>> Julie: WE ARE OFFICIALLY ONE WEEK AWAY FROM FLORIDA’S PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
ALSO MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.
WE TOLD YOU JUST MOMENTS AGO,
PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE
JOE BIDEN HAS PICKED HIS RUNNING
MATE.
>> Lisa: THAT’S RIGHT.
JIM CLARK JOINS US NOW FROM OUR
NEWSROOM.
BIDEN CHOSE HIS FORMER OPPONENT,
CALIFORNIA SENATOR KAMALA
HARRIS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT
SELECTION AND WHAT DO YOU THINK
IT CAME DOWN TO?
>> I THINK IT CAME DOWN TO A
NUMBER OF THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, SHE HAD RUN A
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN.
SHE HAD FACED CRITICISM.
SHE HAD WEATHERED THAT.
SHE HAS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION,
A NATIONAL FOLLOWING, AND SHE
REPRESENTS THE MOST POPULOUS
STATE IN THE NATION.
>> Julie: CONGRESSWOMAN VAL
DEMINGS FROM RIGHT HERE IN
CENTRAL FLORIDA WAS ON THE SHORT
LIST.
WE JUST GOT A STATEMENT FROM
HER.
WHAT DO YOU SEE FROM HER
CAMPAIGN AND HER STINT IN THE
WHITE HOUSE?
>> HER FUTURE IS UNLIMITED.
JUST EIGHT YEARS AGO SHE LOST A
RACE FOR CONGRESS.
TWO YEARS LATER DROPPED OUT OF
THE RACE FOR COUNTY COMMISSION
CHAIRMAN AND NOW SHE’S BEING
MENTIONED AS THE VICE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
SO IT’S BEEN A METEORIC RISE FOR
HER.
I THINK IF JOE BIDEN WINS, SHE
HAS AN UNLIMITED FUTURE.
>> Lisa: IT WAS AN INTERESTING
PICK FOR KAMALA HARRIS.
WE SAW SOME OF HIS NOTES DURING
A PRESS CONFERENCE.
HE WROTE DOWN HER NAME AND SAYS
HE DOESN’T HOLD A GRUDGE.
THEY REALLY WENT HEAD TO HEAD IN
SOME OF THE DEBATES.
SOME THOUGHT HE MIGHT BE BETTER
OFF PICKING SOMEONE FROM A
BATTLEGROUND STATE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> SOMETIMES IT HELPS AND
SOMETIMES IT DOESN’T HELP.
THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE
CANDIDATES HAVE PICKED PEOPLE,
FOR EXAMPLE, JOHN KENNEDY PICKED
LYNDON JOHNSON FROM TEXAS WHICH
GAVE HIM THE PRESIDENCY.
BUT SOMETIMES IT DOESN’T HELP
AND KAMALA HARRIS WAS A SAFE
CHOICE.
SHE’S ALREADY BEEN SUBJECTED TO
CRITICISM.
I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER
CANDIDATES, PRIMARILY SUSAN
RICE, WOULD HAVE FACED
UNBELIEVABLE CRITICISM.
I THINK IT WOULD HAVE HURT
BIDEN.
THE FIRST RULE OF THE VICE
PRESIDENT IS DO NO HARM.
AND SO I THINK SHE’S THE SAFEST
PICK.
>> Julie: AND ONE WEEK FROM
TODAY, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
FLORIDA PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
WE’LL TALK ABOUT A FEW RACES
THERE WHILE WE HAVE TIME.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE
ORANGE OSCEOLA STATE ATTORNEY
RACE.
TELL US WHAT YOU SEE THERE.
>> THE FLORIDA PRIMARY IS SIX
WEEKS AWAY AND 12 WEEKS AWAY
WE’LL PICK A SLEW OF RACES.
THE FLORIDA RACE, THE INCUMBENT
IS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION.
A CONTROVERSIAL INCUMBENT.
WE HAVE FOUR CANDIDATES,
INCLUDING BELVIN PERRY WHO MAY
BE NEXT TO JOHN MORGAN, THE
BEST-KNOWN LAWYER IN ORANGE
COUNTY.
IT’S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO
SEE IF HIS NAME RECOGNITION
CARRIES THE DAY.
>> Lisa: I WANT TO TALK TO YOU
QUICKLY ABOUT THE PANDEMIC AND
HOW YOU THINK IT MIGHT AFFECT
VOTER TURN-OUT.
THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF DEBATE
ABOUT MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
THE PRESIDENT TWEETED NOT TOO
LONG AGO HE BELIEVES THE MAIL-IN
BALLOT SYSTEM IN FLORIDA IS
SAFE.
HOW DO YOU THINK THIS PANDEMIC
IS GOING TO AFFECT TURN-OUT?
>> THAT’S A QUESTION.
THE QUESTION IS HOW PRESIDENT
TRUMP IS GOING TO AFFECT IT.
HE HAD RAILED AGAINST MAIL-IN
VOTING AND THEN THE REPUBLICANS,
AS YOU’VE POINTED OUT, GOT TO
HIM AND SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, YOU
NEED MAIL-IN VOTES FROM
REPUBLICANS TO CARRY THE STATE
IN NOVEMBER.
SO EVEN THOUGH HE CONTINUES TO
SAY THAT MAIL-IN VOTING IS A
SCANDAL WAITING TO HAPPEN, HE’S
GIVING FLORIDA A PASS BECAUSE HE
NEEDS MAIL-IN VOTING ESPECIALLY
AMONG ELDERLY VOTERS WHO ARE NOT
GOING TO THE POLLS AND RISK
GETTING THE VIRUS.
>> Lisa: WELL, IT’LL CERTAINLY
BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW