WE'RE BACK WITH BROOKE BALDWIN.
YOU HAVE A NEW SERIES YOU'RE DOING CALLED "AMERICAN WOMAN IN
POLITICS."
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU WANT TO EXAMINE WITH THE SERIES?
>> I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WOMEN.
IT IS TIME.
WE TALK ABOUT WOMEN RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
( APPLAUSE )
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF 2016.
I WAS AT THE WOMEN'S MARCH ON WASHINGTON TWO JANUARIES AGO.
AND, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T TAKE A GENIUS TO REALIZE SOMETHING
SPECIAL WAS HAPPENING WITH WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY, AND THIS WAS
WAY PRE-#METOO.
I WENT TO MY BOSSES AT CNN AND WAS BANGING ON THEIR DOOR AND
SAID I WANT TO DEDICATE THE NEXT CHAMPIONSHIP OF MY CAREER TO
WOMEN, EMPOWERING WOMEN.
I STARTED "AMERICAN WOMAN IN POLITICS," IT WAS MY BABY AND MY
CREATION THANKS TO THIS EXTRAORDINARY TEAM AT CNN.
WE STARTED WITH MORE FAMOUS WOMEN, TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE
GIG BACK.
AND NOW "AMERICAN WOMAN IN POLITICS," WE'RE CNN, WE'RE
TALKING POLITICS, WE'RE TALKING MIDTERMS, AND 256 WOMEN ARE
RUNNING FOR THE HOUSE OR SENATE, WHICH IS A RECORD-- 16 WOMEN--
YES!
( APPLAUSE )
GUBERNATORIAL SEATS NATIONWIDE.
AND I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A PRETTY KILLER STORYLINE THAT I
WANTED TO TACKLE THIS YEAR.
AND EVEN DOWN SOUTH, WE'RE SOUTHERNERS, DOWN IN, YOU KNOW,
DOWN IN-- DOWN IN ALABAMA AFTER THAT WHOLE SPECIAL ELECTION AND
ROY MOORE, SO MANY BLACK WOMEN WERE SO JUST MOVED BY THAT, THAT
THEY-- 80-PLUS BLACK WOMEN UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT ARE RUNNING
FOR OFFICE IN A HISTORIC WAY IN ALABAMA, AND I WANTED TO CAPTURE
THAT AS WELL.
( APPLAUSE )
PEOPLE-- THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT WHY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN ARE
RUNNING.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: NOT ONLY FOR THE NEEDS OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND
WHAT THEY FEEL IS BEST FOR THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO SORT OF AS A
RESPONSE TO THE SORT OF OVERT CHAUVINISM OF PRESIDENT TRUMP,
AND STEPPING UP TO TAKE POSITIONS OF POWER AND
LEADERSHIP IN THE WAKE OF THE #METOO MOVEMENT.
WHY-- WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM SOME OF THE REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATES?
BECAUSE, CERTAINLY, IN MY HOME TOWN OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH
CAROLINA, SORT OF THE PERSON LEADING IN THE POLLS RIGHT NOW
IS A REPUBLICAN WOMAN.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHO ARE SUNNING.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THEM, THEIR RATIONALES.
>> FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED MORE WOMEN, PERIOD, AND THAT'S
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS CHALLENGING AS PART OF OUR SERIES-- TWO-THIRDS
OF THE WOMEN RUN REGULAR DEMOCRATS AND THEY HAVE THEIR
REASONS AND A LOT OF THEM DO POINT TO THE FACT THAT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES CALLED SOMEONE A HORSEFACE
TODAY.
AND THAT'S JUST ONE OF A FEW, I THINK THEY HAVE.
ON THE FLIP SIDE, YOU HAVE REPUBLICAN WOMEN-- I WAS SITTING
IN OHIO TALKING TO A WOMAN WHO ENDED UP LOSING HER PRIMARY
RUNNING FOR CONGRESS WHO TALKED TO ME ABOUT SMOKE-FILLED ROOMS
AND OLD WHITE DUDES IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND HOW IT WAS
REALLY HARD FOR THESE GUYS TO SAY, "OKAY, YOUNG 20-SOMETHING,
YOU GRASSHOPPER WOMAN RUNNING FOR CONGRESS.
LIKE, THEY JUST AREN'T EMBRACING WOMEN.
THIS IS ACCORDING TO HER.
AND SHE'S A MEGATRUMP SUPPORTER, YOU KNOW.
AND THEY JUST AREN'T EMBRACING WOMEN QUITE AS MUCH AS I THINK
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY SHOULD BE.
I WAS TALKING TO ILANA ROSS LEIGHTON, SHE ESSENTIALLY SAID
THE SAME.
AND IT SHOULD BE EQUAL.
I WAS TALKING TO THE PRESIDENT OF EMILY'S LIST DOWN IN
WASHINGTON, D.C. AND EVEN EMILY'S LIST, A MORE PROGRESSIVE
FINANCIAL ARM, GETTING THESE WOMEN TO RUN, AND SHE'S LIKE,
"WE NEED A REPUBLICAN EMILY'S LIST.
WE NEED MORE WOMEN.
MORE WOMEN IS JUST GOOD FOR US PERIOD."
>> Stephen: DO YOU-- MANY JOURNALISTS --
( APPLAUSE )
VOTE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO STAY OBJECTIVE.
DO YOU VOTE?
>> I DO, BECAUSE I THINK HOW CAN I SIT UP HERE AND SAY, "WELL,
HERE ARE ALL THESE WOMEN RUNNING," OR "HERE ARE ALL THESE
PEOPLE RUNNING AND YOU NEED TO EXERCISE YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT."
>> Stephen: WHO ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE FOR?
( MUMBLES ).
>> Stephen: NICELY DONE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: BROOKE, SO NICE TO MEET YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> Stephen: THE FULL CNN SERIES "AMERICAN WOMAN IN POLITICS" IS
AVAILABLE ONLINE.
BROOKE BALDWIN, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.