[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn Anchor:] All right. We're only a few seconds away from the top of the hour right now. Three states that are closing. We're going to be able to make our first projections in this race for the White House. Critically important night. It's Super Tuesday. And look at this, CNN can now project that Hillary Clinton is the winner in Georgia, is the winner in Virginia as well. Hillary Clinton is the winner. Bernie Sanders we projects wins his home state of Vermont. Hillary Clinton wins two states, Georgia and Virginia. Bernie Sanders wins Vermont. Let's go to the key race alert right now. Hillary Clinton as we reported, Hillary Clinton wins Georgia and Virginia. Just want to be precise based on our projection, based on the exit poll information. The other information we're getting, Bernie Sanders wins his home state of Vermont. We have a key race alert now. Exit poll results that we're getting in. The exit poll results in Virginia, first of all, in Georgia, take a look at this. Based on early estimates, Georgia, Donald Trump 40 percent, Ted Cruz 24 percent, Marco Rubio 23 percent. In Virginia, Donald Trump 34 percent, Marco Rubio 31 percent, Ted Cruz, he's down at 16 percent. These are exit poll results based on early information we're getting in from the exit polls. We have early leaders as well in Vermont. The early leaders in Vermont, look at this, on the Republican side, Donald Trump and John Kasich. They are both early leaders in Vermont. So, let's once again recap where we stand right now. Hillary Clinton wins Georgia and Virginia based on our projection. The other result, Bernie Sanders wins his home state of Vermont. As far as the exit polls, our conservative number, these exit polls are estimates. Estimate they're based on our early survey of voters as they left their polling location. The final outcome may be different. We can expect those numbers to change throughout the night. Let's go to Jake.
[Jake Tapper, Cnn Anchor:] Thanks, Wolf. Those are big, big, big projections. Hillary Clinton did not win either Virginia or Georgia in 2008 against then-Senator Barack Obama. Jeff Zeleny, big victories, if you consider these projections to be what's going to happen, what we're going to find out. They have to be feeling pretty good at Clinton campaign headquarters in Miami.
[Jeff Zeleny, Cnn Senior Washington Correspondent:] No question, Jake. We heard cheers are up just a few moments ago when both Georgia and Virginia were called for Hillary Clinton. You can hear them here right behind me again. And you're right, we're going to be talking about that throughout the rest of the campaign, how she compares this time to 2008. And you're right, she won Virginia. She won Georgia. So that is a key win and moment for her. Combined, they have 197 delegates. Of course, it's important to remember she doesn't get all of them. She will split them with Bernie Sanders. It's so, so important. In Virginia, of course, key battleground state in the general election as well. So, that is why this campaign believes Virginia is even more important Jake.
[Tapper:] All right, Jeff Zeleny at Clinton Campaign Headquarters. Now let's go to Sanders' Campaign Headquarters at Essex Junction, Vermont, where we find Brianna Keilar. And Brianna, we're also projecting, CNN projecting that Senator Sanders will win his home state of Vermont. And you're there with the Sanders Campaign Manager Jeff Weaver.
[Brianna Keilar, Cnn Correspondent:] That's right. I certainly am. And obviously, Jeff, this is very good news. You expected this win. How do you feel about this, and also the other states that you're hoping to close in on tonight?
[Jeff Weaver, Sanders Campaign Manager:] Well, I think, you know, we're very gratified with the people of Vermont to support the senator. They know him the best. And it was clear they were going to, you know, support him overwhelmingly. I think the win here will be very impressive. You know, I think looking forward, I think we're feeling good about Massachusetts, and Colorado, and Minnesota and Oklahoma right now. We'll see how the night unfolds. But we're feeling very good.
[Keilar:] His wife, Jane, said that she's hoping to split the delegates and split the state. Basically that means a sweep through the states that you just named. Are you as optimistic as she is?
[Weaver:] Well, look, I mean, even foreclosing those states is just part of the delegates. So, you know, that's the way this proportional system works. It's going to be after tonight is a long road ahead of us.
[Keilar:] How far are you prepared to go here?
[Weaver:] We're going all the way to the convention. All the way.
[Keilar:] Nothing will stop you from that?
[Weaver:] Absolutely not. We'll see you in Philadelphia.
[Keilar:] All right, Jeff Weaver, thank you so much with the Bernie Sanders campaign. Jake, back to you.
[Tapper:] All right. Brianna Keilar. And Dana, it's so interesting. Everything has flipped when it comes to Hillary Clinton and what states and what groups she wins. In 2008, she was a candidate who won the white vote. And then Senator Obama won African-Americans, Latinos. And now not only is she getting the opposite in terms of the voters she appeals to, but now she's winning the states that she lost in 2008.
[Dana Bash, Cnn Anchor:] No. It is so true. And it is because she is going after the Obama vote. She's trying to follow in the footsteps of her former rival. And it is probably hard for a lot of people who worked for Obama at the other end of the studio, to wrap their heads around. But it is really fascinating. One thing I will say is, of course, Bernie Sanders should be very happy about winning his home state. If he didn't, that would be a very big story. But unfortunately for him, the maximum he can get is 16 delegates, 26 super delegates. And the other states as Jeff Zeleny was pointing out, it will be split a little bit. But it's a treasure trove of delegates just in the two that she's projected to win tonight, Virginia and Georgia.
[Tapper:] Right. A good moral victory for Bernie Sanders, Wolf. But not so much when it comes to the delegates compared to Hillary Clinton winning Alabama. I'm sorry, winning Virginia and Georgia.
[Blitzer:] Good point. Jake, thanks very much. I want to review what's going on now with these key race alert on the Republican side. A very exciting contest. Let's go, first of all, to Georgia right now. These are CNN exit polls. Look at this, Donald Trump at 40 percent. Ted Cruz 24 percent. Marco Rubio 23 percent. That's in Georgia. The Republican primary. In Virginia, Trump is ahead, but slightly, 34 percent according to our exit poll for Trump. Thirty one percent for Marco Rubio. Ted Cruz at 16 percent. In Vermont, take a look at this. It's an important race as well. Early leaders, we can tell you the early leaders are Donald Trump and John Kasich. Who is doing very well in Vermont as well. Again, these are exit polls. I just want to remind you that they are estimates based on our early survey of voters, as people left their polling locations. The final outcome may be different. We can expect those numbers to change throughout the night. Anderson.
[Anderson Cooper, Cnn Anchor:] Wolf, thanks very much. When we look at those Republican numbers, I mean, again, seems to be a good night certainly for Donald Trump. It's interesting to watch the battle between second and third place.
[David Axelrod, Cnn Senior Political Commentator:] Well, that's the key. And Trump has slight not just his own number, but the way that Cruz is vying with Rubio in Georgia. The notion that Rubio might do well in Virginia. You know, this he wants these people to stay in the race and divide his opposition. And this kind of result encourages that. One thing that's interesting, you know, there are two stark kind of predictors of vote, on the democratic side races, becoming pretty significant indication of how states are going to go. You saw a couple of states here with large African-American populations being called early for Hillary Clinton. On the Republican side, it's education. And income. And so in states with larger numbers of highly educated voters, Rubio tends to do better. In states with larger numbers of non-college educated voters, Trump seems to do better.
[Cooper:] We also saw in Virginia, anger and dissatisfaction not quite as high as in some of the other states. Whether that is also translating to Rubio
[Gloria Borger, Cnn Chief Political Analyst:] And also, Rubio does better in sort of suburban areas. Trump does better in rural areas. You know, the thing that I think
[Cooper:] We should point out, he does better, it's still not winning.
[Borger:] Right.
[Cooper:] And also, turnout, whether that enthusiasm on the Republican side has continued.
[Borger:] Exactly.
[Cooper:] Whether we see that echoed tonight as we have in other nights and how it relates to what we're seeing on the democratic side. Because one of the arguments Bernie Sanders has been making all along for his revolution is that he's bringing out, he's got the enthusiasm momentum, he's got all these folks coming out to the large rallies.
[Nia-malika Henderson, Cnn Senior Political Reporter:] Yes. And it hasn't worked out
[Cooper:] But we don't see it on the election.
[Henderson:] It hasn't worked out in any of these states. In Iowa, young voters were down, I think in New Hampshire, votings down for like 15 percent. Same thing in Nevada, down 40,000 voters there. South Carolina
[Axelrod:] South Carolina is down a third over 2008.
[Henderson:] Yes. Over 2008. I think up slightly from 2004. So, yes, he hasn't really made good on that promise to build a revolution.
[Michael Smerconish, Cnn Anchor, "smerconish":] Two e-gaps, I refer to the mass. One gap is the enthusiasm gap that seems to benefit the Rs thus far in terms of turnout. The other is the experience gap. And simply stated, Democrats favor it and Republicans are repulsed by it.
[Cooper:] Right. Which is very interesting. And we're seeing that again on the exit polls.
[Van Jones, Cnn Political Commentator:] Yes. I just think with regard to Sanders, I don't think he's saying he has more enthusiasm than Barack Obama in 2008 than for any human ever born, maybe Elvis and Michael Jackson. I don't think he's comparing himself to that. I think he's comparing himself to Hillary Clinton. And I think there's no argument that when you have 10,000 people coming out for Bernie Sanders, I haven't seen that happen yet for Senator Clinton. So, I think that he has a case to make, that where there is energy in this party, it's with him. And I think that we should
[Cooper:] Again, you can make the argument we haven't seen that on election night, because there was so much enthusiasm, more voters would come out for him. They haven't.
