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May 16, 2008
Morning Buzz
Posted: 07:13 AM ET

Morning folks…

A little politics and a little polygamy tonight on AC360. It is only four days until the next primaries: Oregon and Kentucky. As it stands now, Barack Obama appears to be way ahead in the polls in Oregon and Hillary Clinton is holding a significant lead in Kentucky…IF they split the votes and the delegates, then what? I guess we will have to wait and see…Jim Acosta is out on the campaign trail in Oregon and will give us the latest on BOTH candidates…

In other political headlines…what maybe a preview of the political onslaught Michelle Obama may face in the fall, the Tennessee Republican Party unveiled a Web video highlighting her comment that she was proud of America “for the first time in my adult life.” The GOP last effort to associate democratic candidates with Obama and Reverend Wright failed, so will this work? We will see..

AND at least six of John Edwards’ pledged delegates in South Carolina will throw their support to Barack Obama following Edwards’ endorsement of the Democratic front runner, bringing the total number of delegates switching to Obama on Thursday to eight. So Obama NOW leads in pledged delegates, the popular vote and superdelegates…so, what is Hillary Clinton’s strategy now? USA TODAY asks if Obama is leading pledged delegate counts and the seating of Michigan and Florida delegates are the determining events for the nomination, what are the last few contests for? Bragging rights, momentum and symbolism. what?

ALSO on AC360 tonight we will finally air Gary Tuchman’s piece “Is McCain-Too Old?” Barack Obama says that John McCain “lost his bearings.” Obama denies that is a reference about age. But many other public figures are blunt about their belief that John McCain may be too old for the White House. Is it a valid issue? Or is such discussion out of bounds? Is John McCain wins, he would be the oldest person elected to a first term in the White House in the nation’s history.

David Mattingly will give us a preview of Monday’s custody hearings in Texas…remember the 400 plus children taken from the YFZ compound in ELDORADO, Texas? FLDS members are fighting to get their kids back, as CPS justifies to the court their reasons for taking the kids.. Fathers want their kids back, BUT CPS says this is a place where child abuse was rampant, where boys were groomed to be child molestors and underage girls were raped…so will the kids stay in CPS custody or be released back to the compound? All eyes will be on Texas….

AND For the first time since the raid on his followers in Texas, FLDS leader Warren Jeffs is in court. Its a status hearing for his upcoming Arizona trial on charges of presiding over marriages of girls to men, but it will be the first time we have seen him in public since more than 460 FLDSchildren were taken from their families. It is also the first time we’ve seen him since this man who is now said to be emaciated was placed on suicide watch, Gary Tuchman will be LIVE from Kingman, Arizona…

We will also bring you the latest from China…where the Associate Press reports the Sichuan government says the official death toll from this week’s powerful earthquake in the Chinese province has risen to 21,500 people….AND just after the ban on same-sex marriage was overturned in California yesterday…Ellen DeGeneres announced, she and long time partner Portia de Rossi plan to wed…

That is ALL for now…TGIF!!!!

11 Comments
Filed under: The Buzz
11 Comments
missy   May 16th, 2008 7:55 am ET

Thank you for keeping us up to date on China. Hope to see Anderson on tonight! Thank you.

Cindy   May 16th, 2008 8:19 am ET

Can I ask why everyone is saying that Obama can win this nomination before the convention? In reality he can not! He doesn’t have enough delegate count to put it away! You do not count the superdelegates because they don’t count until they have to vote at the convention and anything can happen to make them change their minds from today until the convention. So in reality Hillary has as much of a shot as Obama does. So people need to stop saying he has it sealed up. For all everyone knows Hillary could make some deals with the undecided superdelegates and pull off a fast one to win!! I’m just sayin….maybe you all need to explain this situation better so people can know the real truth. Obama has not won anything…no one can until the superdelegates vote!! Please tell the truth here.

I am glad that you are finally doing McCain reports. For a while it was as if he didn’t even exist! Can’t wait to see Gary’s piece on him.

Mark, VA   May 16th, 2008 8:23 am ET

Anderson, I am a Democrat but it is apparent that Obama is going to be so belittled and torn a part by the Republican Party that McCain does not have to lift a figure. I am going to predict a major landslide victory for McCain. I think McCain will win OH, WI, PA, MI, FL, and MO. Out of these the only one I feel shakey about is MI, Obama may be able to sqeak it out, but he has the refusal to revote hanging over his head. I think it will matter in November. Obama is too passive and too inexperienced to make a fight out of it. If he continues to disregard comments made against him as “the old politics” he will be crushed under the wheels.

Ron M   May 16th, 2008 8:33 am ET

I would hope that your schedule for tonight is now changing to include a discussion around McCain’s apparent hipocracy regarding negotiating with so called terrorists.

He statement 2 years ago that Hamas is a reality and a legitimate government that we must deal with seems at odds with what he says today.

