomorrow.
SIMMONS: Well, at least the weather is not so bad. It's not as cold and snowy as it usually is.
MALVEAUX: It was unbearable the last time.
All right. Thanks, Jamal. Good to see you.
So, who gets to take part in the primary today? What is most important to New Hampshire voters? We're going to get the latest from a New Hampshire pollster.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: The parents of Florida A&M drum major, Robert Champion, who was killed in a suspected hazing incident in November, they just wrapped up a news conference. They're suing now a bus company over his death.
An attorney for the family says that Champion's friends say that he was gay and relatives think that may have been a factor that led to his killing. So far, no one has been charged in the 26-year-old's death. But the death led Florida A&M University's board of trustees to approve a new anti-hazing plan.
Joining us on the phone is senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin.
Jeff, today, we heard from the parents. We also heard from the attorney who insisted, that despite the fact that Robert Champion was gay, that this is not a hate crime. I want you to listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ATTORNEY FOR CHAMPION FAMILY: This is not a halt crime. This is hazing crime. And that is what we are saying here today. We want to make the record very clear that FAMU has a 50-year history, a culture in this band of hazing. This is not a hate crime. Did Robert Champion have an alternative lifestyle? Yes. Did that define him? No. Robert Champion was defined by the fact that he followed the rules, that he was a leader of the bad, that he was against hazing, that he was peaceful person, that he was a leader.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, Jeff, the attorney and the parents say they came out with this information. They wanted to clear up things because there were rumors that were circulating. They wanted to put it out there that their son was gay. Why do you think the attorney was so insistence that this wasn't a hate crime?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST : The attorney and the parents are on a crusade, understandably, against hazing. And they certainly have a lot of reason to be. But that's not mutually exclusive from a hate-crime prosecution. That will be up to prosecutors whether, under Florida law, they ask for an enhanced penalty of people who are charged and eventually convicted of this crime because of discrimination in this case against a gay person. That is a potential charge in this case. And prosecutors will have to decide whether to bring it.
A separate lawsuit against Florida A&M, against the bus company, against perhaps the other people on the bus could be brought on the ground of hazing. But one has little to do with the other.
MALVEAUX: Jeff, does this complicate the case at all or does it make the prosecution's case perhaps easier in providing a motive for this killing?
TOOBIN: I think it probably makes the case somewhat easier. It's important to remember, this poor kid was beaten to death in the front of a bus full of fellow students. This should not be an especially difficult case to prosecute, at least for the assault and the homicide. Whether they can get the enhancement for a hate crime, I have no idea. But a murder in front of a group -- a large group of people is usually not the hardest case in the world to bring. Prosecutors are taking their time. The family is upset that it's been two months. Two months is not that long when you consider this is an important, serious case. But certainly, there should be some action by prosecutors. And clearly, there's going to be a civil case here. Hazing and hate crimes are not mutually exclusive. That's the main point. MALVEAUX: I spoke with Robert and Pam Champion just a couple of weeks ago. They're clearly heartbroken by all of this. But they seem they're willing to put themselves out there to clear the record, to talk about their son and his life and ask for and seek justice in this case, Jeff.
Jeffrey Toobin.
Thank you very much, Jeff.
People in New Hampshire lining up at the polls today. The nation's first primary. Who are these folks? Who are the New Hampshire voters? The population is 94 percent white. More than half are married couples with children. Median age is 41. Unemployment rate is 5.2 percent, the fourth lowest in the country. 32 percent hold bachelor's degree or higher. And the median household income is $60,734. It's much higher than the nation. 11 percent of the state's economic output is from manufacturing. The largest sector is high- tech, computers and electronics. 54 percent voted for Obama in the 2008 election.
So who gets to vote in today's New Hampshire primaries? Joining us is Andy Smith. He is a pollster and he's also associate professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire.
So, Andy, thanks for joining us.
