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CNN Live Event/Special
Super Tuesday Winners and Losers; Interview With Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee
Aired February 05, 2008 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're less than a minute away from the top of hour, where polls will be closing in three more states. We're watching all of this very closely with the best political team on television. We have got them right here at the CNN Election Center.
Soledad O'Brien and Bill Schneider are watching all the exit polls, where they are updating us on the information as they come in. Anderson Cooper is here with the best political team on television, the best analysts that we have. Campbell Brown is here. She's talking with all of our reporters out in the field at all of the headquarters. We're watching this story unfold.
We have been able to make several projections tonight for the various Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, but a lot more activity is going on. We expect to hear, potentially this hour, from some of those candidates themselves.
And -- and, as we await those candidates -- they will be speaking to their supporters -- we will let you know what's going on in the all-important delegate race.
It's 10:00 p.m. on the East Coast.
The polls in Utah have closed, and we can now project that Mitt Romney will carry the Republican contest in Utah. This is not a big surprise, Mitt Romney, the only Republican -- the only Mormon running for president right now. There's a huge Mormon population in Utah. He's got strong roots there as well, having worked on the Winter Olympic Games out in Utah. So, no great surprise, Mitt Romney will carry Utah, another state that goes in the Romney head -- goes in the Romney column.
You can see there are supporters there. Mitt Romney is in Boston tonight, his home state. He's already been projected to carry Massachusetts. But Utah will go in Romney's column as well.
There are several key states, though, that are really up for grabs right now on the Republican side. We have not yet been able to project a winner in Georgia, not yet able to project a winner in Missouri or Oklahoma or Tennessee. And, certainly, the states that closed an hour or so ago, 9:00 p.m. on the East Coast, we haven't been able to project winners on the Republican side in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico.
We did project John McCain the winner in New York State. So, we're watching all of this unfold. We have got the exit poll information, but we're waiting. When it's too close to make a projection, we're waiting for the real numbers to come in. That would be the actual ballots that are -- that are cast and the official tallies that come in. We will stand by and wait to from some of the candidates this hour. They will be speaking to their supporters.
We expect to hear from Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, maybe even Barack Obama.
Anderson Cooper has got the best political team on television.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Given what we know that is happening on the Democratic side between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, strategies for both sides moving forward?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, number one, the biggest question mark is still California, because we're going to have to apportion these delegates. We're seeing who wins the states. We still don't know who is winning congressional district by congressional district within the very complicated Democratic rules.
But the way it's going so far, it looks like we are going to be city here going C.D. by C.D. in California to see who has the most delegates. But, assuming the numbers stay relatively consistent, we're going to wake up tomorrow. One of them is going to have a narrow lead. So far, you would think Senator Clinton is having the better night, but there's a long way to go as we go across the country.
One of them is going to have a narrow lead. We know Senator Obama has the resources. And we're going to hand to hand. We have Pennsylvania. We have Ohio. We have Texas. We still have a lot of business to do.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: And the Obama campaign is -- is already talking about California. They're sending out talking points to some members of our political team.
And they say that -- of course, obviously the polls are still open -- but that a candidate could lose by six points in California and still only get 18 fewer delegates. So, think about that. This talking point, again, is from the Obama people.
But we can't emphasize enough this congressional-district-by- congressional-district kind of race. On the Republican side, of course, many more winner-take-all states, and, so, someone like a John McCain could really become the presumptive nominee tonight.
COOPER: It's so interesting that, as this evening goes on, the attempt to shape opinions of folks like you, I mean, from the Obama camp...
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: ... from the Clinton camp. BORGER: You think?
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: They have already had...
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: Here. Take my BlackBerry.
COOPER: It's all over your BlackBerrys.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: They have had conference calls on the Clinton camp talking about the way they see the numbers tonight.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: But one thing Obama does have going for him is that, the more time he spends somewhere, the better he does generally.
He is less well known than Hillary Clinton. He has run effective -- he's actually the opposite of Rudy Giuliani. The more spent -- time Giuliani spent anywhere, the less he went down -- you know, the worse he did.
(LAUGHTER)
TOOBIN: Obama is the opposite. And, you know, with -- with fewer targets, that gives him a better chance and likely more money than Hillary Clinton.
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That's true, but, at some point, people do vote, and they voted tonight. And he's -- and it does seem to me that, in the Northeast, at least, he's fallen sort of achingly close. He was coming very close, very competitive. He may still win Connecticut. He has a lead there, apparently.
But you look at the rest of it, and it has gone her way, in spite of the big surprise in Massachusetts. I think we're still waiting for Missouri, very important, big bellwether state. It hasn't come in yet. She's doing well there. And then we will look for California.
