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Mary Kaye Huntsman Interview; Mitt Romney Leading by Double Digits in New Hampshire; Rivals Attack Romney on Bain Capital Record; Answers to Financial Questions; Stocks Gain Ground; Voting With A Cause; Lots of Cool Stuff
Aired January 10, 2012 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed.
Voting is under way. The first primary of the presidential election is in full swing. This hour, we're bringing you complete coverage of today's New Hampshire primary. Most polling places now have been open for about six hours. Final tracking polls show Mitt Romney holding on to the lead in New Hampshire. But Romney's position as frontrunner has made him a target for attacks by his rivals.
Candidates are making their final pitches for last-minute votes in New Hampshire. Most are already looking ahead to the next contest. What are we talking about? The South Carolina primary, just 11 days away.
(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, that you can bring folks together in a very competitive environment like you have here in the New Hampshire primary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it will start shaking itself out when we get to South Carolina, and I will be in South Carolina, very aggressively. As a Georgia conservative, I've got very good ties and roots in South Carolina, and I'm looking forward to campaigning there over the next two weeks. I think it will be a lot of fun, and I think it will clear up the race pretty dramatically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Friends of a Florida A&M drum major allegedly killed in a hazing incident say he was gay, but a family attorney says that does not make the hazing a hate crime.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRISTOPHER CHESTNUT, CHAMPION FAMILY ATTORNEY: This is not a hate crime. This is a hazing crime. And that's what we are here to say 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 alternate lifestyle? Yes. Did that define him? No. Robert Champion was defined by the fact that he followed the rules, that he was a leader in the band, that he was against hazing, that he was a peaceful person, that he was a leader.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: I spoke with CNN's senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, who says that federal hate crime charges could apply in this case. Champion's family also announced that they are suing the bus company where the alleged attack took place.
Now, the investigation is still ongoing. No charges have yet been filed.
Outgoing Mississippi governor Haley Barbour is now under fire for pardoning four convicted murderers. That is right. They were all serving life sentences and worked as inmate trustees at the governor's mansion.
One of the pardoned men is David Glenn Gatlin, and he has just been denied parole on his conviction for shooting dead his estranged wife while she held their baby. That happened back in 1993. In explaining this controversial decision, a spokeswoman said pardons are at any governor's discretion.
We are just getting word now from North Carolina that a taskforce is recommending all those who were forcibly sterilized under a state law could get, should get $50,000 a piece. The state sterilized more than 7,500 people between 1929 and 1974. The legislature is going to consider the request in the spring.
The New Hampshire primary now in the hands of the voters. For the candidates, it's all about expectations. Mitt Romney, he's expected to win, but by how much? And what about the rest of the field?
Joe Johns, he's joining us live from Manchester.
So, Joe, I understand right now that Romney is leading by double digits. What does this campaign expect from this evening?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, that's the thing with Mitt Romney. We hate to use the sports analogies in politics, even though we always do, Suzanne -- you know that -- but Mitt Romney is sort of equivalent to the home team in a home game. He's the former governor of Massachusetts, he has a house right here in New Hampshire, by the way. A very well-known commodity.
So he's expected to do very well. And that would mean something like a double-digit win over second place. So, as we said, all the time, the battle is over second place.
Looking at Ron Paul, running pretty strong at 18 percent. And then probably one of the most interesting stories of all here, that would be the story of Jon Huntsman, the former governor of Utah. Expectations are high for him. Some say, even he says, he has to beat expectations here in order to really sort of show his validity in the presidential race.
Let's listen to what he said earlier today on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTSMAN: And 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: So that's the Huntsman story. Then we have all the others in this race. That would be Santorum, Gingrich and Perry.
It's important for Rick Santorum to at least show something here in the state, although he's been trying to lower his expectations, Suzanne. As you know, he came out of Iowa with so much momentum, has been able to build on his numbers, but just really hasn't been able to capitalize, at least so far -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. It's all about the expectations game. Thank you, Joe. We'll be keeping a close eye on it.
