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CNN NEWSROOM

Republicans Debate Tonight in New Hampshire; Clinton Holds Three Event Today in New Hampshire; Bernie Sanders Appears Tonight on SNL; GOP Debate Could Be A Do-Or-Die Moment; Jeb and Barbara Bush Get Candid About the Campaign; Interview with Jeb Bush, Barbara Bush; Segregation Continues in Public Schools. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired February 6, 2016 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[17:00:02] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Sara Murray is at this location, the venue location for this debate tonight. So Sara Murray, just set the scene for me and talk about, you know, we keep saying the stakes are high, they are extraordinary high and of course ahead of Tuesday. Who has to break out tonight?

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think you have to look at Chris Christie, you have to look at John Kasich, you have to look at Jeb Bush, these are the guys who have pinned their hopes on New Hampshire. They really need to do well here and like you said there are a lot of people who are undecided. So that means they need a strong debate performance to close that deal. And to convince voters that they are not throwing their vote away, that they shouldn't just vote for Marco Rubio for instance if they like John Kasich best just because Marco Rubio has the momentum coming out of New Hampshire. And that's what we're hearing on the ground that some people are thinking like hey, I might like John Kasich best, I might like Jeb Bush best. But maybe it's time for the establishment to coalesce around Rubio. That is what these other candidates do not want to see happen.

BALDWIN: Do you think as you are walking through these different candidates and I know you covered so many of these Donald Trump rallies, I just wanted to ask you about him, specifically here, he will be center stage at that debate tonight. We talked a lot about sort of this new Donald Trump persona. You know, in the wake of Iowa, maybe less bombastic, more humbled and reserved. How does he play it tonight on that debate stage?

MURRAY: Well, you're right, Brooke, he has been a little more reserved this week. He was careful at his recent New Hampshire event not to attack Ted Cruz, not to attack Marco Rubio. And so I think that their calculus tonight is, look, do we either stay back and say we have a big enough lead in New Hampshire, we can take the high road or are they going to fight for every inch? Are they going to go up against Ted Cruz? Are they going to go up against Marco Rubio? Remember, Donald Trump has been one of the most vocal critics immediately after Iowa about some of the tactics that Cruz used there. So it will be interesting to see if he brings that with him to the debate stage tonight. Or if they feel comfortable enough in their lead here that they want to try to take the high road.

BALDWIN: All right. Sara Murray, thank you very much. Previewing what will happen on that debate stage in just a matter of hours. Thank you. Again, we're live here in Manchester, New Hampshire, the big primary on Tuesday.

Let me bring in CNN political commentator Margaret Hoover who will actually be at that debate taking it all in, in person which you know, it's obviously one thing to see it on TV play out. Quite another to actually see it all in person. And let me just begin with three things. And there's a lot to be watching for. But if you could name three things to be looking out for what are your three.

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: First of all, I'm going to see if Marco Rubio is as talented as we think he is, you know, he has more raw political talent in my opinion than anyone else in the field. But is he talented enough to actually escape and get through the fire of every other candidate on the stage pointing at him. Because all of the polls, if you look at the cross tabs show that there is a Rubio surge and there seems to be a consolidation around his candidacy. Can he get through it? That's what I really look at to. Is Trump real? If Trump doesn't win here, he is winning in all the polls, he's winning everywhere, he loves to win, if he doesn't win here, then his candidacy dissipates. Does Trump reassert himself as the outsider that can get something done and the third thing is, does Ted Cruz consolidate the libertarian support from Rand Paul.

BALDWIN: He is hoping to. Ron Paul this week said listen, he is a big libertarian, you shouldn't be on his side. We'll see if he is able to assuage those voters. I think what's also fascinating and I know you're with me here in talking about Independent voters here in New Hampshire. Listen you don't know which way they can sway if it's left, to the right, but Independent voters come Tuesday could decide this primary.

HOOVER: Well, they will decide the primary. Because they are a majority of the voters in New Hampshire. Forty four percent as we know. What is interesting is, you know, you can show up and you can vote either on the Republican ticket or the democratic ticket? But most Independents trend towards one ticket normally. There's only four percent of Independents in New Hampshire according to the state polls and according to University of New Hampshire professors that say only four percent are truly Independent and really do the wide swings, Sanders to Kasich or --

BALDWIN: They are the quote-unquote, "unicorn."