COOPER: And we have another projection.
And Wolf Blitzer has that.
BLITZER: CNN can now project that Oklahoma -- Oklahoma will go to John McCain. The Oklahoma primary, 38 delegates at stake. This is sort of a modified winner-take-all contest in Oklahoma. Right now, 78 percent of the actual precincts have reported, 38 percent of the vote going to McCain, 33 percent for Huckabee, 24 percent for Romney.
Ron Paul with 3 percent. If we zoom in and take a look at the actual vote that is coming in from Oklahoma right now, we can see that John McCain is doing the best. And we just projected he will carry Oklahoma, 84,600 for McCain, 75,000 for Huckabee, 53,000 for Romney, Ron Paul with 7,642.
This was a state where John McCain had campaigned. He worked hard. Huckabee thought he might be able to do well here in Oklahoma as well. He did well, relatively speaking, but not necessarily well enough, with John McCain getting another victory in Oklahoma right now.
So, he's steadily -- he's racking up these victories. We're taking a close look at the all-important delegate count, how they're distributed. This is a modified, as I said, winner-take-all, not exactly winner-take-all, as some of the other Republican states are, like New York and New Jersey, but Oklahoma still, very, very important, 41 total delegates there in Oklahoma, Oklahoma going to John McCain.
Oh. We have something else coming up right now.
We can project that North Dakota, the winner will be Barack Obama with 21 delegates at stake in North Dakota. This is a state that he worked at trying to get. And North Dakota will go in Barack Obama's corner right now. It's not necessarily as important as some of the other states that he lost, like Massachusetts, for example. It's a caucus state, North Dakota, 13 delegates at stake, eight superdelegates. Mr. Obama clearly is the winner right now. He had a stronger presence there than Mrs. Clinton.
Nevertheless, it's still a win for Barack Obama in North Dakota over Hillary Clinton, a win that he's obviously going to be happy that he has -- North Dakota for Barack Obama.
If we take a look at North Dakota, 89 percent of the votes are actually in. Sixty-one percent went for Barack Obama in this caucus, 37 percent for -- for Hillary Clinton, a win -- a win for Obama in North Dakota.
These are live pictures you're seeing now from Little Rock, Arkansas, where Mike Huckabee is meeting with his supporters. They're very happy. Mike Huckabee is doing relatively well in several of these states where he had campaigned very hard to do. Didn't have a whole lot of money, but he did have a lot of enthusiasm.
He carried his home state of Arkansas. That was no great surprise. But he's doing well in some of these other states. We haven't been able to project a winner yet in Georgia, for example. He's doing very, very well in Georgia, fighting for the votes with John McCain and Mitt Romney.
But he's going to be speaking to his supporters right now.
I think we should listen in.
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, thank you.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: You know, over the past few days a lot of people have been trying to say that this is a two-man race.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: Well, you know what? It is. And we're in it!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: Tonight, we are making sure America understands that sometimes one small smooth stone is even more effective than a whole lot of armor.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: And we have also seen that "The Widow's Might" has more effectiveness than all the gold in the world.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: Janet and I and our family and team want to begin by saying thanks, first of all, to the wonderful of people of Arkansas, where it all started and where, tonight, we have a wonderful, wonderful victory here at home.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: We love this state, always have and always will. And, tonight, we're reminded again why: because of the incredible people who believed in us early and stayed with us through all of the times when so many people said, you can't get there. And, tonight, we're proving that we're still on our feet, and, much to the amazement of many, we're getting there, folks. We're getting there.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: We have been standing for small-business owners who know that government has for way too long had its foot on their neck, with taxes that were too high, regulations that were too onerous.
The threat of litigation made it impossible for many small- business owners to survive. And our party once stood to make sure that we helped clear the way so that the free-market system really worked. And we're going do it again, because, one of these days, when I get to be president -- and it won't be very long, about a year from now...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: ... I really do look forward to nailing the "going out of business" sign on the front door of the IRS.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: And, when we have the FairTax, a lot of small-business owners and individuals will finally have a fair shot of getting a part of the American dream.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: We're here tonight and winning states across the South because we have stood for the idea that mothers and fathers raise better kids than governments do...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: ... and government ought to undergird a family, not undermine a basic family's rights to raise their own kids.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: And that's one of the reasons we're here tonight.
We're here tonight because people want to know that the president is going to secure our borders and make it so it's not more difficult to get on an airplane in your hometown than it is to cross the international border, and that we're going to fix an issue that the federal government has allowed to go unchallenged for a long, long time.
We're here tonight because a lot of people in the South and across America know that the Second Amendment is to be respected as much as the First Amendment. And they know that there's only one candidate who has a consistent record of making sure we do that.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: And one of the reasons that we're here tonight is because there's no candidate who has been more consistent and clear about the fact that we should honor the words of our forefathers, who said all of us are created equal.
And that means that every single person has intrinsic worth and value. And we should uphold the sanctity of human life, because it is a cornerstone of our culture of life.
And ladies and gentlemen, tonight, I believe that one of the things you're seeing across this nation is that people are saying, the conservatives do have a choice, because the conservatives have a voice. And, tonight, they're getting a chance to express that.
And, from here, they will get to continue expressing that choice and that voice.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: Now, it's tough for this old Razorback to say things like roll, tide roll, but I'm doing it tonight.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: And it's tough for this old Razorback to look over there to the state just to the east of us and anticipate being able to say that we're, too, Volunteers.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: I think, before the night is over, I will even be singing "Rocky Top."
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: This old Razorback may even catch some Bulldog fever before the night is over.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: And we're going to forget all about the Cotton Bowl and even be grateful for our friends to the north before tonight night is over, I'm fully believing.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: But tonight is far more important than contests between the rivalry of some of our states in athletics, starting today with the wonderful people of West Virginia, who gave us a surprising, stunning, and wonderful victory.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: Today has been a day when the people have spoken. And, today, people across this country are saying that, yes, we heard what the pundits said, but this is our vote, not theirs. This is our election, not theirs. This is our presidency, not theirs.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: And for all those people who have made sacrifices to help us be here, I want to say, thank you. And I also want you to know that, as long as there's still votes and delegates to be won, until that magic number of 1,191, there's going be one guy answering the bell every time there's a new round.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: Sometimes -- sometimes, elections have a way of tearing us apart even within our own party.
But the ultimate purpose, that we're all in this, is not to see our party divided, and it most certainly is not to see our country divided. We got in this because we wanted to see our party pull together again. But, even more than our party, as important as this is, it's far more important that we bring this nation back together where we once again...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: ... where we realize that our greatest strength is not in the government we elect, but it's in the ordinary people who do the choosing. It still is a land of the people. And we're going to continue to prove that, that, even with limited resources but lots of heart, the presidency can belong to the people of this country.
When I started out as a little kid, believe me, I never thought I would even see a president within eyesight of me physically. And I have often told the story. I'm 8 year's old, and my dad said: "Son, I'm going to take you down to hear a speech by the governor. He's coming down to our part of the state. And governors didn't get here very often."
And, boy, they didn't.
And he's said: "I want you to go down and hear the speech because he's dedicating a lake. And you needed to hear that because, son, you may live your whole life, and you may never actually get to see a governor in person."
(LAUGHTER)
HUCKABEE: Little did he know that that boy would become the 44th governor of the state of Arkansas and serve this wonderful state for 10-and-a-half years.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: And I'm pretty sure that he could have never, ever even dreamed that, one day, I would be standing here tonight and I would be saying, folks, in a few more months, you will help me become the 44th president of the United States of America.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: Thank you. God bless you.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
HUCKABEE: Thank you. Thank you.
BLITZER: The former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee speaking to his supporters in Little Rock. He's doing relatively well in several of the Southern states tonight. We're watching this very, very closely.
We're going to be speaking with Governor Huckabee. That's coming up shortly.
We're also standing by to hear from Mitt Romney. He's going to speaking, we're told, to his supporters, as well. And, at some point, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will be speaking. And we assume John McCain will as well -- so, all of those speeches to their supporters coming up.
Our interview with Governor Huckabee, that is coming up as well.
Remember, go to CNNPolitics.com. You can get all the latest information, the tallies as they're coming in state by state, county by county.
Much more of our special coverage coming up -- right here from the CNN Election Center.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Two more important projections, two more wins for Barack Obama.
Barack Obama will win in the state of Connecticut, where there are 60 delegates at stake. Barack Obama will carry Connecticut. Barack Obama will also carry Kansas, where his mother is from -- 41 delegates at stake in Kansas -- two wins. Connecticut was a state that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigned hard for, and Barack Obama will come up the winner in Connecticut.
In Kansas, he went there, met with relatives of his mother from going way back. He spent some time there. It's clearly paid in the caucuses in Kansas -- two more wins for Barack Obama tonight, Connecticut, 60 total delegates, Kansas, 41 delegates, important victories for Barack Obama, who is trying to keep that momentum going with Hillary Clinton.
This is a fast-developing story. The projections are coming in based on the exit polls, as well as the actual numbers officially reported to those states, as the precincts come in, most -- very important developments for Kansas -- Kansas -- and Connecticut tonight.
Here are the states where we have projected so far tonight that Barack Obama is the winner -- and I will go down and across -- Alabama, Illinois -- that's Alabama, first of all. Seventy-one percent of the vote is now in. We project he wins there. He wins in Illinois.