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 those later with you this hour.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: All right. I know you felt this way, frustration, you're really frustrated with politicians, just wish there was a way to put them in line or say something, give them your own two cents. Well, CNN did just that. We set up open mikes in New Hampshire, and here's what potential voters had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's the thing with Ron Paul -- a huge supporter of limited government and sort of the whole respect of the Constitution. But the thing that I'm having a really hard time with is your view on foreign policy and Iran. Any time (ph) you look like a crazy neighbor from next door, that kind of thing, too. But that's (INAUDIBLE) you can help there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Rick Santorum. I really disapprove of your stance on gay rights, and I really don't think that being gay and having gay marriage is the same thing as polygamy. You need to talk about the economy more.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Gingrich, part of the reason that I'm just completely upset with you is that your what's broken in this country. You go to Washington, you milk the system, and then you become a millionaire. That's what's wrong with politicians.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Governor Romney, what do you have against labor unions? Workers shouldn't have any rights? It must be nice to be rich.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rick Santorum, how can you be pro-Second Amendment because it's a question of liberty and yet be anti-gay marriage? Gay marriage, a woman's right to choose, and gun rights are all personal liberty issues. And so if you're going to be consistent, consistently for personal liberty, you should be for all three of those things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Ron Paul, how can you be for a stronger America when you're going to weaken our defenses? I think you are weak, Ron Paul.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Newt, I have a question for you. What are you going to do to bring the Democratic and the Republican Party together? You can't even hold on -- well, I'm not going to bring your private life into it. No, I don't care if you've had 10 wives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, Mitt, why did you abandon Massachusetts halfway through your term and leave the state up to Kerry Healey to fend for the state? When she ran for governor, she lost to a Democrat because you didn't come back to support her.
Therefore, I'm very disappointed in your performance and I don't think you've got the right skills to be president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Wow. They are angry. Democrats, they already know who their nominee's going to be, but they're going to be watching the results of the Republican primary in New Hampshire just to see how the race is shaping up.
James Carville, a CNN political contributor, Democratic strategist, one of my favorite folks, that was harsh!
JAMES CARVILLE, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, man, I'm telling you.
MALVEAUX: I mean, all of that. I'm assuming -- I'm just assuming those are Republicans who are lashing out at the Republicans they don't like, and the not the Democrats, who decided they were just going to take over the mikes there.
CARVILLE: Well, my favorite was the one who said, Newt Gingrich, I could call you a wife beater, but I'm not going to call you a wife beater. I don't care how many wives you've -- that was pretty funny. That was hilarious.
MALVEAUX: Ten wives, right. That was something else.
What are watching tonight from New Hampshire?
CARVILLE: I guess we're looking at two things. Does Romney go over 35, and does he win by more than 10, is the kind of suspense. We have to create some suspense, because there's not suspense as to who's going to be first after that night we had in Iowa.
And I guess we're sort of looking, as everybody is, at kind of a contest for second place, which I know something about after last night's football game.
MALVEAUX: LSU. That was tough. That was tough stuff, to see them lose.
CARVILLE: We didn't lose. They just came in second.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: Yes, it's all your perspective there.
Give me a little sense here. Romney, looking ahead, Bain Capital seems like that is going to be the one issue that is either going to portray him as the businessman who created the jobs or the guy who killed the jobs. Already, the DNC has put these folks out who lost their jobs while he was running Bain Capital.
What does that mean for him? I mean, has the dirty work already been done here?
CARVILLE: Look at the trailer for the Gingrich documentary that's going up. I mean, it is scathing and effective. And the Democrats have reams and reams.
The other thing that's going to be huge is Romney is saying, I will not release my tax returns. I guarantee you that this is going to be -- is going to create an enormous amount of speculation and controversy, and a combination of that with Bain Capital. And my advice to them -- and I think they're going to take it, not that I gave it to them -- I think they're going to hit him early and heir going to hit him often on Bain Capital and the tax returns, as they well should.
MALVEAUX: And what about the president? I mean, President Obama, obviously the White House, is watching what happens in New Hampshire. They've already assumed that Mitt Romney is going to be the guy that they're up against, clearly.
CARVILLE: Of course. If they didn't assume it, we ought to be frightened for the country.
MALVEAUX: Right. But he has to fight against a pretty, you know, low, dismal economy, that the unemployment is going down, but it's still fairly high, and things are spur sputtering along. What does he need to say to the American people and what does he need to go up against Romney and make his major platform?
CARVILLE: Well, I think his approval ratings are actually kind of high given the state of the economy, and people have sort of stuck with him for a long time. He can't blame the previous administration, but people do kind of cut him a lot of slack here.
I actually think that the president -- I don't think Romney can beat the president. I think events can beat the president. I think the only way that Romney can win this election, after having watched him in this process, which he has not been that impressive, is the president can be beat by events.
