Wolf Blitzer quoted and with his thinking that Democratic Party unity will probably be easy in the general election but then again, what do you expect him to publicly say when he has not endorsed a candidate yet and when he has to say what is politically correct?

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THE SITUATION ROOM

Obama Fights 'Elitist' Label; Democrats Reach out to Religious Voters; Americans Angered Over Food Prices

Aired April 14, 2008 - 16:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I don't know if you saw the issue of "TIME" magazine, because they have a poll in there that I thought was pretty revealing. At least it's a snapshot of what's going on right now. I write about it on my blog post at CNNPolitics.com today.

We'll put the numbers up on the screen. And you can look right behind you and you'll see them once we get there.

If Obama -- we asked Obama supporters if they would vote for Hillary Clinton or John McCain if they lost. And here, 68 percent said they would vote for Clinton, but 16 percent of the Obama supporters said they'd vote for McCain, 16 percent say they don't know who they'd vote for. That's 32 percent who aren't ready to make a flat commitment they'd vote for Hillary Clinton if she gets the nomination.

And then we asked Clinton supporters -- this is the "TIME" magazine poll -- Clinton supporters who they'd vote for if Obama is the nominee. And look at this -- 56 percent said they'd vote for Obama among Clinton supporters, but 26 percent said they'd vote for McCain, 18 percent said they'd vote for -- they don't know. Forty- four percent refusing to make a commitment to vote for Obama among Clinton supporters.

That's a snapshot. It could change. But that must be very disturbing when you see those numbers.

REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC), MAJORITY WHIP: No. Not to me.

BLITZER: Why?

CLYBURN: I recall primaries before. As long as you're in the primary when people's feelings are raw, they will answer in a snapshot. This is the way I feel today. When we get to September and October, when you pull in contrasts between the candidates, I think you'll see something totally different.

BLITZER: Because you know Obama supporters, a lot of them, are very passionate for him. A lot of Clinton supporters very passionate for her. And to a certain degree they don't like the other guy.

CLYBURN: Yes, but they feel at this time that there's something about this whole process -- they're looking at the so-called superdelegates and what role they may or may not play. And so I think a lot of people are reserving, hedging their bets to see whether or not this process plays out in a fair manner.

If it plays out in a very fair manner, I think everything will be fine. Right now people are very, very concerned about what role the superdelegates will play..."

there is a problem both with Obama and the hope that the vast majority of Clintonites will vote for him. Many people simply do not feel they can vote for a candidate who has his negative attributes. Add to that the polarizing, anti-Hillary pounding from the media and his most ardent supporters, and you get voters hardened even further into their positions. On the other hand, most black people who are now for Obama were originally for Clinton and can be expected to switch back more readily. I understand, though, that some will be so disappointed if he is not nominated that they will either sit out the GE or even vote for McCain. Some of his ardent youth supporters will be even more likely to just stay home. Nothing will change these facts, and, hopefully, superdelegates will not try to juggle all this data in trying to decide on a nominee. They need to pick the better candidate to run against the Republicans. The media can ignore race all they want, and Jimmy Carter can even declare to the world that all of Georgia wants Obama(!) Even a white man would have insurmountable problems if he's associated with elitism, anti-Americanism, and racism. For a young, unseasoned black man in 2008, it's deadly. Hillary will have enough trouble because she's a woman, but most Americans feel they know her well enough to know what to expect if she becomes President.

You can't take out a credit card from the Bank of China in the name of our children & our grandchildren then say that you're cutting taxes, which is what John McCain has been talking about. - Obama

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: "Many of these insults will be used again against the eventual nominee. This is isn't the last we have heard of these exchanges. And they will have added credibility, because the Republicans will say, we didn't say this. Fellow Democrats said this about your nominee."

