The View from Macomb County, Michigan
WOODRUFF: Come what may in South Carolina, the next big test for the Republican candidates comes three days later, with primaries in McCain's home state of Arizona and in Michigan. In the latter, the vote in one particular suburb may prove revealing. CNN's Bruce Morton has the inside view from Macomb County, outside Detroit.</s>BILL NEARON, BUSH SUPPORTER: You know, you've got the Regan Democrats that are kind of are more along the line of McCain's thinking. And then there are the Democrats that are more along the line of McCain's thinking. Now if they all go vote for McCain, McCain will get the nomination and Bush will not.</s>BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bill Nearon, who's for George W. Bush at the end of a Kiwanis breakfast in St. Clair Shores in Michigan's Macomb County, a county with a famous political past.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was a strictly Democrat county and has been for a long time.</s>MORTON: Macomb County men worked in the auto plants and raised families. They came to symbolize the famous Reagan Democrats in the '80s. Reagan carried the county big time in 1984, Bill Clinton in 1996. It's changing.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The demographics of the county have changed tremendously.</s>MORTON: Soaring population, maybe three-quarters of a million and growing, houses sprouting like mushrooms. Terry Almquist has taught here for 35 years.</s>TERRY ALMQUIST, MACOMB COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE: We are probably more industrial than most counties still are, but as we note, that's not the mainstay of any economy any more.</s>MORTON: Still a Chrysler plant, but lots of new, high-skill companies like Visioneering, which designs parts and tools to make parts for companies in the automotive and aerospace industries.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are a lot of young professionals -- engineers, lawyers -- that are settling here as their starter homes.</s>MORTON: And they are continuing that Reagan Democrat tradition, in a way.</s>ALMQUIST: They are open. They are less prone to be a straight party voting populace. They will split a ticket.</s>MORTON: So in this open primary, are some of them McCain Democrats?</s>JANCIE NEARON, MACOMB COUNTY GOP CHAIRWOMAN: His opponent is blaming him for sounding like a Democrat, so -- and a couple of the issues he's raised probably would appeal to Democrats, but I think more independents are likely to support him.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need half-a-pound of the Genoa salami sliced thin, please.</s>MORTON: Nino Salvaggio's (ph) market shows what an ethic stew this county is: Italian sausage next to kilbasa, cheeses from everywhere. Politics too. This Republican likes John McCain.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think a lot of his points are well-taken, seems like a fair man, besides being a vet.</s>MORTON: This Republican has voted for Bush, absentee.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He seems to be the most normal one of the bunch, and I like his policy. He's a gentleman and he's not as strident as these other politicians.</s>MORTON: But in this county, this woman and her husband, undecided independents who will vote, may hold the key.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like Bush. I feel that a lot of his ideas have worked in Texas, and things that'll work in the government for the national. However, McCain looks pretty good. And we're not sure yet of who we're going with.</s>MORTON: Bush independents? McCain Democrats? Independent- minded county -- always was. Bruce Morton, CNN, Macomb County, Michigan.</s>SHAW: Joining us now on INSIDE POLITICS, Democratic National Chairman Joe Andrew and Republican Chairman Jim Nicholson. Joe Andrew, are you concerned that many independents, many Democrats might vote for a Republican presidential candidate?</s>JOE ANDREW, DNC NATIONAL CHAIRMAN: No, I am not at all. These are two conservative peas in a right-wing pod here. In the end, what Americans are going to learn is that these are both candidates that have fought for and agreed with Newt Gingrich's Contract With America. They were fighting last night in the debate about who is the most right to life, who is most going to fight against a woman's right to choose. Those are the kinds of things in the end that I think will help our party, not hurt our party.</s>SHAW: Why do I think you want to respond that, Jim Nicholson?</s>JIM NICHOLSON, RNC NATIONAL CHAIRMAN: Well, I think what you're going to see in a county like Macomb County are the people come out in droves for our nominee, because they're going to lose jobs if Al Gore is elected president. I mean, he's written a book -- I happened to bring it along -- it's called "Earth in the Balance." And he calls for the elimination of the internal combustion engine. The other thing that he is doing --- today it's germane, because up in New York, people are paying $2 a gallon for home heating fuel -- and he wants to add new taxes to fuel oil consumption in America, and he wants to diminish domestic exploration. I mean, Gore, in addition to being dishonest and untrustworthy, is just out of sync with the people on the issues.