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CNN Live Saturday

Conservative Republicans Protests Schwarzenegger's Prochoice Stance

Aired September 13, 2003 - 13:02   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.


FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with the California recall, 23 days away. Republicans are holding their state convention today and while no one in the Schwarzenegger camp would admit to it aloud, analysts predict a back room battle to try to muscle Schwarzenegger's main republican rival out of the race. The fear: splitting the vote.
Covering this live is senior political correspondent Candy Crowley at the GOP Conclade in Los Angeles. Hello to you, Candy.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. We're at the site of the republican convention. They're obviously meeting during really unprecedented times, but they're faced with that same old problem. California Republicans are largely dominated by conservatives. It's very hard for a conservative Republican to win statewide here. The moderates, many of them more liberal on social issues with basically backing Schwarzenegger, Mcclintock is being backed by conservatives. This is obviously splitting the party.

What the party would like to do at this convention is say, look, our focus is on Gray Davis. Now, Schwarzenegger was -- did have some people here protesting his prochoice, proabortion rights stance. But he was very careful when he met this audience to flap his conservative credentials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, (R) CA, GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: All that they know how to do is spend, spend, spend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: He was talking, of course, of the democrats and Gray Davis. The Schwarzenegger campaign wants to keep the focus on Gray Davis. There is a lot of hope that McClintock will get out of the race. But a feeling that right now he's enjoying that California sunshine that rarely shines on conservative Republicans. And it will be some time before he actually gets out of the race and it will probably take a one-on-one meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

So as they meet, what Republicans want is to keep this sort of perennial split at a minimum and try to focus on Gray Davis -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Candy, with only 23 days away, then from this recall election, do any of these leading Republicans think this is indeed possible?

CROWLEY: To beat Gray Davis? Absolutely, they do. Well, first, as you know, they have to do two things. One, there has to be a vote that recalls Gray Davis. And then two, they have to pick a Republican.

The Schwarzenegger people believe with or without McClintock in the race they can still win. It's a lot more difficult for a Republican to win when that party is split because there's so many more Democrats in the state than Republicans.

But yes, they clearly think it's still doable and they also believe that McClintock could go up until a day before the election and say I'm out and then he would be a hero particularly if Schwarzenegger wins, he would look like a hero or look like Ralph Nader.

So lots of pressure, but delicate pressure, on McClintock to unify the Republican party as Gray Davis has unified the Democratic party and that's why his numbers are getting better, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Candy Crowley in Los Angeles, thank you very much.

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




Prochoice Stance>


Aired September 13, 2003 - 13:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with the California recall, 23 days away. Republicans are holding their state convention today and while no one in the Schwarzenegger camp would admit to it aloud, analysts predict a back room battle to try to muscle Schwarzenegger's main republican rival out of the race. The fear: splitting the vote.
Covering this live is senior political correspondent Candy Crowley at the GOP Conclade in Los Angeles. Hello to you, Candy.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. We're at the site of the republican convention. They're obviously meeting during really unprecedented times, but they're faced with that same old problem. California Republicans are largely dominated by conservatives. It's very hard for a conservative Republican to win statewide here. The moderates, many of them more liberal on social issues with basically backing Schwarzenegger, Mcclintock is being backed by conservatives. This is obviously splitting the party.

What the party would like to do at this convention is say, look, our focus is on Gray Davis. Now, Schwarzenegger was -- did have some people here protesting his prochoice, proabortion rights stance. But he was very careful when he met this audience to flap his conservative credentials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, (R) CA, GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: All that they know how to do is spend, spend, spend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: He was talking, of course, of the democrats and Gray Davis. The Schwarzenegger campaign wants to keep the focus on Gray Davis. There is a lot of hope that McClintock will get out of the race. But a feeling that right now he's enjoying that California sunshine that rarely shines on conservative Republicans. And it will be some time before he actually gets out of the race and it will probably take a one-on-one meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

So as they meet, what Republicans want is to keep this sort of perennial split at a minimum and try to focus on Gray Davis -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Candy, with only 23 days away, then from this recall election, do any of these leading Republicans think this is indeed possible?

CROWLEY: To beat Gray Davis? Absolutely, they do. Well, first, as you know, they have to do two things. One, there has to be a vote that recalls Gray Davis. And then two, they have to pick a Republican.

The Schwarzenegger people believe with or without McClintock in the race they can still win. It's a lot more difficult for a Republican to win when that party is split because there's so many more Democrats in the state than Republicans.

But yes, they clearly think it's still doable and they also believe that McClintock could go up until a day before the election and say I'm out and then he would be a hero particularly if Schwarzenegger wins, he would look like a hero or look like Ralph Nader.

So lots of pressure, but delicate pressure, on McClintock to unify the Republican party as Gray Davis has unified the Democratic party and that's why his numbers are getting better, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Candy Crowley in Los Angeles, thank you very much.

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




Prochoice Stance>