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0803/24/sitroom.03.html

THE SITUATION ROOM

Obama-Clinton War of Words Escalates; Hillary Clinton Takes Direct Aim at Mortgage Mess

Aired March 24, 2008 - 18:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And, to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Happening now: big names and big insults, including a slap right out of the Bible. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama supporters taking their fight to a nasty new level. James Carville, for one, isn't -- isn't backing down. He tells me the mission behind his Judas remark was accomplished.

Senator Clinton takes on the mortgage crisis. Does she have solutions, or will her plan help keep her party's house divided?

And with all the infighting among the Democrats, is John McCain making the most of it? Some of the Republicans' own supporters aren't necessarily all that sure.

I'm Wolf Blitzer, along with the best political team on television. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world.

Allies of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are exchanging some of their sharpest fighting words yet, and there's no sign that the ugliness is easing up at all, dueling Democrats invoking a biblical betrayal, a witch-hunt for communists, and Bill Clinton's impeachment scandal. CNN's Jim Acosta is following all of this.

It's been another day of attack after attack by the supporters of these two campaigns.

Jim, what's the latest?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, from comparison Judas, to references to Monica Lewinsky's blue dress, the political rhetoric over Easter weekend seemed almost unholy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): On their daily conference calls, the Obama campaign...

DAVID PLOUFFE, OBAMA CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I think questioning patriotism is something that we don't think has a place in this campaign.

ACOSTA: And the Clinton campaign came out swinging.

PHIL SINGER, CLINTON CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Gutter tactics that their campaign is now employing.

ACOSTA: It's a smackdown that intensified three days ago with Bill Clinton in North Carolina.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country.

ACOSTA: Obama surrogate retired Air Force General Tony McPeak immediately went nuclear. Off camera, McPeak accused the former president of Cold War McCarthyism.

GEN. TONY MCPEAK (RET.), OBAMA SUPPORTER: I'm saddened to see a president employ these kind of tactics.

ACOSTA: The Clinton campaign cried foul, drawing this response from former Iowa Democratic Party chairman and Obama supporter Gordon Fischer, who said in his blog, "This is a stain on the former president's legacy, much worse, much deeper than the one on Monica Lewinsky's blue dress."

But that's not all. Take Hillary Clinton supporter James Carville's attack on former Bill Clinton Cabinet member Bill Richardson's endorsement of Obama. The New Mexico's endorsement, said Carville, "came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver."

Richardson fired back.

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: Well, I'm not going to get in the gutter like that. And that's typical of many of the people around Senator Clinton. They think they have a sense of entitlement to the presidency.

ACOSTA: The battle royal has some analysts wondering whether the two campaigns are starting to inflict permanent damage on the party.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: Many of these insults will be used again against the eventual nominee. This is isn't the last we have heard of these exchanges. And they will have added credibility, because the Republicans will say, we didn't say this. Fellow Democrats said this about your nominee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: As for Gordon Fischer's riff on Monica Lewinsky, the former Iowa Democratic Party leader says he has removed the remark from his blog and apologized, calling his comments tasteless -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jim, thank you...

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THE SITUATION ROOM

Pennsylvania Votes; Sen. Claire McCaskill Sees 'Clear Path to Nomination' for Obama; President Bush Says U.S. is in a Slow Down, Not a Recession

Aired April 22, 2008 - 18:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: This just coming in. We're getting more exit poll numbers here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're looking at the exit polls for signs of a divide in the Democratic Party.

Let's go back to Bill Schneider.

What are you picking up -- Bill?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: We're picking up that divide you just talked about.

What would happen if the Democrats nominate Hillary Clinton for President in November? What would the Obama voters do?

We asked them in Pennsylvania today. Two-thirds of them say, yes, they'd vote for Hillary Clinton. But one third would drift away -- 17 percent for McCain. And 12 percent say they wouldn't vote. The Democrats would have to work hard to get that one third back in the fold.

And if you think that's going to be tough, look at what would happen if Obama is the nominee. We asked Hillary Clinton voters, how would you vote if Obama is the nominee?

