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June 5th, 2008
06:57 AM ET

Morning Buzz

Morning folks....

Well...It's official, Hillary Clinton is dropping out!! She will concede to Barack Obama on Saturday and suspend her campaign, meaning she doesn't have to give up all her delegates, just yet...Here is an excerpt from the letter she sent out to her supporters over night:

"I wanted you to be one of the first to know: on Saturday, I will hold an event in Washington D.C. to thank everyone who has supported my campaign. Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you.

On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy. This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans.

I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party's nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise....."

So WHAT WENT WRONG  with her campaign?

She began her bid as the presumptive front runner, she seemed to be unstoppable, but then along the way things began to go south? Why? AND when? We interviewed David Gergen, Candy Crowley, Roland Martin, Gloria Borger, Carl Bernstein, Jessica Yellin, Suzanne Malveaux, AND TIME's Mark Halperin about the turning points during the course of Hillary’s campaign that may have lead to her downfall…

WILL she be VP? the Wall Street Journal is reporting "Clinton Unlikely as No. 2" Supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton suggested she would like to be Sen. Barack Obama's running mate, but close advisers to Sen. Obama are signaling that an Obama-Clinton ticket is highly unlikely.

Candy Crowley  will ask Obama directly about the supposed "dream ticket" today when she sits down with him for an interview...We will have the full conversation tonight on AC360...

Randi Kaye brings us a story tonight on THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FEAR. Why did voters vote the way they did? Playing on voters’ fears is an age old campaign tactic. Remember the mushroom cloud ad designed to make people think Goldwater was a warmonger? Remember the Willie Horton ad designed to make people think Dukakis was soft on crime? They both scared voters…and they both worked. While voters often say they don’t like attack ads, studies show the fight or flight instinct is alive and well, and it happens the voting booth. On brain scans the amygdale (the part of the brain that responds to fear) literally lights up when shown a frightening attack ad. This campaign has already seen its fair share of attack ads – from the red phone ad to the Bin Laden ad – the candidates are trying to scare YOU. Randi Kaye tests how a group of undecided voters respond to the psychology of fear, and looks at what that means for the presidential race.

It is still early...so who knows what the news will bring today....


Filed under: The Buzz
soundoff (25 Responses)
  1. Michelle

    If hear one more talking head say she needs time and
    space or that women are angry that she lost I will scream.
    Stop generalizing females we fall into way many demos.

    June 5, 2008 at 11:59 am |
  2. Rosie

    America, a Country which has been set apart, by God, that all might have a part in the sharing of his great love of freedom; yet we fight and begrudge one another of that which has been made possible for all of his children to share and share alike.
    Why are we fighting, when the angels are rejoicing? What happen to our Christian way of life, that has weathered the test of time? When will this human war, in America, come to an end? We have won wars around the globe, but have yet to win the 389 year old war that exist in our own back yard.
    How is it that we love other Countries, and want to see them at peace, with one another, but do not love our own Country enough to want to have peace on our own homefront?
    We have had a Race war for 389 years, and now we have begun a Gender war, and neither will be resolved unless we are willing to take off the mask,which blinds us to the truth. True freedom come with knowing the truth; and until America come into the knowledge of her truth, every American has designed his/her own bondage.
    I hope you leave this message on the blog, but will understand if you chose not to let it be read by the Readers.

    June 5, 2008 at 11:36 am |
  3. Betty Ann, Nacogdoches,TX

    Rahni~
    Sorry, I was a Hillary supporter and I am NOT a racist! I will gladly vote for Obama!
    What you are saying and feeling only promotes a divided party.
    Let's work together for a united party.
    Thanks! 🙂

    June 5, 2008 at 11:29 am |
  4. Betty Ann, Nacogdoches,TX

    I'll tell you what went wrong with Hillary's campaign.
    She played her cards for the popular vote and Obama played the superdelegates.
    Heaven forbid we go by the people's voice.
    Sickening!

