'Meet the Press' transcript for Oct. 12, 2008

MR. BROKAW:  We want to share a--just a clip from your documentary on the Discovery Channel.  This is an unique approach, both the person who's talking and the take on race.  And let's just run that, and then you can explain to us what we've just seen here.

MR. KOPPEL:  Sure.

(Videotape, Discovery Channel documentary)

MR. KOPPEL:  James "Tiger" Knowles, whom we can't show you and whose voice we've altered electronically, has a unique perspective on the Democratic Party's nomination of Barack Obama as its candidate for president of the United States.

MR. JAMES KNOWLES:  People need to vote for him because of his ideas and, and the veracity that he displays in what he does and not because he's African-American.  Because if they do that--and I don't care what color the voter is, that has nothing to do with it.  But if he's voted for strictly because he's African-American, then in a twisted way, we're taking a step backwards.

(End videotape)

MR. BROKAW:  Who's Tiger Knowles?

MR. KOPPEL:  This is a fairly bland statement until you realize that Tiger Knowles was a member of the Ku Klux Klan who has just spent 20 years in prison and is still in a federal witness protection program because he participated with another young Klansman in what we refer to as the "last lynching," a lynching that took place in Mobile, Alabama, in 1981.  And Tiger Knowles ultimately turned state's evidence against the, the other man who was, I think, the only white man who was executed during the 20th century for killing a black man.  But he was a Klansman, ex-Klansman.

MR. BROKAW:  Paul Gigot, do you think race is going to be much of a factor on Election Day?

MR. GIGOT:  I, I hope not.  I mean, obviously it's a--such an important part of our history, and, and it's with us always, so it will to some extent.  I've talked to a lot of people who were participants in the, in that campaign, the Bradley campaign, who think that was, that effect was overstated at the time. That was a while ago.  I hope we've made progress since then.  And, and to just your point on McCain, you know, a lot of people within his campaign or supporters are saying, "Why don't you use the Reverend Jeremiah Wright as an issue?" And McCain has refused to do that, in part, because I think he doesn't want to bring race into this whole issue.

MS. BURNETT:  What accounts for the poll that you just showed, which shows 17 to 19 percent of people favoring Obama in a lot of the issues, and yet when it comes down to the overall poll, you're looking at 11 percent?  I mean, it does appear that there's something.  Now, it could be questions about leadership, it could be something else that gives people concern about voting for Barack Obama.

MR. GIGOT:  He is an unknown.

MS. BURNETT:  But, but you have to wonder if maybe there is some sort of a reticence because of race.  Nobody wants to admit it to themselves even.

MR. BROKAW:  All right.  Let--for the two of you, as we begin to wrap up here, let me ask you whether the greater fault line is Main Street vs.  Wall Street, rather than race?

MS. BURNETT:  I think Main Street is, is the most significant issue. It--when it comes to this crisis, Tom, I, I believe that we are getting what we need out of Washington.  It's going to take time, it's going to be painful, but we're getting what we need.  When it comes to Main Street, you brought up the credit cards, that is the most important thing.  People are going to be in for a long period of pain, and unless we address a rapidly growing jobs--jobless rate, we're going to have a very significant problem for the next several years.

MR. BROKAW:  John Harwood.

MR. HARWOOD:  I think there's no question the economy is much more powerful in this election than race is.  I don't think we can dismiss the factor of race.  This is the first time we've run this experiment on a national level for president of the United States.  But I do think that the dominance of economic concerns is so deep in this election that there's no getting around that, and it's a huge plus for Barack Obama right now.

MR. BROKAW:  Final question, and we just have a moment.  You have to say yes or no.  Do you expect us--an October surprise of some kind?  Erin?

MS. BURNETT:  October surprise?  Yes.

MR. HARWOOD:  I think we've had the October surprise, and it's the financial meltdown.

MR. GIGOT:  Yeah, I...

MR. BROKAW:  Paul Gigot.

MR. GIGOT:  Yeah, I agree with John.

MR. BROKAW:  And Paul--Ted Koppel?

MR. KOPPEL:  Who, who am I to disagree with such distinguished colleagues?

MS. BURNETT:  Oh, I think we're going to have another one, and maybe it's even a positive one, and that would truly be the big surprise.

MR. GIGOT:  Bless you.

MR. BROKAW:  There are some people in the Obama campaign who believe that there's a concerted effort under way to get Osama bin Laden before Election Day and bring him out of captivity, dead or alive, in some fashion.  But...

MR. GIGOT:  You're thinking...

MR. HARWOOD:  I think the Kerry campaign thought they were going to do that four years ago.

MR. BROKAW:  That's the nature of politics this days.

MS. BURNETT:  (Unintelligible)

MR. GIGOT:  I'm all for that if they do it.

MR. BROKAW:  Who could complain?  Ted Koppel, Paul Gigot, Mr. Harwood, Ms. Burnett, thank you very much for being with us this morning.

Oh, also I want to remind you that you can catch Ted Koppel's critical look at race in America, his Discovery Channel special entitled "The Last Lynching." It premieres tomorrow night at 10 Eastern on Discovery.  I'll be right back.

(Announcements)

MR. BROKAW:  We'd like to remind you to watch Monday night on "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams," conversations with JFK, newly discovered audiotapes of an unguarded JFK just months before he became president.  He talks candidly about his life, politics and his own health.  The tapes will air for the first time anywhere Monday on "NBC Nightly News." And, of course, Brian will have continuing coverage of the financial crisis.

That's all for today, we'll be back next week because, if it's Sunday, it's MEET THE PRESS.

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Nov. 8: Casey, Barbour, Rendell, roundtable, Brokaw Nov. 1: Tim Geithner, David Plouffe, roundtable Oct. 25: Cornyn, Schumer, Burnett, Sorkin, roundtable Oct. 18: Jarrett, Dodd, Kyl, Shriver, Podesta Oct. 11: Levin, Graham, McCaffrey, Myers, roundtable Oct. 4: Ambassador Susan Rice, roundtable Sept. 27: Bill Clinton, Paterson, Kyl, Webb Sept. 20: President Obama, Sen. Graham, Rep. Boehner, roundtable Sept. 13: Durbin, Cornyn, Dean, Gingrich, roundtable Sept. 6: Axelrod, roundtable Meet the Press Section Front   Add Meet the Press headlines to your news reader: