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Politics as Farce

Aired August 18, 2003 - 15:21   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 oversized field of candidates hoping to replace Governor Gray Davis includes a lot of political newcomers. And some of those candidates feature what can only be described as minimal qualifications.
Reporter Cash Peters finds, even the most laid-back Californians are feeling a little embarrassed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So little time and so much to sort out for the candidates and the voters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trying to turn a movie star into a governor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now caught up in the recall frenzy.

CASH PETERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He left off the word baffling, baffling recall frenzy, because it is, 135 certified candidates, including a movie actor, a sitcom star, porno magnate, a porno star. It goes on and on. And believe me, Californians are just as baffled as everyone else.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a circus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I call it kind of a fiasco.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're laughing at us. All over the U.S., they're laughing at us.

PETERS (on camera): What is trying to be achieved here? What is it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh...

PETERS: Take as long as you like.

What is going on here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, they're trying to oust one guy, so they can put in another guy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a clause in the Constitution of this state that, if we are not happy, we can get rid of him.

PETERS (voice-over): There you go. How hard was that, in the end?

Nancy Snow is professor of politics and media at the University of Southern California. And she says, hey, you know what? It's nothing new for California to be the laughing stock of the world.

NANCY SNOW, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: We're kind of used to being made fun of by the rest of the world. But we are also the state -- again, you hear this often -- we're the fifth largest economy in the world. We're doing something right here. We set trends.

PETERS: You sure do.

I even went down to sunny Malibu to talk to people. Now, I wasn't so much talking to them as creeping up and annoying them. But they showed me that the race is already taking shape.

(on camera): If there were an election today, who would you vote for?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who would I vote for?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just don't know much about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, I'm leaning towards Arnold.

PETERS: Confide in me. Who are you going to vote for?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Schwarzenegger.

PETERS (voice-over): That's not him. Schwarzenegger is the name on everyone's lips, eclipsing some of the lesser-known candidates. Take Angelyne, for instance.

ANGELYNE, CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: A-N-G-E-L-Y-N-E.

PETERS: She's a -- I'm not quite sure what she does. But she's most famous for being a bit of a hottie and having her photo on this billboard off Sunset Boulevard. And that's kind of it.

ANGELYNE: This is the year 2000-plus. We're not -- the human race is not a teenager anymore. We're going to be 21 soon. Ooh.

PETERS: Well, OK. But you know who makes more sense to me? Gary Coleman. He used to be the star of the '80s sitcom "Different Strokes." That's him. And he's hoping to be governor, too, under the slogan:

GARY COLEMAN, CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I may be the least qualified guy that might be able to do the best job.

PETERS: Well, he's won me over. Now he's just got to convince the other 35 million people in the state. (on camera): What about Gary Coleman?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't vote for him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No way!

PETERS (voice-over): So, after all of this, hopefully you're beginning to understand why pundits, professors and politicians, real politicians, all over the country are shaking their heads in despair at this, this...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a circus.

PETERS: Oh, thank you. Circus.

SNOW: We've got a presidential election coming up in 2004. And whoever's the next governor of California is going to really impact that outcome.

COLEMAN: Hey, guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Hollywood, Governor Coleman.

COLEMAN: Hey, this is Gary Coleman. Vote for me. I'm an independent, an independent mind, independent thought.

PETERS (on camera): And I'm Cash Peters for CNN in Los Angeles.

COLEMAN: Get out. It's my spotlight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 - 15:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: The oversized field of candidates hoping to replace Governor Gray Davis includes a lot of political newcomers. And some of those candidates feature what can only be described as minimal qualifications.
Reporter Cash Peters finds, even the most laid-back Californians are feeling a little embarrassed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So little time and so much to sort out for the candidates and the voters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trying to turn a movie star into a governor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now caught up in the recall frenzy.

CASH PETERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He left off the word baffling, baffling recall frenzy, because it is, 135 certified candidates, including a movie actor, a sitcom star, porno magnate, a porno star. It goes on and on. And believe me, Californians are just as baffled as everyone else.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a circus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I call it kind of a fiasco.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're laughing at us. All over the U.S., they're laughing at us.

PETERS (on camera): What is trying to be achieved here? What is it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh...

PETERS: Take as long as you like.

What is going on here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, they're trying to oust one guy, so they can put in another guy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a clause in the Constitution of this state that, if we are not happy, we can get rid of him.

PETERS (voice-over): There you go. How hard was that, in the end?

Nancy Snow is professor of politics and media at the University of Southern California. And she says, hey, you know what? It's nothing new for California to be the laughing stock of the world.

NANCY SNOW, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: We're kind of used to being made fun of by the rest of the world. But we are also the state -- again, you hear this often -- we're the fifth largest economy in the world. We're doing something right here. We set trends.

PETERS: You sure do.

I even went down to sunny Malibu to talk to people. Now, I wasn't so much talking to them as creeping up and annoying them. But they showed me that the race is already taking shape.

(on camera): If there were an election today, who would you vote for?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who would I vote for?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just don't know much about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, I'm leaning towards Arnold.

PETERS: Confide in me. Who are you going to vote for?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Schwarzenegger.

PETERS (voice-over): That's not him. Schwarzenegger is the name on everyone's lips, eclipsing some of the lesser-known candidates. Take Angelyne, for instance.

ANGELYNE, CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: A-N-G-E-L-Y-N-E.

PETERS: She's a -- I'm not quite sure what she does. But she's most famous for being a bit of a hottie and having her photo on this billboard off Sunset Boulevard. And that's kind of it.

ANGELYNE: This is the year 2000-plus. We're not -- the human race is not a teenager anymore. We're going to be 21 soon. Ooh.

PETERS: Well, OK. But you know who makes more sense to me? Gary Coleman. He used to be the star of the '80s sitcom "Different Strokes." That's him. And he's hoping to be governor, too, under the slogan:

GARY COLEMAN, CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I may be the least qualified guy that might be able to do the best job.

PETERS: Well, he's won me over. Now he's just got to convince the other 35 million people in the state. (on camera): What about Gary Coleman?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't vote for him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No way!

PETERS (voice-over): So, after all of this, hopefully you're beginning to understand why pundits, professors and politicians, real politicians, all over the country are shaking their heads in despair at this, this...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a circus.

PETERS: Oh, thank you. Circus.

SNOW: We've got a presidential election coming up in 2004. And whoever's the next governor of California is going to really impact that outcome.

COLEMAN: Hey, guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Hollywood, Governor Coleman.

COLEMAN: Hey, this is Gary Coleman. Vote for me. I'm an independent, an independent mind, independent thought.

PETERS (on camera): And I'm Cash Peters for CNN in Los Angeles.

COLEMAN: Get out. It's my spotlight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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