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Interview With Tommy Avallone

Aired October 03, 2003 - 15:43   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: After the California recall vote and before the Iowa caucuses, the town Haddon Heights, New Jersey, population 7,500 will choose a mayor. The Republican incumbent faces two opponents, one of who won't be able to legally toast his victory if he even wins. He's an independent candidate Camden County College student, Tommy Avallone. He's 20.
And he took some time away from campaigning to pick up the phone and talk to us. Hi, Tommy.

TOMMY AVALLONE (I), HADDON HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY MAYORAL CANDIDATE: How you doing?

PHILLIPS: All right. You're 20-years-old. Tell me what you know about politics?

AVALLONE: Not much right now. It's pretty much a big learning process for me. I plan on taking everything step by step.

PHILLIPS: All right, so what have you learned so far?

AVALLONE: I learned a lot more about speech writing and the whole idea of running a campaign and talking to people and doing stuff like that.

PHILLIPS: All right, tell me your platform, Tommy.

AVALLONE: My platform is pretty much -- I used to hang out on Station Avenue (ph) which is the street where all the kids would hang out at. We'd always get kicked out past certain hours because we weren't allowed to hang out there. And I want to have a place for the new generation of Station Avenue kids to hang out.

So if I can help the continuous effort for a skate park or at least venue for kids to hang out for like arcades or places to put on shows where bands can come out and play, like the local bands, these kids can express themselves creatively and like not turn to drugs or alcohol.

PHILLIPS: All right, now I'm checking out these pictures. We looked at your Web site, all right? I'm looking at these pictures of you hanging out with the boys and such. You got the cap kind of turned to the side.

Now if I were to see these pictures, first off, I'm thinking all right, Tommy looks like a rapper. What's the deal here? Are we supposed to take this guy seriously?

AVALLONE: I'm supposed to be taken very seriously.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: All right, tell me how are people reacting to you?

AVALLONE: Well at first -- when we first started doing this -- it June 17 I first announced I would be running for mayor. A lot of people thought it might have been just like a ploy to get my movies more in the spotlight. But it's really just become more than that. And the fact that I'm learning a lot, people keep seeing me doing it, I think they're taking me more seriously.

PHILLIPS: And we're looking at a picture of you and a very attractive young lady. I don't know if that is a wedding dress or not? Is this your wife, your girlfriend?

AVALLONE: Oh, it's a friend of mine.

PHILLIPS: Oh, OK. What does she think of all this?

AVALLONE: She likes it. She thinks it's very cool and everything like that.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: What do your parents think?

AVALLONE: They're supportive.

PHILLIPS: Anybody in politics?

AVALLONE: No. No, I'm starting with the new branch for the family.

PHILLIPS: We're going to bring up your Web site. I understand that we've got linked on. Now, check this out. We got "Bio," "Diary," "Media," "Links." What will we find in that diary?

AVALLONE: Oh that's just pretty much me updating things, talking about what I'm doing. Like last week I went to the Haddon Heights High School and tried getting the 18 year-olds to register to vote. We got like 20-plus new registers.

That right now what you're looking at are my speeches I would say a couple of times. That was my speech from the other day and speeches, other things I've written.

PHILLIPS: Now, looking at the area here are there a lot of college students your age? Or is this more of an older community? I see you here hugging and kissing the seniors on the streets?

AVALLONE: Yes, that's my grandmom.

PHILLIPS: Oh, that's Grandma. AVALLONE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: So grandma must be pretty proud of you?

AVALLONE: Yes, I would say so.

PHILLIPS: What has she been saying to you?

AVALLONE: Well at first she didn't get the whole concept. But I was talking to actually that day and she's real proud. She just doesn't want to see me get hurt.

PHILLIPS: Did she tell to you put your baseball cap on straight?

AVALLONE: Oh, no. That's my style. You know? Abe Lincoln had his top hat, I can have mine.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Oh, very. All right. Well, Tommy Avallone, we will keep track of you, 20-year-old running for mayor.

AVALLONE: And anyone can find out with VoteForTommy.com. That's where I try to talk to people and have my...

PHILLIPS: So you got a chat going?

AVALLONE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: OK.

AVALLONE: VoteForTommy.com.

PHILLIPS: All right, Tommy. We're going to check in with you and see how you do. We're going to follow the race.

AVALLONE: All right, thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: All right, bye-bye.