MALVEAUX: What kind of events are you talking about, James?
CARVILLE: A double-dip recession, perhaps something in foreign policy, some domestic terrorism, or something like that. I mean, any kind of event like that, where people, you know, just say, look, we've just got to make a change, no matter what.
But I think if we continue along with some kind of modest recovery, just given the nature of it, and looking at Romney as a candidate, and some of the baggage that he's bringing into this, and some of the ways that he handles things, I actually think the president is going to win this. And I did not think that. As you know, I've hardly been a lackey for the administration, but I do think they're moving in a pretty good place right now.
MALVEAUX: In good shape. All right, James. We'll get back to you in a little bit. Thank you very much. We'll be watching very closely.
CARVILLE: All right. Go, Saints!
MALVEAUX: Second place, LSU. Yes. Who dat?
CARVILLE: Who dat?
MALVEAUX: There you go. We'll look at Mitt Romney's effort to convince voters he understands their financial hardships. Rivals are portraying the front-runner as a multimillionaire who profited off of the misery of others.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. Most polls, they have been open across New Hampshire for about six-and-a-half hours now. Voters are expected to hand former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney his second victory tonight.
David Gergen is joining us.
So, I don't know if a record turnout will make a difference or not. Certainly not in the case of Romney, because we already know he's first place. But what about second place?
DAVID GERGEN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It could make a difference, because you've got motivated Ron Paul voters who could turn out, a lot of Independents. But Jon Huntsman is also appealing to that. And those are the two guys who are fighting for second. So you'll have to see.
MALVEAUX: And what about those -- all of the undeclared, the Independents? About 40 percent, the polls are showing. Which way are they going to go?
GERGEN: Well, I think there's a real difference between Iowa and New Hampshire in that there's much more unemployment in New Hampshire and much -- many fewer Evangelicals, so that the Romney appeal to "I'm the job creator" gives him the inside track, as well as having home field advantage, in effect.
MALVEAUX: Let's talk a little bit about that. Bain Capital, that's going to be very important to Romney. It's already very much a hot- button issue, his role in this company that bought and sold companies, and whether or not he is a job creator or a job killer. Here's how Romney described his own fear about losing his job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know what it's like to worry whether you're going to get fired. There were a couple of times I wondered whether I was going to get a pink slip. And I care very deeply about the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: All right. So that didn't really square with some folks who thought, oh, come on, really?
GERGEN: Yes.
MALVEAUX: He's going to be just fine here.
GERGEN: Yes, listen, he just shouldn't have -- look, I was the son of privilege, I went to very elite schools, I've been very blessed in my life and I really want to help others. That ought to be his pitch, not, oh, I was worried about getting fired.
MALVEAUX: Yes. And Governor Rick Perry, he took it one step further. I want you to listen to how he responded to this.
GERGEN: Sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I have no doubt that Mitt Romney was worried about pink slips, whether he was going to have enough of them to hand out, because his company, Bain Capital, with all the jobs that they killed, I'm sure he was worried that he would run out of pink slips.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, the DNC, David, is already traipsing out these folks who lost their jobs under his reign. How important is this narrative about whether he was someone who helped people and created jobs or someone who killed the jobs?
GERGEN: It's potentially very, very important. I don't think it's going to slow down the Romney train or derail Romney right now in New Hampshire today, and indeed in South Carolina. But it is potentially the area where he could -- that's his strength.
He's coming from a position of attacking Obama on the economy. If he's shown to be a job destroyer, that will hurt him.
But let me just say, I live in Boston now. I have been around, worked with Bain Capital for a number of years. I actually was on the board of a company that we sold to Bain Capital. And I'll tell you, I voted for selling it, too, because Bain Capital had such a good reputation in Boston as a company that could come in and help shore up the companies that bought and invested in them.
They were not regarded as corporate raiders. They were not regarded as these sort of tycoons coming in. Just the opposite. And I must say, many of the partners at Bain Capital are some of the biggest philanthropists in New England.
MALVEAUX: So, in your opinion, it's getting a bad rap?
GERGEN: I think it's getting a bad rap. I have no doubt that opponents can find individual companies where you could make a terrible story, but if you look at the overall record, or look at Domino's Pizza, or look at Staples, I've talked to the CEO of Staples. He told me, "Look, without Mitt Romney, we wouldn't have built this company."
