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Maria Shriver's Role in Schwarzenegger Campaign
Aired August 18, 2003 - 15:13 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.
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: The star power fueling Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign for governor is not limited to the candidate. His TV journalist wife, Maria Shriver, has fans of her own and a direct family connection, of course, to the Kennedys.
With me now from Los Angeles to talk more about Maria Shriver's role in the campaign is Gregory Payne. He studies political communications at Emerson College in Boston.
Sir, thank you for joining us today.
GREGORY PAYNE, EMERSON COLLEGE: Thank you, John.
KING: Let's start with question No. 1. What is your sense, based on what you know, of how active Maria Shriver is in terms of the day-to-day management of the Schwarzenegger campaign?
PAYNE: Well, John, I think we could see very clearly in the very initial day when Arnold came and actually filed his papers, Arnold gave a very, what I would call image-oriented perspective, did a wave. And Maria was the one that was the rhetorician, sort of stating what he stood for.
So I think the fact that she's taken a leave of absence, as well as that very first effort indicates, that that Kennedy charm, also the understanding of politics, will be throughout this campaign an asset for Schwarzenegger.
KING: Any sense of her role in past campaigns? Her brother ran for Congress here in Maryland last time in a primary. He lost. Ted Kennedy, Senator Kennedy, back in Massachusetts, was viewed as in trouble a few years back. He survived that race, but the whole family rallied around him. Do we know anything about how active she's been in the past campaigns?
PAYNE: Well, I think, John, with any of the Kennedys and especially with the Shrivers, who, of course, have been very, very close -- Eunice has been a very active part of that family, as well as Sargent Shriver running himself nationally.
This was sort of the bread and butter of what Maria Shriver was dealing with on a daily basis. I don't think that she can separate the political acumen that she has. And it's clear, I think, for all of us who sort of see Arnold Schwarzenegger positioning himself as not a traditional Republican, but someone who is able to bring everyone him under this tent that he's offering, that Shriver's hand is in this.
KING: And you get the sense, sir, that she's comfortable, at least now, with the idea of being the first lady of California. Until Schwarzenegger announced, all the reporting was that she was opposed to this.
PAYNE: Well, I think she realizes that there are times in life when, suddenly, you have an opportunity. I think this is a very unique, historic opportunity.
I think, also, that there's a generation of Kennedys, of which Maria Shriver's a part, that wants to take on the mantle that their family has been involved in. And so far, we haven't really seen the success that one might have imagined, with Kathleen Townsend and others losing.
So I think Maria Shriver can pick up that mantle, can also bring in votes for Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I think also redefine politics as we see it in California, where Republicans and Democrats, that type of party label doesn't mean as much to the California constituency.
KING: You say doesn't mean as much as to the California constituency, but there must be at least a potential downside, especially if most of the Democratic constituencies are rallying their organizational support and their financial support either around Governor Davis or Lieutenant Governor Bustamante. Can Republicans say: Look, he's not one of us?
PAYNE: Well, I think what they can say -- see is that, right now, we have one million voters in California that are Democratic over the Republicans. So what we have to do is, we have to see some type of constituency here.
And I think that's why the pressure's going to be, as you said in your earlier interview, with Simon as well, as with the other candidates, McClintock, to rally around Schwarzenegger and to realize, a traditional conservative Republican is not going to win in California. We've seen that in past elections. And I think what you're going to see, as we move toward October or if there's a delay in March, we're going to see more and more pressure on these Republicans to actually get behind Schwarzenegger, who is liberal enough that he can draw some of the votes against Bustamante.
KING: Very quickly, sir, do you see her actively campaigning alongside Schwarzenegger for the next 51 days?
PAYNE: I think you're going to see Maria actively campaigning, as we saw right on the very first day, when she accompanied him. She was very articulate. I think she is compassionate. I think she has the rhetorical skills that her uncle Robert had. And I think she's going to be a very chief strategist in terms of Schwarzenegger's campaign in the days ahead. So, yes, I think you're going to see her.
KING: Thank you very much, Gregory Payne of Emerson College, joining us today live from Los Angeles. Thank you, sir.
