Transcript
Allison Varzally: I wanted to ask you, we spoke on Friday about your growing up in Ohio and moving to California, and your business, all your innovations in the fast food industry.
Today, I wanted to continue by asking you about your involvement in politics, whatever you remember. And, you have been called Mr. Orange County. How did you get that name and what did that mean to you?

Carl N. Karcher: I've been recurrent. Actually I have a star. Mr. Austin got the first star through the (indecipherable). I got the second star. A lot of people asked me, months afterwards, at the library. There was a hundred people there, probably. We had a deal last night, yesterday, when one of the young ladies said, "How do you get all these crowds, Mr. Karcher?" "Live a long time, " I said.

Varzally: How did you first get involved in politics?

Karcher: My mother and dad were both conservative Democrats. I guess that's where I started initially. But it's interesting, because a lot of Republicans today, I don't understand why they're trying to destroy the conservative enterprise.

Varzally: So, your parents were conservative Democrats. How did you disagree with your parents or agree with your parents growing up?

Karcher: I agreed with my parents, very much so. Both were very fine people. My father died early, my mother died more recently. (indecipherable.)

Barbara Wall: Dad, do you remember clubs that you belonged to as a Republican? The ones that you were active in, in Orange County?

Karcher: I've been here a long time.

Wall: You have been here a long time. I just know of the Lincoln Club. Do you have any memories there? That's a conservative Republican group.

Karcher: That's correct. The Lincoln Club.

Varzally: How did you get involved in the Lincoln Club? What did you do there?

Karcher: They called me that. But, (indecipherable) we were in the club. Very important.

Wall: You had several fundraisers here for some political figures. Do you remember?

Karcher: President Reagan was here. Other presidents.

Varzally: Who was your favorite political figure, conservative political figure?

Karcher: Republicans.

Varzally: Was there a particular Republican whom you most admire?

Karcher: Yes.

Vazally: Who?

Karcher: I used to listen to them, and their involvement in politics. It wasn't too hard to make a decision. They were trying to keep conservatism in our country, and actually our country is in a terrible national condition now. I see on the TV and I don't know what's going to happen, but they're trying to destroy the conservative party altogether. It has to be looked at.

Wall: Do you have a particular political figure that you admired the most? Who was in office, like a president, did you feel very close to President Reagan? Dad was very close to President Nixon.

Karcher: The three of them called me at Christmas, that first Christmas. Lincoln. I can't think straight.

Wall: You know President Bush.

Karcher: President Bush, yeah.

Wall: Dad knew many of the presidents and Dad worked on... Do you remember being on President Reagan's task force?

Karcher: Yes.

Wall: With the Peter Grace commission? You used to work very hard on that. Dad belonged to actually a lot of conservative groups, political groups, in Orange County. His fight was for the free enterprise system and freedom. And, he was very involved and active in the community, the local community as well as the larger political forces, the governors and....`

— Transcription by CastingWords