    June 5, 2008 at 11:27 am |
  5. SC Gal

    By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer

    CHICAGO — A day after Barack Obama sealed the Democratic nomination for president, a corruption scandal involving a fundraiser who once bankrolled his campaign resurfaced to slightly dampen the festivities.
    Chicago businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko, 52, was convicted Wednesday of fraud, money laundering and aiding and abetting bribery in a plot to squeeze illegal payoffs out of firms hoping to do business with the state.
    Republicans are already capitalizing on Rezko's ties to Obama, even though the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is accused of no wrongdoing and his name was barely mentioned at trial.
    "Today's verdict and Obama's friendship with Rezko raises serious questions about whether he has the judgment to serve as president," Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement.
    Rezko's $8 million bond was revoked and he was taken into federal custody after the verdict in the nine-week trial that exposed a corrupt culture of payoffs and campaign finance abuses plaguing Illinois politics.
    U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said the verdict represented "an antidote to the poison of corruption" that trial testimony alleged included the fixing of state boards that controlled a $40 billion pension fund and made major decisions about million-dollar hospital construction.
    The trial included explosive testimony about all-night drug parties involving the government's star witness and allegations that Gov. Rod Blagojevich personally discussed a state job for a campaign contributor.
    Rezko has known Obama since he entered politics, raised money for his Illinois campaigns and was involved in a 2005 real estate deal with him. Obama has donated $150,000 in Rezko-related contributions to charity.

    June 5, 2008 at 11:17 am |
  6. Larry

    The hatred for Hillary by the Obama folk is not going to go away anytime soon. Obama has always linked her to McCain; remember the summer gas tax holiday, and voting for the war in Iraq?

    June 5, 2008 at 10:54 am |
  7. angie

    i am happy hillary is dropping out and supporting obama and we can move this thing foward come on hillary supporters follow hillary with her support for obama you will be glad you did if your still gonna vote for mccain do you really think hillary would want that isint that like betraying her if you vote for mccain you will be going against everything hillary has fought for she dont want the republicans in the white house obama and hillary their views and policies are pretty much the same thats why she is gonna fight hard for obama to win with mccain as president its gonna be as if hillary lost all over again dont do that to her!!!!!!!

    June 5, 2008 at 10:44 am |
  8. SC Gal

    This is Scary

    From Dreams of My Father: '

    I never emulate white men and brown men whose
    fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man,son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself, theattributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'
    From Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'

    June 5, 2008 at 10:33 am |
  9. michelle: Ont,Canada

    Well unfortunaley for Hillary it's really over and it's a shame that she could n't get the number of votes needed to capture the nonimation . I hope that all of her supporters will raly around Sen Obama and end the run of the Bush years and bring that welcome Change that we so
    desperatley need.

    Michelle

    June 5, 2008 at 10:12 am |
  10. Kim

    Wow, sounds like it will be an amazing show tonight! I am very much looking forward to it!

    June 5, 2008 at 9:53 am |
  11. Rahni, Connecticut

    Mostly all Hillary Clinton supporters are made up of white racist females that are running on their emotions that their democratic presidential hopeful lost the game. If you notice her supporters that when she was speaking the night that she won South Dakota primary, the Clinton supporters were very uncivilized and disrespectful to the winner, Obama. If you remove Hillary from the presidential race, these supporters of Hillary, females were not going to support an African-American anyway. So therefore, run to John McCain and go against what Hillary Clinton stands for or stay at home.

    We still have along way to go for equality in this country.

    Rahni, Connecticut
    Former Hillary Clinton Supporter
    Now for Obama

    June 5, 2008 at 9:49 am |
  12. Denys

    YES!!! We can now moved on and fight for whats important. I am a 34 year old African-American woman and I have never felt the effects of a president before the last 8 years. Being from the south I am very proud of the turn out we had at the primarys. They still have dirty tricks when it comes to blacks voting in mississippi; but despite their efforts to confuse us of our voting preciencts and removing information from our polling sations we succeded! Sen. Clinton is a very powerful and influential woman and I am proud of that, I started out determine to vote for a woman, no question about it. Then I heard this speech from someone I knew nothing about, I was blown away. Emotionally I felt like someone is speaking to me; the young voter, who really does'nt know the power of her vote. For me it was all about him making me believe that " I got your back". Sen. Obama is the future of our country. He is going to take us to the position that we need to be in, in the worlds eye view, and that is a country that does offer equal oppurtunity to all. This shows me how far this country has come. The days of old poltics are over its time for a fresh start. Have'nt we tried the old too many times over? Why be afraid of change?. I can't see another 4-8 years of the republican party. I can't afford anything, my possiblitys of having the "american dream" are slowy fadding because, I need gas to get to work and milk is $ 4.98 a gallon. I realize nothing will change fast WHEN Sen. Obama becomes president, but the ideas of the new will have some reality to them. I'm scared for our future and as one unite democratic party it can have a great out come for the next 8 years.

