| | Snoop digs Clinton and Obama but only reps 'Gangsta party'  Snoop Dogg, the Susan Lucci of rap artists nominated a ninth time for a Grammy he has never won, spoke with CNN's Larry King about his aspirations for the future and his reaction to the 2008 political campaigns.
"I'd like for my kids to go to college and live prosperous lives," Snoop stated. "It's hard to reach that coming from where I'm from. .. I'm trying to get it to that point."
"In the past, I felt like, you know, my vote didn't count," he continued. "But I feel like now that, you know, if we do get a new president and new people in office then our vote will matter."
When asked what he felt as a black man about Obama and Clinton, he replied, "I feel like they both are great candidates because they both have strong situations to support them. As far as Clinton, her husband was in office and when he was in office, we had a great time and she was his backbone."
Snoop said he's not supporting any candidate because "I'm not down with the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. I represent the gangsta' party." However, he did acknowledge that he feels a tie to Obama because "I am a black man in America and I know that he relates to everything that I'm going through."
"I just want to see somebody win that's in the best interests of America" Snoop emphasized, "and either Obama or Clinton "is a great move for America, because we need change." But his concluding statement was that "I think America is ready for a black president. ... People feel that this man could really win."
This video is from CNN's Larry King Live, broadcast February 1, 2008.
Full transcript available here
KING: In the opening credits of your show, you rap, "this ain't the Huxtables."
SNOOP DOGG: Yes.
KING: The old Bill Cosby show.
SNOOP DOGG: Uh-huh.
KING: Would you not want to be a Huxtable?
SNOOP DOGG: No, that's a great situation. I was just explaining to you that I'm not, you know, raising mine like the Huxtables. You know, they had a great persona and a great perception on the way life is for the black American family in America. But my family is not like the Huxtables -- despite -- we would like to become them one day, but right now we're not.
KING: Oh, you'd like to become them, though?
SNOOP DOGG: Yes. I'd like for my kids to go to college and live (INAUDIBLE)...
KING: Do you think they were unreal, the Huxtables?
SNOOP DOGG: No, I think they were very real. I think they were very real. I just feel like it's hard to reach that coming from where I'm from, as far as where all your kids go to college and just everything is a perfect world and it just works all the time and it's always happy times, you know what I'm saying?
So I'm trying to get it to that point.
KING: How does your wife like the reality show?
SNOOP DOGG: I think she loves it more than anybody in the house. Her and my daughter, they really take a liking to it, because it gives them a chance to, you know, venture off and do some things -- if this is what they like, maybe they want to become superstars. Maybe being in front of the camera is made for them. But it gives them a chance to see that this is something they might want to venture off into. And I feel like as far as the overview of my house, that they really enjoy being in front of the cameras.
KING: Do you ever get involved in politics?
SNOOP DOGG: I never have, not in the past. But I feel like -- now I'm trying to get people aware to vote. Because, you know, in the past, I felt like, you know, my vote didn't count. But I feel like now that, you know, if we do get a new president and new people in office, that our vote will matter. And we have people now in positions that they will listen.
KING: What do you make emotionally as a black man about the Obama/Clinton race?
SNOOP DOGG: To me, I feel like they both are candidates because they both have strong situations to support them. As far as Clinton, her husband was in office and when he was in office, we had a great time and she was his backbone. Anybody knows that every strong man needs a woman to be his backbone. So she basically probably was the mind and soul behind him being the president.
KING: You're not supporting either one?
SNOOP DOGG: I'm not down with the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. I represent the gangsta' party.
KING: The gangsta party?
SNOOP DOGG: Yes, sir.
KING: I mean are you -- Snoop, are you still basically a gangster at heart?
SNOOP DOGG: It's just a figure of speech (INAUDIBLE). But I like using that word.
KING: Was it G-A-N-G-S-T-E-R or G-A-N-G-S-T-A?
SNOOP DOGG: Say it, Larry. Say it like you mean it.
KING: Gangsta'.
SNOOP DOGG: Say it like you mean it, Larry.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Gangsta!
SNOOP DOGG: Yes, sir.
KING: Don't you emotionally, though, have some -- a tie to Barack Obama?
SNOOP DOGG: I do. I do, because I am a black man in America and I know that he relates to everything that I'm going through. But, you know, politically correct -- I just want to see somebody win that's in the best interests of America, whether it be him -- a black man; whether it be Hillary -- a woman. Either one, to me, is a great move for America, because we need change. We need somebody in there that's going to be about listening to the people and representing the people. And I feel like both of those candidates will do that.
KING: Do you think America's really ready for a black president?
You see prejudice all the time.
SNOOP DOGG: All the time. I think America is ready for a black president by him winning, you know, like he's winning so far and even competing to be in the talks right now. You know, I remember in the past where we had presidential candidates like Jesse Jackson. And it was a gimmick. It was like a joke because nobody really believed Jesse could win. You know, win Jesse win -- but we didn't really think he could win. Right now, people really feel like this man could really win and he's got the right thing going for him. He's got the right conversation. He's in line with the right, you know, with the right scenario to win. And, you know, whether he wins or loses, I feel like he -- he made a great step for black America by him stepping to the table and pulling off something like this.
KING: Have you met him?
SNOOP DOGG: I've never met him.
KING: We'll be back with more of Snoop Dogg right after this.
 
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