We have projected he will win in Delaware, as well -- as well as in Kansas, as we just said, Connecticut. Georgia, we projected that early -- that closed -- that poll closed in the 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour -- and North Dakota. Those are the states that Barack Obama so far tonight has carried.
Hillary Clinton has carried other states tonight, and we will show those to you shortly as well, but two important wins for him just coming in right now, Kansas and Connecticut.
Let's go over to Anderson Cooper, who is assessing this, especially Connecticut. That was a pretty fiercely fought contest -- Anderson.
COOPER: And we should also point out to our viewers we're going to be having an interview with Governor Mike Huckabee very shortly. Campbell Brown will bring us that.
But let's talk about Mike Huckabee tonight.
He is ready, I'm told.
Let's go to Campbell -- Campbell.
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Anderson. Thanks, Anderson, very much.
And we want to go now to Governor Mike Huckabee, who is joining us.
Are you there, Governor?
HUCKABEE: I'm right here, Campbell. Thank you very much.
BROWN: Well, thank you. We appreciate your time tonight.
And I should say, some bold predictions from you in your speech a few minutes ago about what the future may hold for you tonight. Things have been going surprisingly well for you, winning Arkansas and West Virginia. And you're running very strong in a number of other states.
How are you feeling overall?
HUCKABEE: We're feeling great.
I mean, this was a big day for us. And it proved that we're still in this. We have been saying that for a long time. You know, we took some blows. Some people were saying we had pulled out of Florida, when we didn't, tried to sort of say our campaign was faltering. We never believed that it was.
We were seeing record fund-raising going on, record crowds, enthusiasm. And we knew it wasn't anywhere near coming to a close. It was just getting really started. And, tonight, I think we're seeing that affirmation.
BROWN: But, Governor, you may have exceeded expectations tonight, but -- but it is highly unlikely that you're going to get the nomination, and you certainly knew that coming into tonight. So, why stay in the race?
HUCKABEE: Well, I'm not sure that I would say it's -- it's so unlikely that we will get the nomination. No one has got 1,191 delegates yet. Until they do, we're still in it.
Nobody thought the New York Giants were going to be the Super Bowl champions, and everybody had all those hats painted up with the Patriots. Guess what? Those are a real bargain today. You can get a lot of Super Bowl hats with the Patriots' insignia on it for a deal. So, don't be too quick to say it's over, because it's not over until the final bell has sounded. And it hasn't yet.
BROWN: So, you are going to stay in this race until there is a nominee?
HUCKABEE: Well, why not? The one way I know I will lose, if I walk off the field.
Campbell, I have spent my life coming up from the bottom. I have never known what it's like to start from the top. I have never been the favorite. I know what it's like to start deep in the hole. And I also know what it feels like to go from deep in the hole to the top of the mountain. And it's a mighty tough journey sometimes, and you don't always make it. But, when you do make it, it's worth it. And there are a lot of people in America who want to believe that they, too, can go from deep in the hole to the top of the mountain in their own life. And I think my candidacy is restoring that kind of hope and optimism in a lot of people.
BROWN: Let me ask you about West Virginia, because, as you know, there have been some suggestions that there was sort of a backroom deal before your supporters and John McCain supporters to ensure that Romney would not win West Virginia. He was leading after the first ballot.
Is there any truth to that? Has there been any communication between your campaign and John McCain's campaign in the last few days?
HUCKABEE: I have not talked to Senator McCain or people on his staff about West Virginia.
You know, every time we win something, somebody tries to figure out a way to explain it away. The truth is, people voted for me. And they had a chance to vote for somebody else. And, when they didn't vote for -- or when their candidate, either John McCain or Ron Paul, didn't get the votes on the first ballot and they had to pick somebody else, they picked me. It's as simple as that.
I think it shows that, when this party wants to come together, it looks to somebody they know can carry the message. People in West Virginia believed I could do it.
And, you know, yesterday, Mitt Romney was saying, don't be a whiner. Now, yesterday, he was against whining. Today, he's for whining. So, I think we need to just say, we won West Virginia. And he will just have to deal with it.
BROWN: All right, well, Governor Huckabee, we do wish you the best of the luck for the rest of the night and -- and going forward from here.
Thank you very much for your time tonight. Appreciate it.
HUCKABEE: Thank you.
BROWN: And let's go to Wolf Blitzer now.
BLITZER: Campbell, thanks very much.
There's severe weather unfolding in Tennessee right now.
I want to go to Chad Myers. He's watching this for us.
It's not only affecting the lives of a lot of people. It's affecting a lot of other things. This is a lot worse. These are live pictures that we're seeing from Nashville right now.