HOOVER: They're the unicorn but they are four percent. So I guess if you're Bernie Sanders or Kasich, they'll take it.

BALDWIN: Right. Right. So, they will decide. What about specifically among the three governors. We keep talking about it's this jump ball between Kasich, Bush, Christie, they all have to have their game faces on tonight. After Tuesday, depending on how well they all stack up, how many remain in the race heading toward South Carolina?

HOOVER: Of course it depends how they stack up. But if they stack up as the polling suggests, look, Kasich has the best ground operation, there's just no way to argue with that. In New Hampshire. Christie has been here as much as Kasich has. Jeb has been here less and has less organization. If they go in that order, if Kasich beats the other two I think Kasich can justify staying in the South Carolina. I think Jeb will stay into South Carolina anyway because he has so many resources on his side and he has a great operation. Lindsey Graham, the senator from South Carolina has endorsed him. He has got a lot of staff on the ground there. I think he can stay in too. But for Chris Christie I think this is make or break it.

BALDWIN: OK. Margaret Hoover, thank you very much. Enjoy the debate tonight. We'll be watching of course and Poppy Harlow, let me send it back to you in New York.

[17:05:18] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Brooke, thank you. We've got a lot ahead this hour. Brooke and I will be with you for the next hour, we have former First Lady Barbara Bush speaking exclusively to CNN about her son Jeb and his bid to become the next commander-in-chief. Also, "SNL" and Bernie Sanders meet the real Bernie Sanders, not the Larry David one. The democratic presidential candidate makes a stopover tonight in New York for the big show and also, a national conversation, the school integration help close the education achievement gap? I'll take you from Brooklyn to Hartford, Connecticut for a heated debate on what helped these kids the most. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:09:02] HARLOW: All right. You are looking at live pictures of Hillary Clinton speaking to a group there in Henniker, New Hampshire. She obviously hopes to try to close that gap in the polls with Bernie Sanders in the final days before the New Hampshire primary. In about two hours she will hold her third of three events there in the Granite State. Again, live pictures at that student town hall at New England College making her pitch especially to young voters.

Her chief rival Bernie Sanders spend the morning at Franklin Pierce University, he reminded his young audience that Clinton won New Hampshire back in 2008 in the primary. But said, if enough people turn out he is confident of a win on Tuesday. Well, Bernie Sanders has another appearance tonight, it is in the big apple. He is a guest on "Saturday Night Live." He will come, face-to-face, with the man many people consider his doppelganger.

CNN senior media correspondent Brian Stelter has more.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Poppy. These days for better or worse presidential elections play out on late night TV stages just as much as they do on debate stages. We saw Hillary Clinton on SNL back in the fall, also Donald Trump guest hosting the show. And now it's Bernie Sanders' turn in the "SNL" spotlight. And the timing is pretty, pretty, pretty perfect with Larry David hosting the show tonight. David of course has famously and perfectly impersonated Sanders on "SNL" twice so far. Here is a look back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Not a fan of the banks. They trample on the middle class, they control Washington, and why do they chain all their pens to the desk?

(LAUGHTER)

Who is trying to steal a pen from a bank? Makes no sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: Now the Sanders campaign has wholeheartedly embraced this Larry David impression. In fact, earlier this week at the CNN town hall, the real life Sanders said to Anderson Cooper, I am Larry David. So, to see the two of them together and to see what kind of humor they can come up with is a great opportunity for the campaign. Although it is always a little risky when a candidate appears on "SNL." I would say the show so far has given him a pretty fair ride. Certainly pretty easy treatment, not really making fun of them so much as leaning in and embracing his performance on the campaign trail.

I think by Sanders coming down to New York leaving the New Hampshire campaign trail for a day, it's showing the campaign is thinking past New Hampshire. They're expecting to win in that state on Tuesday, so by taking advantage of the national exposure of "SNL", they are looking ahead to other early primary states like South Carolina. Seeing if they can make some jokes and get into the hearts and the minds of some of the voters in the weeks to come. Poppy, back to you.

HARLOW: All right. Brian, we'll be watching. Thank you so much. Brian Stelter.