ANDY SMITH, POLLSTER & PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: The lay of the land here, this is interesting to watch. New Hampshire, very different than Iowa. Who gets to vote in today's primary?
SMITH: Well, today, we have two primaries actually going on, a Democratic primary and a Republican primary. Democrat -- registered Democrats can only vote in the Democratic primary. Registered Republicans can only vote in the Republican primary. But we have these people that are registered as undeclared. We often call them Independents in New Hampshire. The big advantage they have, they can choose which primary they wish to vote in. Most of those who come to the polls today will vote the Republican primary because the Democratic primary is uncontested.
And when you look at the electorate today, we expect -- and this is from the past as well -- about 60 percent of the voters are going to be registered Republicans. 40 percent, those undeclared voters.
MALVEAUX: The undeclared, where do we think -- which direction to do we think that the undeclared voters going to go?
SMITH: The interesting thing about the undeclared, it's actually three groups of people. They are undeclared voters. They are registered undeclared. In their heads, they're really Republicans. They vote like the registered Republicans. They'll make up about 20 percent of the electorate today. About 10 percent of the electorate will be made up of these undeclared that are really Democrats and about 10 percent of undeclareds, really Independents.
The undeclared Republicans, voting just about like the registered Republicans. That's Mitt Romney's territory. He's getting around 40 percent, 45 percent of that group. The undeclared that are really Democrats, they are going to Jon Huntsman. He's getting close to 40 percent support from that group. And the undeclared that are truly Independents are going, not surprisingly, for Ron Paul, but also for Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney. So you have to think about the undeclared, these Independents as three separate groups.
And most importantly, though the electorate is about 80 percent real Republicans. If you want to win in New Hampshire in the Republican primary, you've got to win among those Republicans.
MALVEAUX: Such an important point. What's the bottom line here? What is the one issue that most New Hampshire are looking and turning to the candidates for some sort of solution?
SMITH: The biggest issue, and it has been this throughout the campaign, is the state of the economy and jobs in the country. Economic issues have been number one by far. 60 percent-plus have said the economy. The second highest is the debt and the nation -- the deficit at the national level. That's mentioned by about 10 percent. Many get really low after that. So economic issues and how they impact the national debt are the biggest issues here in this can campaign.
MALVEAUX: All right, Andy, thank you so much for breaking it down for us.
SMITH: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: You have been sounding off on our "Talk Back" questions: Do the early primary states have too much influence on the presidential race?
Rusty writes, "Yes. Too much influence for these two states, not unlike the Electoral College."
More of your responses just minutes away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: You've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question: Do the early primary states like New Hampshire and Iowa have too much influence on our presidential candidates.
Andrew writes, "I would argue that it's more fair this way. By only having early contests in a few states it allows underfunded candidates to gain traction early without having to spend piles of cash. With a national primary, the best funded candidate would win every time."
Eve said, "I think the role of these states is being over-hyped. It hardly matters which states start the circus. Any candidate whose fate is determined this early in the process doesn't have the wherewithal to make it to the end in the first place."
And Paul writes, "It doesn't bother me as much as the Electoral College does, which leads to candidates ignoring strongholds and only focusing on the swing states."
Keep the conversation going on facebook.com/SuzanneCNN. More of your responses in the next half-hour.
All right, Ron Paul, second place in the latest New Hampshire poll showing. He'll have to finish pretty strong there tonight to keep the campaign's momentum going.
Dana Bash caught up with him just moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CROSSTALK)
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At MoJo's Restaurant in Manchester, Ron Paul's off-beat campaign goes main stream.
REP. RON PAUL, (R), TEXAS & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hi.
(CROSSTALK)
BASH: He came to press the flesh but had trouble to get through the press.
PAUL: There's a lot of congestion in here.
BASH: A crush of cameras and reporters out to see the insurgent candidate on a surge.
So he scrapped plans to sit for breakfast and left.
