Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Clinton Fires Up Crowd For Obama; Clinton Responds to GOP Attacks; Elections Cost Big Money; DNC Chair Defends Platform Amendments; August Jobs Report Due Friday; Obama Prepares to Make Case for Re-Election; Actors Host Youth Political Forum.

Aired September 06, 2012 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Suzanne Malveaux live from the site of the Democratic National Convention. And tonight, of course, President Obama's big night taking center stage as he makes the case that he should be re-elected for a second term.

Bill Clinton fired up the crowd for the President's acceptance speech tonight and a top Democratic strategist says it is now up to President Obama to tell the country what he's going to do in the next four years. We'll take a look tonight at the job that is facing the President. We're going to have highlights from Clinton's speech that brought the crowd to its feet over and over again.

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords likely to get a huge round of applause tonight as well. And a spokesman tells CNN that Giffords will attend the convention and will lead the pledge of allegiance.

And he was part revival preacher, part classroom teacher, Bill Clinton went out to the Republicans, he came to President Obama's defense in his speech last night. Clinton officially nominated the President, laid out why he things Americans should re-elect him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you any that the President was right to open the doors of American opportunity to all those young immigrants brought here when they were young, so they can serve n the military or go to college, you must vote for Barack Obama. If you want a future of shared prosperity where the middle class is growing and poverty is declining, where the American dream is really alive and well again and where the United States maintains its leadership as a force for peace and justice and prosperity in this highly competitive world, you have the vote for Barack Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: All right. CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser. Paul, good to see you. You know, when we were watching the speech yesterday, some political pundits say they thought it was the best speech he had ever delivered. I didn't -- I didn't necessarily think so. I mean, I've seen some pretty strong speeches before. But he certainly did do something for the crowd. I mean, the enthusiasm, everybody rose to the occasion, I mean, they really like finally they had somebody who was going to push this thing forward.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: And it's also interesting, he was the first speaker on the platform, on the podium, to say, yes, we are better off than we were four years ago. You know, that's the point the Republicans have been hammering the President and the Democrats over the last couple days. And he really laid out the case, Suzanne, of why President Obama deserves to be re-elected. He talked about the achievements that the President made over the last four years, and he kind of also did the contrasting of what Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would do if they were elected versus what President Obama would do. And that really teases it up for President Obama tonight.

MALVEAUX: One of the things that a lot of people talked about is that Bill Clinton has a way of making things simple, understandable, and that you can follow, that it was almost like it was a classroom session on here is why the health care reform law is good for you, here is why the economic plan needs another four years. How important is that that the President tonight actually is able to articulate that the way that Bill Clinton did.

STEINHAUSER: You are absolutely right. Bill Clinton is a master when it comes to being the professor in a way. And just all he had to say to the crowd, listen, listen, this is important and then he would talk about the contrast between what the President would do and what Mitt Romney would do. Now, for Barack Obama tonight, for the President tonight, what does he do? He needs to talk about what he will do over the next four years, and Bill Clinton has teed it up for him. What he will do, how he will resuscitate the economy. That is President Obama's goal tonight to lay out specific ideas and specific plans of what he would do if he were re-elected.

MALVEAUX: Talk about the body language. We're taking a look at these pictures here. And last night, it was pretty extraordinary because it was a surprise to most people in the audience, they didn't know that the President was going to come out and President Clinton like bowed to President Obama and then they had this really warm embrace. They have not been two men and two leaders who have been particularly close. But strategically, they are now aligned.

STEINHAUSER: Yes, they sure are. And you remember, you covered the 2008 campaign very closely, there was a lot of bad blood in those days. But that is four years ago, and the Obama campaign realizes that Bill Clinton can be a very effective surrogate. And these two men, maybe they're not friends, but they at least share a common goal, and they are working very hard towards that.

MALVEAUX: What are you going to be watching for tonight?

STEINHAUSER: One thing that we haven't talked much about on Vice President Biden, he kind of got a little short shrift (ph) last night, because usually the running mate speaks the night before. Obviously, that was Bill Clinton last night. So, Vice President Biden will speak in the 9:00 hour. I want to see how much of an attack dog he is because that is the traditional role of the running mate. So, I want to see how forceful he goes after Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. And, of course, for the President, listen, it's arguably the most important speech of his re-election bid, and let's see if he delivers. I have a feeling this should be a pretty impressive speech.

