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A Huge Weekend Sweep for Barack Obama; A Major Shakeup Tonight in the Clinton Camp; Virginia Under State of Emergency
Aired February 10, 2008 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A huge weekend sweep for Barack Obama. How he grabbed four states from Hillary Clinton plus a major shakeup tonight in the Clinton camp. Could this switcheroo give Clinton an edge over Obama? Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody ought to have their own freedom to worship for whatever they want to worship for. I mean, I wouldn't want somebody tell me that I can't be a Baptist.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Swastikas, races graffiti and a mosque burned to the ground. What prompted this awful crime?
And, "Go away," that's what one mayor told the U.S. Marines in his town. Now he's under fire. And later --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you are attracted, you want to find out if there's more to her than meets the eye. Go in right away. If you waited any little longer, you may still look (INAUDIBLE). And you're approaching anxiety. You're adrenaline release will build up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: What? Obviously the game has changed since I was -- well, OK. These pickup artists are teaching men the new way to catch women and it's not cheap. We'll explain just in time for Valentine's Day. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And good evening, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
And tonight, the Democratic race to the White House narrows even more in scope. Another contest, another win for Barack Obama. Let's take main hands in his latest victory tonight. It comes on the heels of a sweep of three states yesterday and as his campaign gains momentum, what is Senator Hillary Clinton's next step?
CNN's senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley, joins us. She's on the phone with us.
Candy, good to talk to you. Tell us about the shakeup in the Clinton camp. CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they have a new campaign manager. These are people that have always been close to Hillary Clinton. The campaign used to be run by a woman named Patti Solis Doyle, who was a long-time Clinton aide. In fact, it was a scheduler for Hillary Clinton in the White House.
After Iowa, there was some talk that there was going to be a shakeup in next campaign. That's when Hillary Clinton placed third. Then New Hampshire was pretty good. But in the meantime, they brought off another Clinton loyalist. So the campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, has left. She's been replaced by a woman named Maggie Williams, who is a close friend of Hillary Clinton.
Now, let's face it. You don't change campaign managers if you're happy with the campaign.
HARRIS: Yes.
CROWLEY: You know, there's been a streak of Barack Obama wins and, probably more importantly, they have been out-raced and out-spent for the month of January. So they have made the switch.
HARRIS: OK. Candy Crowley for us. Candy, appreciate it. Thank you.
And on Tuesday, the Potomac primaries. Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C., all holding presidential contest. So when you add up what's happened over last 48 hours, then adding what could happen over the next 48, what do you get? Another surprise like Obama winning Maine?
Time to bring in CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser.
Paul, good to talk to you. OK. What do you think? Tuesday, the Potomac primaries? What is this? This stretch of primaries favor here?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I think they got to favor Barack Obama. Take a look at the states and the District of Columbia. You know, Maryland is almost 30 percent African- American, Virginia about 20 percent. And here in the District of Columbia, over half of the population here is African-American.
And when you look at Democratic primary voters in this contest, it's even more African-American. Now Barack Obama has done extremely well with blacks and you would think that he will continue to do well. One of the things in his favor on Tuesday, Virginia. It's an open primary, which means independents can vote in that primary. And Barack Obama has done very well with independent voters. So you would think that if everything matches up, he's going to do well on Tuesday.
HARRIS: Well, Paul, if you're in the Clinton camp, where are you looking for some kind of relief here? Are you looking to maybe March 4th and Ohio? What do you do here?
STEINHAUSER: Yes. You're looking deep into the heart of Texas and you're looking at Ohio as well. Ohio has got a large union population and it's got a lot of -- well, you know, blue-collar population as well. Clinton has done very well with those kind of voters.
The economy is a -- you know, it's a big issue all across the country but especially in Ohio. And when it comes to the economy, where people say that's their most important issue, they tend to vote for Clinton more than Obama. So you would think she would do well there.
Texas, another state with a large number of delegates on the March 4th. That state has a large number of Latino voters. And exit polls, which are -- you know, surveys of voters as they leave the polling stations, they show that Clinton has done extremely well with Latino voters. So the Clinton camp is looking to March 4th. The problem is -- that's a couple of weeks down the road and the momentum seems to be building for Obama. She needs to do something.
HARRIS: Yes. What was the turnout like in Maine? I know that's something that you follow closely.