MALVEAUX: Let's talk a little bit about the contest here, because having covered Iowa, New Hampshire, on the Democratic side, with Barack Obama, I was able to see somebody who developed, right, as a candidate who at first was unfocused, uninspiring, to someone who really motivated and ultimately became a historic leader.
GERGEN: Right.
MALVEAUX: And went on to win. But he had months and months and months of knockdown, drag-out battles with Hillary Clinton. And it finally ended, all in June.
Does Mitt Romney by -- if he goes quickly and succeeds too quickly, by being unchallenged, does he miss out on the opportunity to grow and become a stronger candidate when he goes up against Obama in the general election?
GERGEN: It's a good question. I think it's a tradeoff.
On balance, I would have to tell you he's far better off to wrap this thing up quickly and unite the Republican Party behind him. And he's been out for five years now. He's had a lot of time to prepare.
As a debater, I think he's a very good debater. He's having trouble on the stump, just on his impromptu remarks and his speeches.
I went to a rally of his in New Hampshire. And I can tell you, Suzanne, having gone up there and watched Hillary and Obama four years ago, there was an electricity in the air. Big crowds, enthusiastic crowds.
The Romney rally where Chris Christie spoke was actually a very, very quiet, sort of calm affair. It was nice, it was dignified, but it didn't have any of that punch that you and I remember from four years ago.
MALVEAUX: Right.
GERGEN: And I do think he's got a lot of work to do as a candidate if he's going to appeal to people, connect with people emotionally.
MALVEAUX: It says something about that enthusiasm factor. And I wonder, too, with these two personalities, if you have a Mitt Romney against President Barack Obama, you know, as a candidate, Obama was very exciting, very passionate, very interesting. As someone who governs, not as much.
And so it's going to be interesting to see those two personalities come up against each other. And do they motivate the voters this go- around?
GERGEN: In very different ways. I think Barack Obama is trying to re-light fires that have gone out for many people. And by the way, I think he's very good at this.
He does better at campaigning than he does at governing. That's his strength. So I think he'll be better at it.
Romney still has -- I think he has a lot of work to do. Where I do think Romney will do well is in the debates.
They have three presidential debates. And they are often, as you know, especially in a close election, can't be determinative.
My expectation is we're going to have a very close election. And I think right now you'd have to say Obama's got a slight edge, but this could change very quickly again.
MALVEAUX: It's going to be an exciting year.
All right, David. Good to see you.
GERGEN: Thank you, Suzanne.
All eyes of course on New Hampshire tonight as the new political year is heating up. Make the best choice for politics, CNN's "America 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 7:00 Eastern.
But first, free money advice from the CNN Help Desk.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POPPY HARLOW, CNN.COM: Time now for the Help Desk, where we get answers to your financial questions.
Joining me this hour, Donna Rosato is the senior editor of "Money" magazine; Jack Otter is the executive editor of CBSMoneyWatch.com.
Thank you both for being here. I appreciate it.
Donna, the first question for you comes from Mike in Mesa, Arizona. Mike says, "My wife and I both have good credit scores." They've got a 30-year fixed mortgage, six percent interest rate. What should they consider before refinancing?
DONNA ROSATO, SR. EDITOR, "MONEY": It's always worth considering refinancing if you can lower your interest rate at least one percent, by one percentage point. And, of course, if you have a six percent, today interest rates are averaging four percent. So, it seems like a slam dunk, but that's not really the only thing you should consider.
It's really important to plan for how long you're going to be in that house. Refinancing costs thousands of dollars, averaging, like, $5,000. So if you're not going to be in the home at least five years, it's going to be hard to recoup those costs.
But if you are planning to stay in that home for at least that long, it could be well worth it. Shop around, see what you qualify for.
You want to make sure you qualify for the lowest rates, because you're going to save the most money over time. You might even consider resetting to a 15-or-20-year loan. The payments aren't that much more, but you can save really tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.
HARLOW: That's a very good point. Jack, your question comes from William in Kentucky. William is a 24- year-old grad student with a small income, and he's asking, "How should I start investing for retirement?" Well, props to him, right, for thinking about it this early on?
JACK OTTER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CBSMONEYWATCH.COM: It is fabulous. People don't realize the huge benefits you get from starting the compounding now rather than waiting until he's 30 or 34.
So, I would say open a brokerage account at a Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard. It's very easy, because they want your money. So they're going to make it easy. And open a Roth IRA.
He can contribute up to $5,000 a year if he's making that much. You can contribute up to your income.