(CROSSTALK)
(SINGING)
BASH: Up the road in Hollis, a less chaotic scene and a chance for voters to hear first hand what makes him different from the other candidate, wanting to cut all foreign aide --
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: Meantime, 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 planned 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. That's the way we approached Iowa. We thought that we did pretty well there. 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: 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. And now --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to vote for Ron Paul.
BASH (on camera): Did he just convince you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, he did. I was sitting on the fence last night. I had been considering Jon Huntsman as well.
BASH: But Paul's early exit back at MoJo's turned Karen Heller, who even tried to follow him outside.
KAREN HELLER, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: It was 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 taking 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 VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: All right, Dana, live from New Hampshire. Boy, Dana, it is not easy, right? We get blamed for everything. It's always the media. The media's fault. Right? What kind of voter is Ron Paul banking on tonight? Who's he looking for?
BASH: He's looking effectively for the Republicans who agree with him and have agreed with him for a long time on the anti- government, anti-spending rift that he has been talking for years, really decades.
But also those Independent or, as they call them here, undeclared voters. About 40 percent of the electorate. I know you were just talking about this in your last segment. Just anecdotally, I have talked to many of them who are on the fence and really are drawn to Ron Paul because of his Libertarian views -- this is the "live free or die" state, of course -- and some of them who trend Democrat in some years and are anti-war. So because his views are all over the map when it comes to the spectrum, the political spectrum, that's why he's drawing these Independent or undeclared voters. And that really is the kind of voter his banking on going out for him today.
MALVEAUX: Dana, keep up the good work. Don't get into too much trouble. But you're doing just great. I know they blame us on everything but --
BASH: Oh, trouble is fun.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: Exactly. Keep doing what you're doing.
Thanks, Dana.
BASH: Thanks.
MALVEAUX: There's outrage in Mississippi. A man who shot his estranged wife in the head while she was holding their infant son has been set free, one of four convicted killers pardoned. Find out why in a live report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Many in Mississippi are outraged after outgoing governor, Haley Barbour, pardoned four convicted killers who worked at the governor's mansion. Now, we've heard from the mother of one of those victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY ELLIS, VICTIM'S MOTHER: Is Governor Barbour going to pardon us for our aches and pains and heartache that we have to suffer? Is he going to pardon a child who had to grow up without a mother? Is he going to pardon me from never being able to feel her arms around my neck again?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Our Martin Savidge is covering the story.
You have been in touch with state officials there. How do they -- how do they explain this?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know what, there isn't a lot of explanation going on. And this is the day the handover occurs. You have the outgoing governor, Haley Barbour, and the new governor, Bill Bryant, coming in. So Governor Barbour doesn't have to say anything to anyone, and he isn't saying anything to anyone.
I think what's really surprising to many, not just the family members, but in many Mississippians, because we're talking about a very conservative Republican Haley Barbour, had been head of the Republican National Committee at one point, so. And he's in a very conservative state. So when you pardon four murders, that's going to trigger some outrage. And that's exactly what's happened here.
And in one particular case -- they're all terrible -- but David Gatlin, 1993, goes into his estranged wife's trailer, shoots her almost point-blank in the head as she's holding her 2-month-old baby child. That's the mother you heard from just a bit ago.
Let's hear more about how she describes that scene.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLIS: And he was left laying on the floor in his mother's blood that day. And even though he never knew her, he's had to live all his life, never knowing what a great mother she could have been for him and never knowing what it would be like to grow up having your own parents rather than having an old grandmother trying to raise him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: That child, by the way, was 2 months at the time, now 18 years of age. But, again, the grandmother --
(CROSSTALK)
MALVEAUX: Martin, do the families get any heads up on this or did they just learn this from news reports?
SAVIDGE: They got a phone call the Saturday before the Sunday the pardons went into effect. So they got about a 24-hour notice. But this is just a phone call that says, look, hey, here's a heads up, the killer is being released.
MALVEAUX: Do they have any recourse at all? Can the pardons be reversed?