STEINHAUSER: You know, the turnout -- and it was snowing up there in Maine. I'm not used to snow up there, but it was snowing today. It turnout it was very large. I don't know if it was a record. I need to check the numbers.
But it's something we've seen in the Democratic contests. You know, so far this year. More people are voting in the Democratic contest than the voting in a Republican contest. And I think there's a reason. Democratic voters are energized. They were energized in 2006 and what happened? The Democrats took back Congress. They want to take back the White House. They want it badly.
It's been almost eight years now where the Republicans in the White House. They're energized. There are more people voting in Democratic contests than Republican contests.
HARRIS: There he is. Got a lot of face time lately. All right, I'll see you. Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser. Paul, great to see you. Thanks for your time this evening.
STEINHAUSER: Take care, Tony.
HARRIS: OK. The Republican race is really a two-man contest. The far frontrunners, Senator John McCain and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who chipped away a bit this weekend at McCain's overwhelming advantage.
CNN's Mary Snow is with team Huckabee.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One day, after scoring a big win in Kansas and another one in Louisiana, Mike Huckabee came here to the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. This is church founded by the late Reverend Jerry Falwell. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister himself, put presidential politics out of his remarks and instead, focused on morality. It is here in Virginia where Mike Huckabee is hoping to gain momentum among conservative voters -- trying to portray himself as the real conservative. But he lacks far behind Senator John McCain. McCain congratulated Huckabee Saturday night on his win. But his campaign said the reality is that McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee.
But Huckabee is fighting for every last delegate and his campaign is even challenging the results from the Washington caucuses, sending a legal team there -- saying that the votes were counted too quickly and they say they're exploring legal options.
Mary Snow, CNN, Lynchburg, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: OK. You know, at this stage in the game when the candidates talk about votes, they're really talking about delegates. Get enough delegates on your side and bam, you're the nominee. The delegate gap between Republicans, Huckabee and McCain is fairly wide. Some say unbridgeable. Not so between the Democrats. Read the numbers along with me here. These are CNN's latest calculations. So far, just 27 delegates separate Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. That is tight, tight, tight.
Meantime, the former rival, John Edwards, has a decision to make. Will he endorse Clinton or Obama? Decision may be coming despite some advisers encouraging Edwards not to endorse. Edwards has already met with Senator Clinton and will meet with Barack Obama. That's scheduled to happen tomorrow.
The woman with an eye on the title, first lady, gets some one-on one-time with our very own "LARRY KING LIVE" tomorrow. Michelle Obama set to appear live with CNN on "LARRY KING LIVE." That's tomorrow evening. Lawyer, Harvard grad, mother of two and 15 years spouse of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Her exclusive interview with the best in the business. "LARRY KING LIVE." That's tomorrow evening at 9 Eastern.
By now, you know, CNN equals politics. We have the Best Political Team On Television and online. You can log on to cnn.com/politics for the latest election results and you can hear the candidates live and unfiltered.
And there is a wrestling match on the stump for the black and Latino vote. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- who's appealing to whom and why?
Plus, state of emergency and evacuations in Virginia as wildfires threaten to destroy homes and livelihoods.
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HARRIS: In Virginia -- whoa! Boy, first time I've seen these pictures. Virginia under a state of emergency right now. Boy, what a scene there. Thousands of people without power. Appalachian Power said more than 75,000 of its customers in Western Virginia lost electricity because of downed power lines due to these wildfires. Dramatic pictures this evening. That includes 41,000 people without power right now in a Roanoke area.
Let's get you to Bonnie Schneider in the severe weather center. And Bonnie, it is hot, it is dry, and it is windy. That is kind of the perfect storm there for wildfires like we're seeing there in Virginia.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Boy, you know what? I don't know, Clark (ph), can pull back up those pictures of Virginia again. But I just feel like I want to tell that story of Virginia and the wildfires there. Just a little bit more completely, Bonnie, than we did just a moment ago.
Just to say that a state of emergency, actually, has been declared. We're talking about several Virginia counties now because of the heavy winds and the situation -- those conditions that Bonnie just talked about. Trees obviously knocked down to power to thousands of homes, businesses out right now. We're talking about mandatory evacuations of hundreds of folks there in Western Virginia.
Governor Tim Kaine has activated the Virginia National Guards to be available to help battle the wildfires. So, this is a situation that we will continue to follow in the NEWSROOM, certainly, overnight hours.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The winds are still very strong even right now, Tony. If you look at Virginia Beach, we have winds sustained coming in at 30 miles per hour. So, you can just imagine that the gusts are even more fierce than that.
