MSNBC - Interview -Transcript

Interview

MSNBC - Interview -Transcript

MSNBC INTERVIEW WITH GOVERNOR MIKE EASLEY (D-NC)

SUBJECT: NORTH CAROLINA AS A PIVOTAL STATE IN THE ELECTION INTERVIEWER: CHRIS JANSING

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MS. JANSING: Joining us from Raleigh, North Carolina's Democratic governor, Mike Easley.

Governor, it's good to see you. And let me ask you about the latest polls. They -- NBC Mason-Dixon shows John McCain, 49 percent, Barack Obama, 46 percent. Can Barack Obama close the gap and how?

MR. EASLEY: Yeah, he's going to close the gap. And I think he can win here. We have a tremendous early vote that's out. The demographics in that vote are very good for us. Two and a half -- almost 2.6 million people have already voted. We'll probably get another 2 million tomorrow. All we need to do is have people show up in the same representative sample as they are registered. If we do that, Barack Obama will carry North Carolina, and that means he'll carry the nation.

MS. JANSING: You know, it is interesting, Governor, for all the talk of the technology and the influence of the Internet, ultimately, as I've been in battleground states in recent weeks and talking to both campaigns, they say the same thing they told me in every previous campaign, it's about the ground game. Talk to me about how it looks in your state.

MR. EASLEY: Well, the ground game is very good. There are 50 offices here for the Obama campaign, 21,000 volunteers. The people running -- the Kay Hagan campaign against Dole have a good operation. So does Beverly Purdue running for governor. I think you're going to see not only this early vote bring people out, but tomorrow we're going to see people come out again in record numbers. And I think we'll set a record in votes, and I think we'll set a record by electing Barack Obama here.

MS. JANSING: I have a list of polls here from The Washington Post to NBC to Pew to Gallup. All of them show Barack Obama with a significant lead, and not just, obviously, nationally, but when they do the numbers in the battleground states and add up the electoral votes. But are you worried at all about overconfidence, about people staying home, hearing reports, for example, that the lines are very long so Barack Obama's going to get plenty of votes, he's got a good lead. Are you worried about that?

MR. EASLEY: Well, we don't want people to believe that. The reason we're doing well so far is people are turning out. They've waited in lines -- not too bad during the early vote. And tomorrow, we've got everything pretty well oiled with this machine so that people won't have to wait too long. And as long as they get to the polls somewhere between 6:30 A.M. and 7:30 P.M., they're going to get to vote.

So we need to get people out and make sure that they're not complacent. This is critical to North Carolinians. They are very concerned about the economy. They know America has problems. Barack Obama has the answers, and they're going to show up to give him a chance to make the difference here. I think we just have to make sure people know that they are needed tomorrow.

MS. JANSING: Those same polls also show anywhere between 6 (percent) to 9 percent of the electorate has not yet decided on a candidate, and in many of the states, including yours; those are the kind of numbers that could swing the state. Are you worried these undecided could break for McCain?

MR. EASLEY: Not really. I think right now, there are really not that many undecided. Based on what I'm hearing and what I'm seeing, people have pretty much made a decision. A lot of them aren't telling us. Some people just say they're undecided. I think people know that if we want economic change, we want to change this economy so that we have a fair shake in North Carolina. If you're the middle class and you want a fair shake, then you need to get out and vote for Barack Obama. And I think people are going to turn out and do that.

There is no decision to make there. We know that the Bush-McCain policies don't work. We know we need change. Obama is the change. I don't think there are any undecided voters.

MS. JANSING: Governor Easley, I know it's a busy day for you with the election tomorrow. Thanks so much for spending the time with us.

MR. EASLEY: Well, thank you. I appreciate it.

END.

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