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California Candidate Snapshot
Aired September 12, 2003 - 15:15 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The crowded field in the California recall race includes dozens of relative unknowns, all of them with different reasons for getting into politics.
Candidate Gary Leonard says he's used to being around elected officials. He's just not used to being in front of the camera.
For more on the Leonard campaign, here's CNN's Thelma Gutierrez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY LEONARD, CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: My name is Gary Leonard. I am running for governor, because I just could not resist the possibility of being on the ballot.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gary Leonard is a 52-year-old photojournalist. He has photographed nearly every local politician in Los Angeles. Now this photographer is a candidate.
LEONARD: I'm one of the 135 on the ballot.
GUTIERREZ: Between assignments like shooting the 222nd birthday of Los Angeles...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the guy right here.
GUTIERREZ: He campaigns.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, you bought my vote.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm voting for him.
LEONARD: I know I'm voting for myself. My folks, they said they would vote for me.
GUTIERREZ: He may get a mere handful of votes, but that's not why Leonard says he entered the governor's race.
LEONARD: It's something I couldn't resist as a journalist. I just couldn't resist the opportunity to put my name on the ballot and see what happened. If nothing else, I will have a story when it's all through.
GUTIERREZ: Like this recent assignment at a nursing home.
LEONARD: These people were so excited that they had a real candidate for governor. And I got a sense of, I am really a candidate. I am listening to what these people have to say.
GUTIERREZ: Being a real candidate isn't always easy for a shy guy who would rather be behind the camera than with us.
LEONARD: My reaction is, I would rather have a root canal.
GUTIERREZ: Neither can this candidate resist his journalistic instinct.
LEONARD: That's the congresswoman, Lucille Roy -- congresswoman?
GUTIERREZ: His platform, simple: Vote no on the recall, yes on Gary Leonard.
LEONARD: I collected 65 signatures to be on the ballot. So I'm suddenly active in the process. And how can I think anything other than great?
GUTIERREZ: Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(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 September 12, 2003 - 15:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The crowded field in the California recall race includes dozens of relative unknowns, all of them with different reasons for getting into politics.
Candidate Gary Leonard says he's used to being around elected officials. He's just not used to being in front of the camera.
For more on the Leonard campaign, here's CNN's Thelma Gutierrez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY LEONARD, CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: My name is Gary Leonard. I am running for governor, because I just could not resist the possibility of being on the ballot.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gary Leonard is a 52-year-old photojournalist. He has photographed nearly every local politician in Los Angeles. Now this photographer is a candidate.
LEONARD: I'm one of the 135 on the ballot.
GUTIERREZ: Between assignments like shooting the 222nd birthday of Los Angeles...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the guy right here.
GUTIERREZ: He campaigns.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, you bought my vote.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm voting for him.
LEONARD: I know I'm voting for myself. My folks, they said they would vote for me.
GUTIERREZ: He may get a mere handful of votes, but that's not why Leonard says he entered the governor's race.
LEONARD: It's something I couldn't resist as a journalist. I just couldn't resist the opportunity to put my name on the ballot and see what happened. If nothing else, I will have a story when it's all through.
GUTIERREZ: Like this recent assignment at a nursing home.
LEONARD: These people were so excited that they had a real candidate for governor. And I got a sense of, I am really a candidate. I am listening to what these people have to say.
GUTIERREZ: Being a real candidate isn't always easy for a shy guy who would rather be behind the camera than with us.
LEONARD: My reaction is, I would rather have a root canal.
GUTIERREZ: Neither can this candidate resist his journalistic instinct.
LEONARD: That's the congresswoman, Lucille Roy -- congresswoman?
GUTIERREZ: His platform, simple: Vote no on the recall, yes on Gary Leonard.
LEONARD: I collected 65 signatures to be on the ballot. So I'm suddenly active in the process. And how can I think anything other than great?
GUTIERREZ: Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(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