HARRIS: OK. So -- all right. Thank you. That gives us a better opportunity to tell that story. Bonnie, thanks.
Let's take you to Kodiak, Alaska right now. Temperatures in the teens, rough seas, sleet, and those conditions this weekend. The U.S. Coast Guard raced to an emergency off-shore. What a story this is.
This fishing boat actually flipped over with two men on board. One of them died. The other was trapped inside with time running out, as you can imagine. Take a look at what the Coasts did. They whipped out a chainsaw, cut a hole in the boat's hull and pulled the fisherman to safety. He is in the hospital and is expected to survive.
Two years ago, a hero's welcome. This year, the reception wasn't just chilly. It was canceled all together. The mayor of Toledo, Ohio wants a unit of Marine Reservists to train some place else. And they were coming from Michigan. He says that many troops visiting his city at one time send the wrong message. What's the message? Here's Jonathan Walsh of our affiliate WTOL.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JONATHAN WALSH, WTOL REPORTER (voice-over): Back in 2006, the Marines used downtown Toledo for their urban exercise to prepare them for situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner says he observed some of that training and saw citizens walking by.
CARTY FINKBEINER, TOLEDO, OHIO: There was a look of wonderment on some people's faces and there was a look of fear on other people's faces.
WALSH: He says in 2006, he met with the public safety director and the chief of staff.
FINKBEINER: I said this is not good idea.
WALSH: Mayor Finkbeiner goes on to tell us there was not enough information passed along to city leaders this time around.
FINKBEINER: Good planning can get a lot accomplished on behalf of the military while protecting the health, welfare, and safety and tranquility of the men and women who live there.
WALSH: However, the Marine's company commander says
MAJOR DAN WHISNANT, COMPANY A, 1st BATTALION, 24th MARINES: We had press releases going out this week. We had a previous planning meeting -- a final planning conference essentially in January and everything was good to go.
WALSH: We asked people in Toledo if they think the mayor's decision is right.
GWENDOLYN JONES, DISAGREES WITH MAYOR: No, I feel we would have welcomed the Marines.
JENNIFER FILLMORE, DISAGREES WITH MAYOR: They're here to protect us. The mayor has no right to say what they can and cannot do. I think that would be up to the citizens. I don't think the citizens have a problem with it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Scaring the people? I think Carty scares the people more than the Marines scare the people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: That's Jonathan Walsh from our affiliate WTOL. A couple of flip notes here. Toledo police somehow knew about the training but the memo never made it to the mayor until it was a little too late. And we're hearing the City Council is talking about reimbursing the Marines $15,000 for travel expenses.
You know, there's a wrestling match for the black and Latino vote. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama -- who's voting for whom and why?
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HARRIS: The Latino population in the United States is growing and with the number of diverse states on the election calendar, it makes for a spirited battle for Hispanic votes between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. And as CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports, they're going at it pretty hard.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a battle for Latino voters. They campaigned heavily on radio and on television. In the end, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton won in key Latino states in different parts of the country.
Clinton won the Latino vote by more than 60 percent in New Jersey, New York, and California. Obama edged out Clinton for the Latino vote in Illinois and did better than expected among Latinos in Arizona. But he won the Democratic caucus in Colorado, a key Latino state.
ARTURO VARGAS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ELECTED OFFICIALS: It would be a mistake for Senator Clinton to believe that she has the Latino vote sewn up. And it would be a mistake for Senator Obama to think it's out of reach.
GUTIERREZ: But Hillary Clinton did considerably better among Latinos overall. Was it race? Elos (ph) say no and exit polls back that up. One expert says Clinton's advantage among Latinos has more to do with name recognition and memories of happier times before immigration raids and mass deportation.
VARGAS: I think Latinos fondly remember the Clinton administration. Strong economic times, we're not at war. It was a time when many Latinos were in the Clinton administration.
GUTIERREZ: Political analyst, Arturo Vargas, says historically, Latinos will back a candidate they know. They've done it before for black candidates.
VARGAS: Tom Bradley in Los Angeles, Wellington Webb in Denver, Harold Washington in Chicago.
GUTIERREZ: Spanish radio host, Renan Coello says Clinton has the power of her name and the Clinton organization behind her. He says Obama's biggest challenge is getting the message out to Latino voters. Something he needs to do by campaigning in their communities. Analysts say Obama may only need time to close the gap with Clinton and win over the Latino vote.