Just ahead, it is a game football fans the world over look forward to each year. That's Super Bowl tomorrow, Super Bowl 50, also promises to be a tale of two quarterbacks, the young Cam Newton and the legendary Peyton Manning who could hang up his spikes after the game. We'll have a live report from Coy Wire, next.

And coming in March from executive producers Kevin Spacey and Dana Burnetty, a CNN original series event, you will not want to miss this. The race for the White House, the revealing look at six of the most ruthless presidential races in U.S. history, that all starts Sunday, March 6, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:16:22] HARLOW: Super Bowl 50, it is tomorrow. If you haven't heard. The big showdown between the Broncos and the Panthers is being played at Levi's Stadium in St. Clair, California, home to the San Francisco 49ers, die hard football fans get to watch the game, non- football fans you get to watch the commercials like Steven Tyler there.

CNN's sports correspondent, former NFL player Coy Wire with me from San Francisco, obviously there's a lot of talk and fun around this. The festivities, et cetera, et cetera. Who will win? But a lot of people now, not just talking about Cam Newton's pants, they're talking about whether Peyton will hang up his jersey.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right, Poppy. As you can see and hear probably the excitement is building here at Super Bowl City. People can't wait to watch the NFL's top two teams and star players duke it out in the big game tomorrow. And one of those stars as you mentioned shining bright all week the legendary Peyton Manning. Poppy, a quick story. I was well below average defensive back in my playing days, I was mostly a special team's guy but I had one interception in my career, and it came against none other, than Peyton Manning, now it was a preseason game. But still counts in my book and I will never forget that moment because Manning is an absolute legend. He has a big opportunity in front of him, Poppy, a chance to win his second Super Bowl title. And he's not taking it for granted. Here is Peyton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEYTON MANNING, BRONCOS QUARTERBACK: If you have any appreciation for the history of the game and certainly you've watched Super Bowls and played in the Super Bowls, had a sibling that played in Super Bowls it does make it make even more special. So, I'm grateful for the opportunity to be here and as I feel like our whole team is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Now, this is Peyton's fourth appearance on the game's biggest stage and he has a chance to win that second Super Bowl title, Poppy. You mentioned the hype. And there's big dollars surrounding this game. This is the first Super Bowl to be played in the bay area since 1985, so tickets are going for a lot of money. And average of just under $5,000 each. And that's in line with the highest sporting event ticket ever. A big game coming up about 24 hours from now -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Coy, I have a great idea. I have not asked our producers but I'm going to come there, I'm going to go to the game, you're going to come here, you're going to do the show. Sound good?

WIRE: You know, I don't think you would like it here too much. It's really not that much fun. And you are much better in the studio than I.

HARLOW: Yes. OK. That's what they keep telling me. All right. Coy, thank you very much. You have a blast out there. Always good to have you on.

WIRE: Thank you.

HARLOW: All right. Coming up, Republican presidential candidates blitzing across New Hampshire in the final hours before tonight's GOP debate. One candidate bringing his mother on the campaign trail, you will hear from Jeb Bush and the former First Lady, next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Is he your favorite son?

BARBARA BUSH, MOTHER OF JEB BUSH: Today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:22:40] BALDWIN: And we're back here live in Manchester, New Hampshire. Home of the first in the nation primary, of course that is coming Tuesday night. I'm Brooke Baldwin, thank you for being with me.

Talking politic this is hour, it is a do-or-die moment for a number of the Republican presidential candidates. New Hampshire could either build or break them. And one candidate in particular fighting for momentum here, Jeb Bush. Here is what he had to say about the economy earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- in difficult times economically. For those that remember we had double digit unemployment, double digit inflation, interest rates at 18.5 percent, we had a malaise, where people thought their future wasn't as bright as it could be. I'm inspired by Ronald Reagan's leadership. Because Ronald Reagan didn't tear down people, he didn't disparage people. He had a hopeful optimistic conservative message and he had proven leadership skills, he was a successful governor for eight years before he became president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: A lot of candidates mentioning Ronald Reagan by the way, not just Jeb Bush as he took New Hampshire some time ago. That was Jeb Bush pitching himself as a Reagan man. The presidential race has been challenging one for him because he has not at all been at the front of the pack which is why lately he is leaning heavily on someone very close and very politically savvy, she is a senior member with some have called the Bush family business. She is of course former First Lady Barbara Bush, she has been out and about here in New Hampshire at age 90, she and her son Jeb spoke at length with CNN's special correspondent Jamie Gangel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GANGEL: Your secret weapon has come to New Hampshire because?