And I would invest that money in just three mutual funds: the total U.S. stock market, the total global stock market outside the U.S., and then the total bond market. There are index funds that track those. You can put an equal amount in each.
Don't get tricky, try to time the market, or buy individual stocks or any of that stuff. If he can contribute to those over the next 40 years, he will be in great shape.
HARLOW: Sure, because as history and human nature shows, investors tend to -- the average Joe tends to buy high and sell low. Don't do that.
OTTER: Exactly. Don't touch it. Put money in every month, and he'll be beating most of the pros.
HARLOW: All right.
Thank you, guys, very much.
If you've got a question you want answered, send us an e-mail any time to CNNHelpDesk@CNNN.com.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are working on. Mary Kaye Huntsman is going to join us live from New Hampshire to talk about why she wants to be the next first lady.
And a look at the hottest new computers and other electronics. And also, we just watched Governor Rick Perry at Fort Mills, South Carolina taking on the Obama administration. The Republican candidate calling it a fraudulent and corrupt White House. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN LIVE SPEECH)
RICK PERRY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I mean, you got to ask yourself, when the last three chiefs of staff for this president came out of Wall Street, you don't think there's a little bit of inside dealing going on there.
That they're buddies on Wall Street aren't calling them up and saying, how about, let's not be quite that tough against those of us on Wall Street. We're just good old boys out here trying to make a buck. This is a corrupt place.
Wall Street and Washington are corrupt and you don't create the debt that's been created, you don't allow the federal government to move money around from the treasury, unknown for two years, of $7.7 trillion back to Wall Street, and not realize on its face that that is fraudulent and corrupt practice.
(END LIVE SPEECH)
MALVEAUX: Governor Rick Perry trying to make some inroads, going directly after the Obama administration. The White House briefing just started. We'll see if we can't get a few questions into the White House press secretary there to see what they have to say about some of those allegations.
I want to bring in Alison Kosik. She's at the new York Stock Exchange, talk a little bit about what's going on with the markets. Hi, Alison.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne. We're watching stocks make some pretty decent gains right now. The blue chips are actually near their highest level since July, but right now, they are off sessions low.
The Dow today was up 122 points at its peak today. It's partly because of earnings optimism. It's overshadowing those worries involving Europe. Alcoa reported fourth quarter earnings season after the close of trading on Monday, getting corporate earnings season off to a pretty good start. The world's biggest aluminium maker saw its first quarterly loss since 2009. That was because of sharply lower metal prices.
But the company did give good guidance for the year, and that is why you're seeing stocks in positive mode today. The guidance is important for Alcoa, especially, not just for Alcoa, but for companies in general.
Now, Wall Street is going to be watching corporate earnings season very closely this time around. The economic data here in the U.S., it has been improving, but now investors really want to see if that's going to equate to better revenues for companies.
We're also watching financial shares. They're up across the board right now. Most big banks are up between 2 percent and 4 percent -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, we like to hear that good news. Thank you, Alison.
You've been signing off on the "Talk Back" question. Do the early primary states have too much influence on the presidential race?
Lani says, "These primaries are covered really well by the media and as a result show voters the strengths and weakness of the candidates." More of your responses just moments away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. Right now, all across New Hampshire, people are hitting the polls. Caught up with one woman in Manchester who voted for Newt Gingrich, but it's something else that got her out of the house.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want Obama out. So I'm voting -- I'm an independent, but I'm going to vote for whoever the Republican Party nominates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: We've been sounding off on the "Talk Back" question. Do the early primary states like New Hampshire or Iowa have too much influence on our presidential elections?
Well, Craig says, "I think they do have far too much influence. Instead of spending weeks and months trying to decide who will challenge Obama for the presidentship, why not have one big caucus? Five days of debates and voting."
Brandon writes, "I understand the value of having the first votes in small states. It keeps the good tradition of going out and meeting the people. But there are a lot more small states that should have a shot at being first over Iowa and New Hampshire, though. A rotating system is the only fair way among the states."
Will says, "We should completely revamp the entire primary/caucus season. I would even explore the possibility of multiple national primaries using runoff voting. That way, the true first choice of Americans would be selected."
Thanks. That's a lot. All of you sharing your thoughts. We continue to take those comments.
And the latest, coolest computers, electronics stuff is on display? Where else? It's in Vegas. We've got some unique stuff to show you up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We're keeping an eye on all of the candidates today, as New Hampshire primary unfolds. Newt Gingrich just spoke from his bus out of Betford, New Hampshire. Let's listen in.