MALVEAUX: And it's a high bar, it's a very high bar. I mean, every night, it gets a little bit higher. The First Lady, then President Clinton and now he has to deliver.

STEINHAUSER: Exactly. Now, the Republicans, they are saying, listen, these speeches are all very nice, they're all very wonderful speeches, but they're going to look towards tomorrow's unemployment report and they're going to say, wait a minute, this is the real story, jobs, jobs, jobs, and we're over eight percent. So, that's how they're pushing back.

MALVEAUX: That's going to be an important number, though.

STEINHAUSER: Right.

MALVEAUX: (INAUDIBLE) will be looking at that tomorrow. All right. Paul, good to see you.

Four years ago, Barack Obama gained support, but, of course, with a fiery speech tonight, he has to explain to Democrats why and whether he has actually fulfilled his promises. What does he need to stay on stage, the message to build a strong case for his re-election? Let's find out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Barack Obama stirring oratory drove his ascent to the presidency.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America, there is the United States of America.

MALVEAUX: He's made a sport of outtalking his adversaries.

OBAMA: John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the gates of hell, but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives.

MALVEAUX: But in Charlotte, he faces, perhaps, his biggest challenger yet. Can Barack Obama top Barack Obama?

COSTAS PANAGOPOULOS, PROFESSOR, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY: The expectation in this game definitely works against the President. It is a speech that is going to be compared to the '08 speech.

MALVEAUX: Obama comes from a long line of Democratic party presidential candidates who faced similar speaking challenges. Recall how Bill Clinton's snoozer of a speech in 1988 --

CLINTON: In closing --

MALVEAUX: -- became history when it was replaced by his rousing 1992 speech.

CLINTON: I have news for the forces of greed and the defenders of the status quo, your time has come and gone.

MALVEAUX: It's up to Obama to live up to Clinton's successful second convention speech.

CLINTON: Tonight, let us resolve to build that bridge to the 21st century to meet our challenges and protect our values.

THOMAS BASILE, PROFESSOR, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY: The President has to make a case for his own re-election and to remind voters why he elected them in the first place and what are the choices that he has made that have been helpful and successful, despite the fact that there may have been some things that the President did not achieve.

MALVEAUX: That means Obama's convention speech needs to be more Clinton than Carter.

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As I have said many times before, we could have an American president who does not govern with negativism and fear but the future.

PANAGOPOULOS: He is giving a speech in an environment where most people believe the economy is not improving. So, he's got to find the silver lining in all of this and try and convince people that it's enough to give him that second term.

OBAMA: My father was a foreign student.

MALVEAUX: This time, no falling back on the compelling personal story candidates often use to sell themselves to voters. And he'll no longer be making a presidential first as an African-American, so instead of hearing a lot of this --

OBAMA: The change we need doesn't come from Washington, but change comes to Washington.

MALVEAUX: Expect a lot of this.

OBAMA: You need somebody who is going to wake up every single day and fight for American jobs and investment here in the United States. That's what you need. That's why I'm running.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Tonight, of course, a big night, President Obama, vice president Joe Biden formally accepting the party's nomination. Our coverage of the Democratic convention starts tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

And President Clinton vigorously defended President Obama economic records. We're going to check out the facts. Rahm Emanuel, he is no longer President Obama's national campaign co-chair but he is still working to re-elect his former boss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: This is how Hillary Clinton watched her husband's speech late last night. The secretary of state, she sat at the desk in the U.S. ambassador's East Timor to drink and sandwich watch the live stream of the convention coverage on her computer desktop. While she is on a tour of Asia and the Pacific. Some say she never intended to go to Charlotte. Secretaries of State, they essentially try to avoid these overly political events.

And Bill Clinton's performance didn't disappoint fellow Democrats. Both at the convention hall and around the country as well, pushing back hard on the Republican claim that President Obama's economic policies are not working. Clinton said he, too, became president when the economy needed a boost. He says the situation in 2008, however, much different.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: President Obama started with a much weaker economy than I did. And listen to me now, no president, no president, not me, not any of my predecessors, no one could have fully repaired all of the damage that he found in just four years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: I want to bring in Tom Foreman. That line got such an applause, I mean, that really is really the main message here going forward the next couple of months. But you're check facting. What do we know? What's true, what's not true?