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Because she loves me. I'm her favorite son. Temporarily. She is incredibly popular, the connection between mom and dad and people here in the Granite State is phenomenal. Anybody that has lived through all of these campaigns can remember having dinner, having a picture, having a handwritten thank you note, going to Kennebunkport, there is just a connection that is phenomenal. And I learned it by coming here and doing 90 separate events on 25 trips. And it's just, she is incredibly popular as you might expect.

GANGEL: Right. You're not so secret, secret weapon. BUSH: Yes. Exactly.

GANGEL: You are his mother, you are prejudiced obviously, but tell us why you think Jeb would be a great president.

B. BUSH: He has the best record. He's wise, he's decent. He knows American values, he knows the values of people in New Hampshire. I mean, they care about their country. I love my country, I adore my child. Every mother in New Hampshire knows why I'm here, period. They know.

GANGEL: Is he your favorite son?

B. BUSH: Today.

(LAUGHTER)

J. BUSH: It always gets a laugh when I say that so I keep saying it until no one stops. The day no one laughs anymore, I'll stop saying it.

GANGEL: You got quite a crowd. And you also got emotional.

J. BUSH: Yes.

GANGEL: Because?

J. BUSH: Because look, my mom doesn't have to be doing this. She's got her little stroller with her Jeb sticker on. She's 90-years-old. It's a pretty big ask to ask someone to fly from Houston, Texas to come up here in the snow, campaigning in front of people to relive all of those things that she used to do, quite naturally, it was a big sacrifice. Every time I see my mom I think about my dad.

B. BARBARA: Was no sacrifice, trust me. A great treat.

GANGEL: It is no secret this has been a rough race for him.

B. BARBARA: For everybody.

GANGEL: For everybody. Why do you think it's been so rough for Jeb?

B. BARBARA: I don't think it's been rougher for Jeb than anyone else. I think honestly the press does not ever mention Jeb. And I think they don't. I mean, he's a non-person. And they should mention him because he's the best qualified, he has the best record, he was a great governor. I think they should mention him.

GANGEL: I heard you say that you think he's too polite.

B. BARBARA: I do think he is too polite. He ought to interrupt. The others interrupt all the time. He ought to butt in but that's because he's too nice.

[17:27:12] J. BUSH: You know, there is no such thing as being too nice. Being nice doesn't mean you're not strong, that you don't have fortitude. I got to be governor of the largest swing state in the country, I made really tough decisions but you don't have to disparage people. That's not a sign of strength. And in the reality TV world we're living in, you know, insulting people is measured by strength but that's just ridiculous. We're electing a president, presidents need to have a steady hand and they need to be strong on behalf of people that are struggling. So I don't think I'm getting a bad shake here with the press. I don't think -- I'm focused on earning it. And the expectations are high on me because of family, and I have higher expectations than anybody else on myself, so I don't feel bad at all. In fact, you know, what's weird about this, this is supposed to be a rough and tumble election. This is pretty tame compared to previous elections. At least I mean --

GANGEL: Really?

J. BARBARA: Yes. It's crazy, you got people saying crazy stuff, but in terms of the give and take, there's nothing different about this than previous elections. Ask Mitt Romney what it was like to get hit by the Obama team or the rowdy raucous debates of the primary. Ask my brother, ask, you know, my dad, this is nothing different.

GANGEL: But none of them had Donald Trump.

J. BARBARA: That's true. That's different. That's different.

GANGEL: Have you ever seen a race like this?

B. BARBARA: No. But as Jeb says every race is different. But it is slightly shocking to me.

GANGEL: Because?

B. BARBARA: Because he doesn't give many answers to how he would solve problems. He sort of makes faces and says insulting things. Saying terrible things about women. Terrible things about military. I don't understand why people are for him for that reason. I'm a woman, I'm not crazy about what he says about women.

GANGEL: He's called Jeb low energy, he's called him dumb as a rock. Between us, what do you really think of Donald Trump?