And just half -- 50 percent -- only half of the Clinton voters say they would vote for Barack Obama if he is the Democratic nominee. A quarter would vote for John McCain. And 19 percent say they wouldn't vote at all.

So the division in the Democratic Party is getting serious. And the longer this goes on, the more serious it's likely to be.

BLITZER: And, briefly, Bill, explain to our viewers out there these exit polls. We hear a lot about the exit polls. These were polls taken of voters actually after they done -- after they actually cast their ballots.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. They were all interviewed today as they left their polling places. And they were interviewed by our interviewers as they left the polling places. So we asked them not only how did they vote, but why they voted for their candidate and some characteristics -- their age, their sex, their race, other such things -- to see if we could get some idea of what kinds of people were voting for each of the two candidates.

We compiled them all very rapidly today and we present those results to you now in our exit poll.

BLITZER: Exit polls of actually voters, not individuals who didn't bother to show up, not likely voters, but real voters themselves.

SCHNEIDER: All voters.

BLITZER: Bill, stay with us. Don't go away...

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THE SITUATION ROOM

Crisis in Myanmar: Numbers and Aftermath are Staggering; What's at Stake in the Democratic Primaries?; Reactions From Exit Polls

Aired May 6, 2008 - 17:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: More exit poll numbers are coming into THE SITUATION ROOM right now.

Let's go back to Bill Schneider. He's going through the numbers -- Bill?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, we asked people who they would vote for if the race turns out to be Barack Obama versus John McCain.

How badly is the Democratic Party divided?

Let's take a look at what they said in Indiana. In a choice between Obama and McCain, Clinton voters -- everybody here is Clinton voters -- said they'd vote for Obama 48; 33 percent would vote for McCain. One third of them would vote for McCain and 17 percent wouldn't vote. That means half the Clinton voters in Indiana say they would not vote for Barack Obama if he's the Democratic nominee.

Let's look at North Carolina, Clinton voters again. Only 45 percent in North Carolina said they would vote for Barack Obama if he wins the Democratic nomination; 38 percent would vote for McCain; 12 percent wouldn't vote. So, again, a very big split in the Democratic Party in both of these states. Some very bad news for Democrats there.

BLITZER: Republicans love those numbers, when they see those numbers.

All right. Thanks very much for that, Bill...

BLITZER: I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

I want to go right back to Bill Schneider who is going more exit poll numbers coming in to THE SITUATION ROOM.

What are we learning, Bill?

SCHNEIDER: Well, a minute ago we reported how would Clinton voters vote if Obama was the nominee. Fewer than half of them would stick with him if he were the Democratic nominee.

Let's change that and ask what the Obama voters in both states would do if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee. The answer, let's take a look at Indiana. In that case, 59 percent of the Obama voters say they would support Hillary Clinton if she gets the Democratic nomination, a solid majority.

Turn to North Carolina. What would they do? In North Carolina, fully 70 percent, 70 percent, of the Obama voters say they would support Hillary Clinton if she gets the Democratic nomination.

So the Obama voters are more likely to support Hillary Clinton if she's the nominee than would be the case if Obama's the nominee, he'd get less support, substantially less support, from the Clinton voters in both states -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Fascinating figures. We'll see what happens, Bill, thanks very much...

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THE SITUATION ROOM

Gun Battles in Beirut: Violence in Lebanon; Staggering Situation in Myanmar With Thousands Dead; Mitt Romney Defends McCain and Bashes Obama; Vitter Won't Face Ethnics Probe

Aired May 8, 2008 - 17:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

A new sign today that the bitter campaign has left deep wounds among Democrats. It involves an angry phone call from a Hollywood heavyweight to the speaker of the house and a warning to congressional Democrats. Pick up the tab for redoing disputed primaries, or else.