(on-camera): The next battle ground state for the Latino vote is Texas. It has the second largest Latino population in the country. And one out of every five registered voters there is Latino.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: So, have you noticed a black, brown divide developing among Democratic voters this campaign season? Who are African- Americans backing? Who are Latinos backing and why? That's the question.
Joining me tonight -- award-winning journalist and author, Maria Hinojosa now with PBS.
Maria, it's great to see you again. Former CNNer. It's good to have you back.
MARIA HINOJOSA, ANCHOR, NPR'S LATINO USA: It's good to be back, Tony.
HARRIS: Good to see you.
And political analyst, Keli Goff. Keli, as always great to see you lady.
KELI GOFF, POLITICAL ANALYST: It's great to be back.
HARRIS: Hey, Maria, let me start with you. What's your reaction to kind of the news this evening that Patti Solis Doyle, who is Hispanic, is out as Hillary's campaign manager? I wanted to put it this way to Candy Crowley at the top of the newscast. I thought better of it. I don't mind with you as our analysts here, I delivered California for you and now I'm out?
HINOJOSA: Well, you know, the thing is that she is not just the manager for getting the Latino vote for Hillary Clinton.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: Great point. Way to put me in my place. Very good.
HINOJOSA: So, you know, there are changes in campaigns and we're seeing one here. Clearly, this means that they are going to have to continue to work hard to get that Latino vote. Patty Solis did deliver, but, you know, this is what happens inside a campaign.
I don't think you can look at this and say, Oh my gosh, she didn't deliver enough Latino vote or they're something -- a message to Latino community. That's not what's happening here.
HARRIS: Yes. Maria, what do you think? Are we making this up? We breakdown the exit polling and we say, Oh, black votes overwhelmingly going for Obama. Oh, the Hispanics overwhelmingly going for Clinton.
Are we making this up? Are we making a fight where there really isn't one?
HINOJOSA: I have to tell you, look, Tony, I take the relationship between African-Americans and Latinos very, very seriously. I'm a Mexican-American immigrant who grew up on the south side of Chicago. My relationship with African-American community is key to who I am. I also know that we have tensions and issues that we have to talk about that I feel are very important.
But specifically in terms of this campaign, specifically in terms of reaching out to Barack Obama, no. This is not an anti-black vote. This is not Latino saying, we will not support an African-American candidate. This is that Barack Obama has a lot of work to do in terms of reaching out to a community that knows the Clintons, knows Hillary Clinton. They have done a tremendous amount of work. And so Barack Obama has got to get on the eight ball.
HARRIS: Yes. Keli, what do you think? Is this a media invention? We studied the exit polling. Are we picking a fight where there is no fight?
GOFF: The media hyping up something that's not real?
HARRIS: No. It never happen does it?
GOFF: No. Well, you know, I think the most frustrating thing about watching the story unfold has been listening to the media talk about this quote-unquote "monolithic Latino vote."
HARRIS: Way to go.
GOFF: As if all Latinos sit in a room and make decisions exactly alike. I think it's really insulting to all minority groups, whether it's African-Americans or Latinos. Because the reality is, anyone who thinks that a second-generation Cuban-American, a first-generation Puerto Rican-American, and a third-generation Mexican-American all have the exact same political outlook as someone who clearly has never met any of them either.
So, I have to think that this whole concept. And furthermore, really quickly, I need to say something that is important and what been mentioned earlier -- which was that Barack Obama won the Latino vote in Connecticut. So to just simply make this blatant, you know, generalization that Latinos are going one way, it's just...
HARRIS: Why are we making agree? Keli and Maria, while we're making nice here, it's my job to stir the pot. I am the big spoon, after all.
Maria, let me pose this to you. It's a question that came up during the last Democratic debate before Super Tuesday. Put pretty sharply here. Illegal immigration from Mexico has led to declining wages in the African-American community.
If Mexico or Mexicans weren't working for such low wages, wages would rise and blacks would take some of those jobs. You know, it was a question at the debate. I toss it to you now.
HINOJOSA: Well, look, this is a very serious issue and there is no doubt that low wage, unskilled African-American workers are impacted by the presence of undocumented immigrants. That is true. But you don't always see that as a loss. There are a lot of these jobs that perhaps go to undocumented immigrants and then those African-American laborers are actually pushed up in terms of the labor scale and in terms of job opportunities.