And we can see that lightning flash, Chad. What -- what's going on?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, if you could hear the audio, too, you would hear the tornado sirens going off for Nashville. A big tornado was on the ground southwest of Nashville. It still is.
It has caused damage in Fairview. Now, that is a town a little bit to the southwest of Nashville proper, between Franklin and Fairview. This storm is moving right into downtown. And we still believe that the rotation is sufficient to have the tornado on the ground. It has been reported on the ground now for almost 75 miles on and off, skipping around once in a while.
But we think it's back down on the ground, moving into downtown Nashville proper. You need to take cover from this storm. This is a very dangerous storm. It has caused a lot of damage in its path, all the way from Centerville, which is 50 to 75 miles away, Wolf. And it is still making tornado damage right now.
Also, one more tornado warning, again, for Memphis. This will be the third time the sirens have gone off in Memphis tonight. That storm had damage in Forrest City in Arkansas, moving across the river now, back into Memphis. Those people that are trying to clean up from that tornado, two of them, two tornadoes that have gone through already, and now they're in for another round -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Chad, forgive my ignorance. Is this tornado season down there? Or what is going on? Is this unusual or is this normal?
MYERS: Well, it was 75 degrees in Little Rock today. It was 74 in Nashville. It was spring-type temperatures. Even though the thermometer and the -- obviously, the calendar still says winter. It's not winter anymore.
This is video from when we had damage earlier tonight, and some of the damage we now know of back into Arkansas and in through Centerville, very significant, into Franklin, and also back even as far into Highland, Arkansas, fire station completely destroyed.
And the biggest damage we know of right now was in Jackson, Tennessee. 86 -- 8-6 -- 86 people injured, 50 at a retirement home, 36 at Union University. And that college is closed tomorrow because two dorms are almost completely destroyed in Jackson, Tennessee.
BLITZER: And these tornadoes not only hitting rural areas, but Memphis and Nashville.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: That's -- that's pretty extraordinary, obviously, as well.
All right, Chad, thanks very much -- Chad Myers at the CNN Weather Center.
Another projection. We're ready to make a projection in the state of Alabama. We just heard from Mike Huckabee. Guess what? CNN can now project that the former Arkansas governor will carry the state of Alabama. Forty-eight total delegates in Alabama right now. The -- 45 delegates at stake today, 3 super delegates for the Republicans.
This was a state that was up for grabs, but Mike Huckabee showing his strength, especially in these southern states. He's carried his home state of Arkansas tonight. He's in a fiercely fought battle under way right now in neighboring Georgia, as well. But Mike Huckabee will carry Alabama. He will be the winner in the primary there. Another important win for Mike Huckabee.
He's ranking up some wins, as he needed to do to stay in this race. And you just heard him tell Campbell Brown he's staying in this race until it's over. He has absolutely no intention of dropping out.
He says that some of the pundits had earlier suggested it was a two-man race on the Republican side. And he said, "You know what? It is. That would be John McCain and Mike Huckabee." He has no great love for Mitt Romney, as all of our viewers know.
There's Romney headquarters, by the way, in Boston right now. He's going in to speak to his supporters. So far he's carried his home state of Massachusetts. He's carried Utah, as we take a look at the rundown.
Let -- while we wait for Mitt Romney, let's get ready for another projection.
Minnesota and its caucus, we can now project that Barack Obama will carry the caucus in Minnesota. This is an important win for the senator from Illinois. Eighty-eight total delegates are at stake in the state of Minnesota. They'll be divided up proportionately, according to their congressional districts, as is the case with all -- with all of the Democratic contests.
But Minnesota going for Barack Obama. This is a state that he wanted to win, and he did win.
As we digest that, let's listen in to Mitt Romney in Boston right now.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... Massachusetts Republican state legislature. To have Governor Weld here and Kerry Healey, my lieutenant governor, and so many friends.
You know Ann, of course, and my family, my sons and daughters here, daughters-in-law. But also at the far end is my brother. And don't ask me if he's younger than me. He's older than me. My brother Scot, he's been campaigning all over the country for me.
And I appreciate your being here tonight on a very special night.
You know, Ann came to me and she said, "You know, the one thing that's clear tonight is that nothing is clear." But -- but I think she's wrong. One thing that's clear is, this campaign is going on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes! Mitt, Mitt, Mitt! UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes! Mitt, Mitt, Mitt!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes! Mitt, Mitt, Mitt!
ROMNEY: I think -- I think there's some people who thought it was all going to be done tonight, but it's not all done tonight. We're going to keep on battling. We're going to go all the way to the convention. We're going to win this thing, and we're going to get into the White House.
