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CNN Live Today

Interview With Patrick Rogers

Aired September 09, 2003 - 11:34   ET

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

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


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to talk a little bit more about Maria Shriver right now. She, of course, a child of politics. Her uncle was president, her father a vice presidential candidate, her cousin congressman, but does that make her the perfect political wife? "People" magazine recently featured the star couple on the cover. There you see Maria and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Patrick Rogers is a senior editor for "People" magazine and he is joining us from our New York bureau. Patrick, good morning. Good to have you with us.

PATRICK ROGERS, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: And so Maria has hit the campaign trail. Yesterday did not go so well as she went to this Wal-Mart just outside Sacramento.

ROGERS: Not so well. Maria tells us that she's been campaigning since she was about 5-years-old for various Kennedy candidates. But it's a different picture out there today. This time it's personal, it's her husband, it's a lot rougher. And I think what this -- what it shows though is that Arnold does have a problem with women voters. And I think she caught some that flack yesterday.

KAGAN: And also, I mean, there's this interesting contrast of their different political parties. Of course, she is from the most famous Democratic family in all of America and he is running as a Republican.

ROGERS: Absolutely. Arnold is running as a Republican. He does have a lot of views on social issues, abortion, gay rights and some gun control questions where he looks a little bit more like a Democrat. So she's out there as a Democrat trying to get votes for a Republican. But I think she does help him with Democratic voters.

KAGAN: Let's go back to this woman question that you were talking about. As you were saying, there are new numbers out showing that in terms of women in California who tend to vote Democratic, Arnold Schwarzenegger is not doing well at all. In fact, those women are going much more towards Cruz Bustamante.

You have a lot of factors here. You have Arnold the action hero. You have him making some kind of outrageous comments. And there are those long-standing rumors that he has been a womanizer.

ROGERS: Right. Yes, all of that is out there. It's not particularly new. Arnold has that said he hasn't been the perfect husband. So I think what we'll probably see Maria Shriver doing is standing up to him. She said she's 100 percent behind him.

And she's the sort of woman who I think other women believe when she says, I know my husband, I know his faults. But, look, we're making a go of it. We have a marriage with four kids. She herself has a very good career. She's making seven figures. And -- so she has a lot of credibility I think with the women of California in particular.

KAGAN: Doesn't it kind of sound like Hillary Clinton, though? Kind of you know stand by your man. I know he can be, you know, not the most faithful of character, but that's my guy.

ROGERS: Yes, it does although Maria, you know, she's been out, she's talked about the marriage a lot before. She has a book out. "Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before I's Gone Into the Real World" where she talks about, you know, how she does know her husband and the sacrifices that she's made to make the marriage work, career sacrifices, moved to California at a point when she was wanted elsewhere by her network.

So I think she has a longer record of being out there talking about the marriage as a working marriage. So little bit different than Hillary Clinton I think.

KAGAN: And so when you add it all up, you see her as an asset to Arnold's political ambition?

ROGERS: I think she will bring women voters. Whether she brings it enough we'll have to see.

KAGAN: Interesting to see how the tables turned on her since she has been a journalist a number of years to see her on the cover of your magazine. You're going to continue to track this glamorous couple?

ROGERS: Absolutely, we'll continue to track them.

KAGAN: OK, we'll be watching. Patrick Rogers from "People" magazine. Appreciate that.

ROGERS: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired September 9, 2003 - 11:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to talk a little bit more about Maria Shriver right now. She, of course, a child of politics. Her uncle was president, her father a vice presidential candidate, her cousin congressman, but does that make her the perfect political wife? "People" magazine recently featured the star couple on the cover. There you see Maria and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Patrick Rogers is a senior editor for "People" magazine and he is joining us from our New York bureau. Patrick, good morning. Good to have you with us.

PATRICK ROGERS, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: And so Maria has hit the campaign trail. Yesterday did not go so well as she went to this Wal-Mart just outside Sacramento.

ROGERS: Not so well. Maria tells us that she's been campaigning since she was about 5-years-old for various Kennedy candidates. But it's a different picture out there today. This time it's personal, it's her husband, it's a lot rougher. And I think what this -- what it shows though is that Arnold does have a problem with women voters. And I think she caught some that flack yesterday.

KAGAN: And also, I mean, there's this interesting contrast of their different political parties. Of course, she is from the most famous Democratic family in all of America and he is running as a Republican.

ROGERS: Absolutely. Arnold is running as a Republican. He does have a lot of views on social issues, abortion, gay rights and some gun control questions where he looks a little bit more like a Democrat. So she's out there as a Democrat trying to get votes for a Republican. But I think she does help him with Democratic voters.

KAGAN: Let's go back to this woman question that you were talking about. As you were saying, there are new numbers out showing that in terms of women in California who tend to vote Democratic, Arnold Schwarzenegger is not doing well at all. In fact, those women are going much more towards Cruz Bustamante.

You have a lot of factors here. You have Arnold the action hero. You have him making some kind of outrageous comments. And there are those long-standing rumors that he has been a womanizer.

ROGERS: Right. Yes, all of that is out there. It's not particularly new. Arnold has that said he hasn't been the perfect husband. So I think what we'll probably see Maria Shriver doing is standing up to him. She said she's 100 percent behind him.

And she's the sort of woman who I think other women believe when she says, I know my husband, I know his faults. But, look, we're making a go of it. We have a marriage with four kids. She herself has a very good career. She's making seven figures. And -- so she has a lot of credibility I think with the women of California in particular.

KAGAN: Doesn't it kind of sound like Hillary Clinton, though? Kind of you know stand by your man. I know he can be, you know, not the most faithful of character, but that's my guy.

ROGERS: Yes, it does although Maria, you know, she's been out, she's talked about the marriage a lot before. She has a book out. "Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before I's Gone Into the Real World" where she talks about, you know, how she does know her husband and the sacrifices that she's made to make the marriage work, career sacrifices, moved to California at a point when she was wanted elsewhere by her network.

So I think she has a longer record of being out there talking about the marriage as a working marriage. So little bit different than Hillary Clinton I think.

KAGAN: And so when you add it all up, you see her as an asset to Arnold's political ambition?

ROGERS: I think she will bring women voters. Whether she brings it enough we'll have to see.

KAGAN: Interesting to see how the tables turned on her since she has been a journalist a number of years to see her on the cover of your magazine. You're going to continue to track this glamorous couple?

ROGERS: Absolutely, we'll continue to track them.

KAGAN: OK, we'll be watching. Patrick Rogers from "People" magazine. Appreciate that.

ROGERS: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com