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But if you're up against a very wealthy, very aggressive competitor, you have to draw clearly who they are because you can't allow them to project a false front. And when Romney goes around and says I'm really a conservative, it's very important to say, well, he did raise taxes. He is for gun control. He did pull the tax on guns in Massachusetts.
He did put Planned Parenthood into Romneycare and tax-paid abortion into Romneycare. He did appoint liberal judges. So you have to a sense that, wait a second, that ad that says he's a liberal conservative doesn't fit the facts.
MALVEAUX: That's Newt Gingrich taking on the frontrunner in New Hampshire, at least if you believe the polls and conventional wisdom, Mitt Romney.
Tons of cool stuff, we're talking about all in one place is the Annual Consumer Electronic Show. It's happening in Vegas. That is where Dan Simon shows us how to get it done and some of the things they've got.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To appreciate just how difficult it is to put on this show, just come outside and check out all the crates. This is the stuff from Mitsubishi right here, behind us are the crates from Microsoft, and this is just a tiny fraction of the overall amount of equipment here in Las Vegas.
One of the big themes for the show is seeing all the accessories for smartphones and tablets. This is one of the more usual contraptions we've seen. This turns your iPad into a guitar. This is a product from Ione. It will retail for $99 when it comes out this summer and it teaches you how to play the guitar.
Panasonic is trying to give us a sense as to what cars might look like in the future. This is not a video game, but a vision to make driving safer and easier. People may think of CES as really as a place to unveil TVs and computers, but it's really a lot more than that.
It's really for any product that requires batteries or electricity and is available to consumers. We are at the Anotabooth, and as you might have guessed, they sell massage chairs.
This is a new kind of appliance from LG. It actually looks like a refrigerator, but when you open it up, you're not going to see any food in there. You see clothes.
They call this the "Styler." It will sterilize your clothes, take out some odors, do some drying, and also take out your wrinkles. No price yet and we don't know when this will be for sale.
In computers this year, it's all about ultra books, thin, powerful laptops with long battery life. Virtually every computer maker is coming out with their own version.
Companies like Google and Apple don't come to CES, instead, they hold their own events throughout the year. Microsoft has decided to go that route and says this will be its last year at the show, which has some wondering whether CES is losing its clouds.
BRIAN COOLEY, CNET: The big companies don't want to be on this show's schedule to say, OK, early January every year, we have to have the big product for the year.
But I haven't seen one new product that is a thing that we've never seen before, a behavior that we've never seen before. That's what everyone looks for and this show gets a knock when it doesn't have one of those.
SIMON: But for smaller companies and start-ups, CES is still perceived as a must. Xybotyx is making its debut this year and it makes a product that turns your iPhone into a robot.
DANIEL MCSHAN, XYBOTYX: We're just interested in being here and getting exposure and I think you know the less other products announcements are better off for us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: All right, Dan is joining us live. So Dan, the news here, Microsoft pulling out. A few big product announcements here. What does it mean for this show, the future of the show?
SIMON: Well, it's definitely not good. You know, it will affect news coverage, the show could, you know, take a hit to its reputation. Obviously, reputation and news coverage are combined.
Those things are tied. But I think, you know, CES had always been regarded as a place where you could come and check out the next big thing. If that's not available anymore, that's obviously not good.
But that said, most of the companies that come here are not very big. They're smaller companies. So, obviously, you know, they can't hold their own events and get huge crowds, so they have to come to a place like CES.
So the future of the show, I think there will always be a CES, but in terms of its influence, I think it's definitely changing -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Dan, Apple's not playing a role in the show, but I imagine that their presence is felt because of those rumors that they might be coming out with a TV. Is that right?
SIMON: Well, everyone seems to think that Apple will release a TV in 2012. Obviously, that's not confirmed, but, you know, the TV manufacturers, the Samsungs of the world, Panasonic, LG have to be looking over their back shoulder and wonder what Apple has up its sleeve.
They don't want to be caught flat footed the same way the phone makers were when it came to the iPhone. So you're seeing TVs this year being packed with features. Samsung released a TV where you could turn the volume up using your voice. Just say, you know, turn up the TV, et cetera. So that's what you're seeing with TVs this year. Lots and lots of features because Apple probably going to have a TV coming out in a few months, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Yes, I remember the days when you had to actually get up physically and turn the channel, all three stations there. Times have changed. All right --
SIMON: I remember that as well.
