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CNN Live Today

Generation Y: Why Not?

Aired November 13, 2003 - 11:50   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: It's the year before American voters decide to fire or rehire President Bush. There's a new drive to get Generation Y to the polls. It's called Declare Yourself. It's combining entertainment, education and high-tech pizzazz to challenge voters in their teens and 20s. Forty-five million people in that age group did not bother to vote in 2000. Declare Yourself is the brainchild of producer Norman Lear, who has thought of pretty smart things in his time. He's also enlisted actress Drew Barrymore in the voter campaign, and they are both joining us from the campus of George Washington University.
Good morning to both of you.

NORMAN LEAR, FOUNDER, "DECLARE YOURSELF": Good morning.

DREW BARRYMORE, ACTRESS: Good morning.

KAGAN: We've heard of other drives to get young people to get out to vote. But, Mr. Lear, I understand, you did your homework on this. And you think some of those drives perhaps are misdirected in what they think about young people?

LEAR: No, I don't think they're misdirected at all. I think everybody's doing their thing. We have a group of initiatives that have never been done before, combining education, technology, the Internet. We just did a perfectly wonderful piece of film with Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn that will be distributed by the National Association of Secretaries of State and the national newspapers to the classroom; 30 million kids will see it. And Miss Barrymore and I can't waste a minute more without talking to her.

BARRYMORE: Thank you.

KAGAN: Drew, you are famous not just for your movies and being a great producer and all that you do in the entertainment world...

BARRYMORE: Thank you.

KAGAN: ... but do you do espouse your political views, but do you actually take the time on election day to get to the ballot box and vote?

BARRYMORE: Absolutely. I do. That would be crazy if I was, like you've got to vote, but I didn't vote.

KAGAN: You never know. People do kind of -- they cannot perhaps hold up what they're pushing there. But why do you think some young people do not vote?

BARRYMORE: Well, I know as far as when I was not old enough to vote yet, I really wanted to get involved, and I sort of have grown to the idea of, if you're not old enough, that you can actually encourage your family, and your friends and all your peers around you. You can create that one vote that you might be missing into 10 votes. And I'm not sure why young people don't vote, because the information is out there. Sometimes I don't think people know where to go to get it. I didn't know for a really long time exactly how to educate myself intelligently, neutrally on the candidates. And what Norman's doing with his Web site is telling people what periodicals they can read, how they can seek their information. I think to educate yourself is the most important thing.

LEAR: As of three hours ago, Daryn, Declare Yourself, www.declareyourself.com, is up on the Internet. It's a one-stop shopping for every bit of information young people have to know about registering and voting.

KAGAN: Some people might think, well, you've pushed for some liberal causes in the past. Are you encouraging people of different political beliefs to get involved as well?

LEAR: Well, actually ,the young people we're talking about, a piece of research indicates that they will be voting conservatively. So encouraging the conservative vote is as important as encouraging the liberal vote. America has to have more than 39 percent of its citizens voting. That's all that voted last time. And that Declaration of Independence that sits behind us where the people who signed it pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. We're talking about pledging a little bit of time and energy to register and vote.

KAGAN: Well, we applaud your efforts to get the young people out there and have political involvement. You might want to put a link to CNN.com on that Web site.

LEAR: We'll do that, and if CNN.com will put a link to declareyourself.com.

KAGAN: See, always wheeling and dealing, getting the deal done. Thank you for stopping by today, really appreciate it.

LEAR: Thanks for your interest.

BARRYMORE: Thank you.

KAGAN: Norman Lear and Drew Barrymore. Great to have you with us.

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 November 13, 2003 - 11:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's the year before American voters decide to fire or rehire President Bush. There's a new drive to get Generation Y to the polls. It's called Declare Yourself. It's combining entertainment, education and high-tech pizzazz to challenge voters in their teens and 20s. Forty-five million people in that age group did not bother to vote in 2000. Declare Yourself is the brainchild of producer Norman Lear, who has thought of pretty smart things in his time. He's also enlisted actress Drew Barrymore in the voter campaign, and they are both joining us from the campus of George Washington University.
Good morning to both of you.

NORMAN LEAR, FOUNDER, "DECLARE YOURSELF": Good morning.

DREW BARRYMORE, ACTRESS: Good morning.

KAGAN: We've heard of other drives to get young people to get out to vote. But, Mr. Lear, I understand, you did your homework on this. And you think some of those drives perhaps are misdirected in what they think about young people?

LEAR: No, I don't think they're misdirected at all. I think everybody's doing their thing. We have a group of initiatives that have never been done before, combining education, technology, the Internet. We just did a perfectly wonderful piece of film with Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn that will be distributed by the National Association of Secretaries of State and the national newspapers to the classroom; 30 million kids will see it. And Miss Barrymore and I can't waste a minute more without talking to her.

BARRYMORE: Thank you.

KAGAN: Drew, you are famous not just for your movies and being a great producer and all that you do in the entertainment world...

BARRYMORE: Thank you.

KAGAN: ... but do you do espouse your political views, but do you actually take the time on election day to get to the ballot box and vote?

BARRYMORE: Absolutely. I do. That would be crazy if I was, like you've got to vote, but I didn't vote.

KAGAN: You never know. People do kind of -- they cannot perhaps hold up what they're pushing there. But why do you think some young people do not vote?

BARRYMORE: Well, I know as far as when I was not old enough to vote yet, I really wanted to get involved, and I sort of have grown to the idea of, if you're not old enough, that you can actually encourage your family, and your friends and all your peers around you. You can create that one vote that you might be missing into 10 votes. And I'm not sure why young people don't vote, because the information is out there. Sometimes I don't think people know where to go to get it. I didn't know for a really long time exactly how to educate myself intelligently, neutrally on the candidates. And what Norman's doing with his Web site is telling people what periodicals they can read, how they can seek their information. I think to educate yourself is the most important thing.

LEAR: As of three hours ago, Daryn, Declare Yourself, www.declareyourself.com, is up on the Internet. It's a one-stop shopping for every bit of information young people have to know about registering and voting.

KAGAN: Some people might think, well, you've pushed for some liberal causes in the past. Are you encouraging people of different political beliefs to get involved as well?

LEAR: Well, actually ,the young people we're talking about, a piece of research indicates that they will be voting conservatively. So encouraging the conservative vote is as important as encouraging the liberal vote. America has to have more than 39 percent of its citizens voting. That's all that voted last time. And that Declaration of Independence that sits behind us where the people who signed it pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. We're talking about pledging a little bit of time and energy to register and vote.

KAGAN: Well, we applaud your efforts to get the young people out there and have political involvement. You might want to put a link to CNN.com on that Web site.

LEAR: We'll do that, and if CNN.com will put a link to declareyourself.com.

KAGAN: See, always wheeling and dealing, getting the deal done. Thank you for stopping by today, really appreciate it.

LEAR: Thanks for your interest.

BARRYMORE: Thank you.

KAGAN: Norman Lear and Drew Barrymore. Great to have you with us.

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