Candidates Tell What They Fear Losing

Katie Couric Asks The Top Candidates What, After Their Families, They Hold Most Dear

(CBS)  FRED THOMPSON

Couric: Besides your family, what are you most afraid of losing?

Thompson: I'm not afraid of losing anything besides my family. Their safety, I mean, when you say besides, I mean, that's a real big besides. I think about it all the time. They, Gerry flies with me sometimes, and I think about what would happen if something happened to us, that with the children being that young. I think about when she flies separately from me, I think about our children, you know, at home, driving to the supermarket and things like that. I think about that a lot. Other than that, I only, I only think about myself in terms of lost time with them. But other than that, I'm not afraid of dying. And I'm not afraid of anything else. But I I'm, I'm petrified of the thought of anything happening to one of them.

JOHN EDWARDS

Couric: Other than your family, what are you most afraid of losing?

Edwards: I would be concerned about losing my conscience, my integrity, doing something that I knew was contrary to what I believed, that took away who I am as a human being.

Couric: I'm surprised you didn't say your health.

Edwards: Yeah. I don't, I don't actually worry a great deal about losing my health. And maybe that's because of what's happening with Elizabeth, what's happening, what's happened with our family. And I really don't spend any time thinking about that, honestly.

JOE BIDEN

Couric: Other than your family, what are you most afraid of losing?

Biden: My integrity. My reputation for being honest, straight-forward, keeping my word. My dad had an expression from the time we were kids. He'd say to me, to my sister it would be a different phrase. He would always say, you're a man of your word. Without your word, you're not a man. And, so, it's the thing that, is the single most important thing to me. And I think it is to you, and almost everybody. But, you know, I've tried to build my whole, not my career, but my life on having a reputation of being straight-forward and honest. I don't mean the guy Diogenes found. The only honest person out there. Just being straight-forward and being a person of your word. Whatever you say you do. In my neighborhood, you know, a promise made is a promise kept. And I've sort of built my entire image of myself for me based on that. And I think that's the thing I'm most worried about -- be most worried about. And that's the dangerous part of being involved in national politics.

Couric: Why?

Biden: Well, because sometimes you can be characterized unfairly as you having broken your word. Or you've not been a person of honor. Because it's so hard when that sort of 'red tide' starts to flow. To be able to sustain what sometimes are false allegations. This has not happened to me now. But I mean, there, you see it happen to other people. And, it's just a place where you have the least control over your notion of who you are. Is when you are before the whole world or before the whole country. And unless you have had some staying power, unless people have had an opportunity to view you over a period of time, you run the risk of being subject to your life being reduced to a snapshot, rather than sort of a motion picture. And that's what I mean by it’s the most dangerous.

Couric: Plus, you know, people will criticize you for saying something at one point, and they won't give it any context or they won't explain what happened, or give the background.

Biden: And they don't even mean it. You know, I used to think that it was done, you know, it was done to just to take an individual down. But the truth of the matter is, it's kind of the nature of the way communications are today. I mean, look, when I got elected, 34 years ago as a young senator, the great networks like yours, there were only three of them. And when you were doing a background check on somebody or checking out some allegation, you would put ten people on it. You know. And you'd double check it and triple check it. And, well now there's so many outlets, you don't have time.

Biden: Now, I'm not suggesting you don't.

Couric: No, I know what you mean.

Biden: But if there's overwhelming pressure to get it up in the air, because if you don't get it on the air someone else will, and if it turns out to be true and you missed it. So it's just a different environment. I think it's tough on reporters, too. I really do. I think it's tough on the media. I mean, how you compete, you know? So it's just that's what I mean by it's a more, the ground's not nearly as steady out there. But if you're around long enough, I think people get a sense of who you are and they put things in context, even when they're not putting context for them.

HILLARY CLINTON

Couric: Other than your family, what are you most afraid of losing?

Clinton: My health. I worry about, you know, some day not being as healthy and vigorous, and having as much stamina and resilience as I have. I'm blessed in having an 88-year-old mother who is in good health and lives with us. And yet I see so many of my friends unexpectedly fighting health problems, some not making it. So, I’m very conscious on what happens as you get older, and you see people's health that used to be perfect begin to deteriorate. So, I try to keep focused on that.

RUDY GIULIANI

Couric: Other than your family, what are you most afraid of losing?

