Puerto Rico Braces For Direct Hit From Tropical Storm Dorian
CAMEROTA: It is said familiarity breeds contempt.</s>BERMAN: That's what you tell me every morning.</s>CAMEROTA: Well, I feel that you're feeling that this morning --</s>BERMAN: Yes.</s>CAMEROTA: -- also. Is that true with the presidential candidates, not just co-anchors? Well, we look at how they poll in their own states.</s>BERMAN: And the results, perhaps, not what you would think. John Avlon has the reality check -- John.</s>JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right, guys. So look, the primaries are on and the polling has just begun. But while caucusgoers in Iowa like to meet a candidate many times before they make up their mind, there's already an assessment for the candidates available from the voters who know them best. I'm talking about the major candidates' approval ratings in their home states and the results might surprise you. For example, Elizabeth Warren is surging in national polls. She's attracting impressive crowds and speaks to real enthusiasm for her progressive policy-driven campaign. But in Massachusetts, where she's been a senator since 2012, Warren's favorability rating was just 49 percent in a local poll from last October. Now, by comparison, the Republican governor of the Bay State, Charlie Baker, came in with a 71 percent. And the neighboring state of Vermont, home to Bernie Sanders, doesn't do a lot of in-state polling but Sanders has been elected to the Senate three times there with an average of nearly 68 percent of the vote. Now, how about Joe Biden? Well, the former V.P. hasn't served as a senator from Delaware since 2009. But at the end of his Senate career, he polled at a 65 percent job approval rating in-state. But interestingly, in his birth state of Pennsylvania, next door, where Biden leads the Democratic pack and President Trump, his in-state favorability rating in a recent poll is just 46 percent -- tough crowd. And while we're in the mid-Atlantic, let's look at Cory Booker. Among New Jersey voters, Booker had a 50 percent job approval and 30 percent disapproval in a Rutgers poll from last fall. And rounding out the top tier of senators are Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar. So, Quinnipiac surveyed California voters in July and found the freshman Sen. Harris is just a 46 percent approval rating, with 21 percent saying they hadn't yet formed an opinion about her. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar has a strong 61 percent in- state favorability rating, putting her at the top of the Senate crop this cycle. How about the two candidates from Texas? Well, a Lone Star poll of voters from February found that Beto O'Rourke had a 44 percent approval rating. It's not great but it's almost double Julian Castro's 23 percent. Montana's Steve Bullock is the only governor still on the race and he's got a strong 54 percent job approval rating in that red state. Finally, let's look at Donald Trump's New York, which can also claim two Democratic candidates. Trump has just a 35 percent favorability rating in his home state. Sad, as he might say. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand edges him out with 41 percent. But Trump can take some comfort from the fact that he's still more popular than Mayor de Blasio statewide, who clocks in at just 26 percent. So what are the key takeaways? Among the top-tier candidates for whom we have recent in-state polling that meets CNN's standards, only Amy Klobuchar, Steve Bullock, and Cory Booker are at or above 50 percent among their home-state voters. It's fair to say that this broad crop of Democratic candidates are not particularly popular at home, but it might not matter. After all, Donald Trump got elected within the negative favorability ratings. Iowa, still more than five months away, folks. A lot can and will change. But if you're looking to get to know the candidates better it's worth knowing what the voters think about them at home. And that's your reality check.</s>BERMAN: You know, it's interesting -- you brought up Klobuchar and Steve Bullock. In the Suffolk poll out just this morning, not a single national respondent checked either box for those candidates. So they're at zero humans nationally, but high approval ratings in their home state.</s>AVLON: Which should count for something.</s>CAMEROTA: Indeed. Thank you very much, John.</s>BERMAN: All right. Thanks to our international viewers for watching. For you, "CNN NEWSROOM WITH MAX FOSTER" is next. For our U.S. viewers, a brand new 8:00 a.m. update on the path of what will be Hurricane Dorian. We'll give you that new forecast. NEW DAY continues right now.</s>ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.</s>BERMAN: Good morning, and welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Wednesday, August 28th. It's 8:00 a.m. in the East. And we do begin with breaking news. The 8:00 a.m. update to what will be Hurricane Dorian -- a direct hit is expected. In fact, two direct hits on the United States. You can see it right there. First up is Puerto Rico. The National Hurricane Center just releasing this. The forecast track has changed. Dorian is now expected to make landfall over Vieques. That's right off the coast of Puerto Rico, and the eastern side of Puerto Rico, which was so badly affected by Hurricane Maria two years ago, and that could happen later today.</s>CAMEROTA: Then it is expected to strengthen into a category two or stronger hurricane. It will take aim at millions of Americans along the East Coast from Miami to South Carolina now. Dorian is a wild card, so we will speak live with the director of the National Hurricane Center in just moments about why this one is so hard to predict. We're also following a new poll -- it is just being released at this moment -- that could have a major impact on the next Democratic debate. So we are pouring through the numbers right now. We will break them down for you very shortly. But we do want to begin with the latest on Dorian, so we'll go live to Puerto Rico in a moment. But first, let's bring in CNN meteorologist Chad Myers with the brand new update. What does it tell us, Chad?</s>MYERS: It is now, Alisyn, telling us it's 60 miles from St. Croix, heading to, like you said, to Vieques. Also, to the eastern side. END