I am also dumbfounded to understand how he plans to end the war in Iraq by 2013 without negotiating with Iran.

His recent statements are dangerous in that they are instilling fear around the world that we may elect another president hell bent on utilizing cowboy diplomacy to deal with very complicated foreign policy.

Senator McCain is far too intelligent to believe what he is stating publicly and his past comments reinforce this. He is therefore obviously doing exactly what he said he would never do. He is using comments out of context to get elected. It is a shame that a man of such stature will stoop so low to get elected.

To inject the age issue, it only becomes pertinent in the regard that McCain realizes this is his last shot at the presidency. He also owes the American people a complete accounting of his health status because this is a very real issue in making a decsion for the next 4 years.

Dolores, Austin Texas   May 16th, 2008 8:52 am ET

Morning Anderson, TGIF!
I have to keep it honest this morning, I didn’t get to watch much of your show last night because of the NBA playoffs, if some you don’t already know, the SPURS forced a Game 7 in New Orleans, boy! Is that going to be tough? Any way’s Good Luck to the SPURS, GO SPURS GO! Have a wonderful weekend Anderson.

Michelle   May 16th, 2008 8:59 am ET

I know people who will not vote for John McCain because
of his age. One of them an 80 year old great grandmother. America has not been doing too well almost a decade into
the 21st century. How did the current economic crisis rise
up, does any of the candidates have a plan to transform
the America economy for the 21st century ? A week ago
Newsweek had an interesting cover and stories about
American possibly losing it’s standing in the world.
The weird thing is the only place I saw this magazine
mentioned was on Current TV.

I also hope you follow up on the Bush comments from
Israel. Just this morning James Rubin was on CNN
with some interesting tape featuring McCain talking
about Hamas. Rubin poindted out something very
interesting. It seems the Dems would not meet with
Hamas but McCain and other Repubs see no problem
talking with Hamas.

Is there any chance of 360 having an international news
segment at time when there is not a natural disaster or
conflict ? In this Digital Age so many things are global
and world news seems to be ignored by MSM.

cassie   May 16th, 2008 9:12 am ET

Good Morning Anderson,
I am trying to understand the question you asked regarding what are the continuing of the Primaries for? Should not all the people’s vote count? If all the states vote plus a fair resolution is reached in Florida and Michigan, there can be no doubt about the nominee and even those who feel slighted by skewed coverage may come around making life easier for the Democratic Party. The coverage of this election has been very strange, one day up for one candidate and one day down. Not very many journalists have been honest during this long Primary period. If Michigan and Florida count, the count is still very much up in the air and how can the popular vote count when all the population have not been counted?

Deb n Texas   May 16th, 2008 9:13 am ET

If they split the votes in Kentucky and Oregon, SO WHAT! The RACE is OVER!

Michelle   May 16th, 2008 9:47 am ET

Wow small world indeed. I was just on CNN.com and was
blown away to see Wolf Blitzer talking with Fareed Zakaria,
who seems to have a book out entitled ” The Post American
World”. At some point I will read this book. Zakaria seems to
be saying the world has moved on and America needs to
get with the program. I think that is the appeal of Obama,
he gets that the world has changed. Russia is now
becoming an economic powerhouse along with China and
India. The world that John McCain speaks of does not exist
anymore. McCain speaks of a time when there was a Eastern
bloc according to the history books. There is now an European
Union and a currency called the Euro that just may replace
the American dollar. America has to figure out it’s place in
the world. This country needs a 21st century president.

Tammy, Berwick, LA   May 16th, 2008 9:56 am ET

Poltics and polygamy-sounds like a winning combination :)

I find it hard to get the images from the earthquake victims out of my head, and there are aftershocks I heard and landslides. How much can these people be expected to take? What is so sad is that many families lost their only child in that quake. How painful! As a teacher, I totally understood that adult found protecting that teen. Taking care of kids is what we do no matter what it costs us.

Speaking of high school kids, I have graduation tonight, so I hope you put a good bit on the podcast so I can watch in the morning.

And thanks for covering the gay marriage story so well last night. For those of us who have grown up loving our GLBT family and friends in a world that teaches that they are wrong and we are wrong for loving them, it’s just nice to get affirmation that maybe one day everyone will see them as we do, simply people we care about because they are.

Nancy Yuengling   May 16th, 2008 10:46 am ET

Hi Anderson I’m a big fan of yours. I wanted to tell somebody that I feel like screaming. I’m one of those disenfranchised Florida voters. I support Hillary for president and if the right thing were done, she would be ahead in the delegates. FL is a winner take all state and Hillary won 210 delegates in FL alone. Then theres Michagan. I think there’s plenty of people that feel the way I do. If Hillary’s not on the ballot as the nominee, Ill vote for McCain. You have a great program. Nancy Port Richey FL

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