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that actually is a very tricky line, because what they are trying to say in one fell swoop there is Barack Obama, by natural heir, he's like me, but don't hold him to the same standard because everything is so different right now. So, if everything is so different, well, you know, so it's a tricky thing and difficult needle they're trying to thread there. But one of the things he really lit the crowd up with last night when the President was speaking was he talked about the statistical rebuttal to all of the Republican complaints about Barack Obama's job creation measure. Saying, look at Democrats, look at Republicans, you may see a different story. Listen to this line.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Since 1961, for 52 years now, the Republicans have held the White House 28 years, the Democrats, 24. In those 52 years, our private economy has produced 66 million private sector jobs. So, what's the job score? Republicans 24 million, Democrats 42.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN: Oh, man, they loved this part. They went crazy over this. Let's look at his math first and make sure it's right. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says, in 1961, total private employment was around $46 million, in July of this year, it was around $112 million. So, yes, the difference is about 66 million jobs. And, yes, when you compare that to which presidents were in office at which times, you find that almost twice as many jobs were created under Democrats than under Republicans on all these facts, Bill Clinton is right. Now, as is often the case when we look at these, you do have to consider some context, however. Mr. Clinton didn't pick 1961 out of a hat. The truth is, you can make these numbers do a lot of different tricks. If you went back much further to include, for example, the giant post war boom under Dwight Eisenhower, then the equation would change. So 1961 was a targeted date. It produced a certain result that obviously plays to the Democrat's favor. That's what they're supposed to do.

In addition, economic trends must be considered here. While influenced by presidents, the economy acts in its own way and it spans different administrations. And that can make a big difference.

For example, President Obama, as the Democrats will point out, was saddled with a very bad economy coming out of George Bush. They say that's not his fault. The opposite is also true. Often presidents are saddled with very good economies in a changeover and they benefit from it. Many Republicans will argue fervently that the reason Bill Clinton did so well with jobs is because the Bush/Reagan years set up a positive business environment that paid off in the Clinton years.

You can agree or disagree, but those are the arguments. And the economy doesn't stop and start at the beginning or end of each administration. That's also part of the equation that you have to consider in all this.

And finally there's this one last thing, population matters. The size of the population matters. Since 1961, the country is about 50 million people bigger than it was back then. You have to think about that, Suzanne, because the simple truth is, a much bigger country does and must produce many more jobs. The Democrats have held the White House more in the past 20 years by a couple of years --

MALVEAUX: Right.

FOREMAN: And President Bush had this disastrous end of his term where all those jobs were lost. So if you look at that period of time, well, they're way ahead. It's a bigger country producing more jobs. This is a more complex equation than what was presented there, but President Clinton was overall correct in what he said.

MALVEAUX: And we don't expect that the President is actually going to get into some of the complexities, but certainly moving forward we do expect to hear some of the details, some more details coming from the President and his surrogates about how they're going to try to tackle this.

But it is the first time that you actually have heard somebody lay it out in that kind of methodical way and use those facts and figures.

FOREMAN: Yes, yes, it was a very compelling argument. A very compelling argument. But I do want to say this. One of the most important things I think, when you look at the economy over and over again, is that presidents constantly get in trouble over the economy and they get credit for the economy, and they probably don't deserve either one as much as we tend to give it to them, because a president can only do so much for good or ill in the economy.

MALVEAUX: All right, Tom, thank you, as always. Good to see you.

FOREMAN: Good to see you.

MALVEAUX: And they're not allowed to directly coordinate with the candidates, but they are still very much an important part of fundraising. We take a look at one of the President's super PACs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: I want to talk about money. How much it takes to run a campaign and how much it takes to actually get elected. It is a lot. A nonpartisan group that tracks political spending predicts that when it is all over, this is going to be the most expensive election year ever for both Democrats and Republicans. Let's talk to Bill Burton about this. He used to be the deputy press secretary at the White House, now a senior strategist for a super PAC, Priorities USA Action.

Bill, you're now in the money game.

BILL BURTON, SR. STRATEGIST, PRIORITIES USA ACTION: I am.

