Discusses the New Hampshire Primary and his Presidential Candidacy (Interview)

SHOW: CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL 22:00
HEADLINE: Election 2000: The New Hampshire Primary

BODY:
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: And on the Republican side, you heard it here, two, three hours ago, John McCain the winner on the Republican side, and here are some raw numbers we have with 72 percent of the precincts reporting: 49 percent for the Arizona senator, 18 percentage points ahead of Texas Governor George W. Bush followed pretty far back by Steve Forbes, then Alan Keyes, and finally, Gary Bauer.

And speaking of the senator from Arizona, he joins us now. And Senator McCain, we want to thank you for joining us. First of all, congratulations.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Judy, Bernie. Thanks for having me on, and, Judy, thanks for joining me on our bus.

WOODRUFF: It was quite an experience. Senator, my first question has—goes right to what Governor Bush said when he spoke to his assembled troops earlier tonight. Namely he said you—you were—had the luxury, he suggested, of running in one state, whereas he's running a 50-state strategy, something he suggested you're not trying to do and he suggested you're not going to have the luxury of what you did here in New Hampshire in the future.

MCCAIN; Judy, we've been in South Carolina a lot, we've been in Michigan, we've been in California, we've been all over the country. But really what won this race and was such—I guess from your figures—is now up to 18 percent, which surprises all of us, is the message, not the time here but the message: and that is of reform, of getting the country out of the hands of the special interests back to the people, telling the truth, giving them a vision and hope for the future. And that's really the message, but the fundamental (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is reform of government and getting the special interests and their big money out of Washington and getting the people back. We had people by the thousands today who showed up to register to vote for the first time so that they could vote for me. I can't tell you how humbling that is.

SHAW: Senator McCain, looking ahead to the Palmetto State, the Bush people are saying: "Well, he won here, but we have organization, we have money." And consider this other fact: Traditionally, South Carolina Republicans have not gone with insurgents. They have gone with the establishment candidate. What say you to that?

MCCAIN: Well, traditionally New Hampshire has, too, with a couple of glaring exceptions, but the fact is we've got a message and we have got people like Congressman Lindsey Graham and Mark Sanford and the young leadership in the state of South Carolina there behind us.

It's going to be a very interesting race. I think it's going to be close. I think it's going to be tough. We're moving up dramatically in the polls in the last few weeks and I'm very happy with where we are.

And again, we've got a message and that's what really resonates.

And look, I'm very optimistic. I know it's going to be tough. I know it's going to be intense. But it isn't being vague (ph).

WOODRUFF: Senator, another point Governor Bush is making is that you won here in New Hampshire on the basis of support from independents, his point being that you're not going to have that situation in South Carolina or in most other states you're going to be running in. You're going to have to go toe-to-toe with him among Republicans. And what he's saying, basically, is that's going to be a whole lot tougher for you.

MCCAIN: Well, first of all, in South Carolina they don't have party registration, so independents will be voting. But more importantly, we won Republicans, we won seniors, we won young people, we won everybody here in New Hampshire, including Republicans, including independents. And they vote in South Carolina, too,

But again, I'd like to say, the reason why we won was because that I could convince people of New Hampshire that I could lead them in the next century and that I'm fully prepared to be president of the United States: both from my life experiences, my legislative experiences, but my vision and the message. And that's really why I'm optimistic about our chances, and I do not underestimate Governor Bush in any way.

By the way, I'd like to point out I think he was very gracious tonight.

SHAW: Talk to us please on these two points: The polls show that the governor has consistently led you in South Carolina. You appeal very strongly to veterans. We know that South Carolina is laced with many, many hundreds of thousands of veterans. Talk to us about that and also take us into your campaign checkbook. What is this bounce out of New Hampshire going to do for campaign coffers?

MCCAIN: Well, first of all, you're right, there is more veterans per capita than any other state in America in South Carolina. We already have organizations, veterans organizations in every town in the state of South Carolina and every county, and we're proud of that.

We're moving up in the polls in South Carolina. We've seen about a 20-some percent closure in the last few weeks. And we are—we are doing fine in raising money.

We'll never have as much money as Governor Bush. By the way, it's McCain2000.com. But the fact is that we're raising enough so we're competitive, where you've got enough for television in South Carolina, Michigan. We're about to come up in California.

So we're doing just fine. But we never, ever expected to win the battle of bucks. We thought we could win the battle of ideas. And I think the margin of victory here tonight—we were badly outspent here in New Hampshire. I mean, they saturated the television.

So I think we can do the same thing in South Carolina, but if we stay on message, we're not diverted and we conduct the kind of campaign that people here in New Hampshire were pleased with, they'll be pleased in South Carolina, too.

GREENFIELD: Senator, it's Jeff Greenfield.

You keep saying that you won because of message, but you tell stories on that Straight-Talk Express of yours that people who don't like your positions but vote for you because they think you tell the truth. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) you sustain a national campaign by appealing to Republicans, many of whom may not agree with you on policy?

MCCAIN: They—the reason—they may not agree with me on a number issues, such as in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which I just carried, where I said we had to have a base closing commission where they've got a naval station. But they really agree with me, Jeff, that it's time to get their government back.

Young people who voted in the lowest numbers in the last election ever, young people have become cynical and even alienated. They see this as a chance to be back again and have a government that they—that they feel represents them. That message has resonated.

SHAW: South Carolina—Arizona Republican Senator John McCain. I'm thinking of the next primary ahead.

MCCAIN: Call me South Carolina, it's OK.

SHAW: OK, South Carolina, we'll see you so in the Palmetto State.

MCCAIN; Great to be with you.

SHAW: Always a pleasure to have you indeed.