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CNN Live Today
Quest Loose in New Hampshire
Aired January 23, 2004 - 11:31 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's hard enough for Americans to understand our caucus and primary system, but put a limey in the mix and the road to the White House really gets confusing.
CNN's Richard Quest has crossed the pond and joins us now from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Richard, welcome to New England. And I hope calling you a limey is a good thing.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Frankly, I don't care what you call me. It is so cold here, if you're to offer me something warm and comforting, I'd love you forever.
LIN: Well, if I had something, and I could translate it across the airwaves, I would, Richard.
So what do you make of what's going on out there?
QUEST: It is really quite extraordinary. It is extraordinary on two levels as we try and explain this to the international audience for CNN. On the one hand, you have the hoohah over the ee-hah, the Howard Dean shriek and yelling, we're going to be in this place and that place.
Now the amazing part about it, and you just really can't see it often enough. No matter how often we show our viewers this, you just revel in it. It is like watching a door come off its hinges. You know it's happening and you've just got to watch it take place.
But then -- and this is the uniquely American aspect to it. You go on late night television, you sit down with Diane Sawyer on ABC News and you almost do a mea culpa. You do a touchy-feely, "I feel your pain," Bill Clinton, comeback kid, I've caused pain type of performance. And you hope this rehabilitates you.
In all of this, Carol, not a word about policies, not a word about what you are going to do because at the end of the day, what I'm constantly telling my viewers is that it's how you look. Do you look presidential? Have you got gavitas? And that's what we're talking about.
LIN: All right. In the meantime, you know, usually when we cover your politicians across the pond, it always seems like they're involved in some sort of sexual scandal. But that isn't something that you're finding out there in New Hampshire.
QUEST: Well, not yet. But it's early. LIN: Are you digging hard?
QUEST: Oh, it's early. Isn't that what this needs? I mean, let's face it, hoohahs, ee-hahs are all very exciting. But what we're looking for, what would be really (UNINTELLIGIBLE), maybe not with the Democrats, but at some point in this election, wouldn't it be nice to get back down into the dirt, to roll in the mud, to make hay, preferably with a good bedroom scandal? Then we'd all be on home ground.
I listen, let me tell you very quickly. Here in New Hampshire they have this wonderful saying, "Live free or die." We have been trying to understand what it means, trying to put that into context.
What it seems to mean is you don't have to wear a seat belt in your car, you don't have to wear a helmet on a motor bike, you don't even have to ensure your motor car in this state. It's an extraordinary concept that we've been trying to explain. Live free or die.
Apparently it's got also something to do that when you kicked us a lot out a couple hundred years ago.
LIN: And also, Richard, you can go shopping and not pay sales tax.
QUEST: Well, I have to say I have contributed vastly to the New Hampshire economy. I mean, it's all rather new and it's all rather warm because nothing can prepare you for that breeze coming in off that water. It is hitting extremities that are best left extreme.
LIN: All right, Richard Quest, in his new skivvies out there in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Thanks so much, Richard. You have a good time out there. And please translate well across the pond.
QUEST: 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 January 23, 2004 - 11:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's hard enough for Americans to understand our caucus and primary system, but put a limey in the mix and the road to the White House really gets confusing.
CNN's Richard Quest has crossed the pond and joins us now from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Richard, welcome to New England. And I hope calling you a limey is a good thing.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Frankly, I don't care what you call me. It is so cold here, if you're to offer me something warm and comforting, I'd love you forever.
LIN: Well, if I had something, and I could translate it across the airwaves, I would, Richard.
So what do you make of what's going on out there?
QUEST: It is really quite extraordinary. It is extraordinary on two levels as we try and explain this to the international audience for CNN. On the one hand, you have the hoohah over the ee-hah, the Howard Dean shriek and yelling, we're going to be in this place and that place.
Now the amazing part about it, and you just really can't see it often enough. No matter how often we show our viewers this, you just revel in it. It is like watching a door come off its hinges. You know it's happening and you've just got to watch it take place.
But then -- and this is the uniquely American aspect to it. You go on late night television, you sit down with Diane Sawyer on ABC News and you almost do a mea culpa. You do a touchy-feely, "I feel your pain," Bill Clinton, comeback kid, I've caused pain type of performance. And you hope this rehabilitates you.
In all of this, Carol, not a word about policies, not a word about what you are going to do because at the end of the day, what I'm constantly telling my viewers is that it's how you look. Do you look presidential? Have you got gavitas? And that's what we're talking about.
LIN: All right. In the meantime, you know, usually when we cover your politicians across the pond, it always seems like they're involved in some sort of sexual scandal. But that isn't something that you're finding out there in New Hampshire.
QUEST: Well, not yet. But it's early. LIN: Are you digging hard?
QUEST: Oh, it's early. Isn't that what this needs? I mean, let's face it, hoohahs, ee-hahs are all very exciting. But what we're looking for, what would be really (UNINTELLIGIBLE), maybe not with the Democrats, but at some point in this election, wouldn't it be nice to get back down into the dirt, to roll in the mud, to make hay, preferably with a good bedroom scandal? Then we'd all be on home ground.
I listen, let me tell you very quickly. Here in New Hampshire they have this wonderful saying, "Live free or die." We have been trying to understand what it means, trying to put that into context.
What it seems to mean is you don't have to wear a seat belt in your car, you don't have to wear a helmet on a motor bike, you don't even have to ensure your motor car in this state. It's an extraordinary concept that we've been trying to explain. Live free or die.
Apparently it's got also something to do that when you kicked us a lot out a couple hundred years ago.
LIN: And also, Richard, you can go shopping and not pay sales tax.
QUEST: Well, I have to say I have contributed vastly to the New Hampshire economy. I mean, it's all rather new and it's all rather warm because nothing can prepare you for that breeze coming in off that water. It is hitting extremities that are best left extreme.
LIN: All right, Richard Quest, in his new skivvies out there in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Thanks so much, Richard. You have a good time out there. And please translate well across the pond.
QUEST: 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
