High Voter Turnout In Iranian Elections; Iranian Election; US Election Update
GORANI: Welcome back. Look at our top stories, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has endorsed Donald Trump's presidential bid. Chris Christie dropped his own presidential bid earlier this month. The governor says Trump is the best person to beat, Democrat, Hillary Clinton. Bomb shell announcement a couple hours ago. Also among the other stories we are following, we are counting down around 90 minutes to when a partial ceasefire is supposed to take effect in Syria. Most Syrian opposition groups say they will honor this deal that was brokered by the U.S. and Russia. There is, of course, skepticism about whether it'll succeed some armed factions are not part of the agreement. Gianni Infantino is the new president of FIFA. He won the top post after two rounds of voting in Zurich, Switzerland today. Infantino served has general secretary of UAEFA and he succeeds Sepp Blatter who was suspended in the wake of the corruption scandal at FIFA.</s>GORANI: And another big story today, Iranians have been voting in what is seen as a crucial election in the country.</s>GORANI: Ballots were cast for parliament as well as the assembly of experts which chooses the successor to Iran's supreme leader. Both are currently controlled by hard liners, so this election is seen as a referendum on closer ties with the West after the Iran deal. Fred Pleitgen is live in Tehran and has been following both elections for us today. Hi Fred.</s>FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi Hala, yes, the Iranians have been voting and they actually are still voting. The voting has now been extended for a fifth time to go for about another half an hour that's because the Iranian's say so many people have come to the polls. President Hassan Rouhani earlier today when he cast his ballots said that the early indications were that many, many people had been going which obviously indicates that people really do feel that this election is very, very significant. We went to several polling places here across Tehran today, and we also saw long lines in front of those polling places. Here's how that played out.</s>PLEITGEN: Many stood in line for hours waiting to get into the polling stations looking to cast their ballot in what both supporters of Iran's Moderates and Conservatives say is this is a key election.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As soon as the sanctions are lifted, everything is going to be changed. Of course, we cannot expect the whole country changes overnight, but I believe that we are going to have very good feature.</s>PLEITGEN: "I like the conservatives," this man says "they have proven themselves when they were in power, and we really like what they do." Many of the polling stations are inside mosques where voters fill out forms to register and then cast their ballots. In many ways, this election is seen as a referendum on President Hassan Rouhani's course of opening Iran up to the West and on the recent nuclear agreement. One of Rouhani's Vice President's tells me a strong turnout for the Rouhani camp would help them continue their course.</s>MASOUMEH EBTEKAR, IRANIAN VICE PRESIDENT: It's very important because the parliament has both oversight and legislation authorities so they play an important role in providing the necessary laws that we need to implement in the executed branch.</s>PLEITGEN: But Conservative forces around Iran's powerful clergy accuse the moderates of opening the door for what they believe is dangerous western, and especially U.S. influence in the Islamic Republic. Iran's supreme leader warned of alleged American infiltration into Iranian affairs when he cast his own ballot. Despite all the controversy and the fierce rhetoric between the political factions, Iran's supreme leader has defined these elections as decisive ones, and he's called on all Iranians to come out and cast their votes. And authorities say, turnout is high as many people in this country see the vote they cast this Friday as one that could do a lot to shape the future of their nation.</s>PLEITGEN: And of course, the big question is Hala, when are we going to expect results and what could those results be at this point. At this point that is still very much unclear. However the authorities here are telling us that they believe that the first results will happen sometime around noon, maybe early afternoon tomorrow. However they do believe that for instance, Teheran, which of course is very big and has very many people in, the results could take a little longer especially if the turnout really is as big as the people here expect that this point in time and certainly if you look at the fact that the polling stations are still open, that could very well be the case that it could take until Sunday until we have the final results of these elections.