She got her start in porn and now she’s thinking politics. Stormy Daniels is considering running against Louisiana’s Republican senator, David Vitter, in 2010. Vitter was linked to the D.C. Madame and her prostitution services in 2007. Daniels has launched what she is calling a listening tour in Louisiana. She spoke to Kiran Chetry on CNN’s “American Morning” Wednesday.
Kiran Chetry: You are considering this possible Senate run in Louisiana against Senator David Vitter and he is infamous, I guess you could say, for his link to the D.C. Madame. So as a former porn star, is there a little bit of irony here?
Stormy Daniels: I think so. I think that’s one the things that people find kind of entertaining about the whole thing but you’ve got to remember what I do is legal and what he did is not. So, yeah, I think that people find that very interesting. I hear the word karma a lot.
Chetry: You still haven’t filed the papers yet, right? How seriously are you considering this run for Senate?
Daniels: Well, I’m seriously considering it. That’s the whole reason why I’m here this week doing the listening tour. I think that before I can decide whether or not I’m going to move forward with actually campaigning and undertaking a possible candidacy, I want to do the responsible thing and do a listening tour so I can get a better feel of what the people here really want me to do.
Chetry: You had your first experience with that yesterday in Baton Rouge. What was the reaction from people? Are they taking you seriously and do they hold your past in adult film against you?
Daniels: You know what, I was really, really overwhelmed by how positive and how good the turnout was yesterday. Every seat in the place was taken. There was tons of news there. Everyone had very serious, positive questions for me. I was expecting at least a little bit of controversy but surprisingly there was none. And everyone’s questions seemed to be very serious.
Chetry: And so what did you tell them when they were seeking answers about help with the foreclosure situation there, help with job losses? How are you telling them you’re going to be able to make their lives better?
Daniels: Well you have to remember this isn’t the actual campaign, this is the listening tour. So the whole idea of me going there yesterday was I was supposed to be asking the questions to them. I wanted to get their feedback so that I could decide what my platform was going to be on each of those topics. I was very impressed with the turnout. I was very pleased with the turnout and the response but I was, quite honestly, I was a little disappointed that more people didn’t speak up and let me know what their issues were. I think they were very intimidated by the amount of television crews and cameras that were in the room. Of course everybody wanted know to how I felt about taxes. A couple of people wanted to know about David Vitter and the same thing that I said yesterday is I wasn’t there to talk about him. I’ve done enough of that. If they had questions about David Vitter they needed to go and talk to David Vitter about that, but overall I mean I am here to listen to decide what their opinions are.
Chetry: So your supporters have this website up, draftstormy.com. They say it’s a chance to start with a clean slate, to elect a representative we can be proud of, who will work tirelessly, who will change the status quo. If people are saying okay maybe this isn’t a joke, what are you saying to convince them that you would make a good Senator?
Daniels: The whole draft story came about, like I said before, I had nothing to do with it. I largely ignored the situation in the beginning and the only reason why I am moving forward and I’m sitting here talking to you guys today is because everyone is encouraging me and I’ve gotten so much positive feedback. And the only thing I have to say to people is you know, I don’t have a hidden personal agenda or political agenda. This wasn’t my idea. I’m strictly doing it because I have been called to duty if for nothing else and I think that by taking the steps in this listening tour and really listening to what people have to say and what their concerns and their issues are and forming a way to help them with these things, I think that they are really beginning to take this seriously. Anyone who knows me and has worked with me in any of the businesses that I’ve been involved in before knows that I never take anything lightly. I work extremely hard. I’m always up for a good fight. And I don’t undertake anything that I don’t think that I can be the best at.