Now, I don't know. At this stage it's really hard to tell how many delegates we're going to get, because a lot of states, of course, we haven't even heard from, the western states. We know that it's going to be close and interesting in states like Colorado, Montana and California and all over the west.
And so we're going to see what kind of numbers come in. We'll add those numbers up and have them bright and early in the morning. My guess is at our home we'll be staying up a little bit later than most of you will. We'll be looking at those numbers.
But I have to tell you, there was a special feeling in my heart when I realized that the three places Ann and I have lived have all voted for us, Michigan, Massachusetts and Utah. And -- and we expect -- and we expect a lot more delegates to come from a lot of other states, as well.
But, you know, this is -- this is fun and exciting to be part of an election scene like this, to have all of you here cheering us on. It is just remarkable to know how much work you've done, how much money you've raised, how many doors you've knocked on, how many calls you've made.
But -- but you know why we're doing it. We're all doing it for the same reason. That is, we care very deeply about, well, in my case, these folks up here, and in your case, the folks at your home, your kids. For me, I'm very concerned about the kind of America they're going to inherit. I want to make sure that the kind of prosperity we've known, the peace that we've always experienced, the safety that we've always felt is part of my kids' life and their kids' life and theirs, indeed, as well.
And I recognize that that doesn't just happen. You see, those that brought this to us paid a very heavy price to buy our peace. They built a strong military that was, without question, the most capable in the world. They built a strong economy that surpassed anybody's in the world. And they also gave to us values that are enduring, like believing in hard work and education and willingness to sacrifice for the future, and love of our families, and love of our faith and love of our country. And because of these great values and this great economy and our great military, we've emerged as the greatest nation on earth. And now it's our turn to decide what we're going to give to our kids and to their kids.
We face extraordinary challenges. I'm convinced -- and I mean this very sincerely. I'm convinced that, if Washington continues on its same course, America will emerge, not as the nation of the 21st century by the end, but as a second-tier power. It will be passed by someone else. I can't tell you who it will be, but it would be passed by someone else.
And that will not happen. We'll keep America strong, because we'll hold onto the values that have always made us successful, values of Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush and Teddy Roosevelt that other great presidents spoke about. They strengthened our military with more troops to make sure that we could protect ourselves. They strengthened our families with good health care and good schools and values that are enduring. And they strengthened our economy.
At the base of our ability to lead the world is a robust and powerful economy. Right now, things are a little shaky. You hear people say, "Well, we're hitting a rough spot." It's more than that. It's more than just a rough spot. There's a long-term slide that we've seen as we're competing with people around the world, Asia, in particular.
And as our pocketbooks are being emptied by the oil-producing states, taking more and more money every single day from us, we can't allow our economy to be weakened by these other competitors.
It's time for us to lift America, to strengthen our economy. We're going to do that by keeping taxes down, by getting regulation down, by having immigration work for us. That means stopping illegal immigration, protecting legal immigration.
We're going to trade...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mitt, Mitt, Mitt!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mitt, Mitt, Mitt!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mitt, Mitt, Mitt!
ROMNEY: We're going to trade -- we're going to trade with other nations around the world, of course, but we're going to do so on a level playing field. We're going to invest in technology and innovation and be the best and brightest, with new products and new designs, and make sure that we always lead the world.
This is the future of this great country. Now I know that there's some who think that can all be done from Washington. But when it comes time to think about how we're going to guide our economy, I think it's more important to know how America works than to know how Washington works.
And I think it's -- and when it comes time to think about how our economy is going to build great jobs for our kids and their kids and maintain the great military we have through our economic strength, I think it's important to have a president who's actually had a job in the private sector.
You see -- you see, at a time like this, at a time like this we recognize just how broken Washington is. We've looked at them to solve our problems, and they haven't. We asked them to solve Social Security. They haven't done that. We asked them to balance the budget. They haven't.
We asked them, as well, to rein in excessive pork-barrel spending. They haven't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
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ROMNEY: We asked them to get health care that was affordable and portable for all of us. And they haven't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
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ROMNEY: We asked them to get education that's the best in the world. They haven't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
ROMNEY: We asked them to live by high ethical standards, and they haven't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
ROMNEY: We asked them to end illegal immigration, and they haven't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
ROMNEY: We asked them to get us off of foreign oil and let us be able to be energy independent. And they haven't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They haven't!
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ROMNEY: It's time for the politicians to leave Washington and for we, the people, to take over!
This -- this isn't just about the heart and soul of our party. It isn't just about which party is going to win in November. This is about the future course of our country. This is about whether or not Washington will finally deal with the challenges we face, whether Washington is up to the task on helping solve these problems, taking advantages of opportunities, making sure that our kids and their kids live in an America that's the greatest nation on earth. It must be. It has always been.
