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@THISHOUR WITH BERMAN AND MICHAELA

Rocket Bursts into Flames after Liftoff; Who Will Win Midterm Elections?; Pope Makes Interesting Comments on God; Gas Prices Near 4- Year Low.

Aired October 29, 2014 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAEL PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: @THISHOUR, 2,000 degree lava from Hawaii's big island Kilauea Volcano is destroying property as was feared. The lava flow has burned a shed and is heading towards hundreds of homes. It's consumed a cemetery, it's triggered methane explosions in the town of Pahoa on the big island. Most residents have left but some are sticking around to watch the lava as it overtakes their home. Evacuation isn't mandatory at this point. It's surprising, because there's nothing anyone can do to stop the flow. It's been essentially a slow-moving disaster since June from one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So from danger on the ground to mishap in the sky. This morning the key question facing scores of scientists is what went wrong. What caused a huge explosion over Virginia leaving the ground shaking and millions and millions of dollars in cargo and technology practically atomized, the rocket mishap providing a dramatic picture with possible significant consequences. Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Engines at 108 percent.

ANNOUNCER: Power nominal.

(EXPLOSION)

ANNOUNCER: Launch team, launch team, be advised, stay at your consoles. Everyone maintain your positions in your consoles. In the LCC, maintain positions at your console. In the LCC, maintain positions at your console.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: Thankfully, that was an unmanned flight taking supplies, equipment and experiment to the space station, the international space station. But it certainly -- I guess, you could be calling into question the future safety of the space program.

Our space analyst, Miles O'Brien, joins us.

I want to know if you think that's a fair assessment. Will it make people question the safety of our space program?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: It should make people ask quest questions but I don't think we should presuppose the answer that it's unsafe. Getting to space is not easy, Michaela. You're starting at zero and eight and a half minutes later you're at 17,500 miles an hour. The laws of physics makes that a hard chore and you're pushing technology to the limits in every fashion it doesn't take much of a leap or you are the boy pump that fails to cause what we just saw. Everything has to work perfectly and things break sometimes.

BERMAN: So what did we just see, miles? You've had a chance to look at the video several times. What do you think went wrong?

O'BRIEN: I think the clue came in the news conference when the senior vice president of Orbital Sciences, former shuttle and space station astronaut Frank Hulbertson said it appears the rocket began to disassemble. Interesting term.

BERMAN: It doesn't sound good.

O'BRIEN: Breaking apart is probably the term we would use. It appears as if a piece fell out around the time they said, "Let's go to 108 percent." Then you see a change in the coloration of the plume and things start to get crazy after that pretty quickly. The real question, we don't know how much of what we saw is organic to the problem, whatever it was. And how much of it was the later decision to push the red button which terminates the mission, as it were, the destruct button which every rocket is outfitted with. So the interesting thing about rockets is you don't have to go look for a black box, there's telemetry, every piece of equipment on a rocket is sending information back to Mission Control. That's what those people are doing in front of those consoles is looking at what's happening on board. So finding out what happened won't take as long as you might think.

PEREIRA: You talk about that disassembly, if you will. Millions and millions of dollars went up. There were experiments, equipment for the international space station, technology, et cetera. How badly was that -- those supplies need?

O'BRIEN: First and foremost, no one will go hungry on the international space station this morning while we were all asleep in Kazakhstan, Russian territory, a Russian progress freighter successfully made it to orbit and is on its way to the international space station with supplies, in December the California-based company SpaceX is going to launch another freighter. Orbital Sciences was on the books to launch another one in April. I wouldn't put money on that one happening but the point is there are multiple paths to the space station and there's plenty of supplies on board. If nobody showed up until March they'd still be eating OK.

BERMAN: A life supply of tang up there, thankfully.

(LAUGHTER)

Miles O'Brien, great to have you with us. Thanks so much. We should note there is another rocket launch today. It will be the

highlight of Wolf Blitzer's show at 1:21 eastern time from Cape Canaveral.