MALVEAUX: Thanks, Dan.
Well, she stands by her man on the campaign trail, but don't expect to her to keep quiet. Mary Kaye Huntsman. He's going to join us live from New Hampshire to talk about why she wants to be the next first lady.
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MALVEAUX: All right. She is much more than that woman behind her man, Mary Kaye Huntsman. She has been a consistent fixture on the campaign trail and she is not afraid of standing in the spotlight if it means she can help push her husband into the White House. Mary Kaye Huntsman, she's joining us live from New Hampshire.
Thank you very much for being with us. It's a pleasure to see you there.
We're going to ask you a couple of questions --
MARY KAYE HUNTSMAN, JON HUNTSMAN'S WIFE: Oh, a pleasure to see you.
MALVEAUX: Sure. We're going to ask you a couple of questions about your husband, the things we don't know about him. I understand the two of you met back in high school. And back then he had long hair. He wanted to make it as a rock star. And according to NPR, he even dropped out of high school after losing for senior class president's election. We've come a long way since then, obviously. Take us back there. What was he like when you first met him?
HUNTSMAN: I'll be honest, he's the same guy today that he was when I met 28 years ago and -- or married 28 years ago. I met him about seven years before that. And I was attracted immediately to just his warmth, his genuineness, his honesty. Of course, he's very handsome. And I had just moved from Orlando, Florida, and he had moved from -- he'd been in California and in Washington, D.C., and his family located to Utah about the same time.
And I was a salad girl in a pie shop, Marie Callender pies, and he was the dishwasher. So we shared a couple of jobs. We sold Levi jeans after that. And we'd find ourselves in the same places. And there was an instant spark the minute we met.
MALVEAUX: Tell us something we don't know about your husband.
HUNTSMAN: That you don't know. Well, I think what I like to tell people is the person that he is off-camera is probably the person I'm most proud of, because the way that he interacts with people and leans down and helps -- lifts others and watching him as a governor and watching him as an ambassador and the lives that he has changed personally. The inspirations he's given to people. Times when people have been in great need, he's been there, and always giving a listening ear. And those are the things that I want the voters to know, that he is genuine. And everything that you hear about him, about his genuineness, is true. He is exactly who he says he is and he's always been consistent.
MALVEAUX: And, Mary Kaye, you were born Episcopalian, but you converted to Mormonism before marrying him. How important is your family's faith?
HUNTSMAN: We are a very spiritual family. I was raised Episcopalian. Jon was raised Mormon. We have two boys that both went to catholic high schools. They're both serving in the United States Navy now. Our child, Abby, was married in the national cathedral. We have a child from China, a child from India, with different cultural and religious backgrounds. And you know what, we are a family that comes together in a great spiritual way and we rely very much on that in our lives. And one maybe we don't wear it on our sleeve, but we wear it in our heart every day.
MALVEAUX: Does it surprise you that some people say they're uncomfortable in supporting a Mormon? Does that surprise you this day and age that some people just feel uncomfortable with your faith?
HUNTSMAN: I hear that sometimes. But to be honest, with us on the campaign trail, it has not been an issue. I think as people looks at us and get to know us, get to know our heart and souls, they know that we're, you know, people that connect with all faiths and with the American people.
And I think, at the end of the day, people are more concerned, really, about those that don't have jobs, about the type of candidate that can get in there and lead this country back to unity, getting the country back together economically and with the trust that Jon's been talking about. Those things, I think, matter most to people.
MALVEAUX: Your husband this morning, he talked about being a different kind of millionaire than Mitt Romney. That your family has given much of your wealth to charities and causes like fighting cancer. And your husband has been able to contribute $2.3 million out of his own personal finances for the campaign. If he moves forward, he's going to need a lot more money, as we know. And we know that his father, Jon Huntsman Senior, is one of the most successful businessmen in pharmaceuticals, a billionaire, in the country. Will you keep it in the family in terms of raising funds? Will he look to his father to try to help him in this critical time to fund the campaign moving forward?
HUNTSMAN: My husband's philosophy has always been to get out there and earn the vote. You know, you want to feel that you have earned people's vote and not bought the vote. And you have to put a little bit in, a little seed money here and there, that has helped out in the campaign. But we are not about buying a campaign. And if that had to happen, you know, it's not worth it. For us, it is about earning every single one of those votes.