To make a statement that if Mexican immigrants stop coming, somehow the African-American community -- their status economically is going to improve measurably? No. Incorrect. But yes, there is an impact and we have to talk about it. There is a tension there. To deny it would be wrong. But it's not an anti-African-American vote that's happening out there.
GOFF: Tony, can I say something else really quickly from that point?
HARRIS: Sure.
GOFF: Which is that what I find so ironic about people who say that -- well, the issue of jobs is causing Latinos and blacks not to get along and therefore they won't vote for each other. So then, what are Latino voters supposed to do with white candidates since they are overwhelmingly the ones who are the -- you know, minutemen or the virulent anti-migration activist?
I mean, if we all started voting based on who we're mad at on one issue at any given time, then we would just stay home. Because it's this idea that -- you know, any community is going to agree on every single issue is absurd. It's just not -- I mean it's just not realistic.
HARRIS: Well, just a last note. Keli, we'll start with you. Will both of these communities rally around to the extent that they vote Democratic? Will they rally around whoever the nominee is?
GOFF: That's not a given. That is not a given. And I think the Democratic Party is going to really have to wake up this election cycle and realize that.
HARRIS: That's the point.
GOFF: You know, nonpartisanship is increasing dramatically with each election cycle and also with generations, as voters get younger.
HARRIS: And Maria, let me get your last word on that.
HINOJOSA: Absolutely. Both of these candidates have got to work hard to get this Latino vote. It is not a given that they will absolutely go for the Democrat. They need to understand that this is a community that wants to be heard. They want to be listened to. And they want to be taken seriously in this presidency and then the ones coming in the future.
HARRIS: How smart was that. Maria and Keli, great to see you both. And thanks for your time this Sunday evening.
HINOJOSA: Good to see you, Tony.
GOOF: You too.
HARRIS: Yes, good to see you.
All right, still to come in the NEWSROOM this evening. A Tennessee mosque burned to the ground. The culprits leave swastikas on the wall and the community in shock.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You knew him as the police chief in the blockbuster "Jaws." Some sad news just in to CNN. Actor Roy Scheider has died at the age of 75. A Little Rock, Arkansas hospital says it has been treating him for a form of cancer. You might remember one of Scheider's most famous lines in "Jaws." "You're going to need a bigger boat."
It was voted number 35 on the American Film Institute's List of Best Movie Quotes. Roy Scheider also received two Oscar nominations for his roles in the "French Connection." He was absolutely brilliant in all that jazz. Roy Scheider dead at 75.
A small mosque in Columbia, Tennessee may have been the target of a hate crime. The building was defaced and gutted and now police have arrested three suspects charging them with arson.
Brent Frazier of CNN affiliate WTVF has more on the mosque and the community.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM CAVANAUGH, ATF SPECIAL AGENT: We're working it as an obvious arson and hate crime.
BRENT FRAZIER, WTVF REPORTER (voice-over): Seven years at 13th and Main, the Islamic Center went unharmed and some neighbors will tell you, virtually unnoticed.
JOLYNN DICILLO, NEIGHBOR: I didn't even know what the building was for.
FRAZIER: Obviously, someone does know what the modest building is.
CAVANAUGH: Swastikas were painted on the side of the Mosque and graffiti indicative of white hate so we got an attack on house of worship.
FRAZIER: The artist also wrote we run the world and white power.
(on-camera): There's a fine line between hate crime and ordinary every day vandalism. But the Muslims who worship here in Columbia says make no mistake. Their center was targeted.
DAOUD ABUDIAB, ISLAMIC CENTER PRESIDENT: I would have to suspect it maybe vandalism but to burn the building down, you know, that's a criminal act.
FRAZIER (voice-over): If the early-morning fire didn't catch the eye of neighbors --
KEITH KYLE, NEIGHBOR: (INAUDIBLE), I didn't even know anything was going on. FRAZIER: The afternoon racket likely did. As local, state, and Federal investigators combed for clues to tell them whose behind the crime many say is un-American.
DICILLO: I don't think its right. I mean, everybody ought to have their own freedom to worship for whatever they want to worship for. I mean, I wouldn't want somebody to tell me that I can't be a Baptist if I'm a Baptist, you know.
FRAZIER: Neighbors are sharing what investigators anything they saw.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a tragic thing. This is not a part of Columbia's community.