PEREIRA: Not Virginia like where this last one

BERMAN: No, people -- I was corrected by one of our writers. There have been rocket launches can from Virginia for decades but not always unmanned. We'll show you a live broadcast launch from Florida.

PEREIRA: Very exciting.

BERMAN: Ahead @THISHOUR, we are less than a week away from the Election Day.

PEREIRA: I can feel your excitement.

BERMAN: Less than a week away. What will happen? Who will control the Senate? We are going to tell you the answers to those questions coming up.

PEREIRA: And later, Pope Francis does it again. He said things about science and religion, science and religion that you might not necessarily expect to hear from the Vatican.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Less than one week to go until Election Day, less than one week until we know who will control the U.S. Senate, who will control key statehouses, what the entire political atmosphere will be like for the next two years. But why wait until Tuesday to find out what happens?

PEREIRA: We don't. We're immediate type people. Our experts are here to give you their post-game analysis.

It's so wonderful you are such good sports.

Joining us, Republican, Doug Heye; and Democrat, Robert Zimmerman.

So good to have you, gentlemen.

Doug, I'll start with you.

Let's start with the number one race you think Republicans will be most proud of and is their most important one.

DOUG HEYE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST & FORMER RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Sure, I'll allude to what you just said, the game will be over on Tuesday. One of the races we're seeing great strides in for Republicans is in Iowa where Republicans are over performing on the absentee and early voting for Joni Ernst who's been a strong candidate for Republicans. I spoke to matt strong, the great former Iowa Republican Party chair just yesterday, and he said "we'd rather be a Republican than Democrat in Iowa." I'll also point out another race which is similar. New York 21. Elise Stefanic, she's a Republican, 30 years old. I think they will be faces we'll see a lot more of on TV.

BERMAN: She's a favorite of Romney and Bush insiders, too. You picked two races there. You broke the rules.

(LAUGHTER)

Robert, we'll ask you to stick to the rules. Come next Wednesday, the race Democrats will be most proud of is --

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Georgia. We may not know the results until January 6. I don't agree with Doug we'll have an answer by next Tuesday or Wednesday. In Georgia there's a runoff that takes place and it takes place the day after Congress reconvenes. Why should bit easy? But in Georgia, Michelle Nunn has run a brilliant campaign and the governor's race is also very close. And that speaks to the fact that the economic message is so critical until this election with all the talk about Ebola and ISIS and all the political scare tactics this is an economic election. The country, according to the CNN poll, is feeling more optimistic about the economy. That's an advantage for Democrats.

PEREIRA: All right. Let's flip the script a little bit.

Robert, we'll start with you and go the other direction.

What will be the race that you think Democrats just blew?

ZIMMERMAN: I can give you a list.

(LAUGHTER)

I'll tell you this realistically South Dakota was a missed opportunity for us. I think also, we had -- to the credit of the Democratic campaign committee, they're running ahead of the approval rating. And one quick thought, the race to watch will be North Carolina, the polls close early that's a bellwether, if we don't win that, I'll have Haagen-Dazs on I.V.

BERMAN: Doug, what where do you think the Republicans blew it?

HEYE: Actually I would agree with Robert. I'm looking at Georgia and my home state of North Carolina where I've worked three Senate races in that state. Republicans have to perform well there early for us to know if we're going to have a great night or a good night. Robert is right. In Georgia and also in Louisiana we'll know if it's going to be a great night because we'll know if that goes to a runoff or not a runoff. Election nights tend to be long night bus it could be a several weeknight.

PEREIRA: I'll stick with you, Doug, looking at the economy -- and, Robert, you referenced it a little bit. Let's show this CNN/ORC poll. 62 percent of Americans think the economy is doing badly. 62 percent. That's significant, Doug. You think that will make or break the elections next week?

