In last night's post-debate analysis on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, James Carville proclaimed that Barack Obama will be the slam dunk winner of the election in November. However, he followed up by hinting at riots if Obama were to lose. Here is the transcript of the discussion. First David Gergen keeps bringing up the race factor as an excuse for a possible Obama loss (emphasis mine):
ANDERSON COOPER: But if you look at the CNN poll which Campbell Brown just told us about the short time ago, on the economy, Obama 59 percent and McCain 36 percent. David Gergen, do you agree with John King and James Carville that if those numbers continue it's basically game over?
DAVID GERGEN: I think it's too early to declare victory Anderson, because Barack Obama is black. And until we play out the issue of race in this country, I don't think we'll know and maybe unless -- late in the campaign.
COOPER: Do you think that despite the lead in the polls, people might change their minds once they're actually in the voting booth?
GERGEN: I'm not sure the polls are totally believable, I think there's -- there maybe built in. Over the years there's a study now that's come out of Stanford University and Associate Press along with Yahoo, saying that is -- that his blackness may cost him as much as six points I think he's in a commanding position coming out of this second debate. Having won two, having done as well as he has, I think he's established in the public's mind now that he is certainly as qualified to be president as John McCain.
And that's a -- and he's come a long way in this and I think it's much more sure-footed, he's very presidential tonight. But we don't know what the race factor in America now. I think until this plays; it could close on this before it's over.
JEFFREY TOOBIN: Obviously we don't know what the race factor is but I do think it's important to remember that in the primaries the polls were very accurate. There was not this Bradley affect. There's not the line to pollsters business. So I think that --
COOPER: You're shaking your head.
JOHN KING: I give you the state of New Hampshire.
TOOBIN: Well, that was a very fast moving situation where it's just one week between Iowa and New Hampshire.
COOPER: It may actually kind of play into this in terms of how these candidates were perceived tonight.
CAMPBELL BROWN: Yes, I think we have the graphics ready for this. And this is a little more generic but who expressed his views more clearly in the debate. 60 percent said Obama, McCain 30 percent. Who spent more time attacking his opponent; McCain 63 percent, to Obama's 17 percent. Who seemed to be the strongest leader in the debate; 54 percent for Obama to 43 percent.
GERGEN: That's interesting.
BROWN: And who was more likable? Obama 65 percent to McCain 28 percent, so Obama pretty much crushing him in the most of these polls.
COOPER: And David Gergen which is the one that the most interest you.
GERGEN: The leaders, because John McCain went into this with a huge lead on the leadership question. And Barack Obama was the orator, the celebrity, but he didn't seem to have that gravitas in the sense of command that you look for in a president. And he's come a long way in establishing his bona fide on this. I think he shoot both of this debates -- I think he's been far better in both of this debates than he was with Hillary.
COOPER: Go -- go ahead Dana.
DANA BASH: Just on the leadership question, that, I think is what is probably so hurtful to John McCain right now is that they understand how bad the economic numbers are for them. And that's why they have been trying to turn the debate not so much about the economy, but to who is going to be the best person, who do you really trust to take us out of this.COOPER: So David Gergen's point though on race, Suzanne is that something you hear -- but do you really trust this other guy to take you to where he says he's going to go. And if he's losing the voters on the leadership question, that is going to be a lot harder to sell. On the racial issue Suzanne, is that something you hear from Obama's people in the campaign? I mean are they concerned about the discrepancy between where the polls are and where they may really be?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX: Well, I just spoke at an Obama aide before the debate who said you know they would love have to the election tonight if they could, just because of all the support, the numbers.
But at the same time, they're very cautious, they say they're going to put their heads down, they're going to keep working. They're not cocky at this point.
They believe that there's a lot of hard work that's ahead and it -- part of it speaks to what David was talking about and part of it just speaks to the fact that there's been so many unknowns. There's 28 days or 27 days is a lifetime in a campaign.
COOPER: So they're not going to run a commercial with James Carville saying the dogs are wet bring them in or whatever that -- I can't remember exactly or do the laundry or I can't remember what it was.
Okay, stand by for Carville's suggestion of riots if Obama loses:
CARVILLE: Let me be clear, I said you can call the dogs and light the fire and leave the house. I think it sounds over.
Now let me be clear here, if Obama goes in this race with a 5- point lead and losing this election, the consequences are -- bull, man. I mean I don't think that's going to happen, but I think David it's a point to bring up.But you stop and contemplate this country if Obama goes in and he has a consistent five point lead and loses the election, it would be very, very, very dramatic out there.
"Very, very, very dramatic out there" if Obama loses the election? That sure sounds like Carville is predicting riots.