FRAZIER: And anything they heard. Authorities are pinpointing the graffiti and fire between 3:00 and 5:15 a.m. Saturday. And the insensitive nature, (INAUDIBLE), is only fuelling them to work harder, to find the people responsible. The people who inflicted not only hurt but also hate.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, that was Brent Frazier from our Tennessee affiliate WTVF. No one was injured in the fire. Mosque members say they haven't had any trouble before now.
We are taking a romantic turn. Valentine's Day is on Thursday and we've got some special tips for you right after the break.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDITH SILLS, PSYCHOLOGIST AND AUTHOR: It is a fundamental mistake to think that romance, sex, dating, and love are easiest and best when you're 20 or 25.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Wow, in the name of love. After age 40, we are talking about the fastest growing group of singles in the country right here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Valentine's Day is coming up this week. So in the name of love, we thought we'd take a look at singles in America and their search for companionship. Let's start with a look at the stats. The number of single adults in the United States is at a record high. There are a whopping 90 million of you. Nearly 40 percent of all men and women in the U.S. are single. Why?
Americans are getting married later in life or living together without tying-the-knot or even finding themselves back on the dating scene in their 40s, 50s, even 60s. Welcome to one of the fastest growing single groups out there. Yet, love at second sight isn't so easy. There are plenty of single people dating out there but for some reason, it can be tough to meet them. Here are some suggestions on how you can change that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): The signs are everywhere. On the surface, looking for love looks pretty easy. We've all seen the road maps. It's on billboards, Web sites, TV. But for single men and women age 40 and older, the dating game has gone from this to this.
A mutual friend introduced Chris Ferguson to Steve Diekhoff. They dated four years. Then, like so many couples, went their separate ways. He waited a year to even think about meeting someone new. Chris has dabbled with online dating.
CHRIS LARSON-FERGUSON: It was hard at first, but I kind of desensitize, got better at it and you know, ended up having fun on my dates and actually meeting people that were interesting.
STEVE DIEKHOFF: I'm not necessarily out there looking. But I think when you're not, it seems to find you.
HARRIS (on-camera): You know, the thinking is when you're 40, 50, 60, you know yourself better. You're more in tuned with what you want and usually behind starting a family is not in the equation and yet, getting back out there can be tough. It's not like it was when you were 20. So where do you go to get started? How do you get your groove back?
JUDITH SILLS, PSYCHOLOGIST AND AUTHOR: Go online not to meet anybody. It is the safest place to put your toe in the water and just practice what's a profile. How do I send you an e-mail? How do I flirt back? Who might respond to me with no intention to meet so your risk is very minimal?
You need to rediscover your flirt. Long before you're worried about love. And actually the Internet is a good place for that.
HARRIS (voice-over): Lynn Crow can attest to that. For her, match.com lived up to its name. She met a man, fell in love, got married, and ended up divorced.
LYNN CROW: It wasn't anything about online dating. I mean, you know, I knew it evolved from being online and just getting to know somebody to having the same relationship issues that we all face. And as a person over 40 and having children and family and trying to run your own life, very difficult.
HARRIS: The two remain close friends to this day and Lynn continues to highly recommend the online dating experience. Only here's her advice.
CROW: The "Jerry Maguire" movie, you complete me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM CRUISE, JERRY MAGUIRE: You complete me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROW: No. I don't need anybody to complete me. I'm not looking for somebody else to make me happy. I'm working on that from within.
FERGUSON: I just really feel that it's super important for women to make friends with women and to get those relationships at the forefront of your life. I think that's number one for a person. It's to have a great friend or two that you can talk to. And you can pour your heart out to and you can socialize with.
HARRIS: Whether it's online, at the grocery store, or a chance to each other while you're out with friends, one simple equation prevails. The more people you meet, the greater the odds you'll find that certain someone. Just don't forget this in the process.
SILLS: It's important how many people you meet, but it is more important who you are when you meet them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Man. OK. And if you do the online dating thing, just be safe. Anybody can put anything in those profiles. Meet for first day at a restaurant in a mall, for example, where there are lots of people. And know this, if you give someone your home phone number, they can use it to find out where you live.