HEYE: I think it's certainly why Republicans are poised to do really well. Voters are not happy. They are not feeling any recovery. We look at jobs numbers, we look at unemployment numbers and how they're changing and we can point to good news but Americans aren't feeling it. They certainly aren't seeing their wages rise, that's a problem.

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: See, Doug, that CNN poll also points out that the country's feeling more optimistic about the economy next year, and that's an important point. And the fact that this is an economic election plays into the Democratic party's wheel housed a separating minimum wage, making college more affordable for kids, focusing on trying to rebuild the middle-class. That's where you see Democrats running well and in some cases slightly ahead of Republicans in these very Republican states.

BERMAN: Gentlemen, I can't thank you enough for humoring us.

(LAUGHTER)

We'll have you on after the election to see how right you were.

PEREIRA: I like that.

BERMAN: And don't forget, the election is Tuesday so don't go out and vote. In many states you can vote now and, more importantly, watch. Watch our coverage "Election Night in America." It will be fantastic.

Still ahead for us @THISHOUR, he said, "God is not some kind of wizard," and that evolution and the big bang are real. Who said that? It was the pope. Another really interesting comment that people are talking about today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Another essentially big bang reverberating through the Catholic Church, courtesy of Pope Francis.

BERMAN: He told the Pontifical Academy of Sciences it is "a mistake to view God as a magician who waved a wand and created everything." Listen to this. He also said "evolution and creation are not mutually exclusive."

PEREIRA: We knew just the man to ask about this, Father Edward Beck is here.

We're so glad you could join us to talk about this.

Let's first hear a translation of what the pope had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS (through translation): The beginning of the world is not the work of chaos that owes its origin to something else, but it derives directly from a supreme principle that creates out of love. The big bang that today is considered to be the origin of the world does not contradict the creative intervention of God. On the contrary, it requires it. Evolution and nature is not in contrast with the notion of divine creation, because evolution requires the creation of the beings that evolve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: So he's essentially saying that God set science in motion. I'm not Catholic. But this feels like, for the uninitiated, like a departure. Or is it?

REV. EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTATOR: He's saying that God set the world in motion, science followed that. That it wasn't something random that occurred, that there was a design, an intelligent design, behind this. Why can't God create however God wants to create? And so you have the account in Genesis where people -- some people -- take it literally. The Catholic Church has never taken it literally.

You have Adam and Eve and everything from that. So, of course, not. It's a mythic story to teach a religious truth about the power of god calling all into existence. Pope Francis is saying Darwinism is OK if you want to believe that, that that's the way God did it, it was over a long process. The big bang theory, that's kind of new, the big bang theory, that part, because the big bang theorists say it's random matter that came together and exploded.

PEREIRA: This takes the randomness out of it.

BECK: Right. He's saying it's not random. God could use the big bang theory but it's not random.

BERMAN: Give me some comparative religion here, if you would. How does the Catholic Church differ from other faiths or how does the pope now differ from what some other faiths feel about this?

BECK: It's interesting to note this made news. But since 1950, with Pious the 12th, the Catholic Church has thought that theistic evolution is possible. Evangelical Christians think you have to take it literally, God created the world in seven days. Those who look at the Bible and say, Adam and Eve, it all came from there, those are the people who would have a problem with what the pope is saying. Pope Benedict talked about the theory of evolution not being opposed to religion.

PEREIRA: So perhaps this isn't so much shocking within the Catholic faith. But maybe outside looking in, because we've watched how this pope has in nuanced ways departed from the Catholic Church beliefs, fine-tuned some of them. Does it feel bigger, you think, from outside the religion?

BECK: It's different because it's Francis saying. They weren't listening before.

PEREIRA: OK. OK.

BECK: They weren't listening to it before. Now they're listening.

(CROSSTALK) BERMAN: And it's the way he said it. He did use the word magician there. That sends a message, I think.

BECK: He's saying this magic religion you say we're part of, that's not what we are. We are realists and we want to look at it though a spiritual lens.

BERMAN: Thank you so much.

Comparative religion class here.

