Senator John Kerry is campaigning today in California, ahead of next week's
Democratic primary there on Super Tuesday. Like most presidential candidates,
Kerry relies on an army of volunteers. One of them has known the senator for her
entire life.
Ms. VANESSA KERRY (Daughter of John Kerry): You know, this is my dad. This is
the guy who last summer came out in a full-piece wet suit and Hawaiian shorts
and thought he looked cool. I mean, when you see your dad in that light, you
sort of think, `Whoa, you know, this man's running for president of the United
States?'
BLOCK: Vanessa Kerry is the younger of Senator Kerry's two daughters. She's a
third-year medical student when she's not on the campaign trial. This is her NPR
Campaign Diary.
Ms. KERRY: You know, during my father's Senate campaigns--my first one I was
seven. You know, I think I fell asleep in the bathtub on election night. And,
you know, I've always been doing my own thing and in school and sort of just
focused on that. And then my dad and I used to have Sunday night dinners every
Sunday, and we sat down together for a dinner and I just said, `Dad, you know, I
want to join your campaign.' The fork dropped. It was pretty funny.
I definitely get the `I think we need to revise that position, Vanessa,' but I
don't think he's ever seen me in action. He's heard about it. And he was like,
`I just got a phone call and I heard you were great. What did you say?' You
know, he's all excited and fired up. But, you know, the truth is we try to just
talk about our lives. You know, I'm going to go home and I'm going to call him
tonight and he's going to say, `How was it to say goodbye to your friends who
are moving to New Zealand?' And I'm going to have to say it was sad and hard and
weird 'cause there was a huge crowd around me.
And I think the funniest moment that I had was I just--and it's a very private
moment. It's weird. It's not going to seem funny for anyone else, but I was
sitting in the back of the bus with my dad and, you know, he was playing the
guitar. And he was sitting there and somebody turned on the radio and it was
sort of this hip-hop song. And I remember there was press back there and they
were sort of watching him; it's supposed to be the off-the-record hangout. And
he went to kind of just bang to the beat of the music and it was just very funny,
like he just sort of missed a beat. And it was in that moment we both just
doubled over laughing, and the press thought it was hysterical. It was just a
sense of just like, you know, you're just real.
NORRIS: Vanessa Kerry is one of Senator John Kerry's two daughters. She spoke
with NPR's Amy Walters at a campaign event this week in Los Angeles. You can see
a picture of Ms. Kerry and hear more Campaign Diaries at npr.org.