MALVEAUX: And it's a lot of money. How much was -- did you actually raise in the last month or so?

BURTON: $10 million in August, which was our best month.

MALVEAUX: Why has it been so important this go around and so expensive this go around to raise that kind of money to elect the next president?

BURTON: Well, you know, the Supreme Court changed some of the rules by which you can spend money on campaigns and elections. And the Republicans got into this right away, right after the decision, and they spent about $100 million in the midterms to defeat Democrats all across the country. So me and my colleague, Shawn (ph), left the White House when we heard that Karl Rove and the Koch brothers were going to spend what was going to be around $300 million this election cycle to just, you know, wash over the President with a right wing agenda and, you know, now those numbers have grown. They're probably going to spend about a billion dollars. And so we're raising money so that we can help to get the message out that, you know, what are the differences between President Obama and Mitt Romney? How can we educate voters about Mitt Romney's business experience and where he would take the country?

MALVEAUX: There are a lot of people who look at this and go, oh my God, think about the kind of influence this type of money has on a campaign. And really they take a look at the billionaires and the millionaires in this country. A very small group that has an overwhelming influence on the advertising, on where those dollars go. Do you think in some ways because you're dealing with so much money this time around that it corrupts the system?

BURTON: I think that the system is broken in a very significant and profound way and needs to be changed. And I think that it's a big difference between where Democrats are and Republicans are on this.

MALVEAUX: How so?

BURTON: If President Obama's re-elected, he's going to continue to fight for reform. He's going to work with folks in Congress to try to get it. He's tried to push for the Disclose Act there last couple of years. He thinks we ought to have a constitutional amendment. Mitt Romney, if he gets elected, with all this money coming in on his side, I doubt that he's going to be for the kind of reform that's going to change the system. But, you know, our view is that, to paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, you go to the election with the rules you have, not the rules you wish you had. So we're in this because we don't think that they should have any advantages and we're going to compete to win.

MALVEAUX: Where are you putting the money? Where are you putting the dollars? What is most important when you take a look at the next 60 or so plus days?

BURTON: We're trying very hard to communicate directly with voters about the major issues that are important in this election, especially on the economy and jobs. So we spend mostly on television advertising and online to reach voters who are more engaged in social media. And the states that we're primarily focused on include Florida, Ohio, Virginia, and we've also advertised in some other swing states.

MALVEAUX: Now how competitive are you when it comes to the Romney campaign? Are you guys out -- are you out fundraising and outspending the Romney folks?

BURTON: No, no, no, the Romney -- the Romney campaign and the outside Republican groups will have a tremendous amount of money, much more than we will. But we feel that we need -- we don't need as much money in order to make the case about Mitt Romney. People Already know a lot about President Obama and they have very strong opinions about how they feel like he's done. They either agree or they disagree, but they know him after six years of basically living in their living rooms.

For Mitt Romney, they don't know him as much. So our reference (ph) to educate voters about how he made his money and the impact that had on middle class Americans and what his policies would do for middle class Americans is sort -- is a much less expensive endeavor.

MALVEAUX: All right. You and I spent a lot of time in the briefing room over years and years.

BURTON: We did.

MALVEAUX: You were the deputy press secretary. If Obama wins, would you come back? Would you work at the White House and give up all the money?

BURTON: I don't -- I don't' think so. I don't think so. I've got a little boy and I enjoy spending time with him.

MALVEAUX: All right. Bill, good to see you. The Democrats changed the platform, but the way they did it actually causing some controversy. We're going to take a look and talk to the Democratic Convention chairman.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Religion was at the root of one of the tensest moments that we've seen here at the DNC. This happened yesterday when former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland introduced two amendments to the Democratic Party platform. Well, one of them reintroduced the word God into the document. The other recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Both the omission of both of those had raised some eyebrows early in the week and Republicans had started to hammering the Democrats for leaving them out. After three separate voice votes, here's how it all shook out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, CHAIRMAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION: All those delegates in favor say aye.

CROWD: Aye.

VILLARAIGOSA: All those delegates opposed say no.

CROWD: No.

VILLARAIGOSA: In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds have voted in the affirmative. The motion is adopt. And the platform has been amended as shown on the screen. Thank you very much. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So this morning I talked to L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the chairman of the convention, about the votes and ultimately his decision on this platform. But first, we actually discuss tonight's big event, which actually had to be moved indoors because of the threat of thunder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Major, first of all, tell us about the new venue, because obviously we're talking about an outdoor space, a stadium of 70,000. Now you've got to squeezing everybody back into the arena there, 20,000, because of the bad weather. How much of this is a logistic nightmare?

VILLARAIGOSA: A lot of it is a logistics nightmare. To be able to move as many of the people who were going to the Bank of America Stadium back here is going to be a tough thing, but we're going to be able to do it. It will mean that a lot of people who were coming, not -- all the delegates will be here, but a lot of people who were coming that weren't delegates aren't going to be able to come. And that's a shame. It's a real shame.

MALVEAUX: Let's talk a little bit about the platform here, because obviously all eyes on what happened yesterday. It really kind of looked like a fiasco what was going on. You got the platform. It doesn't include Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It doesn't include God, the language in the platform there. And a lot of people are not buying this argument that this was some sort of technical error, but that this was really deliberate. How did that happen?

VILLARAIGOSA: Well, I have no idea how the drafting platform had this omission. I don't. That is not something I was involved in. but I will say this, I'm proud that we have a president of the United States, the leader of the party, who is willing to say, hey, put it back in, that platform does not reflect my values, it does not reflect any policies. I love that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VILLARAIGOSA: All of those delegates in favor say aye.

(CROSSTALK)

VILLARAIGOSA: All those delegates --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So what happened on the floor --

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: -- because a lot of people looked at that and they said they did not hear it.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: And you had to do it three times?

VILLARAIGOSA: Guess what, that was my decision. And I'll tell you --

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: But was it the right decision, because lot of people did not agree with that decision.

VILLARAIGOSA: It was the right decision. I gave people three opportunities. I knew we had a majority both times and by the third one. I said it is time to make a decision. And I opined and feel very comfortable about it, that there was a two-thirds vote. You should know something. That every delegate has the right to protest. They have 10 minutes of protest and not one person protested.

MALVEAUX: What do you make of the fact that some people who were there do not agree with you and they believe that this is something that was kind of rammed through because of the political sensitivity to the issue here, that it was really not two-thirds that was supporting this.

VILLARAIGOSA: Well, like I said, I had to make that decision and I made it. I gave people three opportunities to weigh in. In the end, I'm the chairman and I made that decision. And I did it because that is what you have to do in these jobs.

MALVEAUX: Is there any concern of the Republicans, who will take a look at this --

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: -- and take a look at the platform and say, look, the last- minute change had to happen, that the Democrats themselves are either a godless party or weak when it comes to Israel.

VILLARAIGOSA: Well, I was not weak in making the decision. I can tell you that. And the President was not weak in saying, I want that platform changed, because it does not reflect my values. They need to not expose themselves. Governor Romney was weak in not challenging his party on the issue of the plank saying that they opposed abortion even in the case of rape and incest. That is not the leader we want leading the free world.

MALVEAUX: And what does Biden and Obama need to say to today? What do they need to portray?

VILLARAIGOSA: Well, I don't know what they need -- but I think that what the President needs to do is to do what he has done in the past. He has pretty much just has to take it over the top, and he will. I think that he has to lay out the two paths ahead, what we have done to stop the freefall, and what we are going to do to get where we want to be. I think that he's going the lay out a balanced approach, a specific balanced approach to address the deficit that does not extend the Bush tax cuts and puts the top 2 percent of Americans where they were in the Clinton years when we created 23 million jobs and went from deficits to surpluses.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: With all of the talk of the economy, all eyes are on the August jobs report out tomorrow, and we will have a preview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: President Obama could get a post-convention speech boost if the new jobs report that's due out tomorrow is good. There are signs it could be.

Alison Kosik is live at the New York Stock Exchange.

Alison, we have three economic reports released today showing, basically encouraging signs. What do we know?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we got some positive jobs reports. But I have to be honest with you, if you are out of work, these in numbers won't resonate with you. But what the number do show, Suzanne, is that there is improvement and first of all with layoffs. Fewer people than expected filed for the first time unemployment claims last week. with the level sitting at the lowest since the beginning of August. That is good news. The bad news is that it is stuck in this tight range. We want to see the number keep dropping as opposed to hovering the way it has over the past six weeks.

