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Sunday Morning News

Republican National Convention: How is Bush Coming Across to Minorities?

Aired July 30, 2000 - 9:32 a.m. ET

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

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to Philadelphia.

Republicans traditionally have not done very well with minority voters. Normally only five to 10 percent of black voters pick the GOP. So just how is George W. Bush coming across in his campaign to minorities across the board, to Hispanics, to women as well?

Well, for that we have a roundtable discussion this morning. Actually it's more of a semi-circle discussion this morning.

Joining us here at the Comcast First Union Center are New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman.

GOV. CHRISTIE WHITMAN (R), NEW JERSEY: Pleasure.

HARRIS: Also Denise Nuno, "Hispanic Journal" at the end there. And Tamala Edwards of "Time" magazine...

TAMALA EDWARDS, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Morning.

HARRIS: ... often a guest of our shows in the morning. Glad to have you all together here with us this morning.

Let's begin with the obvious. Since you all are ladies, we'll begin with that particular question as we discuss minorities in the GOP. Is there a gender gap this time around? I haven't heard much talk about that.

WHITMAN: Well, it's much less than anything we've ever seen before. In fight right now, the last polls that I saw - I mean, and polls at this time really don't have as much meaning as you'd like to have them when they're in your favor - but George Bush does not have a gender gap. It's within the margin of error.

And that's because he's talking about the issues that women care about - education, quality education for their children, a strong economy so there will be good jobs so people will be able to support their families, bringing everyone in providing a quality of life that people want for themselves and their children.

HARRIS: Is that how you all see it, Denise?

DENISE NUNO, "HISPANIC JOURNAL": I'd say absolutely. That's been pretty much what women have been saying to me. I think that there's a perception that George Bush is a strong family man. That's also played strongly in his favor, and that he is open to hearing from women about the issues that are unique, that impact us.

HARRIS: And you, Tamala?

EDWARDS: Well, I mean, I think you also have to look at some of the traditional issues that have been used as wedge issues, namely things like abortion. And it's something that Bush has tried to stay away from a bit in this campaign. And he's also helped a little bit by the fact that Al Gore also has some issues to deal with on abortion, having been much more conservative in his earlier career than he is now.

So it will be interesting to see how the usual wedge issues play out as well as the usual just how do they come across to women? What do they think when they see the two men?

HARRIS: You know, I don't know how you would know this. But I have to ask. Is there any sense at all that the way the abortion issue has played out with George W. Bush and the party, whether or not that has made a difference with any women?

WHITMAN: Well, the way it's played out with the platform has become a non-issue. And this is really what happens every year, every four years I should say. There's a huge amount of attention from the media on what's going to happen on the plank and the platform and a lot of argument about it.

And then it goes away. And one thing that George Bush has said throughout this is he has said, "Look, look at me. Look at who I am. I don't agree with the language in the platform on this. But I don't agree 100 percent with any of that." There are very few people you can get who would agree with 100 percent of the platform everywhere.

So he said, "This is just one more issue where you have to look at me, not anyone who's speaking for me." And that's fair enough. He's handled it in a very even-handed way.

HARRIS: Well, let's talk about one of the things that he has been saying repeatedly over and over again, the message that's being sent out both from Philadelphia and from the campaign trail has been that this is a different kind of Republican and that this time around it's going to be a different kind of convention.

Wouldn't the best way to communicate that he is a different kind of Republican have been to put you on the ticket with him instead of Dick Cheney?

EDWARDS: Out of question.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITMAN: I don't think so. What Dick Cheney brings to the ticket is first of all a wealth of international experience as a secretary of defense, understanding of the working of the White House as a former chief of staff, and knowing how to get a president's policy through Congress as a former congressman. So he really has a breadth and depth of experience that I think is important.

HARRIS: Yeah, but we've heard all of that before. We've heard that incessantly over the last few days. But to send a message, could there ever have been a clearer way than to put you on the ticket?

WHITMAN: Well, but he doesn't need to send that message through anybody else. At the end of the day for all the talk about the importance of the vice presidency, at the end of the day the people are going to make their determination on the presidential candidate.

They're going to look at George Bush, at his record, at what he's saying that the vice president gets a lot of attention in the run-up to the convention and right after the convention. And after that, it's just not as key.

HARRIS: I'll let you off on that one. You're good. You're good. Let you off on that one.

Let's talk about racial minorities. Let's talk about Hispanics for just a moment because that is one of the places where George W. Bush has made tremendous inroads for the GOP.

But I want to ask you something because some people that I hear talking on the sidelines say that it's just because he speaks Spanish and because he's got members of his family. Is it as simple as that, or is he really addressing issues that are important to Hispanics?

NUNO: I'll tell you, in terms of the language issue, although I think it's brought high visibility to the Hispanic community as a constituency base, the polls are showing that - the opinion polls are showing that more than 70 percent of Hispanics do not think it's important that he speaks Spanish to us.

HARRIS: Is that right?

NUNO: It's much more important that he addresses issues. In terms of issues, Governor Bush has never made a claim to have an ethnic agenda.

However, we have to look at his track record. And he's done some remarkable things with ethnic minorities and women that we have not seen previously from Republican governors in Texas.

For one thing, he's made some very prestigious appointments of women and ethnic minorities. Our Secretary of State Tony Garza (ph), who is now our railroad commissioner. Al Gonzalez (ph), who was his legal adviser, then his secretary of state, and how has an appointment to the Texas Supreme Court. That's significant in terms of appointments.

In terms of members of our community, Mr. Masivierial (ph), who is the chairman now of our Houston Hispanic Chamber, past chairman of the Texas Association of Chambers, Hispanic Chambers. And past chairman of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was appointed to a very prestigious board in Texas.

Those are really important. But even more importantly, he has chosen people who are above reproach in terms of their ethical leadership. And that's been excellent in terms of raising the credibility of us as leaders in any capacity.

HARRIS: And we've seen his judgment many times over...

NUNO: Absolutely.

HARRIS: ... on that particular point. Let's talk then about African Americans in the last moments that we have.

Tamala, let me ask you something about this. If he is presenting himself as George W. Bush, a different kind of Republican, and the GOP is now a different kind of party, why is it that that message is not resonating amongst the African American community as you would think it would?

EDWARDS: Well, first of all, you have to remember that the African American community is pretty much a pillar of the Democratic Party and has been for about the last 40 years. And that's to be expected.

I do think Bush gets credit for doing things like going to the NAACP. Bob Dole didn't four years ago.

There has been some controversy over if you see a photo of him, he tends to sort of reach out to black and Latino children. And some people think that that's a bit much.

But I think what you've got to look at is the younger voter. I doubt he's going to pull that many votes in this election. But perhaps some of the efforts he's doing will pay off in future elections because if you look at young black voters, they're not nearly as Democratic as their parents and grandparents were.

They just look at issues, and who's going to be best on taxes, who's going to be best on education. And I think if he starts to present a face of the party that those young voters who are now registering as independent more than they are as Democrats like, then that fruit may flower years from now.

HARRIS: Interesting. Unfortunately, we're going to have to leave it there. Would love to talk to you all some more. It's been great to have you in here, Denise Nuno, Tamala Edwards, and Governor Christie Whitman. We thank you very much for your time this morning.

Good luck to you all. I hope to see you all some time before we get out of here this week.

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