Moments Away: CNN Democratic Debate, Round Two
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: They are all here. They are all getting ready, including the two top headliners of tonight, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. The California senator arriving first of the two. Joe Biden the last to arrive here in Detroit. Expectations running high, of course, after Harris' first go around with the president who was smiling that big infamous Joe Biden smile when he got to the hall, first by far in the polls, although the last two enter the actual venue tonight. We are back outside the Fox Theater. Jess McIntosh, Van Jones, Kirsten Powers, Jennifer Granholm and Terry McAuliffe are here. All right. So obviously, all eyes on Kamala Harris, on Joe Biden, but there are others for whom tonight is really as we say do or die but it literally is. Next debate is going to have maybe half as many people. So who else we'll be watching?</s>TERRY MCAULIFFE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, half the folks will be gone for the debate in September. So, a lot of pressure on these candidates to make a move tonight. I think Governor Jay Inslee has a real shot. He's done a great job of bringing climate change to the discussion. Everybody cares about the climate change and he's been the leader on that. He has a real opportunity tonight I think.</s>JENNIFER GRANHOLM, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think I'm going to be looking at Senator Bennet because --</s>BURNETT: Michael Bennet, Colorado.</s>GRANHOLM: Yes, Colorado, because he wears this mantle of being a moderate and I think he my be sort of, he could be like a wing man for Joe Biden going after issues that maybe Biden can sit back on. I would be curious to see the dynamic.</s>BURNETT: Right, and names that a lot of Americans at this point don't know, right. This is their moment.</s>GRANHOLM: This is their moment.</s>BURNETT: They need to have this moment which they need to have --</s>GRANHOLM: Yes.</s>BURNETT: -- for polls, for money and who are you looking at.</s>KIRSTEN POWERS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. Well, I think for Kirsten Gillibrand, it's definitely do or die. And, you know, she's been having a hard time because she -- she says she thinks it's because of sort of the backlash for her coming out and calling for Senator Franken to resign and there has been reporting that she's going to go after Biden on some of his -- on women's issues because that's sort of her calling card and in particular, him opposing tax credits for children care, you know, in the '80s. I think that's going to be a mistake, but it will be interesting to see if she goes there, because I think one thing for all of these people to think about is too much beating up on Biden is going to maybe start to make him seem very sympathetic.</s>BURNETT: By the way, I said Kirsten and I said did I misspeak? Did you see the look in my eye? I'll think I'm thinking wait, wait. All right. Van, there is no one named Van on stage. Who are you watching?</s>VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I am sticking with Yang. I'm Yang Gang. I believe that this time, Andrew Yang will earn the respect of the country. He's the only person talking about the robots and the technology and all these creative solutions and last time he just kind of sat there and watched the whole thing like was observing. If he does what he can do, he will have a moment tonight. I'm still Yang Gang.</s>BURNETT: OK. Some people watching and I want to make the point, though, on that. They don't know who he is. If you don't live on social media, and you don't -- his followers are -- they are passionate.</s>JONES: He's a big deal. Yes.</s>BURNETT: All right. And that's the passion that whoever ends up winning this thing needs to have. He's got it.</s>JONES: And fresh idea, and new ideas, and things. He doesn't have to attack nobody. He's got a new set of ideas. I'm telling you Yang Gang. I'm still -- I'm putting another bet down on Yang.</s>BURNETT: Jess?</s>JESS MCINTOSH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I'm going to be looking at Julian Castro. He had a great night the first debate and then it was completely overwhelmed by the coverage of the second debate. So this time around, he's on night two. That means if he does it again, we might still be talking about it next week.</s>BURNETT: All right. And then you're going to have people who are being very aggressive because they know this is their last chance. You have nothing to lose. A lot of people have nothing to lose. But, Governor, what about Tulsi Gabbard?</s>MCAULIFFE: Tulsi Gabbard has -- I mean, if she doesn't do something tonight, that's the end of it. Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City.</s>BURNETT: Bill de Blasio, right.</s>MCAULIFFE: He can't get out of the bottom of the cellar, and he's got to do something tonight. What happens is empty money will dry up. If you're not on the next debate stage, you just can't pay your staff and you just plain run out of money. That's what so many candidates are facing.