J. BARBARA: Be careful mom.

B. BARBARA: He's not dumb as a rock, nor is he what the other thing he called you. That is just not true at all. He has lots of energy. He's been up here how many times?

J. BARBARA: I spent -- this my second home. Look, measuring strength by how loud you are or how you push people down to make yourself look good, is a sign of deep insecurity, it's not a sign of strength.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So again, that was our special correspondent Jamie Gangel talking to Jeb Bush and his mother Barbara Bush who has gotten, let me tell you, max capacity crowds at some of these rallies here in New Hampshire. You saw a preview of it just there, but when we come back, what else does Barbara Bush really think of Donald Trump?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B. BARBARA: I don't even think about him. I'm sick of him. That's very strong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: So again, that was our special correspondent, Jamie Gangel, talking to Jeb Bush and his mother, Barbara Bush, who has gotten max capacity crowds at some of these rallies here in New Hampshire.

You saw a preview of it there. But when we come back, what else does Barbara Bush really think of Donald Trump?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA BUSH, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES & MOTHER OF JEB BUSH: I don't even think about him. I'm sick of him. That's very strong.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We're back with the second part of that exclusive interview with Republican presidential candidate, Jeb Bush, and his mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush. They talk strategy, they talk moving forward, and specifically Jeb Bush's opponents. Here you go.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Mrs. Bush, what do you think of Donald Trump? You are known for being blunt and plain spoken.

BARBARA BUSH: I don't think about him at all.

GANGEL: Really?

BARBARA BUSH: I think about Jeb and the qualified candidate.

GANGEL: Is it true your husband sometimes throws things, his shoe --

(CROSSTALK)

BARBARA BUSH: No, that's the silliest thing. He can't throw anymore. He's got Parkinson's. If he threw it, he wouldn't aim it. But he's wonderful, my husband. He's very much for Jeb and very proud of him.

GANGEL: Jeb, you have talked about a minute ago you said that there's a lot of pressure on you living up to your family. You have struggled with how you balancing your own man --

[17:35:03] JEB BUSH, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: Yes. GANGEL: -- and your family. Now, your mom's up here campaigning for

you. Your brother has just cut an ad for you. Have you changed strategy?

JEB BUSH: No. No. I didn't say I'm struggling with being a Bush. I'm 62 years old, for crying out loud. I stopped getting therapy about this a long time ago. You know, I did it in my mid-20s? I'm a goal driven guy. Got out of college in two years, had a family. I wanted to be half the man my dad was. My adult life has worked out pretty good, if I can get to half as good as he is in terms of being a husband, a father, a person that cares about people. So I don't have any struggles about being a Bush. It's not a conflict at all.

The fact that my brother is supporting me and my mom is up here campaigning, the way I think about it would be weird if they weren't. What would that say?

GANGEL: Donald Trump is still leading in the polls. And Wolf Blitzer recently asked your supporter, Senator Lindsey Graham, if he would support the Republican nominee, even if Trump wins, and Lindsey Graham said, "Yup, I'm buying a ticket on the "Titanic."

(LAUGHTER)

Vintage Lindsey Graham. You have repeatedly said Donald Trump's not going to be the nominee.

JEB BUSH: Yes.

GANGEL: But he is still leading in the polls.

JEB BUSH: Sure.

GANGEL: If he is the nominee, are you buying a ticket on the "Titanic" too?

JEB BUSH: I don't -- I can't spin a line like Lindsey. I will support the Republican nominee no matter who he or she is, period. I've done it my entire adult life. I'll do it. I want to win, though. I want the Republican Party's candidate to win. I want a conservative to serve in the White House. I believe I'm best qualified. That's why I'm fighting for this.

GANGEL: You have a new ad coming out that contrasts you and Marco Rubio.

JEB BUSH: Yes.

GANGEL: Right now he is leading in the polls, going into New Hampshire. Is it hurting the establishment lane if you are attacking him?

JEB BUSH: He's attacking me. So does that count? Or is this just only a one-way street? Is this the child of privilege that has a free pass when everybody else has to fight for it? This isn't bean bag, you know. This is politics. Every campaign will be -- every candidate will be contrasted and compared. Their records need to be shown. He has no record of accomplishment. He's a gifted politician. He got elected at the age of 26. He is very charismatic and a wonderful person but he doesn't have a record.

