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CNN Saturday Morning News
Jerry Springer Files Candidacy Papers
Aired July 12, 2003 - 07:12 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.
WHITFIELD: Jer-ry! Jer-ry! Talk show host Jerry Springer is getting closer to making a run for the Senate seat now occupied by Ohio Republican George Voinovich. Friday, Springer filed candidacy papers, so it's starting to look serious, the first step toward an official campaign.
Springer says he would seek the Senate seat if he feels he can make a difference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY SPRINGER, TALK SHOW HOST: Political issues are -- and public issues are really the one thing I've always been passionate about, and I -- and anyone who knows me knows that within five minutes, I'm always talking either sports or politics.
So even though I've made my living in recent years doing the show, that's my living, it's not my life. What I really care about are these political issues. And if I can be helpful, I'll run. If I determine that I can't be helpful, that I can't get through the clutter of the show, then I won't waste anyone's time.
This government is so afraid of everyone coming out to vote. Because, let me tell you, if everyone came out and vote, do you think for one second we'd still have 41 million people without health insurance? If everybody came out and vote, do you still think we'd have underfunded schools?
No. The truth of the matter is, the power doesn't -- the power establishment doesn't want those people to vote. It doesn't want middle America to vote. Because as long as most people don't vote, then the people in power will continue to stay in power. Their interests will continue to be represented.
Someone has to speak for just regular, ordinary Americans who don't perhaps speak the king's English, who aren't rich, who aren't powerful. Let's let have somebody fight for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, let's get some political perspective now on this possible candidacy of Jerry Springer.
We turn now to our political analyst, Bill Schneider. He joins us from Washington. Good to see you, Bill. WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, you can't say that he has no political experience. He used to be a mayor of Cincinnati. But does he have political credibility?
SCHNEIDER: Well, the polls show in Ohio, no. And when he is tested against a virtually unknown Ohio congressman, who's never run statewide, the unknown congressman beats him, because so many people say they just don't want to vote for Jerry Springer.
That could change. He's going to campaign, he's trying to raise money around the country to run this race in the Democratic primary, which would be March 2 of next year.
But credibility, not -- at least not yet.
WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk about how he is raising some money. He's using infomercials, for one, 30-minute infomercials, I understand. As well as he's got a Run Jerry Run Web site.
SCHNEIDER: That's right, and he's running those commercials, and not just in Ohio but in cities around the country. Anybody can give money to a campaign. People gave money to Hillary's campaign from way outside New York. He wants people to give money from places like New Orleans, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, where he thinks he has a lot of support.
WHITFIELD: So I guess he wants to see if he could get the money and before he actually makes an announcement. But obviously he's pretty serious, if he's going to file these papers.
SCHNEIDER: Yes, he's a serious candidate. And look, he has political experience. He served five terms on the city council, was elected mayor of Cincinnati. He ran for governor, didn't do very well, in 1982.
Here's an obscure but interesting fact. When he ran in that Democratic primary for governor in 1982, one of his field directors was a woman who had recently graduated Miami University in Ohio. Her name was Maria Cantwell. Maria Cantwell is now a United States senator from Washington, who describes Jerry Springer as charismatic and energetic, but hasn't quite endorsed him, because there's a primary.
WHITFIELD: Well, so Senator Voinovich, need he be a little concerned?
SCHNEIDER: At the moment, he doesn't look like he has great concern. I mean, even Tom Daschle, when asked, the Senate minority leader, when asked about the prospect of Jerry Springer running for the Democratic nomination, he said, Well, I think there might be others who might be better. So there's not a great deal of enthusiasm, and he's an embarrassment to a lot of people, to a lot of Democrats. But he does speak for a constituency, people who are not normally paid a lot of attention to. He thinks he can bring out a lot of new voters. And he has one argument that's kind of hard to refute. He says, I don't need this. I'm rich, I'm famous. I don't have to do this for my career. I'm doing it because I care about these issues.
That's a pretty good argument.
WHITFIELD: And he says he's doing it because he cares about the people who he feels are not being represented. So the Democratic -- other leading Democratic Party leaders have to perhaps find that somewhat appealing.
SCHNEIDER: They do, and I'll tell you something, he ran for Congress back in 1970. He was in his 20s then. He ran for Congress as an anti-Vietnam War candidate.
And you know what? He's still an antiwar candidate, this time, of course, the war's in Iraq, but he's been a strong critic of that war. And in fact, over the years, he's given a lot of money to Democratic Party candidates, including the New York State Democratic Party's Senate campaign for Hillary Clinton, who owes him.
WHITFIELD: So let's get used to just hearing, Jer-ry! Jer-ry!
SCHNEIDER: Well, I'll tell you one thing you won't hear, Fred. He cannot -- if Arnold Schwarzenegger gets elected in California, and Jerry Springer gets elected senator in Ohio, you will never see a presidential race between Republican Schwarzenegger and Democrat Springer. You know why?
WHITFIELD: Why?
SCHNEIDER: They were both born overseas, Schwarzenegger in Austria...
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes.
SCHNEIDER: ... and Jerry Springer...
WHITFIELD: In London.
SCHNEIDER: ... was born in England. Neither one is eligible to run for president. The hopes of a nation dashed.
WHITFIELD: Interesting. All right. Doggone it. All right, well, thanks a lot, Bill. Good to see you.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
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 July 12, 2003 - 07:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WHITFIELD: Jer-ry! Jer-ry! Talk show host Jerry Springer is getting closer to making a run for the Senate seat now occupied by Ohio Republican George Voinovich. Friday, Springer filed candidacy papers, so it's starting to look serious, the first step toward an official campaign.
Springer says he would seek the Senate seat if he feels he can make a difference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY SPRINGER, TALK SHOW HOST: Political issues are -- and public issues are really the one thing I've always been passionate about, and I -- and anyone who knows me knows that within five minutes, I'm always talking either sports or politics.
So even though I've made my living in recent years doing the show, that's my living, it's not my life. What I really care about are these political issues. And if I can be helpful, I'll run. If I determine that I can't be helpful, that I can't get through the clutter of the show, then I won't waste anyone's time.
This government is so afraid of everyone coming out to vote. Because, let me tell you, if everyone came out and vote, do you think for one second we'd still have 41 million people without health insurance? If everybody came out and vote, do you still think we'd have underfunded schools?
No. The truth of the matter is, the power doesn't -- the power establishment doesn't want those people to vote. It doesn't want middle America to vote. Because as long as most people don't vote, then the people in power will continue to stay in power. Their interests will continue to be represented.
Someone has to speak for just regular, ordinary Americans who don't perhaps speak the king's English, who aren't rich, who aren't powerful. Let's let have somebody fight for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, let's get some political perspective now on this possible candidacy of Jerry Springer.
We turn now to our political analyst, Bill Schneider. He joins us from Washington. Good to see you, Bill. WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, you can't say that he has no political experience. He used to be a mayor of Cincinnati. But does he have political credibility?
SCHNEIDER: Well, the polls show in Ohio, no. And when he is tested against a virtually unknown Ohio congressman, who's never run statewide, the unknown congressman beats him, because so many people say they just don't want to vote for Jerry Springer.
That could change. He's going to campaign, he's trying to raise money around the country to run this race in the Democratic primary, which would be March 2 of next year.
But credibility, not -- at least not yet.
WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk about how he is raising some money. He's using infomercials, for one, 30-minute infomercials, I understand. As well as he's got a Run Jerry Run Web site.
SCHNEIDER: That's right, and he's running those commercials, and not just in Ohio but in cities around the country. Anybody can give money to a campaign. People gave money to Hillary's campaign from way outside New York. He wants people to give money from places like New Orleans, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, where he thinks he has a lot of support.
WHITFIELD: So I guess he wants to see if he could get the money and before he actually makes an announcement. But obviously he's pretty serious, if he's going to file these papers.
SCHNEIDER: Yes, he's a serious candidate. And look, he has political experience. He served five terms on the city council, was elected mayor of Cincinnati. He ran for governor, didn't do very well, in 1982.
Here's an obscure but interesting fact. When he ran in that Democratic primary for governor in 1982, one of his field directors was a woman who had recently graduated Miami University in Ohio. Her name was Maria Cantwell. Maria Cantwell is now a United States senator from Washington, who describes Jerry Springer as charismatic and energetic, but hasn't quite endorsed him, because there's a primary.
WHITFIELD: Well, so Senator Voinovich, need he be a little concerned?
SCHNEIDER: At the moment, he doesn't look like he has great concern. I mean, even Tom Daschle, when asked, the Senate minority leader, when asked about the prospect of Jerry Springer running for the Democratic nomination, he said, Well, I think there might be others who might be better. So there's not a great deal of enthusiasm, and he's an embarrassment to a lot of people, to a lot of Democrats. But he does speak for a constituency, people who are not normally paid a lot of attention to. He thinks he can bring out a lot of new voters. And he has one argument that's kind of hard to refute. He says, I don't need this. I'm rich, I'm famous. I don't have to do this for my career. I'm doing it because I care about these issues.
That's a pretty good argument.
WHITFIELD: And he says he's doing it because he cares about the people who he feels are not being represented. So the Democratic -- other leading Democratic Party leaders have to perhaps find that somewhat appealing.
SCHNEIDER: They do, and I'll tell you something, he ran for Congress back in 1970. He was in his 20s then. He ran for Congress as an anti-Vietnam War candidate.
And you know what? He's still an antiwar candidate, this time, of course, the war's in Iraq, but he's been a strong critic of that war. And in fact, over the years, he's given a lot of money to Democratic Party candidates, including the New York State Democratic Party's Senate campaign for Hillary Clinton, who owes him.
WHITFIELD: So let's get used to just hearing, Jer-ry! Jer-ry!
SCHNEIDER: Well, I'll tell you one thing you won't hear, Fred. He cannot -- if Arnold Schwarzenegger gets elected in California, and Jerry Springer gets elected senator in Ohio, you will never see a presidential race between Republican Schwarzenegger and Democrat Springer. You know why?
WHITFIELD: Why?
SCHNEIDER: They were both born overseas, Schwarzenegger in Austria...
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes.
SCHNEIDER: ... and Jerry Springer...
WHITFIELD: In London.
SCHNEIDER: ... was born in England. Neither one is eligible to run for president. The hopes of a nation dashed.
WHITFIELD: Interesting. All right. Doggone it. All right, well, thanks a lot, Bill. Good to see you.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