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 October 3, 2003 - 15:43   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: After the California recall vote and before the Iowa caucuses, the town Haddon Heights, New Jersey, population 7,500 will choose a mayor. The Republican incumbent faces two opponents, one of who won't be able to legally toast his victory if he even wins. He's an independent candidate Camden County College student, Tommy Avallone. He's 20.
And he took some time away from campaigning to pick up the phone and talk to us. Hi, Tommy.

TOMMY AVALLONE (I), HADDON HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY MAYORAL CANDIDATE: How you doing?

PHILLIPS: All right. You're 20-years-old. Tell me what you know about politics?

AVALLONE: Not much right now. It's pretty much a big learning process for me. I plan on taking everything step by step.

PHILLIPS: All right, so what have you learned so far?

AVALLONE: I learned a lot more about speech writing and the whole idea of running a campaign and talking to people and doing stuff like that.

PHILLIPS: All right, tell me your platform, Tommy.

AVALLONE: My platform is pretty much -- I used to hang out on Station Avenue (ph) which is the street where all the kids would hang out at. We'd always get kicked out past certain hours because we weren't allowed to hang out there. And I want to have a place for the new generation of Station Avenue kids to hang out.

So if I can help the continuous effort for a skate park or at least venue for kids to hang out for like arcades or places to put on shows where bands can come out and play, like the local bands, these kids can express themselves creatively and like not turn to drugs or alcohol.

PHILLIPS: All right, now I'm checking out these pictures. We looked at your Web site, all right? I'm looking at these pictures of you hanging out with the boys and such. You got the cap kind of turned to the side.

Now if I were to see these pictures, first off, I'm thinking all right, Tommy looks like a rapper. What's the deal here? Are we supposed to take this guy seriously?

AVALLONE: I'm supposed to be taken very seriously.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: All right, tell me how are people reacting to you?

AVALLONE: Well at first -- when we first started doing this -- it June 17 I first announced I would be running for mayor. A lot of people thought it might have been just like a ploy to get my movies more in the spotlight. But it's really just become more than that. And the fact that I'm learning a lot, people keep seeing me doing it, I think they're taking me more seriously.

PHILLIPS: And we're looking at a picture of you and a very attractive young lady. I don't know if that is a wedding dress or not? Is this your wife, your girlfriend?

AVALLONE: Oh, it's a friend of mine.

PHILLIPS: Oh, OK. What does she think of all this?

AVALLONE: She likes it. She thinks it's very cool and everything like that.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: What do your parents think?

AVALLONE: They're supportive.

PHILLIPS: Anybody in politics?

AVALLONE: No. No, I'm starting with the new branch for the family.

PHILLIPS: We're going to bring up your Web site. I understand that we've got linked on. Now, check this out. We got "Bio," "Diary," "Media," "Links." What will we find in that diary?

AVALLONE: Oh that's just pretty much me updating things, talking about what I'm doing. Like last week I went to the Haddon Heights High School and tried getting the 18 year-olds to register to vote. We got like 20-plus new registers.

That right now what you're looking at are my speeches I would say a couple of times. That was my speech from the other day and speeches, other things I've written.

PHILLIPS: Now, looking at the area here are there a lot of college students your age? Or is this more of an older community? I see you here hugging and kissing the seniors on the streets?

AVALLONE: Yes, that's my grandmom.

PHILLIPS: Oh, that's Grandma. AVALLONE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: So grandma must be pretty proud of you?

AVALLONE: Yes, I would say so.

PHILLIPS: What has she been saying to you?

AVALLONE: Well at first she didn't get the whole concept. But I was talking to actually that day and she's real proud. She just doesn't want to see me get hurt.

PHILLIPS: Did she tell to you put your baseball cap on straight?

AVALLONE: Oh, no. That's my style. You know? Abe Lincoln had his top hat, I can have mine.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Oh, very. All right. Well, Tommy Avallone, we will keep track of you, 20-year-old running for mayor.

AVALLONE: And anyone can find out with VoteForTommy.com. That's where I try to talk to people and have my...

PHILLIPS: So you got a chat going?

AVALLONE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: OK.

AVALLONE: VoteForTommy.com.

PHILLIPS: All right, Tommy. We're going to check in with you and see how you do. We're going to follow the race.

AVALLONE: All right, thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: All right, bye-bye.

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