And I think that we're seeing here in New Hampshire, there is an energy that we're feeling on the ground. We started out here at zero. And even last week I think we were still in single digits. And looking at where it has come, we're very energized and happy. And I know that that has been a voter at a time as people have gotten to know Jon's heart, they know who he is, they know that they can trust him. And, to us, we don't worry at all about going forward financially because if the votes are in, people are going to come to you and want to help in this area and it's a situation where all people come together to help.
MALVEAUX: And, Mary Kaye, your daughters have obviously caught a lot of -- sparked a lot of attention as well. They've been very successful in helping their dad get the message out here. They poked fun at Romney. Their YouTubes have gone viral at this point. Are these daughters -- are your daughters going rogue, or do they run this stuff by you and dad?
HUNTSMAN: They have been terrific. They've been his greatest surrogates because they love him so much and they know him so well. And they just want the people in this great country to know how wonderful their dad is. And so one day they just said, all right, we've had it. We want to do something so people know how great our dad is and they did this funny video that they had no idea that anyone would even look at it. And it went viral overnight. And they said, we weren't expecting that. We just love our dad and we want to do something to get his name out there a little bit more. And I think they've done a great job.
MALVEAUX: All right, Mary Kaye Huntsman, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it. We'll be watching closely this evening to see how things go. Thank you, Mary Kaye.
HUNTSMAN: Thank you very much.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
Well, should there be more cursing, less clothing on TV? Well, it's all about free speech and decency. And the Supreme Court is weighing in.
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MALVEAUX: Checking stories affiliates are covering across the country.
Roads looking like rivers in many parts of Texas. On Monday, flash floods pounded Houston, spawned a tornado in Texas City, damaging a mall.
Now, rescuers in Cordova, Alaska, they're trying to dig this city out from under 18 feet of snow. The town issued a disaster declaration. Local residents say they haven't gotten this much snow since the 1970s.
And what is happening right now at the Supreme Court could affect what you get to see on TV. Broadcasters say they are being punished unfairly for those moments somebody dropped an f-bomb or a wardrobe malfunction. Our Ted Rowlands explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHER, MUSICIAN: I've also had critics for the last 40 years saying that I was on my way out every year. All right. So (EXPLETIVE DELETED) them.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That Cher f-bomb from the Billboard Music Awards in 2002 was an FCC violation for decency. During the next year's show, Nicole Richie did it.
NICOLE RICHIE: Have you ever tried to get cow (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out of a Prada purse? It's not so (EXPLETIVE DELETED) simple.
ROWLANDS: The same year at the Golden Globes, it was Bono's turn during an acceptance speech.
BONO, MUSICIAN: I'm just really, really (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
ROWLANDS: For the past 34 years, whenever the FCC thinks a broadcast network crosses the decency line, like this derriere shot on "NYPD Blue" in 2003, it levies a fine. For this one, ABC affiliates had to pay $1.4 million. Janet Jackson's Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction triggered a $550,000 fine, since overturned.
Now the broadcast networks want the Supreme Court to force the FCC to ease up or at least specify in detail what's acceptable and what isn't. The FCC allowed profanity on TV from the movie "Saving Private Ryan," but has issued fines for the same language on television programs. University of Chicago Law Professor Geofrey Stone believes the high court will agree with broadcasters and a lower court, forcing FCC rule changes, saying cable, satellite, and the Internet have changed the broadcasting landscape.
GEOFREY STONE, UNIV. OF CHICAGO LAW PROFESSOR: The basic predicate for government regulation of the airwaves really doesn't exist anymore. And so it would be perfectly possible for the court to revisit that question and to say that, the truth is, it doesn't make any sense anymore.
ROWLANDS: Still, many believe that the public airwaves should be protected.
TIM WINTER, PRESIDENT, PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL: How does more shock, more f-bombs, more indecency serve the public interest, especially when they know children are watching?
ROWLANDS: The FCC started regulating broadcasters in response to a George Carlin radio rant that Carlin continued to use for years as part of his stage show.
GEORGE CARLIN: (EXPLETIVES DELETED).
ROWLANDS (on camera): The court has heard this issue before. In 2009, they rendered a 5-4 decision which upheld the FCC penalty on that Cher f-bomb. That case, however, was decided on administrative law. This time around, the court is looking at the core issue of censorship. A decision is expected sometime this summer.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: All right, CNN NEWSROOM continues in a moment with Randi Kaye.
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