CONSERVATIVE VISION FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON A SPECIAL EDITION OF "CLOSE UP." WE HAD A LIVELY AND INFORMATIVE WEEK OF GRANITE STATE DEBATES. HERE TO HELP US BREAK IT DOWN IS THE ONE AND ONLY SCOTT SPRADLING. HE DOES IT ALL. WE ARE GOING TO PREVAIL UPON HIM FOR HIS POLITICAL ANALYSIS. SCOTT: IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE PRIMARY VOTE. ADAM: LET’S DEDICATE THE FIRST SECTION OF THE SHOW TO THE SENATE DEBATE. THERE’S A LOT TO TALK ABOUT. YOU HAVE FIVE CANDIDATES ON STAGE TRYING TO POSITION THEMSELVES BETTER WITH VOTERS. A CLEAR FRONT RUNNER IN THE RACE END ON BOLDING. THE MISSION GOING IN IS TO FIND A WAY TO TELL VOTERS WHY NOT DAWN AND WHY ME. DID ANYONE EXECUTE ON THE MISSION? SCOTT: DON’T THINK SO. NONE OF THE CANDIDATES WERE DOING ANYTHING OTHER THAN DOING THEIR BEST TO ARTICULATE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION AND NOT DO ANY EFFORT TO SHOW SOME EMOTION AND EXCHANGE TO BRING HIS NUMBERS BACK DOWN. NONE OF THAT HAPPENED. IT FELT LIKE A DEBATE HAPPENING IN JUNE TO KICK OFF THE SUMMER AS AN INTRODUCTORY RUN AND NOT A CLOSING ARGUMENT AND TRYING TO MAKE THE CASE OF ME, NOT YOU. NONE OF THAT HAPPENED UNTIL THE LAST TWO MINUTES. ADAM: THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTRAST. KEVIN POINTED OUT GENERAL BOLDUC HAS SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FBI TAKEN APART. WE WILL TOUCH ON THAT COMING UP. I AM CURIOUS. DO YOU THINK THESE CANDIDATES ARE SURPRISED AT THE WAY THE RACE HAS PLAYED OUT? YOU HAD A FIGHTER IN DON BO LDUC WHO COULD BE THE STATESMAN. SCOTT: THIS IS A REMARKABLE CYCLE. PEOPLE MAY BE WATCHING SAYING, HOW ARE YOU SO SURE THAT BOLDUC HAS A BIG LEAD? THERE IS A LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE THAT THIS IS REAL THAT HE IS OUT BIG WITHOUT SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY. WE ALL KIND OF STARTED THE CONVERSATION THINKING THIS IS CHUCK MORRIS’ TO LOSE. HE GOT THE ENDORSEMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR. A FOURTH-QUARTER ENDORSEMENT, BUT GOT IT. THAT IS NOT HOW THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION HAS GONE. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE THINKING IF MY GUY DOES WELL ON HIS OWN AND DOES NOT HAVE TO SHOW DISTINCTIONS AND PERFORMS WELL, HE WILL NOTICED AND STEP OUT. THAT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED. WITH 48 HOURS TO GO, IT IS STILL A NAME I.D. PRIMARY. ADAM: DID ANYONE IMPRESS YOU? SCOTT: IN A VACUUM, I FEEL LIKE EACH CANDIDATE COULD WALK OUT THURSDAY NIGHT SAYING NAILED IT, DID WHAT I NEEDED TO DO. VIKRAM DID A GOOD JOB OFFERING IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS AND ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS. I HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT HIS DEGREES WERE IN COLLEGE SO I LOOKED IT UP DURING SOME OF THE ANSWERS. HE IS AN IMPRESSIVE GUY WHO GIVES SOLID ANSWERS. THAT IS A GREAT INTRODUCTORY DEBATE A FEW MONTHS AGO. KEVIN SMITH IS NATURALLY BUILT FOR THIS STAGE AND THESE SETTINGS. HE IS ELOQUENT, CHARISMATIC. HE CAN TURN A PHRASE AND DOES A GOOD JOB PERFORMING. I THINK EVEN DON BOLDUC, ESPECIALLY ASKING FOREIGN POLICY RELATED QUESTIONS, YOU COULD FEEL THE LEAN IN WITH A FORCE AND CONFIDENCE THAT DID NOT FEEL LIKE HE WAS REACHING FOR THE NEXT WORD OF HIS ANSWER TO MAKE SURE HE GOT IT RIGHT. THE ONLY PERSON I FEEL IS STILL FINDING THE COMFORT ZONE IS CHUCK MORSE. I WAS REMINDED WATCHING THE DEBATE HE HAS BEEN SENATE PRESIDENT FOR A LONG TIME. THAT IS NOT THE PERSON IN THE CHAMBER WHO LEADS THE FIERY RHETORIC. HE IS THE REFEREE WHO BRINGS EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND HELPED GET SOMETHING DONE. HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO EXPLAIN IT BEAUTIFULLY. THAT ARTICULATION IS COMING FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE. IT IS NOT A COMFORT ZONE FOR HIM. ADAM: HE HAS GONE TO ONE OF THOSE STAGES WHERE YOU NEED TO BE OUT IN FRONT OF THE DOORS. SCOTT: IT LOOKS LIKE HE IS FIGHTING FROM FAR BEHIND. ADAM: BRUCE FENTON, INTERESTING CHOICE. THAT WAS AN INTERESTING CHOICE ON HIS PART. SCOTT: LIBERTARIAN CONSERVATIVE WITH EVERY ANSWER IN THE QUESTIONS. ADAM: LET’S LOOK AT THE CLIP ABOUT ONE ISSUE WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN. WE ASKED THE CANDIDATES WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF THE 24-WEEK ABORTION BAN CAME TO THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE. LET’S SAY NEW HAMPSHIRE’S ABORTION BAN AT 24 WEEKS COMES TO THE FLOOR OF THE U.S. SENATE. ARE YOU VOTING YES OR NO? >> IF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE BAN? ADAM: IF THE 24-WEEK ABORTION BAN IS INTRODUCED ON THE FLOOR, ARE YOU VOTING YES OR NO? >> THE QUESTION DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. IT IS ALREADY A LAW IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. IT HAS BEEN DECIDED UPON. THE STATE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE. WE DON’T NEED TO. ADAM: YOU DON’T WANT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION? IT IS COMING TO THE FLOOR, SAME THING. >> IT IS HYPOTHETICAL. I WILL NOT COMMENT. >> YES, I WOULD SUPPORT IT. I WORK HARD TO PASS A LOT NEW HAMPSHIRE. >> I WOULD VOTE NO. >> I WOULD VOTE YES IN FAVOR OF THE BAN ONLY IF ACCOMPANIED BY A GUARANTEE OF CHOICE FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS. ADAM: WE HAD MORE CLARITY FROM THOSE CANDIDATES THEN WE HAVE HAD IN OTHER DEBATES. I WANT TO PLAY ONE OTHER CLIP. THE CONFLICT IN THE DEBATE CAME LATE. WE HAD INTERESTING LINES DELIVERED IN THE CLOSING STATEMENTS. NO ONE CAN RESPOND. YOU ARE LOCKED INTO YOUR TIME AT THAT POINT. >> LET ME TELL YOU HOW I SEE THE RACE. WE HAVE HEARD KEVIN HAVE BEEN RUNNING FOR OFFICE SINCE HE WAS 19. WE HAVE HEARD CHUCK HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR OFFICE SINCE I WAS 19. I HAVE NOT BEEN RUNNING FOR OFFICE THE LAST 30 YEARS. IF YOU WANT SIX MORE YEARS OF MITCH MCCONNELL, VOTE FOR CHUCK MORSE. IF YOU WANT MORE MAGGIE HASSAN, VOTE FOR DON BOLDUC. JOKERS TO THE RIGHT AND HERE I AM, STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU. >> I’M RUNNING FOR THE U.S. SENATE. I’M HONORED TO HAVE THE ENDORSEMENT OF GOVERNOR SUNUNU. AS SENATE PRESIDENT, I WORKED WITH THE GOVERNOR TO DELIVER THE MOST CONSERVATIVE BUDGET IN THE STATE’S HISTORY. ADAM: KEVIN SMITH HAD AN INTEREST IN CHOICE IN THE DEBATE. HE PLAYED IT SAFE AND DID NOT ATTACK CHUCK MORSE UNTIL THE END. HE DID IT IN MEMORABLE FASHION QUOTING FROM THE SONG. DO YOU THINK THIS ENDS UP IN A MAGGIE HASSAN AD? SCOTT: IF THEY DON’T, THEY ARE WASTING AN OPPORTUNITY. HE HAD THE LINE OF THE NIGHT EVERYBODY WILL TAKE AWAY. IT WAS A GOOD ONE, A KILLER. I’M NOT SURE IT MOVES THE NEEDLE. IT IS TOO LATE IN THE DEBATE TO BE THROWING A PUNCH LIKE THAT. IF IT ENDS UP AS PART OF MAGGIE HASSAN’S ARGUMENT AGAINST THE PRIMARY NOMINEE OR WHOEVER, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOK BACK AND SAY KEVIN I WISH YOU HAD NOT. ADAM: THE PRACTITIONER ASPECT OF THIS, SENATOR MORSE MENTIONED THE GOVERNOR SUNUNU ENDORSEMENT. SCOTT: HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUNCTUATING HIS IDEAS AND CHOICES AND ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS WITH THAT IS WHY CHRIS SUNUNU HAS ENDORSED ME. HE WAS TAKING A CHANCE. HE WAITED TOO LATE. ADAM: DID ANYONE MOVE DON BOLDUC OFF HIS FRONTRUNNER POSITION? SCOTT: I DON’T THINK SO. KEVIN HAD THE ONE FUN PUNCH AT THE END BUT NOBODY BROUGHT ANYTHING UP ABOUT WHAT HE SAID FOR THE LAST T