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CNN NEWSROOM

Presidential Candidates with Business Background; Russia Cracks Down on Food; Presidential Debates: The Good, the Bad and the Weird; Jon Stewart Signs Off "The Daily Show" Tonight After 16 Years. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired August 6, 2015 - 09:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:32:09] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the big debate set to get underway in just a matter of hours. The arena in Cleveland could be a make or break moment for any one of a crowded Republican field. The candidates brushing up on their talking points, except for maybe Donald Trump, who says he just plans to be himself. And by that he means a mega rich, ultra successful businessman who is able to force, you know, countries like Mexico to build a great big wall because he says so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Bill, it's simple, they're taking in billions and billions of dollars. They're building the Ford Company. Ford Motor Company is building a $2.5 billion -

BILL O'REILLY, FOX: Are you going to stop all that trade with them?

TRUMP: No, I'm going to say, Mexico, guess what, this is not going to continue. You're going to pay for the wall.

O'REILLY: All right.

TRUMP: And I've said they're going to pay for the wall, and they will pay for the wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: They will pay for that wall. We expect Trump to play up his businessman credentials big tonight.

So let's talk a little presidential history and the businessmen who did become president. Here to talk about that, CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley and Yahoo Finance editor-in-chief, Andy Serwer.

Welcome to both of you.

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, YAHOO FINANCE: Thanks, Carol.

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Thank you. COSTELLO: So, Andy - Andy, you're the big business guy. You listen to Donald Trump. He says, I can force Mexico to do that because I'm tough and they'll do it because I say so and they're going to pay for it because I know how to negotiate, I'm a businessman.

SERWER: Well, first of all, there are business people and then there's Donald Trump. So that's sort of two different categories. But, OK, lumping them back together, this is kind of a problem that business people have when they go into politics. They always say they're going to bring rational business practices to politics. But it's not that easy. They want to bring accountability and transparency. That's fine. We're all for that. But it's more complicated. Outcomes take a lot longer. Systems are more complicated. And sometimes it's a bad mix.

COSTELLO: Sometimes it can be a bad mix, Douglas, because you - you do sort of have to be a politician, right? You can't just go tell a lawmaker of another stripe, you do it because I say so, because that lawmaker's going to look at you and says, no, I'm going to make that as hard as possible for you because you've just done that.

BRINKLEY: Yes, CEO's like to bark orders and have things move. It doesn't happen that way in Washington. Isn't a very slow process. So, yes, it's not a good - a good idea for a president to be deeply, you know, unable to handle the kind of tick tock, slow legislation that has to get made.

We've had business people that define themselves, run for president. I mean Wendell Willkie really just basically said, I am a business person and FDR isn't. But more likely than not, you will find candidates, most famously Franklin Roosevelt, warring against (INAUDIBLE) factors of great wealth, meaning there's the populace message from the left often beats the rich person because there are a lot more middle class or lower middle class Americans than there are rich people. And people with that kind of money, billionaires, seem to live in their own fantasy bubble.

[09:35:05] COSTELLO: Is that true, Andy?

SERWER: Well, I don't know, fantasy bubble maybe is a little strong, but I don't disagree. If you think about it, just to sort of echo what Douglas was saying, CEOs are used to a command and control system, right, and they don't - for instance, everyone reports up to them. And in Washington, as president, you also have to deal with the judicial branch and Congress. Those are outside your purview and if you're not used to being collaborative in a very different way, you're not going to succeed. I mean there have been some politicians who've succeeded on a more regional level. I think about Mike Bloomberg in New York City was very good at being transformational with government here. But, otherwise, the record is kind of mixed.

COSTELLO: Well, I'm going to put up the businessmen who have become president. So, Douglas, stay with me here. Warren Harding, he was a newspaper publisher. Herbert Hoover was a mining tycoon. Jimmy Carter was in the agri business.

SERWER: A farmer. COSTELLO: He was a - he was a farmer, but he was a professional farmer.

SERWER: Yes.

COSTELLO: He made his money that way. George H.W. Bush was an oilman and, of course, George W. Bush, he ran the Texas Rangers.

SERWER: Harvard MBA also.

COSTELLO: Harvard MBA. So there are the presidents, Douglas. So how would historians rate them?