GANGEL: Chris Christie has been going, as you say, "full New Jersey." He has taken the gloves off, attacking Marco Rubio. And there was a report that your campaign and his campaign, behind the scenes, are coordinating.

JEB BUSH: No. No.

GANGEL: Absolutely not?

JEB BUSH: No. If I've gotten the "full New Jersey" from Chris Christie during this campaign. It's good not to be his target because he is pretty good at this that stuff.

Look, John Kasich and Chris Christie and I share one common feature. We had to make tough decisions. They do it today as governors. I did it for eight years. My record of accomplishments is out there for the world to see. And other candidates, they may have the virtues of being a great speaker, and I'm sure they will brag about that, but my record is a record of accomplishment. I don't need to have it coordinated with anybody.

GANGEL: There is a theory out there that it's personal between you and Marco Rubio.

JEB BUSH: Not at all.

GANGEL: That if you're not going to win, you're going to make sure he doesn't win.

JEB BUSH: No. No. I will support the Republican nominee, as I always have. I've always worked hard to elect the most conservative person to be president of the United States because I think that philosophy is the one that can lift people out of poverty, can create income for the middle class, there's nothing personal about this at all.

GANGEL: Mrs. Bush, going into New Hampshire, what would you like people to know about your son?

BARBARA BUSH: I'd like them to know he's wise and decent, and he has values that we want our children to have, that he wants to serve. I think that's very important. I'd like to remind you, George Bush came out of Iowa with Big Mo, and then there was "No Mo" after that.

(LAUGHTER)

So, remember, the campaign has just started. And I want them to know that Jeb is the finest man, almost, that I know. He's very much same values of service that his father has, and his brothers and his sister, and maybe his old lady.

[17:40:09] JEB BUSH: That's you. BARBARA BUSH: Me.

(LAUGHTER)

JEB BUSH: You. You're not my old lady.

GANGEL: You dodged me on Donald Trump. Do you want to --

BARBARA BUSH: Nope.

GANGEL: You want to go "full New Jersey" on Donald Trump?

BARBARA BUSH: No. No. I do not. I don't even think about him. I'm sick of him. That's very strong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Love hearing from Barbara Bush sitting, of course, along side her son, Jeb Bush.

And, Poppy, you know, it was Bush 41 who coined the phrase "Big Mo," and really that's what Jeb Bush needs as we keep talking about this trifecta of governors. Tonight, especially at that debate, they need Mo, period, after Tuesday, to see how much longer they can hang in this.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: That's true. I had a Trump supporter on earlier, Brooke, who said I think she would win if she were on the Republican ticket.

(LAUGHTER)

It's not the case.

BALDWIN: Huge crowds.

HARLOW: She is very popular.

Brooke, thank you. Back to you in just a moment.

Coming up next, switching gears, we hear the candidates talk about it all the time, opportunity for all, especially disadvantaged youth, giving them an equal shot. It starts in elementary school. Next, in "American Opportunity," how do you close the achievement gap? I'll take you from Brooklyn, New York, to Hartford, Connecticut, for a heated debate on how you help these kids the most.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:45:11] HARLOW: In today's "American Opportunity," it has been 62 years since the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Brown versus Board of Education, eliminating legal segregation in public schools. Today, despite that ruling, the fight for integration continues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: As more affluent families shun the suburbs in favor of living in the nation's most populous city --

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. MARK TAYLOR, REVEREND, CHURCH OF THE OPEN DOOR: What we need to do is postpone this plan. We need two more years.

(CHEERING)

HARLOW: -- a battle in the borough of Brooklyn, as overcrowding affects where they go to school.

TAYLOR: I was talking to somebody and they used the term this is another Civil War.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We feel like there's buildings popping up and these people want to push our kids out of this spot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This proposal is dividing and fracturing communities who otherwise would coexist harmoniously.

HARLOW: This is P.S. 8, a mostly white elementary and middle school. About a mile away is P.S. 307, with predominantly minority students, many who live in this nearby housing project. Test scores show P.S. 8 is among the higher performing New York City public schools. P.S. 307 is not. And 85 percent of its families are eligible for public assistance.

P.S. 8 is overcrowded so New York City's Department of Education rezoned the surrounding neighborhoods, moving families from their desired P.S. 8 to P.S. 307.

