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CNN Live Today
Schwarzenegger's Win Invokes Celebration in Austria
Aired October 08, 2003 - 10:05 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: Schwarzenegger has long said he is living the American dream and nowhere are those achievements more giddily celebrated today than in his tiny hometown of Graz, Austria. Our senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers joins from there now with reaction. Hello, Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Well, the people In Austria are pleased, but they are not surprised. The reason being they have known Arnold Schwarzenegger since he was a young man here. And when he says he's going to do something, he sets to do it. He has the same disciplined and the iron-willed focus that enabled him to become the world bodybuilding champion.
At age 17, they say, he boasted he was going to be become the world bodybuilding champion. He did. He boasted he was going to become a movie star. He did. He boasted he was going to marry a beautiful woman. He did. And he boasted he was going to be very rich, and by gosh, he is. And then he boasted, and here's the good one, that he's going to be the most powerful man in the world. I haven't figured that one out yet.
But people here are not surprised. They know Arnold Schwarzenegger and they believed him that when he says he's going to do something, it gets done -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Any signs of the coverage that took place in California there, Walter? In the newspapers or...
STEWART: Oh, my goodness. It's been all over the evening news every night and the radio stations here. And it's led the evening news. This is the biggest story in Austria. Remember Arnold Schwarzenegger is the biggest Austrian in the minds of most people here, or the one they want to remember since Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. So, you know, this is a big deal here, it's really a big deal.
And it gives Austrians a fair amount of pride. One Austrian with whom we spoke last night said, Look, before we were just like Australia. Everybody heard of us, didn't know where we are. Now they say we're on the map. We're Austria. We're on the map. We're where Arnold Schwarzenegger came from. And so they're very proud -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Not just the country on the map, but the city of Graz as well. Walter Rodgers, thank you for that. Appreciate it.
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 October 8, 2003 - 10:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Schwarzenegger has long said he is living the American dream and nowhere are those achievements more giddily celebrated today than in his tiny hometown of Graz, Austria. Our senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers joins from there now with reaction. Hello, Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Well, the people In Austria are pleased, but they are not surprised. The reason being they have known Arnold Schwarzenegger since he was a young man here. And when he says he's going to do something, he sets to do it. He has the same disciplined and the iron-willed focus that enabled him to become the world bodybuilding champion.
At age 17, they say, he boasted he was going to be become the world bodybuilding champion. He did. He boasted he was going to become a movie star. He did. He boasted he was going to marry a beautiful woman. He did. And he boasted he was going to be very rich, and by gosh, he is. And then he boasted, and here's the good one, that he's going to be the most powerful man in the world. I haven't figured that one out yet.
But people here are not surprised. They know Arnold Schwarzenegger and they believed him that when he says he's going to do something, it gets done -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Any signs of the coverage that took place in California there, Walter? In the newspapers or...
STEWART: Oh, my goodness. It's been all over the evening news every night and the radio stations here. And it's led the evening news. This is the biggest story in Austria. Remember Arnold Schwarzenegger is the biggest Austrian in the minds of most people here, or the one they want to remember since Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. So, you know, this is a big deal here, it's really a big deal.
And it gives Austrians a fair amount of pride. One Austrian with whom we spoke last night said, Look, before we were just like Australia. Everybody heard of us, didn't know where we are. Now they say we're on the map. We're Austria. We're on the map. We're where Arnold Schwarzenegger came from. And so they're very proud -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Not just the country on the map, but the city of Graz as well. Walter Rodgers, thank you for that. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