</s>JONES: One thing about Tulsi Gabbard tonight, there is now, you know, this tension around Iran, this tension overseas. She's a veteran. She's one of the younger people running. She served overseas. She's very, very anti-war. If a question comes to her in that regard, she could have a big moment.</s>MCINTOSH: She turned a question to the gender pay gap to that. She doesn't need one coming her way in that regard.</s>BURNETT: All right. Thanks to all of you as we countdown. Let's go inside the hall -- Anderson.</s>COOPER: Erin, thanks very much. Just minutes away from the start. Plenty to watch for in just a couple of minutes here with the panel. John King, I mean, really, for Joe Biden, tonight is crucially important. I mean, last night impacts tonight on how Biden is going to go about this.</s>JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: His calling card is on the guy you want to go against Trump. Other candidates are great and wonderful people. I'm the big guy and serve with Barack Obama. I have the experience. I can debate Trump. He has to prove that, because he had a shaky first debate. The flip side of that is what is Senator Harris' second act? You know, you don't want -- it just was noted on that last, you don't want to come at Biden again. You have to prove you have a bigger, broader portfolio. Can she defend her health care plan? Can she have another good performance, she built and plateaued? Now, the question, can she build again?</s>COOPER: Does she use an attack to try to build more or does she have a different strategy, and does he maybe attack her?</s>GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: It's hard to know. I think he might attack her if she challenges him again, but I think the target is clearly on Biden's back tonight, and what he has to do is fight back, talk about his policies and then go big, is to go big against Donald Trump and show that's why a majority of Democratic voters believe he can beat Donald Trump. He has to prove it again tonight because he didn't prove it in the last debate. So, he's got to do it.</s>COOPER: It's also -- I mean, David Axelrod, if last night was Elizabeth Warren trying to show that she's a leader, beyond just having plans, that she has energy, that she has vitality, Joe Biden has to do the same thing. I mean, it's not just about plans but showing you're the one to take this on.</s>DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Well, I think he started off that way. He's the front runner. Now, he has to prove that he should be the front runner, and I think you're going to hear more about Trump in this debate partly because you have every candidate of color on this stage. Race will clearly come up and given what we've been through in the last few weeks and the direction Trump has taken, I would think that's an opportunity for Biden and perhaps some others to step up and talk about the moment we're in.</s>NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: I think that's right. Sort of any unlikely alliances that form on stage, does Kamala Harris get some incoming from people like Tulsi Gabbard who've attacked her on stage and does Biden deliver? He said he's not going to be polite. Is he going to pull a Pawlenty in not really be able to deliver on these attacks? We'll see tonight.</s>COOPER: Pulling a Pawlenty, that's --</s>BORGER: That's an insight.</s>COOPER: You're reaching.</s>AXELROD: Pawlenty was polite, that's for sure.</s>COOPER: That is the question, it was sort of odd, do you find it odd, I guess, that Joe Biden felt the need to telegraph oh, I'm going to be tough. Shouldn't you just be tough?</s>AXELROD: I did. It does raise the question will he -- I'm sure they have rehearsed and pushed and understand where some -- or most of the attacks are coming from. This is where reality hits preparation and you don't know how people are going to react in the moment. He has to be careful not to overreact, punch down, look smaller rather than bigger but still be tough. It's a balancing act.</s>BORGER: But, you know, his benefit this time is he kind of knows what to expect more than he did last time. So, he's prepared I would assume. He's got great people doing it. He's prepared for everything. He's prepared to respond. And the question I have is, does he take on as you were asking before, does he decide to go after Kamala? I don't think --</s>AXELROD: On health care --</s>BORGER: Yes, that's --</s>KING: And that has to be the proxy, the substance of health care to the big issue, this is why I should lead the party. This is why I should be your leader because I have a better plan on health care. Let me explain this to you. And I think that will be through Harris but the target is Warren and Sanders.</s>COOPER: All right. It is time. We're going to see you all right back here for post-debate coverage, including analysis, of course, and the interviews with the candidates. The CNN Democratic debate round two live from Detroit starts right now.