</s>GORANI: OK. Thanks, Fred Pleitgen live, in Tehran. In just five days, there could be a very decisive night in the race for the White House, Super Tuesday, the candidates challenging front runner Donald Trump has nothing less to lose it seems, and that became clear in last night's CNN debate where Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz sent insults flying in a bid to unseat trump. Did they succeed? Here's CNN Sunlen Serfaty.</s>SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An all-out war of insults and putdowns, breaking out in the final GOP debate before Super Tuesday.</s>MARCO RUBIO, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But you're the only person on this stage that's ever been fined for hiring people to work on projects illegally, you hired some workers from Poland.</s>DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, no, I'm the only one on the stage that's hired people. You haven't hired anybody.</s>SERFATY: Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz worried about Donald Trump's trifecta of wins in the last three Republican contests. Unleashing an onslaught of attacks against the front runner. From illegal immigration --</s>TED CRUZ, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I was leading the fight against the Gang of Eight Amnesty, where was Donald? He was firing Dennis Rodman on Celebrity Apprentice.</s>RUBIO: If he builds the wall the way he built Trump Towers, he'll be using illegal immigrant labor to do it.</s>SERFATY: To U.S. trade relations with China and Mexico .</s>RUBIO: The second thing about the trade war, I don't understand because your ties and the clothes you make is made in Mexico and in China. So you're going to be starting a trade war against your own ties and your own suits.</s>TRUMP: They devalue their currencies to such an extent that our businesses cannot compete with them. Our workers lose their jobs.</s>RUBIO: And so you make them in China and in Russia -</s>TRUMP: -- But you wouldn't know anything about it because you're a lousy businessman --</s>RUBIO: Well I don't know anything about bankrupting four companies, you bankrupt four companies. You lied about the Polish worker.</s>TRUMP: Yes, yes, yes, yes.</s>RUBIO: You lied to the students of Trump University.</s>TRUMP: 38 years ago - 38 years ago.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let Senator Cruz jump in here.</s>RUBIO: Oh he lied 38 years ago, all right I guess there's a statute of limitation on lies.</s>SERFATY: To Obama Care.</s>TRUMP: You have many different plans, you'll have competition. You'll have so many different plans.</s>RUBIO: But now he's repeating himself.</s>TRUMP: No, I'm not repeating, no, no, no. I watched him repeat himself five times four weeks ago -</s>RUBIO: I saw you repeat yourself five seconds ago -</s>TRUMP: -- It was of a meltdown. I watched it. I watched him meltdown on the stage like I've never seen anybody --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's stay focused on the subject.</s>TRUMP: -- I thought he came out of the swimming pool.</s>RUBIO: I said -</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's talk - let's talk about the your plans.</s>RUBIO: He says five things, everyone's dumb -</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- Senator Rubio -</s>RUBIO: He's going to make America great again, we're going to win, win, win -</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- Senator Rubio - Senator Rubio, please.</s>RUBIO: He's winning the polls -</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please stop [CROSS-TALK]</s>SERFATY: And Hillary Clinton.</s>CRUZ: Mr. Trump --</s>TRUMP: First of all he's talking about the polls. I'm beating him awfully badly in the polls.</s>CRUZ: But you're not beating Hillary.</s>TRUMP: So I don't know.</s>CRUZ: But you're not beating Hillary.</s>TRUMP: Well then if I can't -- hey, if I can't beat her, you're really going to get killed, aren't you? So let me ask you this, because you're really getting beaten badly. I know you're embarrassed - I know you're embarrassed. Keep fighting. Keep swinging men, swing for the fences.</s>SERFATY: Trump lashing out at both of the freshman senators at the same time.</s>TRUMP: You are all talk and no action. What I've seen up here, I mean first of all, this guy's a choke artist and this guy's a liar. You have a combination -- [CROSS-TALK]</s>TRUMP: You have a combination of factors. He can't do it for the obvious reason, and he can't do it because he doesn't know how to tell the truth -</s>RUBIO: -- but here's the typical thing he does -</s>TRUMP: -- I know politicians, believe it or not better than you do. And it's not good.</s>CRUZ: Oh, I believe it will. No, no, I believe you know politicians much better than I do because for 40 years you've been funding liberal democratic politicians. And by the way --</s>TRUMP: I funded you. I funded him. I funded this guy.</s>CRUZ: The reason - you're welcome to have a -</s>TRUMP: I funded this guy -</s>CRUZ: -- because let's get it the clear. Donald, relax, go ahead.</s>TRUMP: I'm relaxed. You're a basket case. Go ahead.</s>CRUZ: Donald -</s>TRUMP: Don't get nervous.