Now, what is really giving the market a boost, why you are seeing the Dow skyrocket today 227 points is that we are getting some really great signs about the monthly employment picture. Payroll processing firm, ADP, says private employers added 200,000 jobs in August. That came in much better than expected. ADP also revised the July numbers higher, which is a good sign, and one day before we get the big report from the government on jobs.

But the estimate tomorrow is going to be more cautious. Analysts, surveyed by "CNN Money," they expect the economy added 120,000 jobs in August, which is, of course, after 163,000 jobs were added in July. The unemployment rate, Suzanne, is expected to hold steady at 8.3 percent.

MALVEAUX: Alison, tell me how Wall Street is reacting to all of this.

KOSIK: As I said, you are seeing the Dow jump 224 points. But it is not just the good news out of the jobs frontier in the U.S. There's also news out of the European Central Bank. The European Central Bank president, Mario Draghi, is the equivalent to the Fed chief, Ben Bernanke. He announced an unlimiting bond-buying program today. It's basically looking to mop up some of the bad debt from Italy and Spain. These countries are struggling with the high borrowing costs. And the U.S., you are seeing the U.S. react favorably, because it is the best thing yet we've heard in a while. So what you are seeing is that the ECB is taking a good bit of pressure off of Europe at this point. Offering sort of an olive branch there. For traders, they say no amount of bond buying will fix the long-term issues in Europe. But what is it, Suzanne, is a concrete step to getting a handle on the debt crisis in Europe -- Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: All right. Alison Kosik. Thank you, Alison. Appreciate it.

Valerie Jarrett, one of the most influential people in President Obama's administration. She is here at the grill to talk to us up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Besides Michelle Obama, Valerie Jarrett, probably the most important and influential woman that the White House is listening to. She's a senior White House advisor. A "New York Times" article calls her "the other power" in the West Wing. She's joining us, live.

Valerie, good to see you.

VALERIE JARRETT, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: It's good to be here. Good afternoon.

MALVEAUX: Good afternoon.

JARRETT: On our third and final day of the convention.

MALVEAUX: It has been very, very busy, very, very hectic. There's been a lot of enthusiasm.

First, tell us about the preparation going on right now for the President's speech? A lot of people really want to know what he is going to lay out tonight.

JARRETT: Well, he has an opportunity to speak honestly and directly to the American people about what he has accomplished over the last four years and the road map for the future. And it will crystallize the sharp comparison of his plans and vision to Governor Romney's. As President Clinton said to eloquently last night, Governor Romney wants to double-down on trickle-down, and we know it does not work. The President believes in growing a strong and robust middle-class, providing the ladders of opportunity for those not yet in the middle- class, who want to work hard and have that American dream. And so he will contrast those two very different visions and lay out how specifically how he intends to get us there.

MALVEAUX: What are the specifics? Will we hear anything different from the President this go around. We heard from President Clinton, and he had numbers and really laid out the case when it came to health care reform and Medicare and all of those things. Are we hearing those things from the President tonight?

JARRETT: Well, what President Clinton did effectively last night was to lay tout president's accomplishments. And he also debunked a lot of the false information that we have been hearing from the other side. He compared Democratic administrations to Republican administrations in terms of job creation. and part of the reason why President Obama wanted President Clinton the make the points he did is that, under President Clinton, we created 23 million jobs here in the country. And President Clinton's approach is identical to the one that President Obama has been pursuing. We have now had, as you know 29 consecutive months of private-sector job growth and 4.5 million jobs, but we have a long way to go. And President Clinton experienced the exact same thing early on in his administration, a sluggish economy and having to take a while to build the momentum. And it did build and grow and flourish. And as we know, he left a record surplus to President Bush when he took over. He made an effective case.

Tonight, the President will pick up that baton and make a strong and compelling case for the future. He will provide some context, but he wants the American people to know exactly what they will be getting if they reelect him to a second term.

MALVEAUX: Valerie, four years ago, we saw the Greek columns, and we were in Denver. It was a huge, huge affair.

JARRETT: It was wonderful.

MALVEAUX: And now that threat of bad weather has you indoors, in this arena. There will be a much smaller stage. How is it different this go around? What are some of the different kinds of challenges that Barack Obama faces now as president when he tries to convince people to come out to vote and get enthusiastic. We will need you at the polls? JARRETT: It is hard to compare the first time to the second time really. As he likes to say, it was lightning in a bottle, and everything caught on. With we had yet to experience the terrible economic crisis that we have seen over the last four years. And so many Americans are still struggling. And as President Clinton said last night, they are frustrated, they are angry. They want that American dream. They want the opportunity for themselves and for their families.

But the advantage that the President has now is that he is running on a track record. He has had four tremendous years when he has faced not only the external obstacles with the economy that melted down, but internal obstacles in terms of the obstructionists that he has seen from the Republicans in Congress. But we still accomplished so much. When you think about how we lost four million jobs in the last six months of the Bush administration. Our automobile industry was on the verge of collapse and now G.M. is number one in the world. We were worried about Osama bin Laden plotting against the United States. We don't have to worry about that anymore. We have repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." I could go on forever. So he has had an amazing four years and now -- and so he is running on that record.

MALVEAUX: Let me ask you this. Which group is more important to appeal to the night? Is it that very slim margin of undecided voters anywhere, and maybe 4 percent or 6 percent, or is it the base, the young people, the women, the people he is really counting on to get to the polls?

(CROSSTALK)

JARRETT: It is a good question. President Obama tonight will speak to everyone, the entire country. He's not speaking to any particular constituency. I believe his message will resonate with everyone. I think that everybody wants, in this country, to work hard, be able to get a good education, buy a home or rent a home, and make sure that your family is healthy and that you don't go broke if you are sick or in an accident. And you want to retire with a little money in the pocket. The President's message will outline how he believes that American dream is still very, very possible. It is an optimistic vision. It's one that is betting on America. That should resonate with everybody and not just one particular sliver of the country.

MALVEAUX: I asked Robert Gibbs this question, and it was something that stuck with me in the last go around four years ago. One thing that the President started to say when he saw these huge crowds of supporters and it seemed like he was really gaining momentum to win, he used to say, "I fear that I'm going the disappoint people," because he had raised the bar so high and he talked about so many things that he wanted to accomplish. Is there any sense from you or the President that he overreached a little bit, that he overstated the case?

JARRETT: No! No! What is great about America is that we have bold dreams. We have a president who has an optimistic vision who thinks that anything is possible. And let's face it, even though we have huge challenges in the country -- and this has been four of the toughest years of our lives if not many of our lives -- all of our problems are solvable if we work together.

What has been frustrating over the last four years is the Republican sense that they should put their short-term political interests ahead of what is good for you, all of the folks who are in here. The President wakes up every morning thinking about you. So he is hopeful, when he wins this election -- and we are going to work hard and it is going to happen -- that we send a message to the Republicans. Our country is tired of the partisan nonsense. It is time to come together. And that is why the President's message will be one that is inclusive and it will be one where we say we have to work together. And if we do, there is nothing the United States can't do.

MALVEAUX: Valerie Jarrett, have a good convention. And thank you for joining us.

JARRETT: Thank you. So far, so good.

MALVEAUX: All right. We'll be watching.

JARRETT: Thanks, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right.

JARRETT: Nice to see you again.

MALVEAUX: All right.

Hollywood stars are taking an active role at the Democratic National Convention. We will talk to actor Alfre Woodard. She's here and she will talk about trying to get people involved in the election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Hollywood actors teamed up with students and educators for a youth summit here at the Democratic Convention. One of the actors was Alfre Woodard. She won four Emmys and was nominated for another Emmy for her role as Ruby Jean Reynolds in the HBO show, "True Blood." And she's joining us here at the CNN Grill.

Good to see you again.

ALFRE WOODARD, ACTRESS: Thank you. Good to see you.

MALVEAUX: You were so much a part of the campaign four years ago. And you have decided again to take your time and money and efforts to support the President. What have you seen across the country in terms of young people? Four years ago, it was electric. How difficult has it been to get those folks back involved?

