Interview on ABC Good Morning AmericaJanuary 19, 2004All right, thanks very much, Tony. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) We're back on the “Vote 2004” bus where it is a little bit warmer. And we are joined by the former Vermont governor Howard Dean who has a lot at stake tonight? HOWARD DEAN, DEMOCRAT, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Yeah. I mean, we have a, you know, we have a very strong base, so we're going to go on no matter what happens, but we want to win this. And we think we are going to win it. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) The polls in recent days, and Iowa polls are not ... HOWARD DEAN Right. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) terribly reliable because these are people going into caucuses, not into polling places, but they can't be good news. HOWARD DEAN Well, actually, they are pretty good news. We started, we went down, we came back with a -with a big bounce. I think we'll see what happens. We've got a lot of people on the street, and a lot of new people coming to caucuses, and we think we're going to win tonight. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) The thing that surprised me most about the poll, because you are very closely bunched with three other candidates, is that 47 percent of those polled said they could still be persuaded to switch their vote. After all these days, all these ads, all this money, people haven't decided yet? HOWARD DEAN I think people like everybody. That's the thing. What they really want to do is beat George Bush. And our argument is we're the only ones situated to beat George Bush. We're not bound by caps such as Senator Edwards and Dick Gephardt are. We're not, we haven't had to borrow money like Senator Kerry, and we have hundreds of thousands of supporters that have never voted before or are not involved in caucuses. We cannot, I mean, not involved in politics. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) Mm. HOWARD DEAN We can't beat George Bush with the same old folks that we've been trying to beat them with. We've got to go back to our base, reach out to real Democrats and get them to go to the caucuses again. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) One of the things is this expectation game ... HOWARD DEAN Mm hmm. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) that exists in these states. That you get measured not only against a vote, but against an expectation. And you were leading in the polls. If you are back among the pack, do you worry that you don't do well enough in the expectation (inaudible)? HOWARD DEAN I don't worry a bit. I mean, we've taken withering fire, not just from the opponents, but from the press, as well, which they're, actually now starting to admit. So, I think we're going to do fine. I really do. I think we're going to win tonight. We've got hundreds -we've got thousands of people on the streets knocking on doors, going out to get people to vote for the first time, just like we've run the whole campaign so far. So, I think we're going to do fine. CHARLES GIBSON (Voice Over) We always look for little indications. You said your wife wasn't going to be campaigning with you and yet there she was yesterday. HOWARD DEAN Sure. CHARLES GIBSON (Voice Over) Is that an attempt to sort of soften the Howard Dean image? HOWARD DEAN No, if that was ... CHARLES GIBSON (Voice Over) That maybe you were seen as a little too annoyed? HOWARD DEAN You guys are always obsessed by that concept. CHARLES GIBSON (Voice Over) Yeah. Yeah. HOWARD DEAN We, you know, my wife has a full-time medical practice and we have a 17-year-old son at home. She was always going to come out at some point. And, today, or yesterday, she had a day where she could actually take the 12 hours to fly out here, do some campaigning and fly back. I was just delighted she came. It was a big boost to everybody. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) Governor, the one thing that you want caucus-goers to have in their mind about Howard Dean when they walk into the caucus place tonight? HOWARD DEAN Who can beat George Bush. There's only one campaign that's raised the money, that's brought out the new people into this caucus, into the Iowa, into the Iowa Democratic Party, into the American Democratic Party, to give us the critical mass of people that we need to beat George Bush. All the rest of it is important, too. I'm a governor, we've done health insurance, we've balanced budgets. The other guys are good guys, but they've never been in a position to do that. I'll stand up and say what I think and say what I believe, which I think is sorely needed change in Washington. But the bottom line for a lot of these caucus-goers is who can beat George Bush? And I don't think the other folks can bring the people out necessary to do it. That's why we're running. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) And yet a lot of people say maybe that's what Howard Dean can't do. That maybe that's his weakness. First of all, he's a Northerner. You need appeal in the South and the border states to beat George Bush, A. And B, that in the end, when the Democrats may debate national security issues, in the end, to get elected, you need to be strong on national defense. HOWARD DEAN Well, I just had a pretty good day in the South yesterday visiting with President Carter who made it pretty clear that we get along pretty well. And I think that's gonna be helpful. I think we'll do fine in the South. What the Southern, people in the South need is just the same as people everywhere else need. They need jobs and they don't have them under this administration. Most of them would like a balanced budget and not leave half a trillion dollar deficit to our grandchildren every single year this president has been in office. They want health care for everybody. We have health insurance for all our kids under 18 in my state. I'm probably in a better position than anybody else to deliver it as a doctor and a governor. So, I think I'll do fine in the South. But we got to get through Iowa first. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) This all happens very fast. Two months, 60 days. HOWARD DEAN That's right. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) Essentially, by then, 60 percent of the delegates chosen. HOWARD DEAN That's right. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) Where do you think this is won or lost? HOWARD DEAN I think it's just won and, won and lost in the hearts and minds of Americans. We're reaching out to show Americans a different way of doing things and people today in Iowa have a chance to change America, not just change presidents. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) Well, it will be good after all the talking to see some results after today. HOWARD DEAN That's right. That's right. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) Governor, thanks for being with us. Good luck. HOWARD DEAN Thank you very much. CHARLES GIBSON (Off Camera) Governor Howard Dean of Vermont. We've also had a chance this morning, Claire Shipman and I, to talk to the other three candidates, very tightly bunched with Governor Dean in the polls. Here's what they had to say. Copyright 2004 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. http://www.lexis.com/
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