The world depends upon our sacrifice, our commitment and dedication to peace and prosperity and to liberty. This is the greatest nation in the history of the earth. We will keep it, the hope of the earth, with your help. We'll do it together. Thank you so much!
BLITZER: Mitt Romney speaking at his headquarters in Boston. He's got an enthusiastic crowd there in his home state. He's carried that state. But so far, he hasn't done a whole lot, won a whole lot of other states on this night. Utah, he did carry.
Mitt Romney making his speech, vowing he's continuing this struggle. Clearly, he's waiting to see what's happening later tonight in California.
We can now project that John McCain will carry his home state of Arizona. John McCain, the winner in Arizona. There are 50 delegates at stake in Arizona, 3 super delegates. This is one of those winner- take-all states. In other words, he'll get all those delegates. This is an important win.
Not a surprise. It would have been a huge, huge embarrassment for John McCain if he wouldn't have carried his home state. But certainly, he is going to do so. CNN now projects that Arizona will go into John McCain's column. This is an important win for him, because it's one of those winner-take-all states. Fifty-three delegates at stake in Arizona. He's building up his strength in those all-important delegates.
But everyone is waiting, on the Republican side now, to see what happens at 11 p.m. Eastern. That's when -- that's when the polls will close in California. That's the big prize tonight for the Democrats, the big prize for the Republicans, as well.
Arizona has got some unique, distinctive features. Soledad O'Brien and Bill Schneider are here. Take a closer look at Arizona for us.
O'BRIEN: Yes, you know, one of the things that we found very interesting about Arizona was, why did it take so long to call Arizona for John McCain? That's because he didn't win it handily. There was a lot of struggling there. So let's first look at what was happening among Republicans. SCHNEIDER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Conservatives, really.
SCHNEIDER: Here's a surprise. It wasn't a surprise that he carried his own state of Arizona, but look at this. Among conservative voters in Arizona, Mitt Romney won by 11 points. Romney, 47, McCain, only 36 percent of conservatives in his own state. That means, well, he won Arizona, but he's got a problem there. And he has a problem in the rest of the country if he doesn't do better with conservatives.
O'BRIEN: We've seen that reflected a number of times now that we've been up here. So this could be a really big problem if he doesn't figure out a way to resolve that.
Let's turn and talk about the Dems. Latino voters, critical in the Democratic race. So first, tell me how it kind of fell out.
SCHNEIDER: Well, here in Arizona we can see that the Latino vote is very heavy in Arizona. It's about a quarter of the Democratic vote. Voted for Hillary Clinton, 53 percent. That's not as well as she did in -- among Latino voters in many other states. Barack Obama got 44 percent of the Latino vote.
The voters in Arizona, Latino voters, have often been there for generations, especially those who are registered to vote. The governor, Janet Napolitano, endorsed Barack Obama. But he did very well among Latino voters in Arizona, and I should add also in New Mexico.
O'BRIEN: Can you look at that Latino vote there and sort of extrapolate everywhere else or no? It's sort of...
SCHNEIDER: No, you cannot. In the southwest Latino voters seem to go strongly for Obama, though Clinton carried them. In the rest of the country, much heavier vote for Clinton.
O'BRIEN: That's why it's so close. For the Democrats, age is a factor.
SCHNEIDER: Age is a factor in the Democratic race. Arizona is a big retirement area. Voters who are 65 and older, seniors in Arizona, that was Hillary Clinton's strongest vote. Fifty-eight percent for Clinton, just 33 percent for Obama. I should point out, they were about 30 percent of the Democratic voters.
Among all the voters under 65, all of them, Obama actually was ahead among Democrats. Hillary Clinton is doing well, and the race is very close, because she's doing so well in Arizona and elsewhere among senior voters.
O'BRIEN: And really important to note, Wolf, as you go back to McCain several times now, you said you've got to watch those conservative core. He's really struggling there.
We should also mention, Bill, more of your analysis at CNNpolitics.com.
SCHNEIDER: Right.
BLITZER: And it's interesting that Romney actually won the conservative vote in Arizona, although we've projected that John McCain will be the winner of his home state of Arizona.
Guys, thanks very much.
We're also watching very closely Missouri. We have not been able to project a winner on the Republican or the Democratic side. On the Republican side, 58 delegates are at stake, 66 percent of the precincts now in.
Mike Huckabee is ahead right now in Missouri, with 35 percent to McCain's 32 percent. Romney, at 27 percent. Remember, 66 percent of the vote in Missouri. That's a winner-take-all state, 58 delegates at stake for the Republicans. Very important.