WOODARD: It has been difficult, but I think everybody is waiting for game day. I think people are starting to suit up, especially after seeing the first lady really remind us who we are, and Julian Castro and Lilly Ledbetter reminding us who we are, as Democrats. The first lady reminding us who we are as Americans and who they are as a family, all the way through to President Clinton last night, really once more into the breech, dear friends, rousing the troops. I think everybody knows it's time to suit up. Not just Democrats, but I think people all across the country realize this is a time where we stand up, we participate, we make our voices known and we do it together.

MALVEAUX: How has the President's support in Hollywood and actors and among creative people been? We've heard a lot about people stepping back and the erosion of some of his support. How important is that group, your group?

WOODARD: You all look at us as Hollywood. Hollywood really doesn't exist. I live in Santa Monica. People live in Tarzana, all over. Hollywood is an idea, a myth. Everybody that's there is a citizen. Everybody that's there came from whatever town they came from. I started walking Precinct 10 in Tulsa.

(LAUGHTER)

And so people -- our parents put a lot of money into our educations, a lot of effort into us to be citizens. So we participate. So everybody's very different. There are those of us that work on all kinds of campaigns and issues. Others, they are like other people in America that we have to really say, you know what, something is at stake, not only for you, your neighbors and all our children. That community is no different.

MALVEAUX: What is at stake for you? Why are you personally involved?

WOODARD: I can give you a list of reasons. I love my president. And I am, you know, excited about continuing the forward push towards healing this country that Barack Obama started in 2008. I came on -- I got this pen in Iowa in 2008.

MALVEAUX: Were you in the snow?

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: I talked to Phil Harper, going door-to-door in the snow in Iowa back in 2008.

WOODARD: I'll tell you, a couple things. Education, that's a high priority for me. I feel like we won't be able to compete globally if we don't focus on education. It's unconscionable we put that so far down the list. I love the President's commitment to higher education, how he has reformed the student loan industry, increased the Pell Grant so thousands more American kids can go to college.

And you have to love a president that respects women, that promotes women, that make sure women are paid equally. All of those things, I think, especially the woman's point of view, across party lines, across regional lines everywhere. Women have to agree when they sit alone that it is women's business and it has been since ancient times to govern their own affairs.

MALVEAUX: Alfre Woodard, got to leave it there. Thank you very much. Nice to see you.

WOODARD: You, too, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Thanks as always and have a good convention.

WOODARD: Thanks.

MALVEAUX: Do you recognize some of the faces here? We will talk to the man behind some of these caricatures.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: You might have spotted our ever-growing Wall of Fame at the CNN Grill. It's a who's-who of the many of the folks who joined us this week in Charlotte. I want to take you on a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Tom Richmond of "Mad" magazine. He's one of the most popular people at the CNN Grill at the DNC. Check out who's-who at the big board.

(MUSIC)

MALVEAUX: We have A-list celebrities. You might recognize these faces. "Entourage's" Entiente Granya (ph), "CSI"'s Phil Harper and the dude himself, Jeff Bridges.

(MUSIC)

MALVEAUX: We also have plenty of political stars.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They make me look thinner than I am. That's good.

MALVEAUX: It is a likeness to you? What do you think of it? Do you like it?

JESS JACKSON, ACTIVIST: I recognized the guy.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: You recognize the guy, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He captured my hair good. It's very hard to do my hair.

(LAUGHTER)

Because it goes one way or the other.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not Michelangelo but it's a good acceptable thing to do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like the fact I have a nice grin, smiling, you know what I mean?

(MUSIC)

MALVEAUX: Can you guess who some of these folks are?

(MUSIC)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: I intentionally sat so I wouldn't see this caricature. I think it looks nothing like me. I don't know who this person is.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: This is my caricature. Does it look like me? I'm not sure. Maybe a little.

MALVEAUX: Angel Suzanne, Devil Suzanne? Which one?

(MUSIC)

COOPER: I think it maybe looks like Tourno (ph), Wesley Clark, maybe?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really got beat up up there. And I say I got a (INAUDIBLE)

COOPER: I would pass this by a million times and not know it was me. Do you think it looks me?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: The Democratic National Convention concludes tonight with the most anticipated speeches from Vice President Joe Biden and, of course, President Barack Obama. Be sure to tune in to CNN for our coverage of all the events and our expert analysis, all beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Brooke Baldwin.