</s>GORANI: That was CNN's Sunlen Serfaty and the insults have not stopped at the debate. Marco Rubio has been hitting Trump hard again today.</s>GORANI: He's holding a rally in Oklahoma City right now that has been full of anti-Trump rhetoric so they've been slugging it out those two. As I mentioned, CNN's Sunlen Serfaty had our debate round-up. And we've been monitoring Trump just earned a major endorsement from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.</s>GORANI: Let's talk about everything that's happened over the last several hours. I'm joined from Washington by Jackie Kucinich, senior politics editor for the Daily Beast, and, Doug Heye. Doug served as Deputy Chief of Staff for former house majority leader Eric Cantor, he's also directed communications for the Republican National Committee. Jackie, Doug, thanks for being with us.</s>DOUG HEYE, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO ERIC CANTOR: Thank you.</s>GORANI: Doug, I've got to ask you, what's happening with the Republican Party here? I mean it is unrecognizable from just one election ago. What's going on?</s>HEYE: Well, obviously there are a lot of voters in both parties who on both parties - in both parties who are angry with the direction that the country's going in and angry at their party's leadership. And it's certainly something I saw when I worked in the capital. But what we've also seen obviously is the total celebrity takeover of this election by Donald Trump where he's dominated media, dominated the discussion, and I would argue that it's been for the detriment, not just of the Republican Party and not just for civil discourse, but I think for the detriment of the United States of America and what it means globally.</s>GORANI: But, Doug, he's speaking to a portion of the Republican Party of Americans who describe themselves as conservative. Isn't it because on some level, he is responding to their frustration, that their politicians are, you know, in the pocket of special interest groups, that they're not working for them, but they're working for donors. He's seen as independent and independent wealthy and a straight talker. In a way, is he not saying - - part of what he's saying is true about his rivals?</s>HEYE: Sure. I think he's definitely tapped into something that's very real throughout this country. Jackie and I have been through several states over the past few months, and we've seen it firsthand. Voters are angry and they're responding to something. But at the same time you've also had Donald Trump dominating all media coverage, he gets more media time than all the other candidates combined. And at the same time, Republicans and I think unfortunately, have really been reluctant to attack him. We finally saw that last night, and while it might be - might not be on the level of the Lincoln Douglas debates or something that we'd hear from Winston Churchill, I think a lot of Republicans are relieved that finally, hopefully not too late, finally Republicans are going after Donald Trump the way he's going after so many other candidates.</s>GORANI: But Jackie, finally they're going after him, but with things like maybe he had wet pants, and if your daddy hadn't given you $200 million, you'd be selling watches in New York, et cetera, et cetera. Has the level of discourse just not just sunk to the lowest common denominator level here?</s>JACKIE KUCINICH, SENIOR POLITICS EDITOR, DAILY BEAST: No, I think there's a lot - there's a long way to go. Particularly because I mean Trump started out this cycle --</s>GORANI: Long way to go down or?</s>KUCINICH: Well right. I mean because - I mean, when you have the front runner talking about bans on Muslims and calling Mexicans rapists, it does seem like there's quite a low floor. And I don't think the debate last night really, really got there.</s>KUCINICH: Now, is it juvenile? Is it a little bit, you know, does it bring down the political discourse, a little bit lower than we're used to? Yeah, but that's 2016. It's the -- this election is just -- it is what it is at this. Point. Because -- yeah, go ahead.</s>GORANI: No, I was going ask you about the Democrats because you know with all this fanfare and spectacle and basically showbiz jaw dropping announcing like the Chris Christie endorsement, we're not talking as much about Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. What do you think is going through their minds as they watch this unfold in the Republican party, Jackie?</s>KUCINICH: Hoorah. I think, I think they're loving the -- I mean, they have to be loving watching this show. Right? Democrats have already been mining for opposites in research on Donald Trump. He's someone they would love to run against. Because of his long record, his bankruptcies, his lawsuits, and not to mention, probably his personal life. They would love to devil into that. And you know, he's someone they think they can beat. But you know when you talk to the Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton campaigns, they also are focused on that race. And you know, Hillary Clinton has been in South Carolina trying to run up the totals there, as Bernie Sanders covers the Midwest. So there is a race on the Democratic side at this point. So, they are probably focusing on that while kind of enduring the show on the other side.