Giuliani: Well, when you say that, you know, you immediately think of your wife or your children. And those are like nightmares that you have. I think, you know, the thing I'd be most afraid of is losing my freedom. Now, in a political sense, I don't have that fear because I'm an American. I have that fear for the world. And then you have that fear in terms of illness too. You know, in terms of I'm a very active person. I move around. I get around. I'm very aware of what's going on around me. And when I see some of the illnesses now that people have in old age, it gives you a certain feeling that, you know, this going to happen to me. And I wonder, I wonder, how you're going to deal with it.

Couric: In a way, mobility for you…

Giuliani: Mobility, freedom, yes. Freedom, mobility, being able to take care of yourself. Being able to be responsible for yourself. I learned that from my mom and dad. My dad fairly early in his 70's. But, my mom lived until she was in her 90's and she was very, very active. She read four newspapers a day until she got to be about 89, 90. And then, she was in and out. And I used to really feel for her because she, I know, she wanted to be the way she was and she couldn't be.

[maryd_dixie]

This is really an exceptional news segment. I think it gives us an interesting look at the candidates...one we don''t normally get. Most seem to respond more honestly individually rather than in a group format. Nice job.

[dovv]

Daughters of Vietnam Veterans for Ron Paul!
www.teaparty07.com
Support the Iraq Veterans Against the War
www.ivaw.org
Learn more about Christian Anarchism
www.harmlessasdoves.com
Go RON PAUL!

[samthetvcat]

I guess fear and contentment supposed to be peoples'' greatest motivators, in a big-picture sense maybe the answers to tell us something about how each''s preoccupations would impact their Presidency (?)

Huckabee and McCain - probably the two most at-peace with themselves. Huckabee because of his faith, and McCain because if his experience in VietNam

Obama - likes making a difference in peoples lives, acceptance = wants to make America better for everybody

Richardson - recognizes that power can corrupt if not used for the greater good = striving for power will always be shared

Mitt - likes ideals/symbols of individual strength, family, and country = already succeeded on a personal and family level, wants to bring pride back to the red, white and blue

Thompson - disconnected = doesn''t much want the Presidency anyway

Edwards - might be more left than he might otherwise be = not sure whether if he wins by having gone left whether he can then go back towards the center (?)

Biden - team player who understands the power of the group, understands that truth is power = will earn your trust by being kept on track with truth

Hillary - desire to be powerful, really hard on herself with perfectionism...no mention of her preoccuption impacting anybody else

Rudy - funny, he gave the exact same answer as Hillary! LOL

[adventurepa]

Another one bits the dust.
Inspector General Krongard has announced his resignation.

[prinzowhales]

Katie Couric Drivel! What about the 12% inflation last year? What about the $2.3 Trillion missing from Pentagon accounts as of 9-10-01 according to Rumsfeld? What about the open borders? What about the lies of 9-11 and the faux-war on terror? What about the attempt of the Israel-first establishment liars trying to start a war with Iran and renew the Cold War with Russia? CBSNBCABCCNNFOX and the Establishment merchants of drivel want you to identify and like the 10 pieces of merchandise they are trying to hawk to America...they can''t afford to talk about real issues--OR THIS NATION WOULD EXPLODE!!!

[mudrose-2009]

I would say those who said: Health, Family, or Freedom are the most viable candidates.
Posted by jack3213

I wanna see them all jog together. Then I''ll believe them. Ugh!

[john13414]

The only candidate that was true with his or her answer was that of "John McCain" stating ..........(My Country).
He is true to his word and would make an outstanding president during these times. He has the knowlege and experiance to run this country and to increase our militay defense. With China building up thier military, Russia''s "Putin" calling the Americans pigs, North Korea, Iran, wanting atomic weapons? The world right now is walking a fine line towards destruction.

I sure don''t want an actor, a minister, a mayor, a woman, and non experiance candidates, etc. becoming president. America the beautiful should stay this way! Vote McCain!

[macusweil]

They obviously left off Ron Paul because he will be our next US president, that why he''s not afraid of losing.

He''s got his own blimp.. I heard he filled it with the all the HOT air from Hillary and his GOP rivals. lol

www.ronpaulblimp.com

[jack3213]

I would say those who said: Health, Family, or Freedom are the most viable candidates.