On the Democratic side, 60 percent of the precincts have reported. Hillary Clinton is ahead, 53 to 43 percent over Barack Obama. But yet, based on these numbers, based on the exit polls, we have not yet been able to project a winner.
But John King is looking at the Republican and the Democratic race in Missouri very closely. This is a very important state.
We'll take a quick break. Stay with CNNpolitics.com. You can see all the results coming in state by state, county by county and get a lot of other important information, as well. We'll be right back from the CNN election center.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're told that Hillary Clinton is getting ready to speak to her supporters here in Manhattan shortly. A lot of these candidates, they want to deliver their speeches while people on the East Coast are still awake. So we expect to hear from Hillary Clinton fairly soon. That's what we've been told by her campaign. Once she speaks in Manhattan to her supporters, we'll go there live.
Let's take a look and see how she's done so far on this Super Tuesday. We've projected that the junior senator from New York will carry these states with the popular vote: Arkansas, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, her home state of New York as well as Tennessee. Those are Hillary Clinton wins tonight with popular votes. The delegates will be distributed, though, according to congressional districts, proportionately, in a complicated formula.
Barack Obama on this Super Tuesday, he has carried, according to our projections, Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas and North Dakota. Those are the popular votes in those states. Once again, the delegates will be distributed according to the projections -- according to the congressional districts, a proportionate distribution of the all-important delegates. In fact, as we suggested, Hillary Clinton is getting ready to speak to her supporters in New York City right now. She's got her speech there. She's getting excited. Clearly, this is an exciting moment. And as I said, these candidates really want to speak on national television while people on the East Coast are still awake.
Her husband and her daughter have joined her up there. And certainly, this is something that she's enthusiastic about. It's still a fight, though. It's by no means over on either the Republican or the Democratic side.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you so much. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!
CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you, thank you. You know -- thank you. You know, tonight -- tonight -- OK. Thank you. Thank you very much.
You know, tonight we are hearing the voices of people across America, people of all ages, of all colors, all faiths and all walks of life. People on the day shift, the night shift, the late shift with the crying baby. Moms and dads who want a better world for our children, young people who deserve a world of opportunity. All those who aren't in the headlines but have always written America's story.
After -- after seven years of a president who listens only to the special interests, you're ready for a president who brings your voice, your values and your dreams to your White House. And tonight in record numbers, you voted not just to make history, but to remake America. People in American Samoa, Arkansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee and the great state of New York.
And, you know, on just -- on just one really serious note, we want to keep the people of Arkansas and Tennessee in our prayers. They suffered horrible tornadoes tonight. We just talked to some of our folks there, and people have died in both states. And our thoughts and prayers go out to them in this moment of their need.
You know, tonight, though, is your night. Tonight is America's night. And it's not -- it's not over yet, because the polls are still open in California for a few more minutes.
I hope that all of you will join our campaign at www.HillaryClinton.com, because you know -- you know that politics isn't a game. It's not about who's up or who's down. It's about your lives, your families, your futures.
It's about the people who have shared their problems with me, looking for solutions. The mother whose insurance company won't pay for her child's treatment, the couple so determined to send their daughter to college they're willing to mortgage their home with a subprime second mortgage. The man who asked me what he was supposed to do after training the person who will take his job in another country. The veterans who have come home, only to find they don't have the health care, the competition and the services they need.
It's also about the people who want to seize America's opportunities. It's about the unions and businesses who are training people for green collar jobs. It's about the auto companies and the auto workers who want higher gas mileage cars so we can compete with the rest of the world. It's about -- it's about our scientists and researchers who want to be able to do stem cell research right here in the United States of America. It's about our contractors and our construction workers, who want to get to work to rebuild America, from the bridges in Minnesota to the levees in New Orleans.
Now for seven years we have seen President Bush's answer. They don't know what's at stake in this election, but we do. We know what we need is someone ready on day one to solve our problems and seize those opportunities. Because when the bright lights are off and the cameras are gone, who can you count on to listen to you, to stand up for you, to deliver solutions for you?
Well, the Republicans want eight more years of the same. They see -- they see tax cuts for the wealthy, and they say why not more? They see $9 trillion in debt, say why not trillions more? They see five years in Iraq and say why not a hundred more?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boo!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Boo!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boo!
CLINTON: Well, they've got until January 20, 2009, and not one day more.
Now, we know the Republicans won't give up the White House without a fight. Well, let me be clear. I won't let anyone swift boat this country's future.
Together, we're going to take back America, because I see an America where our economy works for everyone, not just those at the top, where prosperity is shared, and we create good jobs that stay right here in America. I see an America where we stand up to the oil companies and the oil-producing countries, where we launch a clean energy revolution and finally confront the climate crisis.
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