LARRY KING: Curiosity Tweaker

Larry King, the host of CNN’s highest-rated telecast, “Larry King Live,” has become a major player in this year’s presidential race. On Feb. 20, King’s show made headlines around the world when Ross Perot announced his candidacy for the presidency.

In July, the show was front-page news when Vice President Dan Quayle told King he would support his daughter if she had an abortion. Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton and running mate Al Gore also have found a forum on King’s program. And King played host to President George Bush during the recent Republican convention.

This Sunday, King is taking his act on the road as he hosts “From the Heart of America: A Larry King Town Meeting,” live from Wichita, Kansas. Last January, King hosted a town meeting in Pittsburgh covering such issues as the economy. The Wichita town meeting will cover a variety of national issues.

King, who also hosts a nightly radio show, began honing his interviewing skills in that medium more than 30 years ago when he talked to celebrities from a Miami restaurant. The Ace Award-winner has written five books, writes a column for USA Today and was recently inducted into the National Assn. of Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame.

He took some time during the Republican convention in Houston to talk about Perot, the power of the media in the presidential race and the upcoming town meeting with Times Staff Writer Susan King.

Were you surprised when Ross Perot pulled out of the presidential race?

I was just flabbergasted. Obviously, he had a distaste for it. I just don’t think he liked the process. I remember the night after he quit he came on our show. He is sitting with me before we go on and he says to me, “You know what they wanted me to do? They wanted me to take a picture with my grandchildren.” I said, “Well, what’s wrong with that?” He said, “What does that have to do with being president?”

Of course, he is completely correct. Barbara Bush, bringing the whole family on stage, what does that mean? What does that have to do with whether her husband is a good president or not? It has zippo to do.

I don’t know what (family values) means. For example, I had someone tell me, “My family value is that I don’t play golf; I come home to my kids.” Dan Quayle doesn’t have family values by that reasoning. Saturday afternoons he plays golf and he could be with his children. The whole thing is a joke. Family values means Clinton once left his wife for another woman. That is all it means. There is no other reason for it. It is a wonderful term, but what does it mean?

It will be really interesting to see what the people in Wichita feel about both conventions.

Is Wichita both economically and racially diverse?

It is. There is an urban approach to Wichita. There is a black element. There are some Hispanics. There is a farming element. It is the 51st largest city. We want average people and average guys (on the panel) who deal with problems. I don’t want high-flown Washington experts. I want to hear what people’s problems are.

It is an interesting concept in programming. It is something CNN should do more of, which is live. It is the new mode in politics, which is go out and talk to the public and take phone calls, listen to people and let people interact with officials. That basically is an old-fashioned town meeting. That is what the media has been able to become. This town meeting in Wichita is going to be viewed all around the world.

What are your strengths as an interviewer?

I am a street guy. I am not intellectualized. I am curious, intensely curious. I am a good listener. If you think about it, my curiosity is something that is a part of me, that is inside of me that lives with me. I am curious, curious. The average person is curious and what I help that average person do is tweak that curiosity to provide some answers. There is no such thing as soft or hard questions. It comes from good listening.

Do you find viewers ask good questions when they call in and talk to politicians?

They are generally good questions. They have respect. I don’t think they are out to maim. Sometimes the simplest questions and the simplest answers come from people. The first six calls Clinton took when he was on our show--they were all excellent questions all dealing with issues. The public may be more interested in the true issues than we (the media) are.

Have you gained more respect form journalists and politicians as an interviewer because of the impact of Perot’s appearance on your show?

I had gotten a lot of attention (before), but there has been nothing like this year. Here I am 58 years old. I wouldn’t change jobs with anyone. I get (to do) television and radio. I meet new people every day. I get well paid to do something I would do for nothing. I get to write a weekly column. I write books--I got a fifth book coming out in September about growing up in Brooklyn. I go out and make speeches across the country. I am in Los Angeles to do a movie tomorrow. I play myself and the movie is called “Dave” (with Kevin Kline as a presidential candidate). It is hysterical.

I have always had the appreciation of my peers, have had good audiences and I love my work. I think that comes through. There is nothing like the attention I have had this year. Someone told me the other day I have been on the front page of The New York Times 17 times! That is crazy.

“From the Heart of America: A Larry King Town Meeting” airs Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on CNN . “Larry King Live” airs weeknights at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 1 a.m. on CNN.