[countsueulaw]

"Americans are too broadly underinformed to digest nuggets of information that seem to contradict what they know of the world ... Instead, news channels prefer to feed Americans a constant stream of simplified information, all of which fits what they already know. That way they don''t have to devote more air time or newsprint space to explanations or further investigations... Politicians and the media have conspired to infantilize, to dumb down, the American public. At heart, politicians don''t believe that Americans can handle complex truths, and the news media, especially television news, basically agrees."
Tom Fenton, former CBS foreign correspondent

[mudrose-2009]

Just what exectly freedoms have we lost?
Posted by Neocon04

They really don''t know, couldn''t tell if they tried. They just like to hear themselves say it. When you ask them the say I Don''t Know. Now pictured Bill Crosby saying the phrase with those big wide black eyes of his and that look of well I DON''T KNOW.

[countsueulaw]

Another example of why we need Ron Paul to lead this Country. CBS has conveniently left Ron Paul out of this biased Mockery.
"The media serve the interests of state and corporate power, which are closely interlinked, framing their reporting and analysis in a manner supportive of established privilege and limiting debate and discussion accordingly."
Noam Chomsky
"The news and the truth are not the same thing. "
Walter Lippmann
"Paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people..."
Hugo Black, Supreme Court Justice

[neocon04]

The biggest enemy to freedom is in Washington DC. We have lost more freedoms in the last 30 year than in the 200 before it....

Posted by culturechang at 09:54 PM : Dec 06, 2007
__________________________________________________

Just what exectly freedoms have we lost?

[heyitsme_76]

Who cares what Katie Couric has to ask ?? Does anyone even watch the CBS Evening News ??!!

[mudrose-2009]

DECEMBER 7, 1941

[patsandy2]

Let me know when CBS has the courage to talk about HR676. Thank You.

[kslocum44]

I want to commend Katie and the CBS news for producing this wonderful series that is drawing out the true nature of the candidates. . In a "sea of sameness," it''s refreshing to see those candidates that are not afraid to step off the stump and answer the questions with honesty and not provide the canned political response. Hopefully throughout the series, some of the smoke and mirrors will clear and we can see who we are really looking to elect.

Thanks Katie and CBS.

[poliincorect]

Dear Katie,
Did you get Ron Paul on the CBS Evening News tonight?
I was out with friends and missed the show.

[kingjackspad]

Like to share something with everybody, and i think major media outlets should take notice of this.
"The equal opportunity requirement dates back to the first major broadcasting law in the United States, the Radio Act of 1927. Legislators were concerned that without mandated equal opportunity for candidates, some broadcasters might try to manipulate elections. As one congressman put it, "American politics will be largely at the mercy of those who operate these stations." When the Radio Act was superseded by the Communications Act of 1934, the equal time provision became Section 315 of the new statute.
A major amendment to Section 315 came in 1959 following a controversial Federal Communications Commission (FCC) interpretation of the equal time provision. Lar Daly, who had run for a variety of public offices, sometimes campaigning dressed as Uncle Sam, was running for mayor of Chicago. Daly demanded free air time from Chicago television stations in response to the stations'''' news coverage of incumbent mayor Richard Daley. Although the airtime given to Mayor Daley was not directly related to his re-election campaign, the FCC ruled that his appearance triggered the equal opportunity provision of Section 315. Broadcasters interpreted the FCC''''s decision as now requiring equal time for a candidate anytime another candidate appeared on the air, even if the appearance was not linked to the election campaign.

Read more at http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/E/html
E/equaltimeru/equaltimeru.htm

[culturechang]

Huckabee and Clinton might actually be telling the truth. Health is a big concern of middle aged people.

McCain doesn''t realize that what he sacraficed for Vietnam has already been lost...and the outcome of Vietnam did not matter. The biggest enemy to freedom is in Washington DC. We have lost more freedoms in the last 30 year than in the 200 before it....and a lot of it while he was a voting Senator. Guliani is clueless too. We''ve already lost so much and he hasn''t noticed.

Richardson is a committed career politician by his own statement. A career politician cannot vote his conscious in the politically correct environment we have now because they are scared senseless over political backlash.

Romney is just saying whatever it takes to get elected. As a saleman, he could sell ice to Eskimos, but that doesn''t make him a good President.

Thompson is one dimensional and hasn''t even thought of freedom.

Edwards and Romney are the same. Good looking car salesmen.

Why would Biden be worried about his integrity. Its in HIS complete control? Does he not trust himself?