PEREIRA: Exactly.

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: -- to how about a little economics?

BERMAN: Let's do it.

PEREIRA: Gas prices, ouch. Oh, actually, they're cheap right now. Is that a good thing? We'll explore after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Historic news at the gas pump. Wonderful news for your wallet and perhaps decisive news when it comes to global security. We're talking about gas prices. They're low, really low, in fact, the lowest in almost four years.

Chief business correspondent, Christine Romans, explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oil prices plummet, down 25 percent from the recent peak in June. Why? Demand is slowing in China and the United States is producing a whole lot of oil. That's good news for your personal economy. First, gasoline prices, the national average down more than 30 cents in the past month. The lowest level since December 2010, according to AAA. Several states now have averages below $3 a gallon, that means every day Americans are spending more than $100 million less on gas than they did this time last year. Expect to see even lower prices across the country in coming weeks.

Second, heating your home. This winter forecast to be warmer than last year. Couple that with the drop in commodities like heating oil and the energy department predicts nearly everyone will be getting a break on their heating bill, including about half the country that uses natural gas. The big drop in oil prices may save you cash on gas and heat, but don't expect to see cheaper flights. Airlines know that prices could rebound at any moment. So they'll use cheap prices to lock in cheap fuel for the future and boost their profits. Those savings don't get passed on to you.

But on balance, oil's plunge is a good thing. Consumers save on energy and put that money to work elsewhere and that boosts the economy. Citigroup estimates if Brent crude prices fall to $80 a barrel, it would add $660 billion to the global economy every year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PEREIRA: Our Christine Romans joins us from in front of one of those very gas stations that will be boasting cheaper gas.

But interesting, Christine, there's a new poll out that shows only 38 percent of Americans think our economy is actually in good shape. Gas prices are cheap, the economy is poor, where's the disconnect?

ROMANS: Yep. Wages. Wages are the big disconnect here. Wages have basically been stagnant or falling for some groups. And really since the recovery, the people who benefited are people who already have money and already have jobs. That's the disconnect there. When you look at the poll numbers, you see people feel better going forward, just a slim majority think that things will be better over the next year, maybe a little more money in their pocket because of lower gas prices can help that. Instead of hoping things will be better, they'll feel better.

BERMAN: There's reason to be optimistic. Means a lot more money for you in your wallet. There are major implications here, Christine, on the international stage. Russia, an oil power. Iran, an oil power. There's a report this morning in "The New York Times" that Iran may be more likely to reach a nuclear deal because these gas prices are falling.

ROMANS: Yep. Make no mistake, the politics, the geopolitics of falling oil prices are just as important as the geopolitics of rising oil prices. The Russian parliament passed a budget that expects $100 oil. We're not there. That means big cuts for the Russian economy and the Russian people, right? Big cuts on top of Western sanctions. How will that change the dynamic when you're talking about what's happening with Ukraine and U.S./Russia relations?

The report about Tehran this morning in "The New York Times," what's the pressure on the government there. If you're only getting $82 in the global market, it really changes things. People have called "America, Saudi America." For years, I've heard people in the energy patch saying the global political powerhouses are going to change. That dynamic is going to change. If the U.S. can produce enough oil and global energy prices can come down, that's good for America. At least right now, we know it's good for consumers.

BERMAN: We know it's good that you just avoided being run down by that minivan.

(CROSSTALK)

Christine Romans in Jersey City on assignment for us at the gas station.

(LAUGHTER)

PEREIRA: We had your back. Don't worry.

BERMAN: Great to have you with us. See you tomorrow.

PEREIRA: I was so excited when she was talking about airline prices because I thought, oh, maybe holiday prices for my tickets home would go down.

BERMAN: Nope.

PEREIRA: Darn. Oh, well.

Thanks for joining us. I'm Michaela Pereira.

BERMAN: And I'm John Berman.

"LEGAL VIEW" with Ashleigh Banfield starts now.