TAYLOR: Many P.S. parents don't want to come to 307. This plan omits the obvious racial tensions. We cannot reach diversity by playing like everything is all right.

HARLOW (on camera): Tell me about your son, Leonardo.

ANDREW LEE, PARENT: So, he is a very vivacious, fun loving, strong personality.

HARLOW: 4-years-old.

LEE: 4-year-old.

HARLOW (voice-over): Andrew Lee is a parent affected by the decision. His son is now zoned for P.S. 307 when he starts kindergarten in the fall.

LEE: For the most part, we think it's short-sighted and doesn't address the long concerns we have for kids to have a decent high- quality education.

HARLOW (on camera): If you had a choice between the two which would you choose? Right now.

LEE: You know, I think right now, given what I know, I would choose P.S. 8.

HARLOW: Is integration important to you in whichever public school your children go to?

LEE: I think it's absolutely important, to have a diverse student body and for my children to be -- to grow up surrounded by people of not only different races but different economic backgrounds, but I don't think either side sees this really as a race issue first and foremost.

HARLOW (voice-over): He and many other parents here in Brooklyn want to see diversity in their schools but say they want a voice in the decision on how to achieve that.

"The New York Times" reported in 2012 that New York City's public schools are among the most segregated in the country. But in nearby Hartford, Connecticut, there is diversity.

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: That's because the state Supreme Court decision, in Sheff versus O'Neill, turned the city's school system on its head and ordered a change, ruling in 1996, "Racial and ethnic segregation has a pervasive and invidious impact on schools," calling it a violation of the Connecticut Constitution. Simply put, the city was told to find a solution. And they did, by creating voluntary diversity.

ENID REY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HARTFORD OFFICE OF SCHOOL CHOICE: It's wonderful that children are here.

HARLOW: Enter Enid Rey.

(on camera): You've described your job as akin to being a great sales person, like the Hair Club for Men.

REY: That's right, because I'm not just a proponent of the system. I'm also a user of the system. I'm a mom of five children. Four are in Hartford magnet schools.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Invite them to our next event.

REY: All right. I love it.

HARLOW (voice-over): She is a saleswoman of sorts, recruiting white students from the suburbs to attend well-funded public magnet schools in the city.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you walk into our school --

HARLOW: Which are specialized and separate from the regular public schools. Her mandate is to make each school at least 25 percent white. Another part of the program allows city students to attend suburban schools.

(on camera): If I'm a parent, why does it matter that my child goes to a school that is racially diverse? REY: The reason it matters is because of the situation we're seeing

in our country today. Right? That we need to build community in a way that children have an appreciation of each other, that adults begin to understand each other's differences and similarities. And if we don't do that in education, where do we expect to do that as a nation?

[17:50:08] HARLOW (voice-over): She does it by promoting the inner city magnet options at school fairs.

(on camera): You are selling this, quote, unquote, "inner city education" to white suburban families.

REY: That's right. That's right.

HARLOW: Is it hard?

REY: Yes. It's very hard, because I think that all families tend to go where they are most comfortable. And so our job is really helping white suburban families understand that they can be comfortable here.

HARLOW (voice-over): We wanted to know if she gets pushback from some suburban families.

REY: I think it happens in very overt and very subtle ways. Just like a Hartford resident family is concerned when they send their child to the suburbs, is my child going to be the only black student or the only Latino student, the suburban resident family is always concerned is my child going to be the only white student. What does that mean? And that this process can be difficult?

HARLOW: Multiple studies shows integration can help close the achievement gap. During the court-ordered desegregation of the 1970s and 80s, test scores improved significantly for minority students.

MARTHA STONE, FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY: Test scores of minority, poor students increases. And it has no detrimental effect on the test scores of more affluent non- minority students.

HARLOW: In 2015 state test scores for students in Hartford magnet schools were roughly double those attending the regular public schools. But the same studies caution, integration is just one of many factors accounting for the improvements.

(on camera): Is that because of integration?

STONE: You can say definitively that it's partly racial integration and prominently economically integration, because you are not having 24 poor children in one place. So the kind of burdens that brings to a particular classroom you're not showing in integrated classrooms.