BRINKLEY: Well, it's a - it's a weak list that you just read. And I think George Herbert Walker Bush was also the child of Prescott Bush, who was already a U.S. senator and kind of had politics in the family blood. And Jimmy Carter, while, yes, he did agriculture, go to Sumter (ph) County, it's a very low key peanut facility he had down there. I'd almost call him a professional Naval man, our first president to graduate from Annapolis, as much as a business person.

So the two that you're looking at were failures. Warren Harding, a terrible failure. Herbert Hoover, a great man, but a failure also. It just tells the point. I mean I think you need to look at somebody like Ross Perot and Ronald Reagan to understand Trump. Trump is a showman and he uses media to present himself and make money. He's a - and a billionaire. So there are connections to Reagan and Perot seem to me more real than a traditional businessman for Donald Trump.

COSTELLO: On the other hand, it's kind of nice to think that Donald Trump could go to Russia and sit down with Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Putin would respect his toughness because he's a tough guy too and they would come to some sort of great negotiated deal.

SERWER: Yes, I mean, OK, in that instance, maybe Donald Trump would be effective. I'd like to see how he would do in China, that would be very interesting, where bluster traditionally does not work so well. On the other hand, he does speak his mind. And certainly, as we've seen over the past couple weeks and months, very appealing.

I think it's interesting also to look at presidents who have been successful. You know, we always bash politicians and say how terrible the process is. But look at some of our stronger presidents, Ronald Reagan, FDR. They were politicians for - well, they were both, right? I mean so - so it's interesting. I mean I think it's very much of a mixed bag. So if you have an actor/politician. FDR, a professional politician. JFK, politician who came from nowhere. Barack Obama, politician who came from nowhere. So maybe it's more of a mixed bag than we think.

COSTELLO: Maybe so. Andy Serwer, Douglas Brinkley, thanks to you both. I appreciate it.

BRINKLEY: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Vladimir Putin burning mad about Russian sanctions. Now he's cracking down on American food.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:42:55] COSTELLO: During the '70s, television saw a lot of big changes. It got real.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is now officially the world's largest anti- disco rally.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the late '70s at Comiskey Park during a double header with the White Sox, they had a disco demolition night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We took all the disco records that you brought tonight, we've got them in a giant box. And we're going to blow them up real good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it turned into this mini riot. And they ended up (INAUDIBLE) playing the second ballgame because people started fires, they were ripping things up. It got really out of control.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would like to say disco did not suck. Disco was a revolutionary force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: "The Seventies: TV Gets Real" tonight right here on CNN.

All right, let's talk about Russia. Billions of dollars' worth of food is going up in flames simply because it comes from outside of Russia. President Putin ordered a crackdown of food imports from Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia in retaliation for western sanctions over Ukraine. CNN's senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is in Moscow to tell us more.

Hi, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol.

That's right. In fact, the ban on those food products from the U.S. and other countries has been in force now for more than a year. But the simple truth is, is that many Russian supermarket, any upscale Russian supermarket at least, you can still get foreign food. You still get Farmer John (ph) from Italy. You can still get, you know, steaks from the United States.

But all that's now about to change because the Kremlin is extremely irritated about the fact that people are smuggling - shops are smuggling this food in. And they're taking steps now to stop it and to destroy the food they seize on the border.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE (voice-over): It's the start of a new crackdown on the imported western foods Russia has branded illegal. This 150 ton cargo of bacon, seized at the border with Belarus, and incinerated.

[09:45:00] It was produced in Denmark, says this Russian agricultural official. It was meant to be sold on the territory of Ukraine, not Russia. Documents appear to confirm the Danish source that there's outrage that at a time of economic hardship, this perfectly good food will be destroyed.

One online petition signed by tens of thousands of Russians calls for seized products to be distributed to the needy, like pensioners or the unemployed.

(on camera): It's been more than a year now since the Kremlin banned imports of some Western foods. Retaliation for sanctions imposed by the West over the crisis in Ukraine. But from the outset, quality Western products have been smuggled in and discreetly sold at high-end supermarkets like this one. But with the new Kremlin crackdown (inaudible), that may no longer been tolerated.

(voice-over): Already one Kremlin-backed youth group called (INAUDIBLE) or "little pigs" has been highlighting the violations, raiding the stores still stocking Western food.