SAVIDGE: No. Once the pardon is granted by the governor, as far as the state has said, that's it. It's a done deal.
MALVEAUX: Is the governor defending or explaining his actions at all, these pardons?
SAVIDGE: Not saying a word.
MALVEAUX: OK.
SAVIDGE: We have made many requests, but he is not saying anything. And now that there is a new governor being sworn in, he's under no obligation and probably will not. At least that's what I'm being told through back channels.
MALVEAUX: A lot of people really angry about this one, huh?
SAVIDGE: They are, indeed. And the family members, very, very upset, because it brings it all back for them and because they had no say in the matter. And this is a pardon. That means the record of these convicted men, wiped completely clean, as if it never happened.
MALVEAUX: Wow. That's an amazing story.
Martin, thank you.
Former frontrunner, Newt Gingrich, has got a new plan to save his stalling presidential campaign. And he's getting some help. We're talking about big help -- $5 million.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. Forget the positive campaign. It is now attack time. That looks like to be the game plan for presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich after seeing his frontrunner status collapse and finishing a disappointing fourth in Iowa last week. He's even getting help from a super PAC spending -- get this -- all right, we're talking about $3.4 million to flood South Carolina airwaves with ads blasting Mitt Romney.
Gary Tuchman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Spend time with Newt Gingrich and you get the feeling it's now or never.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Speaker, why should New Hampshire voters vote for you tomorrow?
(APPLAUSE)
TUCHMAN: I think you have to look --
TUCHMAN (on camera): What do you need to have happen in New Hampshire?
NEWT GINGRICH, (R), FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it's already happening. Everywhere we go, we have big crowds. Everywhere we go, people are very positive. And evening we'll have a very good night tomorrow.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): People who are very, very positive, but does that include Newt Gingrich himself?
GINGRICH: We proved in Iowa, you can't survive by just being positive.
TUCHMAN: Gingrich is now in attack mode, despite early promises to stay away from negative campaigning.
GINGRICH: I was having a great time just being totally positive and talking about big ideas and big solutions, and I would be glad to go back to that. But I don't think you -- I don't believe in unilateral disarmament.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) AD NARRATOR: Romney took foreign seed money from Latin America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: So now a big weapon is being loaded. A super PAC, called Winning Our Future, which supports Newt Gingrich, is about to start airing an approximately 30 minutes advocacy film ahead of the South Carolina primary, blasting Romney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AD NARRATOR: A story of greed, playing the system for a quick buck. A group of corporate raiders led by Mitt Romney more ruthless than Wall Street.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: Presidential candidates are not allowed to coordinate the actions of such super PACs. But when Gingrich was asked on "CBS News" about, quote, "your super PAC," Gingrich declared --
GINGRICH: I think there's a huge gap between where Mitt Romney is and where I am. And that's what we hope to communicate clearly in South Carolina.
TUCHMAN: Was Gingrich acknowledging that he was directly involved in the actions of the super PAC, which would violate the law?
(on camera): Mr. Speaker, are you giving any direction or advice to Winning Our Future, the super PAC.
GINGRICH: No.
TUCHMAN: Are you affiliated with them?
GINGRICH: No, I'm not affiliated with them. I have not talked to them at all. I have not actually seen the film.
TUCHMAN: As speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich was second in line for presidential secession. To get closer than that, he has to start doing much better than his fourth-place finish in Iowa.
(voice-over): In what has become a battle to become the one and only alternative to Mitt Romney, on Monday afternoon, he announced an endorsement.
GINGRICH: About 20 minutes ago, I got a very nice phone call from Todd Palin, Sarah's husband, and he indicated that he was endorsing me today, and was going to speak out on behalf of my candidacy.
(APPLAUSE)
TUCHMAN: Newt Gingrich says he's feeling momentum.
GINGRICH: I think this is still a very wide open primary. TUCHMAN: A primary which now features a much more aggressive Newt Gingrich.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Manchester, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