</s>SHAW: Looking at the Republican primary -- South Carolina, for example, Joe Andrew -- will the anger, the name-calling between McCain and Bush help your party's nominee in the fall campaign?</s>ANDREW: Absolutely. I mean, the partisan personal attacks against the president, against Democrats in the past have only helped elect Democrats. That happened in 1996. It happened in 1998. You just heard the chairman of the Republican Party do it again. Every time they do it, it helps elect Democrats.</s>SHAW: But Jim Nicholson, conversely, will the Bradley-Gore contretemps with the name-calling and the finger-pointing help your party's nominee in the fall campaign?</s>NICHOLSON: Well, absolutely. I mean, I don't agree with Bill Bradley on everything, but when Bill Bradley points out to the American people that if you can't trust Al Gore in his campaign for the presidency, how could you trust him as the president? And the thing that the American people are looking for the most, Bernie, is somebody that is trustworthy, someone who will bring honor and integrity and dignity back to their White House.</s>SHAW: Joe Andrew, are many in your party fearful that John McCain might get the nomination and therefore be a tougher opponent?</s>ANDREW: Oh, I don't think that we have any reason to be afraid of John McCain or George W. Bush. Again, what South Carolina is revealing is truly how conservative both these candidates are, how truly out of step they are with the average American, who is out there carrying about things like a real prescription drug benefit right now. Those are the kinds of things these candidates aren't talking about and should be talking about.</s>SHAW: Gore, Bradley, who would be tougher for your party?</s>NICHOLSON: You know, bring them on. I don't think it's going to matter. I mean, what we have got are two real good decent men. In fact, last night they called each other that. One called the other "noble." The other called the other "a good man." They said they both respected their achievements in life. We have got a vigorous primary going on, but that's way it ought to be in our party. But when we finally have a nominee, the people are going to pick one of those two great Republicans because they want to bring integrity and trust back into the government.</s>SHAW: On that debate last night, Jim Nicholson, your party's abortion plank does not list rape, incest or the threatened life of a mother in the plank for. Should it?</s>NICHOLSON: Well, we are the pro-life party, the party that respects the sanctity of life. The platform makes that clear. The platform will be revisited again here in just a few months leading up to our convention in Philadelphia. There will be a good, healthy debate, something that we permit in our party, people of different views to come together and debate that. And then we will have a new platform.</s>SHAW: Let's talk money now. Front-page story above the fold "New York Times," Governor Bush having spent millions, and the impression is that he is running out of money. True or not, my question is this: By summer, your party's nomination, whoever he is, might be near broke. Question: How much soft money is the national Democratic Party planning to pour into your candidate's campaign? I'll ask the same question of you, Chairman Nicholson, in just a moment.</s>ANDREW: Well, we're not going to pour any soft money into the campaign, but clearly we're not going to allow ourselves to simply have these attacks by Republicans go unanswered, particularly when they're very personal, and very partisan attacks. You know, the two things the people thought the Democrats had going against them would be because George W. Bush wasn't following the Watergate reforms, he could spend all the money he had and there would be a lot of it. Now, he's broke. They thought we were behind. Now, we're dead even. They thought that George W. Bush would be a moderate. Now, he's showing he's a conservative. The fact of the matter is, it is going to help Democrats.</s>SHAW: Jim Nicholson, you have the last word.</s>NICHOLSON: The two big stories about money, Bernie, are the one that came out Monday that said the president is going to go on the road and travel and raise over $40 million for his party, by meeting with large donors around the country. And the other was in the paper today when John Sweeney said that the AFL-CIO is going to put over $40 million into these U.S. House races to try the take back the House. Now, this is the party that says it's for reform of campaign financing, and this is the party, the president today said, that we need to make a trade deal with China. And yet you have got the unions who are saying, we're going to raise enough money to take back control of the House. We want to see if the president is going to be able deliver those union votes. Because we think we ought to be trading with China, but it sounds to me like the unions have bought a lot of votes in his party, and we will see if the president and Al Gore can deliver.</s>SHAW: Jim Nicholson, Republican chairman, Joe Andrew, Democratic chairman, thank you.</s>ANDREW: Good to be with you.</s>NICHOLSON: Thank you.</s>SHAW: Always good to have you two. And INSIDE POLITICS will be right back.