CNN Today

Gore Hopes Victory in Florida Could Mean Winning the White House

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

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the debate's behind you, you're up in the polls -- what are you going to do now, Joe Lieberman?

Well, as it happens, Lieberman did not go to Disney World, but he's close. He and running mate Al Gore held a rally today at the Walt Disney amphitheater in Orlando, Florida and CNN's John King was there, too.

John, what's the story?

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Natalie, this shocking headline first: the vice president thinks his running mate won last night's debate.

As you mentioned, the two Democrats campaigning together today in a state where the Democrats believe Joe Lieberman, perhaps more than anywhere else, has made a positive impact on the race.

Florida, 25 electoral votes, the Jewish vote quite important here; the elderly vote the most important vote here. The vice president, today, focusing on one of his targeted tax cuts that would allow Americans, if you're a middle-class or lower-class American, to put some money in a retirement account; the government would match those donations. The vice president contrasting that to, what he calls, a very dangerous plan by Texas Governor George W. Bush to allow individuals to divert some of their actual Social Security payroll taxes into private accounts.

The vice president making the case that would endanger the Social Security system; and, if you remember, back in Tuesday night's debate between the presidential candidates, when the vice president said that Governor Bush would give most of his tax cut to the wealthy -- more money to the wealthy than he would invest in education or health care, that Governor Bush responded the vice president had fuzzy math.

Well, at today's crowded rally here in Florida, the vice president fired back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: The other side would give almost 30 percent of all their proposed tax cut to individuals with incomes of more than $1 million per year. Now those facts -- those facts aren't fuzzy. Those facts are real.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: The vice president believing, if he can win Florida's 25 electoral votes, he can deny George Bush the White House. Democrats thinking, even if they are competitive here to the end, it forces the Texas governor to spend time and money in a state most Republicans thought he would have locked up long ago because his brother Jeb is the governor -- Natalie.

ALLEN: All right; John King, in Orlando, thank you, John.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com