CNN's Ed Henry has our exclusive report -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's rare for such a raw display of hardball politics to spill out into the open and it shows that at least one big ally of Senator Hillary Clinton is not going quietly into the night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY (voice-over): CNN has learned Speaker Nancy Pelosi had an explosive phone call with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein late last month according to three officials briefed on it. Weinstein, a key backer of Senator Hillary Clinton, threatened to cut off campaign money to congressional Democrats unless Pelosi embraces his new plan to finance a revote in Florida and Michigan. The three officials told CNN, Weinstein appeared determined to buy Clinton more time by pushing for the revote which may be her last chance of catching Barack Obama.

One official said Pelosi refused to give in, telling Weinstein, "Don't ever threaten me again." Though she would not discuss the matter after CNN broke the story.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), HOUSE SPEAKER: No. I think enough has been said about that phone conversation.

HENRY: Weinstein vehemently denied any threats to cut off campaign funds telling CNN, "I told her people felt there would be a disenfranchisement of voters unless leaders came up with a remedy for Florida and Michigan."

Another person familiar with the call said Weinstein also warned that powerful Democrats may turn to Republican John McCain if the problem is not fixed. Pelosi, however, insists the long primary battle is not dividing the party.

PELOSI: Me, I like combat, you know. I think the best training for campaigning is campaigning. So I think that as they have campaigned, the support in our country has grown for a Democratic message. This is all very healthy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: But the heated phone call between Pelosi and Weinstein is raising concerns among some Democrats that regardless of who secures the nomination, it's going to be hard for the party to heal its wounds this summer -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Ed Henry, thank you...

IF he is the nominee. They see through Obama's very clear lack of substance:

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ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES

Nearly 10,000 Killed in China Earthquake; Barack Obama Grabs Lead Among Democratic Superdelegates

Aired May 12, 2008 - 22:00 ET

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Door No. 1, two, or three. Three possible scenarios for the future, though Senator Clinton remains very much in the race. Thanks in large part, really, to her huge lead among white women. Some 60 percent support Clinton, versus 38 percent who back Senator Obama.

Now, among college-educated white women, the divide is even much smaller, 54 percent to 43 percent. And much of that split comes down to age, with younger women much more likely to support Obama.

Once again, here's 360's Erica Hill up close with a report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERICA HILL, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR (voice-over): The mother of all campaigns could come down to women. And on Mother's Day, Hillary Clinton invoked one of the strongest women in the nation's history.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One of my favorite sayings of Eleanor Roosevelt is especially appropriate for Mother's Day: "A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she's in hot water."

HILL: That water is boiling. And so are many of Senator Clinton's staunchest backers. We gathered a panel of six New Yorkers, ranging in age from 21 to 80, all Hillary supporters.

AMY SISKIND, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: I think Hillary is the candidate of our lifetime. I have never had a candidate in any capacity that embraced all the things that I believe in for our party, for our country.

ALICE OZAROFF, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: I really, before I die, I would like to see a woman in the White House and if not now, when? And if not Hillary, who?

HILL: But what if Hillary isn't the nominee? In Indiana, nearly half of Clinton's backers said they wouldn't go for Obama. Nationwide, 28 percent said they'd vote for McCain.

MARK HALPERIN, "THE PAGE", TIME.COM: Women make up over half the voters in this election. Any of the candidates is going to have to work to appeal to them. Women's issues across the board are going to be big, particularly things like health care and security, the war in Iraq.

HILL (on camera): Just by a show of hands, how many of you ladies would vote for Barack Obama if, in fact, he was the nominee? Georgiana, you're not quite sure. Are you a maybe?

GEORGIANNA LAND, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: I will vote for the Democratic nominee, whomever that person is.

HILL (voice-over): If only it were that easy for Barack Obama. He needs these women and many more to win. But getting their support isn't a given.

OZAROFF: I'm really in a dilemma. I can't believe that I would vote Republican.

HILL (on camera): Do you think you'll probably not vote or vote for McCain?

DNA RAUCHER, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: I think there are a lot of people out there who are more enthralled by the idea of Barack Obama than they actually are by the ideas of Barack Obama.

MARTHA BRANTLEY, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: I think for him to win over that bloc, he's got to show a lot more substance.