HARLOW (voice-over): Martha Stone was a key attorney in the Sheff versus O'Neill case leading to Hartford's integration.

(on camera): You filed this lawsuit in 1989. How would you assess progress today?

STONE: I always tell people the glass is half empty and the glass is half full. When we filed this lawsuit, the conditions in the Hartford schools were actually deplorable. There was tremendous ethnic and racial isolation, economic isolation. Is it the same now, 27 years later? No. We made tremendous progress, but only for a certain proportion of the kids.

HARLOW (voice-over): That's because it's a lottery that determines who gets to go to Hartford's best ranking schools, and some inner city Hartford parents feel their children are missing out on a better education.

DIANA REYES TURNER, PARENT: I've been applying since she was about three. She hasn't gotten in yet.

BETH SCHIAVINO-NARVAEZ, SUPERINTENDENT, HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS: You shouldn't have to win the lottery to get a good education.

What we've seen here, by going year after year, adding programs and schools, has created the two school systems where we never thought about what's the long-term plan. Is this going to be an all magnet system?

LUKE ALLEN, MAGNET SCHOOL STUDENT): We have blacks, Puerto Ricans. We have Caucasians.

If you just grew up with, like, one --- like, one specific group then you wouldn't be able to know how to associate with the other ones.

HARLOW: Aldwin and Nicola Allen feel lucky with three children in the Hartford magnet schools.

NICOLA ALLEN, PARENT: This was a gem of a school and we were fortunate.

HARLOW (on camera): Gem of a school?

NICOLA ALLEN: Gem of a school.

HARLOW (on camera): Did diversity play into your decision?

NICOLA ALLEN: Yes. It did. Not initially but it kept us supporting the school because we recognized that diversity is a very important part of our global community. I think that having the advantage to interact with people from different cultures, backgrounds. Skin tones will be Beneficial for the children.

ALDWIN ALLEN, PARENT: We wanted them to have a global perspective. And we wanted them to be comfortable with all sorts of people and understand the similarities. The truth is we all live on the same planet. We all share the same spaces. It's ridiculous to have a situation where you don't get a chance to interact with a person different from your culture until college, or until the work place. That's too late. It's a problem.

NICOLA ALLEN: It is.

GREG COOK, PARENT: Because she gets an opportunity to see --

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW (voice-over): Greg Cook's children attend Hartford magnet schools, commuting in.

Your daughter, Emma, came to you when she was 10 years old and sought out this magnet school in the city of Hartford. Did she talk to you about diversity, wanting that?

COOK: She did. She wanted to experience what the real world is like. And the real world is diversity.

[17:55:03] EMMA COOK, MAGNET SCHOOL STUDENT: I really loved the liberal arts curriculum. I love the diversity the school offered that I would not be offered at my own school. I thought that that would give me a more worldly view and just help me mature as an adult.

HARLOW: A key difference between what happened in Hartford and what's happening right now in Brooklyn is that the integration in Hartford is voluntary. In Brooklyn it's not, because rezoning determines who goes to which school.

CHERYL GOODMAN, PUBLIC SCHOOL 307 GRANDPARENT: To come and make us do this now is an insult.

You can't make me send my child anywhere I don't want them to go.

HARLOW (on camera): How critical is the voluntary part?

REY: I think it's really critical because we're allowing parents to vote with their feet whether they are in the suburbs or in Hartford.

My message is let the children lead.

HARLOW (voice-over): Back in Brooklyn, these two schools, parents and students look ahead at what is to come.

LEE: When you are involved the community in the planning when you let them help shape the vision ultimately what the end result of this is going to be, in this case, very racially and socio-economically diverse school with a great curriculum and great facilities overall, I think that that is definitely the right way to go about doing things.

REY: I'll see you girls later.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Now in response to the criticism from some of those parents in Brooklyn who say they were not consulted about the rezoning of their schools, the New York City Department of Education told us this, quote, "Throughout this process the Department of Education engaged closely with the families, community, and school staff, through many meetings and open discussions to ensure dialogue. It was inclusive of all partners. While this is a momentous step, the work is far from over."

We'll keep you posted on this and the national effort.

I'm Poppy Harlow. Thanks so much for being with me. I will be back live with Brooke Baldwin, live from New Hampshire, at 7:00 eastern.

"Smerconish" starts now.

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