    June 5, 2008 at 9:39 am |
  13. Mama Mwita

    Thank God, Hillary's finally getting out of our hair! It's okay to loose sometimes.

    I only hope that this has been a lesson to the Clintons that "what goes around comes around"...and that "for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction"....Adios....zaijian....sayonara....kwaheri!!

    June 5, 2008 at 9:31 am |
  14. Anna

    During this Democratic campaign, I was ashamed to see the Male Dominated Leadership in Mass Media and the DNC display their insecurities - as they went to great lengths to ensure that in 2008 a woman would not be the president of the United States. It was sad to see, as they ignored voting in the backbone states of this country but listened to the Mr Obama profiling of those same people in the light of gun toting emotionally unbalanced idiots.

    It was distressing to watch the media attack Hillary as she tried to do the right thing – go on with the campaign as requested by the people casting votes for her. It was equally as disturbing to see that same media hide behind a burlesque curtain labeled with ‘we are just, without bias, informing the public’ BS. The media coverage (Primarily: bash Hillary and say poor Mr Obama), the DNC counting strategy (Count Michigan and Florida at 1/2 their worth), and the debates (ladies first to answer questions, because the lady knew all the answers) were all events that will stand forever as evidence of the injustices that occurred during the 2008 Democratic Campaign engineered to get a man elected … even if that man is too old or too inexperienced.

    If she is not on the ticket - I will be writing in ‘Hillary Clinton’ when November arrives, despite how the men running the show want me to vote.

    A Very Concerned Female American

    June 5, 2008 at 9:26 am |
  15. kenny

    Why is all the hype on who will be Senator Obama VP. We have (the media that is) has already started the Saturday quarterbacking making decision for a man who has not got a full night of sleep. Let back off and allow Senator Obama pick his own VP. I don't see this happening to Senator MCcain. PS please keep that arrogant Nick Ramey off the set.

    June 5, 2008 at 8:41 am |
  16. R.Ramzy

    The last time Clinton "innocently" did something was when she put her name on the Ballot in Michigan, just for historical reasons. Her hanging on to her delegates and only "suspending" her campaign is not innocent, but a part of an extended plan. There is no reason why she should not have conceded, congratulated Senator Obama and began to unite the party unless she has something else in mind. Furthermore, the pressure to become VP is contradictory to her track record. Obama Stragegists should be concerned as well, that her ultimate goal may very well be to run again in 2012, ie McCain in 08, and Clinton in 12.
    David Gergen on CNN emphasizes the importance of showing Strength, resistance to that pressure, and time in making a selection. It is not just the campaign, but the governing that needs to be taken into consideration.
    Her purposefully taking away the thunder of such a wonderful, historical moment of pride for our nation can only mean that she has a more elaborate, detrimental plan in mind that needs to be addressed by the party.

    June 5, 2008 at 8:41 am |
  17. Tammy, Berwick, LA

    The media is what went wrong with her campaign. You all made Obama to be this demigogue Bush antithesis savior of the universe (not just CNN, I'm talking all forms of media). She didn't stand a snowball's chance in Hades at that point once people were sucked into believing he was the new change (and based on his associations and thoughts he's obviously same old same old extreme left liberal Democrat with shady ties to boot). And of course I don't know why I waste time, because you'll never reveal the truths about Obama anywhere (so much for keeping anyone honest). You are the reason Hillary lost, plain and simple. It's good to know women are still the real minority lacking respect in America. I'm proud to be one of them.

    June 5, 2008 at 8:37 am |
  18. Tommy

    Hillary did not use the word concede. She said she would congratulate him and support his candidacy. Lot of difference folks. She may have to take up where she left off when he screws up yet again. Anyway, what a sad day for America. No history made...just pathetic rhetoric. As a Hillary supporter, all these rude and obnoxious Obama supporters will not get our help in Nov. even if Hillary were in the VP spot. Through these blogs, the Obama supporters have shown their true colors. Can't wait to see their faces when they realize he doesn't care anymore for them except for their vote. Now he can go on with Wright, Pfleger, etc.etc.etc.etc.etc. All his radical friends! Did I hear on another channel that the guy that financed Obama's home and gave financial backing to his campaign is now a convicted felon? Is this true? Just another one of his "friends"?

