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CNN Saturday Morning News

Will Allegations of Groping Hurt Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Aired October 04, 2003 - 08:00   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.


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Say it isn't so. It is just three days to go before Californians go to the polls. Where has the time gone? The latest monkey wrench to be thrown in is another allegation of groping by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
CNN's Bob Franken live in Los Angeles with the latest on the campaign -- good morning to you, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the time does fly when you're having fun, Martin.

SAVIDGE: Yes.

FRANKEN: The groping allegations, there have been any number of them, the same kind of allegations, that at one point or another over the past several decades, Arnold Schwarzenegger, on movie sets and in other locations, has had unwelcome sexual advances, has groped women who are now reporting that. There are any number of people who believe that these reports are timed to come out at the last part of the campaign to undermine the Schwarzenegger campaign. You have these reports coming out. You have the quotes from a former movie producer, who is quoting Arnold Schwarzenegger as seeming to express admiration for Adolph Hitler, all of this coming as Schwarzenegger continues his bus tour around the state. He appeared yesterday with the former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani. Never mind the fact that Giuliani in August had told an interviewer that he thought the recall was a bad idea.

Schwarzenegger is trying to stay on message. As I said, many are accusing the "L.A. Times" and other news organizations of acting to undermine the Schwarzenegger candidacy. Among those, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Let me tell you something, they already have begun. But I, I will stay focused. I will always stay focused, because the fight continues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: When you come into a situation like this, the opposition candidates have to figure out exactly the best way to respond. They can over respond and cause a backlash or they can under respond and fail to take advantage of the situation.

Among those who was doing so before he finally decided he'd better say something, was the man who's trying to avoid the recall, Governor Gray Davis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: If the comments and the conduct were true, if they actually happened, I find it very disturbing and totally unacceptable. And his professed admiration for Adolph Hitler is beyond the pale. I don't see how anyone could express admiration for someone who killed 10 million people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: So we have three days, Marty, before the election. That means three more days to expect something bizarre.

SAVIDGE: I'm sure we'll get it, too.

One quick question before you go. Women, how much support are they giving Arnold Schwarzenegger and does it appear that these allegations are having any impact on them?

FRANKEN: It's really hard to tell for a couple of reasons. Number one, the polls had shown that even though these allegations about Schwarzenegger have been out there and have gotten a lot of prominence, his support from women had actually increased. We'll have to see if that continues in light of the various other ones. Of course, it's going to be hard to take a poll at the very last minute.

The other thing is there is a tremendous dislike for Gray Davis in the State of California. So the choice may be between somebody who has questions about Arnold Schwarzenegger but has already decided he has his answers about Gray Davis.

SAVIDGE: All right, you're right, not much time. But then there's that real poll that's going to take place.

Bob Franken, thanks very much, from Los Angeles.

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 4, 2003 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Say it isn't so. It is just three days to go before Californians go to the polls. Where has the time gone? The latest monkey wrench to be thrown in is another allegation of groping by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
CNN's Bob Franken live in Los Angeles with the latest on the campaign -- good morning to you, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the time does fly when you're having fun, Martin.

SAVIDGE: Yes.

FRANKEN: The groping allegations, there have been any number of them, the same kind of allegations, that at one point or another over the past several decades, Arnold Schwarzenegger, on movie sets and in other locations, has had unwelcome sexual advances, has groped women who are now reporting that. There are any number of people who believe that these reports are timed to come out at the last part of the campaign to undermine the Schwarzenegger campaign. You have these reports coming out. You have the quotes from a former movie producer, who is quoting Arnold Schwarzenegger as seeming to express admiration for Adolph Hitler, all of this coming as Schwarzenegger continues his bus tour around the state. He appeared yesterday with the former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani. Never mind the fact that Giuliani in August had told an interviewer that he thought the recall was a bad idea.

Schwarzenegger is trying to stay on message. As I said, many are accusing the "L.A. Times" and other news organizations of acting to undermine the Schwarzenegger candidacy. Among those, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Let me tell you something, they already have begun. But I, I will stay focused. I will always stay focused, because the fight continues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: When you come into a situation like this, the opposition candidates have to figure out exactly the best way to respond. They can over respond and cause a backlash or they can under respond and fail to take advantage of the situation.

Among those who was doing so before he finally decided he'd better say something, was the man who's trying to avoid the recall, Governor Gray Davis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: If the comments and the conduct were true, if they actually happened, I find it very disturbing and totally unacceptable. And his professed admiration for Adolph Hitler is beyond the pale. I don't see how anyone could express admiration for someone who killed 10 million people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: So we have three days, Marty, before the election. That means three more days to expect something bizarre.

SAVIDGE: I'm sure we'll get it, too.

One quick question before you go. Women, how much support are they giving Arnold Schwarzenegger and does it appear that these allegations are having any impact on them?

FRANKEN: It's really hard to tell for a couple of reasons. Number one, the polls had shown that even though these allegations about Schwarzenegger have been out there and have gotten a lot of prominence, his support from women had actually increased. We'll have to see if that continues in light of the various other ones. Of course, it's going to be hard to take a poll at the very last minute.

The other thing is there is a tremendous dislike for Gray Davis in the State of California. So the choice may be between somebody who has questions about Arnold Schwarzenegger but has already decided he has his answers about Gray Davis.

SAVIDGE: All right, you're right, not much time. But then there's that real poll that's going to take place.

Bob Franken, thanks very much, from Los Angeles.

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