These nuts are on a list of banned products, this activist tells the cameras. It means they were not certified and so they might be dangerous, she warns.

But critics say the real danger may be enforcing the food ban so strictly with the risk of inflating Russian food prices even higher.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: Well, Carol, the Russian public is, of course, sensitive to those inflating prices. And that petition I mentioned in that report, it's now been signed by 275,000 people in Russia. So not exactly a revolution perhaps. But in a country where usually people are very supportive of the Kremlin, it just shows how unpopular this move to burn the food is becoming.

COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you, is Putin's favorability rating still extraordinarily high?

CHANCE: Absolutely. According to the latest opinion polls that I've seen conducted by an independent pollster, it's somewhere in the region still of 86 percent. I mean, absolutely incredible. There's a sense in which, despite the sanctions that have been imposed by the West on Russia, despite the other problems in the international community, Putin himself -- and economic problems here -- Putin himself remains popular. But it's exactly this kind of issue that threatens to derail that. So I expect the Kremlin will be watching this petition and the fallout from this latest move very closely indeed.

COSTELLO: All right. Matthew Chance reporting live from Moscow this morning. Thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the final show tonight for the man who dared to say out loud what the rest of America was thinking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is going on here?

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

The world is demonstrably worse than when I started! Have I caused this?

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We go live outside of Jon Stewart's final episode, actually live outside his studio. We'll take you there, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:52:20] COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you at 52 minutes past. In New York the death toll is climbing following an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease. Eight people have now died from the disease which has been described as a severe form of bacterial pneumonia. Health officials have traced the outbreak to the South Bronx after five cooling towers tested positive for the bacteria. In all, 92 people have been hospitalized, 48 of them treated and released.

The Persian Gulf will be carrier-free for just a few months. U.S. Navy officials say needed maintenance and budget cuts mean they will not be able to keep an aircraft carrier in the Gulf for much of the upcoming fall season. The gap is leaving the Navy without a high- profile presence as a nuclear deal with Iran is center stage, U.S. military officials insist there will be no impact on operations there, saying the Air Force can step in if needed.

Take a look at this picture taken by the Mars rover. The internet is abuzz over that strange object in the right-hand corner. There it is. Is it a crab? An alien spider? Could it prove there is life on Mars? Scientists say no. They're chalking it up to the brain's ability to see shapes out of random objects, kind of like seeing pictures in the clouds. Bummer.

Ever since the first televised debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy we've been watching and waiting for those memorable moments. Jeanne Moos rounds up some of the best.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Don't we tend to watch debates -

FORMER GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: Can I call you Joe?

MOOS: -- hoping to see a train wreck? Insstead, we're left with memorable moments. Sarah Palin winking. PALIN: How long have I been at this? Like five weeks?

MOOS: Ronald Reagan demanding the sound system not be turned off.

FORMER PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN: I am paying for this microphone --

MOOS: A line he picked up --

SPENCER TRACY, ACTOR, "STATE OF THE UNION": Don't you shut me off. I'm paying for this broadcast!

MOOS: From Spencer Tracy in the movie "State of the Union." TV magnifies everything from the sweat glistening on Nixon's chin that he had to wipe out to Al Gore's exaggerated --

FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Taxes. That's what a governor gets to do.

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: (Sighing)

MOOS: Exasperated sighs.

BUSH: There's differences -

GORE: (Sighing)

BUSH: Resuscitated by SNL.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (as George W. Bush): Rome came to life -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (as Al Gore): (Sighing)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (as George W. Bush): -- and gladiator -

MOOS (on camera): What was I going to say again? Oh, yeah, there were some unforgettable forgetful moments.

FORMER GOVERNOR RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: Commerce, education, and the -- what's the third one there? Let's see.

MOOS (voice-over): Rick Perry's oops moments.

PERRY: Oops.

MOOS: And Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's brain freeze.

FORMER GOVERNOR JAN BREWER (R), ARIZONA: That we could possibly do --

MOOS: And this was just her opening statement.

(on camera): You know what a televised debate isn't the time for?

[09:55:02] (voice-over): Checking the time, as President George Bush did.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How has the national debt -- MOOS: Debates are a time for memorable zingers.

FORMER SENATOR LLOYD BENTSEN (D), TEXAS: Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.