Some men playing the dating game or working on their pickup skills and taking things to a whole new level.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really like you, you know. I have to respond to my emotions. They're saying, you rock. I feel overwhelmed -- an overwhelming desire to kiss this girl. I don't even know her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, that's a script and class is in session. Selling the secrets of attraction to men. The pickup artist is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So let's say you're a great guy. You're nice to your mother, your friends love you, but you just don't have game when it comes to meeting ladies. Cue the pickup artist.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I had someone just give their number and it's like -- yes, call me sometimes without even saying much to it. Just giving their number.
QUESTION: Does that work?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it doesn't work. No.
HARRIS (voice-over): Oh, the pickup line.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My friend has an iPhone. She wants to (INAUDIBLE) and take a look at it and play with it.
HARRIS: Not a lot is change in the battle of the sexes. Guy meets girl, girl kicks guy to the curb. His self-esteem crushed. But now in 2008, some men are spending very serious cash to get their game air tight.
MYSTERY, PICKUP ARTIST: Can you imagine walking through this world and whether she's taken or not, the attraction mechanism will be fired?
HARRIS: Who can teach guys how to be so attractive to a woman she can't resist.
Master pickup artist, of course.
MYSTERY: In order to get a woman interested in you, you have to be interesting.
HARRIS: Enter these guys. He's called Mystery, on the left there. That's his sidekick, Matador, on the right.
Yes, those are goggles strapped to a cowboy hat. Looks a little odd but thousands of men bow down to them.
MATADOR, PICKUP ARTIST: We dedicate ourselves to understanding what a woman wants.
HARRIS: Dozens of articles have been written about them. They've even starred in their own reality show on VH1, "The Pickup Artist."
In real life, they've been teaching seduction boot camps around the country for year. The price of admission? A whooping $3000. These men have flown in from as far away as London to take Mystery's seminar in Las Vegas.
MYSTERY: So how do you be interesting? You don't hit on her. That's not interesting to her, because she gets hit on all the time, right? You're the guy who's supposed to be in her life protecting her from all those jackasses.
HARRIS: But what qualifies this 6"5' beam poll to give advice on women. He says years of trial and error and a system he's tested over and over. What he calls "The Mystery Method." The formula? Attraction, comfort, and seduction.
The method -- "The mystery method." Boil it down for us. What is it?
MYSTERY: What is it? From meeting a woman to beginning a sexual relationship, we call that courtship. If I can meet the objectives of each phase complete so I can get to the next phase. If I can do that very cleanly with comfort without compromising her comfort levels, then seduction is mutual.
HARRIS: And his book, don't let the title shock you, "The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women into Bed." Sounds disrespectful. Sure.
But Mystery says his goal for his student is much larger than the pickup. It's turning shy, social wallflowers into interesting, outgoing men. Just the way he transformed himself. First, he tries to get student pass their fear of approaching women.
MYSTERY: I abide by the three-second rule and I go in right away. It takes three seconds to go from where you are to where she is. If you are attracted, you want to find out if there's more to her than meets the eye, go in right away. If you waited any longer, you may steal out the set. Look like your hovering and you're approaching anxiety. Your adrenaline release will build up.
HARRIS: That's called the open. And to begin the most important three-minute stretch in the game. In three minutes, the guy must tell a story. A narrative. Show himself to be a leader, a risk taker, attractive to other women, and able to show emotion. If the woman of his dream is really good looking, say a 10, he acts like he's not interested. Huh?
MYSTERY: I'm just disqualifying myself from being considered potential suitor. She touches me. You know, I'm like -- all right, let's slow this down. Buy me a drink and forget on me. (INAUDIBLE) this girl.
HARRIS: Yes, there's a script of ked (ph) lines and techniques. Frank's a pilot in this class for the first time.
FRANK, BOOT CAMP STUDENT: This isn't seduction. It's pickup and pickup applies to everything you do in life. Not just meeting women. If you can pick up a beautiful woman, you can influence and lead other men.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: So can Frank pick up a beautiful woman? Does Mystery's method really work?
Up next, we hit the clubs with the guys under cover.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. So you've heard the sales pitch but does the Mystery method to meeting women really work? We followed our friend, Frank, to the club with a hidden camera to see how he does.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): CNN hit a very loud club with a hidden camera to watch one of the guys use his new skills set. His couch, Matador, was right at his side doting him off.
FRANK: Is khaki a color or fabric?
GIRL: Khaki?
MATADOR: Opener. Opener, opener. Ask her the opening question.
FRANK: You say it's a fabric right?
GIRL: Yes.
FRANK: That's true because there are no khaki colored cars. Right?
GIRL: Oh.