HILL (voice-over): But for these women, it isn't about what Obama might do to get their vote. They have their candidate. And their focus is simple.

LAND: I'm an old football fan, and football teams go in to win. And I believe that she's qualified, and she's ready to lead.

HILL: A message Hillary Clinton has heard loud and clear.

CLINTON: My favorite message was from a woman named Angela. "Keep strong," she says. "It's not ore until the lady in the pants suit says it is."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Anderson, such an interesting group of women. Some of the things that they said over and over again is that they really felt that, for them Hillary Clinton had much more experience than Barack Obama.

They also weren't comfortable with the fact that they didn't feel they'd been getting enough information from him on his policies. And a couple of them said they felt he was a little too glitzy without enough substance for them. So he's got his work cut out for him with some of these women.

COOPER: Interesting stuff. Thanks very much, Erica. A lot more from Erica tomorrow night...

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THE SITUATION ROOM

West Virginia Primary: Clinton Counting on Big Win; Rescue Mission Continues in China as Thousands Remained Trapped; Pro-McCain Pastor States Regrets

Aired May 13, 2008 - 17:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get another update on the West Virginia exit polls that are now coming in to THE SITUATION ROOM. We'll go back to our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.

What do you have, Bill?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, some sobering news for the Democratic Party. These are all West Virginia Democrats voting in this primary. We asked them how would they vote in November.

First of all, how would the Obama voters choose if the November election were between Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

And the answer is -- a majority, but only a bare majority, would vote for Hillary Clinton. Those are the orange group over on the right. About half of the Obama voters say they either would vote for John McCain, who would get one-third of these votes, and, remember they're all Democrats, and another 14 percent said they wouldn't vote or would vote 4 percent for someone else. So a bare majority say they would vote for Hillary Clinton.

How about the Hillary Clinton voters? Would they vote for Obama for president?

And this is the sobering news. Just 36 percent, just over one- third, of Obama supporters, Clinton supporters, in West Virginia, say that they would vote for Barack Obama in a race against John McCain. In fact, it's just about a tie. Obama, 36 percent. McCain, 35 percent. And 29 percent say they wouldn't vote or would vote for someone else.

So, it looks like if Obama becomes the nominee, he's going to have quite a struggle with John McCain to carry West Virginia for the Democrats -- Wolf.

BLITZER: That's a very, very sobering number. We're going to be discussing more on that.

Bill, thank you...

Howard Dean Video Announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lp8TAjomdg 

Get over it. It's so old by now. - Justice Antonin Scalia

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THE SITUATION ROOM

Senator Ted Kennedy is Diagnosed with Brain Cancer; Clinton Math Controversy: Primary Day Protest; Clinton and Obama Look to Split Primaries

Aired May 20, 2008 - 17:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The first exit polls are in, letting us know what's on the minds of the voters as they cast their ballots.

Let's go back to our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.

What are we learning now, Bill?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, a stunning result in Kentucky, Wolf. We asked Clinton supporters in Kentucky how they would vote if the election this November turns out to be between John McCain and Barack Obama. And here's the answer. Only one-third of Clinton supporters say they would vote right now for Barack Obama. More, 41 percent, substantially more, say they would vote for John McCain. But what that means is two-thirds of the Clinton supporters in Kentucky say they would not vote for Barack Obama if he's the nominee.

We, of course, also asked Obama voters who they would vote for if the choice turns out to be between Hillary Clinton and John McCain. They would be far more supportive of Hillary Clinton -- 71 percent of Obama voters would stay with the party and support Hillary Clinton. Just 14 percent say they would vote for McCain. And 11 percent say they wouldn't vote. That is a stunning result that says if Obama turns out to be the Democratic nominee, he could have a lot of trouble holding those Clinton supporters. She points to results like this to say she would be the stronger candidate in November -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Interesting numbers. All right, Bill, stand by. Because we're getting more exit poll numbers. We'll check back with you...