NBC Nightly News open - 1988-03-01

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:01] Super Tuesday. One week from tonight,

[0:03] President Reagan heads for NATO as the

[0:05] administration identifies foreign drug

[0:07] producers.

[0:11] >> NBC Nightly News with Tom Bro.

[0:16] >> Good evening. Super Tuesday. 20 states,

[0:18] onethird of the delegates needed for

[0:20] nomination in each party just a week

[0:22] away. And tonight, a pattern does seem

[0:24] to be developing. Looking good for

[0:26] George Bush and rockus for the

[0:28] Democrats. Results now from Vermont's

[0:31] presidential primary today, which was a

[0:33] so-called beauty contest in both

[0:35] parties. No delegates for its stake in

[0:37] Vermont today. And among Democrats,

[0:39] among the election day surveys of

[0:40] Vermont Democrats, it indicates a strong

[0:43] showing for Massachusetts Governor Mike

[0:44] Dakus and an impressive second place

[0:47] finish for Jesse Jackson. Impressive

[0:49] because once again, he's running well in

[0:51] a northern state with practically no

[0:53] black voters. Among Republicans, Vice

[0:55] President George Bush was the strong

[0:57] favorite, but NBC surveys indicate a

[1:00] strong running by Senator Bob Dole in

[1:02] Vermont, stronger than anticipated.

[1:04] Early on, the conventional wisdom was

[1:06] that Vice President George Bush would

[1:08] use Super Tuesday next week to secure

[1:09] the presidential nomination. Then he ran

[1:12] into some rough spots, Iowa, South

[1:13] Dakota, Minnesota tonight, Vermont. But

[1:16] as NBC's Lisa Myers reports, the Bush

[1:18] campaign seems to be back on track in

[1:20] the South, and that has the Dole forces

[1:22] worried.

[1:24] Bush campaigns through the South as

[1:26] though he hasn't a problem in the world.

[1:28] By most indications, he hasn't. The Bush

[1:31] camp says that in their worst case

[1:33] scenario, he still wins the most states

[1:35] and the most delegates. He could win

[1:38] big.

[1:41] Dole is in trouble. His campaign has

[1:43] been in chaos. He sometimes seems

[1:45] frustrated and out of sorts. Today, Dole

[1:48] went after Bush on an issue an adviser

[1:50] once said would be used only in

[1:52] desperation. Arms for hostages.

[1:55] >> Dole opposed selling arms to Iran. Bush

[1:58] supported the arms for hostages deal.

[2:01] Dole, the difference is leadership.

[2:04] >> Dole previously had said arms for

[2:06] hostages wasn't an issue.

[2:08] >> I said it probably wasn't a big issue

[2:10] among Republicans, but now we're, you

[2:12] know, we're talking about credibility.

[2:14] When somebody gives you nine different

[2:15] answers on the same question, I think it

[2:19] becomes an issue.

[2:20] >> Do also charges that despite all his big

[2:23] jobs, Bush has accomplished nothing.

[2:26] >> Tell me what you've done, George. Tell

[2:27] the American voter what you've done.

[2:29] Give us some decision you made that made

[2:31] a difference.

[2:32] >> And a described Dole southern strategy

[2:34] as guerilla warfare aimed at winning a

[2:37] few states and depriving Bush of

[2:38] delegates where possible. But in many

[2:41] southern states, Bush is less worried

[2:43] about Dole than about Pat Robertson.

[2:50] >> About 30% of voters in each of the

[2:52] southern and border states are born

[2:54] again Christians, which is why the Bush

[2:56] campaign in the South has gotten

[2:58] religion.

[3:01] In private meetings with evangelical

[3:03] leaders and on tape, Bush answers the

[3:05] big question, is he born again? If it's

[3:08] defined as um

[3:12] do you accept Jesus Christ as your

[3:14] savior,

[3:16] I'm a clearcut

[3:19] affirmative to that.

[3:20] >> In a new book being rushed to Christian

[3:22] bookstores and on the stump, Bush talks

[3:25] about so-called moral issues. Decency,

[3:28] honor, obey the law.