Super Tuesday Could Reshape Presidential Race; Barbara Boxer Talks Democratic Candidates, Campaigns; Sanders Ready to Take Contest to Convention.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Can you feel the excitement? The electricity, perhaps, or is that just static? The biggest day of the 2016 race so far is upon us. Super Tuesday could reshape the presidential race or it could cement the trends that we've been seeing so far up to this point.</s>JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's special live coverage all day long. Martin Savidge in Tennessee. We'll start with Brian Todd in Virginia. Brian, you're at a polling station near Washington</s>D.C. BRIAN TODD, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John and Kate. A real injection of voter energy here. This is the dominion trail precinct. A lot of first time primary voters we've talked to here. That's what's driving the morning here. On a paper ballot. This is a sample ballot, voting behind the partitions. Three people here voting. This young man will put his vote in the scanner. You'll see it going on there. Once that scanner takes his tabulation, it will tabulate that and print it out later in the day. Then they'll tabulate it and send the results to the central headquarters. Analysts are saying throughout the election cycle, as Virginia goes, often so goes the nation. The front runners, the people who could win this state, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, likely to win, they can say I can win in the general election. That's why we're watching Virginia so closely -- John and Kate?</s>BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Brian Todd laying it out for us. Thank you so much. Let's bring in Martin Savidge in a poll place in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Martin, polls have been open since 9:00 a.m., I believe. This is one of the open primaries where people take part in either primary?</s>MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they can, and they have been voting like crazy, whether it's in the early voting or the real voting. We're just to the West of Chattanooga. It's a fairly conservative area. They have shattered all the previous records, up 17 percent for early record. You would think that means voter turnout today one low. Oh, no. They're seeing numbers they haven't done seen in a long time. We'll wait to see the tallies. But here's a potential problem with the ballot. Here's a sample of the ballot. Say you want to vote for Trump. You think you cast your ballot there, but if you did that, you actually voted for Rick Santorum. The circle doesn't necessarily closely coincide with the name. Then you can vote for all the delegates. That's confusing. And there are a number of soiled ballots. We'll see how that plays out throughout the day. Back to you.</s>BOLDUAN: That's something to watch this evening. Martin, thanks for laying it out. Keeping an eye on it. New polls out this morning also fascinating. They show Hillary Clinton losing to Rubio and Cruz in head-to-head matchups, but it has her beating Donald Trump by eight points.</s>BERMAN: And Bernie Sanders goes three for three against the Republicans. He beats Rubio, Cruz, and Donald Trump all in a hypothetical general election matchup. Joining us now is California Senator and Hillary Clinton supporter, Barbara Boxer. Senator, thank you for being with us.</s>SEN. BARBARA BOXER, (D), CALIFORNIA: Thanks for inviting me.</s>BERMAN: I know the Clinton campaign is expecting a good day today. They feel good about the polls. They feel good about the states that are voting today. My question to you is about Bernie Sanders. He just said this morning that he's going to take this race all the way to the convention in July. If Hillary Clinton does do as well as you hoped she does well and picks up the lion's share of delegates and continues to do well over the next week or so, what do you think Senator Sanders should do? Should he think about not taking it all the way to the convention?</s>BOXER: I don't think so. I feel this way. I think that Bernie had played a very positive role in this campaign. I think because he's so strong in certain parts of the country Hillary had to deal with the fact that she had to really step up her pace and game. People saw that she could be knocked down and that she was tough and she was graceful at it. She could get back up. Of course, Bernie has important issues in the mix, and I think that if you look at our side and the positive steps that we want to take as Democrats to make life better for all Americans versus the other side, just beating each other up in some ways that are -- I had a friend say today she had to pull her kids away from the TV set as we saw Rubio going after Trump and vice versa. I think we look good, and I think Bernie is going to answer to his own conscious, to his donors, and I don't see anything wrong with it. We're focused on winning this primary and getting ready for the general. I think what Bernie does is up to Bernie.</s>BOLDUAN: You talk about the general. I want to ask you about the new CNN polls. In hypothetical matchups, Sanders beating all the top Republicans. Hillary Clinton does beat Trump but loses in the hypothetical matchups to Rubio and Cruz. Is there an electability issue here?</s>BOXER: No. Here's the deal. Everyone knows everything about Hillary Clinton. People have been beating up on her for months and months. From the time that there were 18 time there's a few of them left. And, of course, Bernie in his way, in a nice way, so the fact that Rubio and Cruz who are way less known than Trump are beating her, it doesn't mean anything. People don't know, for example, how right wing they both are. My colleagues on a woman's right to choose, they'll force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term if she's a victim of rape or incest. People don't know that. I don't think the polls mean much right now. We have to look at the election results. They're coming today. Let's see how my candidate does, Hillary. Let's see how Bernie and Trump do and Rubio and Cruz do and the rest. Because it's hypothetical matchups. These are real matchups. My focus is on that. And what I love about my candidate, Hillary Clinton is she was knocked down. She got back up. She's strong. She's tested. She's probably the most qualified person. She's going to make history and work hard, and it's all about the American people. And she's right. America has always been the greatest country in the world. The question is, how do we make America whole again? Meaning, that we fight for everybody, and that's her message, and it's inclusive.</s>BERMAN: Senator, there are a lot of stories today that the Hillary Clinton is turning its focus to Donald Trump in the fall. Quickly because we're almost out of time, what is the one thing that concerns you most about running against Donald Trump?</s>BOXER: I don't have many concerns. Here's my deal with Donald Trump. And by the way, I spoke to the campaign today. It's just not true. Some of the people are looking at it, but they're focused on winning this primary. Hillary takes nothing for granted. Here's my theory on Donald Trump. If you look at everybody he's insulted whether it's women, or veterans or Hispanics, and I could go on and on and on with the list, if every one of those groups both Democrats, we will win in a landslide. You cannot be the president of the United States and insult more than half the country. That's what he's done. And maybe it's doing well in a narrow section of the Republican Party, but that is not going to sell well, in my opinion, in the general.</s>BOLDUAN: Senator Barbara Boxer, great to have you. We'll watch the results come in with you. We appreciate your time.</s>BOXER: Thanks so much.</s>BOLDUAN: Thank you.</s>BERMAN: Any moment, Donald Trump holds a rally in Ohio. You can see the crowd right there getting warmed up. Ohio is not a Super Tuesday state, but it is the home state for Governor John Kasich. Is Donald Trump already looking past today's contest?</s>BOLDUAN: Also, Senator Ted Cruz will be casting his ballot live in Houston, Texas. He's also expected to speak to reporters. We'll see what he has to say on this fine Super Tuesday. We'll take you there.