    June 5, 2008 at 8:34 am |
  19. Daria Cohen

    Dear Anderson,
    This is not meant to be an anti-media rant. I am a fan of yours and I appreciate that you try to maintain objectivity while remaining humane and witty. However, I implore you to ask your analysts, David Gergen, Gloria Bolger and Jeffrey Toobin in particular, to temper their dislike for Hillary Clinton in the hopes of demonstrating a modicum of decorum. After turning off the post speech spin on Tuesday, I found their parts in the "What went wrong?" piece to be more of the same sexist, albeit articulate, venom, that we have endured throughout the primaries. OK, they are not in the same vitriolic, misogynistic category as Matthews and Oberman, but it is truly disheartening to hear their bias and disrespect come relentlessly forward . I only hope that you call them on their glee in her defeat. They are due their opinion, but they are losing the audience's patience. So Hillary needed a couple of days to be gracious and pull out. It's not that outlandish or horrifying as the group purported. We will all get behind Obama and appreciate the greatness of his speech and his inspiring message. Thank you for including Malveaux...I am impressed with her respectful reporting and analysis.
    Best regards,
    Daria Cohen
    Hillsborough, NJ

    June 5, 2008 at 8:26 am |
  20. Cindy

    I was sure that Hillary would take a few days to settle down and then concede and throw her support Obama's way and that is what she will do.

    I don't think that Obama will even ask Hillary to be his VP. She has too much baggage and she has Bill! They would always over shadow Obama. Plus I really don't think that Hillary would want to be second banana to anyone....especially not Obama after the hateful things that went on between them.

    And on the WII thing that you all got Anderson....you should have made him play one of the games like tennis or boxing with the hand held controller. That would have been funnier. The step thing was nothing. Honestly I doubt he'll even play it. It'll probably find a good home in the back of his closet or in someone else's house who he gives it away to. Just being honest!!

    Cindy....Ga.

    June 5, 2008 at 8:20 am |
  21. Kristen

    I will believe Hillary is conceding when I see it for myself. But when it does happen kudos to her, that had to be a hard pill for her to swallow and well better late than never.

    Let’s Go Dems, Let’s Go.

    June 5, 2008 at 8:08 am |
  22. Janette

    Hillary Clinton's campaign has run its course. She did an amazing job but in the end she just wasn't the candidate that the country wanted. She resorted to many negative tactics, seemed very unlikable to me and I am your average, everyday American. Even though she certainly planned to struggle to work toward the changes that my family and I needs (ie healthcare) I still think that she had that regular Washington mentality from too any years in Washington. I say this as someone who was once a Hillary supporter. The more important fact is that she needs to step aide and let the country move forward. She should also play her part in reuniting the democrats and put the devisive politics aside. Obama should choose the vice president that he wants, beside does she really want to be vice president now? There are other ways to contribute to changing this country and she has been on that path for years. The country has spoken, democracy prevails, now it's time for Hillary Clinton to step aside and let Obama do his job. And it would be great if she could work to get him elected.

    June 5, 2008 at 8:03 am |
  23. Jhamiel

    Hillary need to take this all the way to Denver she should not give up . The media has been unfair to her on Tuesday night on the Anderson Cooper show Jeff Toobin called her “deranged narcissism” if that is not a low down dirty cheap shot I don’t know what is . I guess CNN is competing with MSNBC to see who can take the most cheap shots against Hillary.

    June 5, 2008 at 7:58 am |
  24. Missy

    I am glad to hear hear this about Clinton suspending her campaign. I know that she has a lot to contribute to the Democratic Party and to the country and personally feel that she can be more effective in a capacity in a position other than as the Vice President.

    June 5, 2008 at 7:30 am |
  25. Steve Kaczynski

    In all of the commentary about John McCain's offer to Barack Obama to conduct a series of town hall meeting debates across the country, and that they would travel to them together, I have not heard anyone identify the origin of the idea. It is not original with Sen. McCain. In Barry Goldwater's 1988 autobiography (appropriately entitled "Goldwater"), Sen. McCain's fellow Arizonan indicated that he and John Kennedy, who were friends from the Senate, had agreed to do just that should Goldwater get the Republican nomination in 1964. The two would travel together throughout the country, and have a series of debates. Of course, an assassin's bullet prevented that. Perhaps someone in the Obama campaign knows about this precedent, and that's why they responded that the idea was "appealing," rather than a "stunt." In any event, JFK agreed to do it; Sen. Obama should consider it as well.

    June 5, 2008 at 7:02 am |