While he may be best known as the host of a boisterous daytime talk show, Jerry Springer has been involved in Democratic politics for most of his life. The former mayor of Cincinnati is here at the DNC this week drumming up support for Democratic candidates and getting the delegates fired up. All chairs will stay firmly in place. We caught up with Springer this morning:
TVNewser: What brings you to the DNC?
Springer: We have a podcast, the Jerry Springer podcast and so we’re covering the convention and then also I do work for the Democratic party. I’ll be addressing the Washington delegation, the Ohio delegation, the Nebraska delegation. So I campaign for a lot of Democrats.
TVNewser: You’ve been in Democratic politics since your first run for congress in 1970, you were mayor of Cincinnati, and had aspirations of running for Governor of Ohio and for senate. Is Jerry Springer going to run again for office?
Springer: Well I was crossing my fingers on the VP pick (laughs). No. I’m 72 years old. It sounds corny, but I’m an immigrant, I love America. I’ve always made it a point to participate politically. No. the answer is, I’m not running for office. But I go to the conventions and do a lot of speeches for them.
TVNewser: So what’s next? You go back to Connecticut to start taping the new season of Jerry Springer show?
Springer: August 22 we go back. And then once a week I do the one-hour podcast.
TVNewser: What do you think about that transition of politicians going into the media, or even vice versa?
Springer: I went from politics into the media. That kind of makes sense, because you’re coming in with a body of knowledge. That can be useful in the media. Because I went to news [as anchor of WLWT in Cincinnati, after his mayoral term in 1977-78]. No one should run for president of the United States who has not held a government office before.
TVNewser: You’re speaking of Donald Trump of course.
Springer: Exactly. It’s disrespectful that you have so little respect for America that you honestly believe someone who has never done anything in this field can be in charge of the most important country in the world. It’s dangerous. It’s really dangerous. When he says some of these things about NATO and China…
TVNewser: One thing you do have in common: you are both Yankees fans.
Springer: God bless ’em.