PAYNE: Thanks, John.
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 August 18, 2003 - 15:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: The star power fueling Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign for governor is not limited to the candidate. His TV journalist wife, Maria Shriver, has fans of her own and a direct family connection, of course, to the Kennedys.
With me now from Los Angeles to talk more about Maria Shriver's role in the campaign is Gregory Payne. He studies political communications at Emerson College in Boston.
Sir, thank you for joining us today.
GREGORY PAYNE, EMERSON COLLEGE: Thank you, John.
KING: Let's start with question No. 1. What is your sense, based on what you know, of how active Maria Shriver is in terms of the day-to-day management of the Schwarzenegger campaign?
PAYNE: Well, John, I think we could see very clearly in the very initial day when Arnold came and actually filed his papers, Arnold gave a very, what I would call image-oriented perspective, did a wave. And Maria was the one that was the rhetorician, sort of stating what he stood for.
So I think the fact that she's taken a leave of absence, as well as that very first effort indicates, that that Kennedy charm, also the understanding of politics, will be throughout this campaign an asset for Schwarzenegger.
KING: Any sense of her role in past campaigns? Her brother ran for Congress here in Maryland last time in a primary. He lost. Ted Kennedy, Senator Kennedy, back in Massachusetts, was viewed as in trouble a few years back. He survived that race, but the whole family rallied around him. Do we know anything about how active she's been in the past campaigns?
PAYNE: Well, I think, John, with any of the Kennedys and especially with the Shrivers, who, of course, have been very, very close -- Eunice has been a very active part of that family, as well as Sargent Shriver running himself nationally.
This was sort of the bread and butter of what Maria Shriver was dealing with on a daily basis. I don't think that she can separate the political acumen that she has. And it's clear, I think, for all of us who sort of see Arnold Schwarzenegger positioning himself as not a traditional Republican, but someone who is able to bring everyone him under this tent that he's offering, that Shriver's hand is in this.
KING: And you get the sense, sir, that she's comfortable, at least now, with the idea of being the first lady of California. Until Schwarzenegger announced, all the reporting was that she was opposed to this.
PAYNE: Well, I think she realizes that there are times in life when, suddenly, you have an opportunity. I think this is a very unique, historic opportunity.
I think, also, that there's a generation of Kennedys, of which Maria Shriver's a part, that wants to take on the mantle that their family has been involved in. And so far, we haven't really seen the success that one might have imagined, with Kathleen Townsend and others losing.
So I think Maria Shriver can pick up that mantle, can also bring in votes for Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I think also redefine politics as we see it in California, where Republicans and Democrats, that type of party label doesn't mean as much to the California constituency.
KING: You say doesn't mean as much as to the California constituency, but there must be at least a potential downside, especially if most of the Democratic constituencies are rallying their organizational support and their financial support either around Governor Davis or Lieutenant Governor Bustamante. Can Republicans say: Look, he's not one of us?
PAYNE: Well, I think what they can say -- see is that, right now, we have one million voters in California that are Democratic over the Republicans. So what we have to do is, we have to see some type of constituency here.
And I think that's why the pressure's going to be, as you said in your earlier interview, with Simon as well, as with the other candidates, McClintock, to rally around Schwarzenegger and to realize, a traditional conservative Republican is not going to win in California. We've seen that in past elections. And I think what you're going to see, as we move toward October or if there's a delay in March, we're going to see more and more pressure on these Republicans to actually get behind Schwarzenegger, who is liberal enough that he can draw some of the votes against Bustamante.
KING: Very quickly, sir, do you see her actively campaigning alongside Schwarzenegger for the next 51 days?
PAYNE: I think you're going to see Maria actively campaigning, as we saw right on the very first day, when she accompanied him. She was very articulate. I think she is compassionate. I think she has the rhetorical skills that her uncle Robert had. And I think she's going to be a very chief strategist in terms of Schwarzenegger's campaign in the days ahead. So, yes, I think you're going to see her.
KING: Thank you very much, Gregory Payne of Emerson College, joining us today live from Los Angeles. Thank you, sir.
PAYNE: Thanks, John.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