</s>GORANI: And Doug, what happens if Trump is the nominee? I mean, and you have Republicans who've said, I will refuse to support him. Does this --</s>HEYE: Yes, I actually --</s>GORANI: -- What will happen at the convention?</s>HEYE: Yes, I actually wrote that same thing last month. Look, we'll see what happens at the convention. We don't know, it could be a brokered convention, there's talk of that. That's also highly unlikely. But I think if Donald Trump is our nominee, it could spell doom for the Republican Party. Doom in the house and the senate where we have vulnerable seats that I think Trump could really take away, down ballot races, governors' races as well. State houses.</s>HEYE: But also, spell doom because it will tell minority voters that the Republican Party isn't interested in them, doesn't care, and it reflects a Republican Party - would reflect a Republican Party that seeks to shrink amongst itself, then expand and grow. It's the exact opposite of what Republicans need. And Democrats very smartly will do what Republicans haven't done until last night. They'll go after Donald Trump on his record, on everything that he's said, on everything that he's done in his personal life and in business. And whatever policy platform or prescriptions that he's offered, which aren't many by the way, which is one of the things that Marco Rubio pointed out last night.</s>HEYE: They'll go after him with everything that Republicans haven't done so far.</s>GORANI: But Jackie, will that matter? I mean, it doesn't really seem to matter what Donald Trump says or does or what his record is or whether or not he contradicts himself, it appears as though his supporters are going to keep supporting him regardless.</s>KUCINICH: His supporters right now at the high level are 40% of the Republican party. The general election is so -- it's such a broader swath of people not only racially, but, you know, men, women, young, old, it's going to be very hard for Donald Trump to appeal to say African American voters, to Latinos. Yes, he won Latinos in Nevada, but it was a very small group of people that were voting in that caucus. So, it will matter in a general election some of these issues that have sort of gone by the wayside in the Republican primary.</s>GORANI: OK. And Chris Christie, by the way, Chris Christie is now very enthusiastically supporting and endorsing Donald Trump, but not so long ago, he was saying things like this, listen.</s>CHRIS CHRISTIE, NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: And then you have my old friend, Donald Trump. Who has been running a real estate firm. A real estate firm which, you know, has been successful. But doesn't have a congress he has to deal with. Doesn't have a bureaucracy he has to deal with. He's been doing that and never once, never once has had any position in government where he had to negotiate with anyone, deal with anyone, work with the political system. At all.</s>GORANI: Not exactly a ringing endorsement, what is in it here for Chris Christie, Doug?</s>HEYE: Well, I agree with Chris Christie on February 5, not February 25. Look, he's obviously going to be on the short list for the VP nomination or Attorney General. But, everything that I've seen from Chris Christie as a Governor suggests that what he has done today just defies logic. I think it's an unfortunate decision that he's made. But it also comes with some real consequences. Maybe not a lot of voters obviously Christie's campaign didn't go well, but it coalesces some establishment support behind Christie. It also sends a message to New York donors that they should maybe stay on the sidelines.</s>GORANI: But I was going to say Jackie, lastly, does Trump need sort of establishment endorsements? His whole campaign is about being antiestablishment.</s>KUCINICH: You know what Trump needed today, to change the narrative. He needed for people to stop talking about Marco Rubio and what a great performance he had and how he sort of put Trump in a corner last night. He needed to change it, and he did it. He's been very good about that this entire campaign of kind of holding up a shiny object so we all start talking about something else. Chris Christie was that shiny object, and my, isn't he shiny.</s>GORANI: All right, Jackie Kucinich, and Doug Heye, thanks to both of you for joining us on CNN, we really appreciate it -</s>HEYE: Thank you.</s>GORANI: -- and we briefly mentioned the Democrats there. Tune in to CNN all day Saturday for extensive coverage of the Democratic primary in South Carolina, the Republicans of course had theirs. This is "The World Right Now."</s>GORANI: Still ahead we will revisit the Syrian city of Aleppo. It was known for its rich history and diverse culture. Today it is almost unrecognizable. Stay with us.