[Jones:] Well, and this is the big question for the Sanders insurgency. Is this a regional, demographically land-locked phenomenon? So, only in places where you have young white people in the north can you pull this stuff off. Or is there potential for this thing to be broader. And right now, listen, you can't tell just by looking at South Carolina, frankly, you know, because you know, Clyburn himself is an iceberg against which no ship can survive a conflict. But tonight you will know more tonight. Tonight you will know if this phenomenon can go beyond that land-locked place where it seems to be.
[S.e. Cupp, Cnn Political Commentator:] But to Michael's point, about the excitement and enthusiasm, I think he's right on. He's right on. Bernie is in a very tough spot. In no world is Bernie Sanders inexperienced. Right? He's been in elected politics for decades. But he has allowed himself to be defined that way because it allow him to say, I'm an outsider still. If he keeps pushing how experienced he is, he loses the enthusiasm with the Democrats, where, you know, that authenticity, that outsiderness. So, he really, he can't play it both ways. But it would have been great if he had hit back against that narrative, that he isn't experienced enough to compete with Hillary. Of course he is.
[Kayleigh Mcenany, Trump Supporter:] I think it's important to point out that the Sanders phenomenon and the Trump phenomenon have something very important in common. And that's real family income in this country has not increased among the bottom half of the distribution since 1960. Trump is speaking to that same message, too, when he talks about bringing jobs back from abroad. When he talks about taxing Mexican imports, putting a tariff there. This is the same sort of frustration that is propping up Sanders and also propping up Trump. Which is why it's interesting in Iowa to hear voters to say I'm deciding between Trump and Sanders. There is a little bit of rationale there to what they're saying.
[Paul Begala, Democratic Strategist:] There is. And until we can move median family income, this is going to continue.
[Mcenany:] Yes.
[Begala:] I mean, I don't mean to depress the establishmentarians in our world. But Bernie Sanders is going to look like the chairman of Goldman Sachs in 10 or 20 years. Donald Trump is going to look like Caesar Chavez. Because when people are pinched like that they look for a quick answer. But there is a difference. There's an enormous difference, set aside from my distaste for Trump's style of politics. And that is Republicans are at war with their own party. They do hate their establishment. They hate them. Democrats like their establishment. Never happened before. They love the president. They love Hillary. They love Bernie. They love Nancy Pelosi.
[Cooper:] How it did translate into the race movie forward when it gets down to the two front-runners in each party?
[Begala:] Into the general election?
[Cooper:] Yes. In the general election. Right now, Trump is bringing new people in. He's increasing turnout. Sanders and Hillary are not in my party. That's what I said last week. That's keeping me up at night. But we have a secret weapon that will boost turnout to record levels, and his name is Donald J. Trump. Maybe Bernie and Hillary aren't doing it right, but Donald will do that for my people, believe it.
[Mcenany:] I've really want to point out this myth that Donald Trump can't bring the party together. The CNN poll that was released two days ago has showed that only 25 percent said they wouldn't vote for Trump, same number said for Cruz and Rubio, they wouldn't vote for those candidates in the event that they became the nominees. So, it is a myth by and large that he cannot bring this party together.
[Begala:] We've seen he's been praised by both David Duke and Louis Farrakhan.
[Cooper:] Wait, is that a Super PAC commercial?
[Begala:] It is. I'm working on the script.
[Cooper:] You're working on that one, aren't you?
[Jones:] Just one more myth I just want to point out as you mentioned in that poll. We keep forgetting to mention that at least in our poll, Bernie Sanders is actually a better candidate against a Donald Trump. And a better candidate against the Republican field than is Hillary Clinton. Now, we can argue that that would change immediately if he was even gone after in a tough way. But that's also really important. So, I think there is enthusiasm there. I think the electability argument is more complicated than we pretend that it is. It's important to keep that in mind tonight.
[Borger:] I think both of these candidates, if it turns out to be Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, are very polarizing. And I think each would bring out the other person's base to vote. And so, you know, you may say that Donald Trump will unite the Republican Party, but if Hillary Clinton is not uniting the Democratic Party now, which she is not, I agree with
[Cupp:] Trump actually has a secret weapon, an added benefit that Hillary doesn't. I think so many blue collar working older white voters have been left behind by the Democratic Party.
[Borger:] Reagan Democrats.
[Cupp:] I mean, union guys who are for Trump.
[Borger:] Right.
[Cupp:] Right? He can actually forget bringing out Republicans. And I think there's a bunch of Republicans who will never vote for Trump, but he can probably make up for them with maybe some disillusioned, disaffected Democrats who feel as though the party has left them behind.
[Axelrod:] You know, Mitt Romney got an enormous percentage of the white there's a limit to what you can bring out. If the in a time of
[Cupp:] Even in the David Duke Yes.
[Cooper:] I want to toss it back to Wolf. We'll come back to our panel in a moment Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Anderson, we're waiting for more states to close. Four states, they will close the polling at the top of the hour. Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Massachusetts. We're getting more numbers right now as well. They're coming in. We'll share all of this with you right as soon as we come back.