MOOS: And one-liners, for instance from a relatively unknown candidate for vice president.

VICE ADM. JAMES STOCKDALE: Who am I? Why am I here?

(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)

MOOS (on camera): And whatever you do, candidates, don't invade your opponent's personal space.

(voice-over): As Hillary's Senate rival once did.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Would you give me --

RICK LAZIO, FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Right here. Sign it right now.

CLINTON: We'll shake on this, Rick.

LAZIO: No, no, I want your signature.

MOOS: Or when Al Gore crept up on George Bush.

GORE: But can you get things done?

BUSH: And I believe I can.

MOOS: There is nothing like debatable behavior to liven up a debate.

BUSH: There's differences.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: You're likable enough, Hillary.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN.

TINA FEY, ACTRESS (as Sarah Palin): Are we not doing the talent portion?

(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)

MOOS: New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Oh, Jon Stewart, let's talk about him. He signs off from "The Daily Show" tonight after 16 years of satire that skewered the high and mighty. He won't have any guests to help him say farewell. That distinction belonged to comedian and long-time friend Louis C.K. on last night's show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LOUIS C.K., COMEDIAN: I'm going to miss watching you on this show but I think the most reliable way to take a good thing and make it go bad is to hold onto it too long. That's really --

STEWART: I think that's right.

LOUIS C.K.: So you got to let it go. And also -- it's really time to go.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: (Laughing) If we're being honest. CNN's Brian Stelter is outside the Comedy Central studio to tell us more. Good morning.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning. I don't think Jon Stewart is here yet but many, many of his fans are, Carol. Take a look at the line. Usually there's not lines out here until the afternoon but some folks were here at 2:00 a.m. getting ready, hoping to be in the audience for the final show.

By the way, it doesn't tape until 6:00 p.m. tonight. Of course, it airs at 11:00. If we pin over to the other side, you will see they're actually loading gear in and out of the studio, getting ready here, preparing for the taping.

It's interesting because Comedy Central's trying to keep the actual plans for the finale a secret. I talked to the president of the network earlier this week, Carol, and the president of the network said, nope, Jon wants it this way. He doesn't want any announced guests. He wants it all to be a surprise for viewers. But we do know it's going to be an extra long episode. It will be about 50 minutes long. I have a feeling maybe there will be a little bit of score settling by Jon Stewart, some final words for some of his foes.

We also know the producers reached out to some of those enemies, maybe Bill O'Reilly, maybe Donald Trump. Maybe we will see if any of his enemies or foes make appearances tonight.

Obviously Trump will be busy, he will be at the debate stage in Cleveland, but, you know, it's possible we'll see some videotaped messages or something like that. So we'll find out for sure tonight.

COSTELLO: Trying to figure out whether it's a good thing or a bad thing that Jon Stewart's last show airs on the same night as the first GOP debate.

STELTER: (Laughing) It's a very good point. If you think about it, you know, for liberals who tend to make up the core of Stewart's audience, they have two hours of ecstasy during the debate. They can laugh at the GOP candidates and then an hour of agony as Jon Stewart signs off. Maybe for conservatives it's the opposite because a lot of folks on the Right are happy to see Stewart going. They feel he's unfair. They think he skews very far to the Left. But to the young people who are out here in this line, they say

Stewart is a genuine news source - genuine source for context and perspective, as a way they learn about the world. And we'll see if that's still true when his successor, Trevor Noah, takes over in September.

But let me play a part of the program from last night. I think it's notable that Jon Stewart has always said he's just a comedian. He's always encouraged people not to take him seriously, and last night he was downplaying his effect on the world. Here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is going on here?

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

The world is demonstrably worse than when I started! Have I caused this?

(LAUGHTER)

Have -- have -- have my efforts all been for naught?

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: He's always been very good, hasn't he, about being self- effacing, about being self-deprecating, but a lot of critics and television writers and commentators would say Stewart actually has had a big impact, in some ways a positive impact, by showing people the power of video clips, by showing people the power of tough interview questions in otherwise comfortable settings and by pointing out hypocrisy and contradictions and misstatements both from politicians and, yes, Carol, occasionally from cable news anchors. Right?

COSTELLO: Occasionally? How about often? Whether it was spot on or not.

STELTER: Fair point. He's been a very effective media critic. I would say that.