FRANK: Who are you here with? How do you guys know each other?
GIRL: (LAUGHING). Oh.
FRANK: You guys are totally BFF's, right? I'm not going to stay long. I've got to get back with my friends over here. Are you guys BFF's?
GIRL: Yes. They live here.
FRANK: And you're from out of town. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?
HARRIS: Matador says Frank is over exerting breaking a rule of (INAUDIBLE), but it's loud and he has to shout.
FRANK: I've got friends coming in for pilot training. I'm like, let's go to Vegas for New Years, right? So they're flying in tomorrow. We're meeting up with a girl I used to date.
HARRIS: Let's take apart his story. He started with the opener. Is khaki a color or a fabric? Now, that's a catchy line. It's supposed to be interesting. He says he's not going to stay long. A false time constraint.
Mystery says that it's supposed to trigger a girl's sense of loss and shows none neediness. He mentions pilot training. A sign of being a risk taker and a girl he used to date. Shows he is pre- selected by women. In the end, he didn't get the girl.
HARRIS: Look, I mean, they are giving you a script and that's not who you are, is it?
FRANK: No, absolutely not. And, yes, they give you a script. However, it's a script to show you how the process works. You're given the process and then you're given the script to practice that process, but ultimately that script you throw away and create your own.
HARRIS: These alums would say practice makes perfect.
SHANE, BOOT CAMP STUDENT: Because at the beginning, I was going out and was using the techniques. I was using the story.
HARRIS: Sure you were.
SHANE: But now, like, I've got enough experience where I have my own stories, things that are true about me that I tell them. I have beautiful women in my life and now I talk to women to have a good time and to socialize. I also talk to guys too. We socialize, we go out, and we have fun.
PAUL, BOOT CAMP STUDENT: I've meet a lot of women and a lot more than before. And many quality women -- you know, doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers. People that maybe before, the way I approached, I wouldn't have gotten past like, see yeah.
HARRIS: So what do women think about the Mystery method?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think there is a rule to getting that girl.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they think it's a good thing for them to take those classes. They -- you know, feel more comfortable with getting to know a woman and what she likes and what she doesn't like.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh, that's kind of pathetic. You just have your own personality and go talk to someone.
HARRIS: Women fire back at what you're teaching these men to do is to objectify them.
MYSTERY: I understand them. I understand that is the view point that people have.
MATADOR: Basically, what you're saying is that we're teaching men how to understand women and what they respond to and women don't like that. They want them to just be themselves.
HARRIS: They want the men to be themselves, reveal themselves.
MYSTERY: They want them to be their best selves and if they aren't yet, then we'll catch the men up to speed so they can have legitimate value for a woman.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: There you go. In the name of love. Still to come in the NEWSROOM. From our hard to believe anyone can be so stupid file. A story that's burning up the Internet. How one kid's so called bragging rights has everybody saying, "You've Got To Be Kidding."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, burning down a church is bad enough. Real bad. But taking pictures and bragging about it? You've Got To Be Kidding. In Illinois, a teenage boy was arrested in connection with this raging church fire. It was reportedly no accident. On a Web site, the boy allegedly claims responsibility for the fire and supposedly posts visual proof of what he claims to have done. Not so smart.
Miami and a property dispute between two neighbors that escalated to an unbelievable level. The argument, how high the grass should be on their property line. One man pulled a gun. The other man is dead. The shooter is facing murder charges now.
Kanye West's mother is looking down from heaven tonight, proud of her son. He ended an incredible night. A magical red carpet ride with eight Grammy nominations and so far four wins that he's dedicated to her.
Our own Brooke Anderson is out tonight the award show, which still going on. Here's an update.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 50th Annual Grammy Awards are underway here in downtown Los Angeles. And remember, the Grammy is considered the most prestigious honor in the music industry. And a number of the awards have already been handed out.
Kanye West, the lading nominee coming into the Grammy's, has already won three awards including Best Rap Solo Performance for his hit "Stronger." He's actually hoping for the top price of the night. Album of the Year for his disc "Graduation." He's really eager for that one this year.
Also having a tremendous night already, British soul singer, Amy Winehouse. She actually just left rehab after being there for two weeks and she's picked up three Grammy's including one for her song "Rehab" and she's also won Best New Artist as well.
Barack Obama not only having success on the campaign trail, but also here at the Grammy's. He is a Grammy winner. Winning for Best Spoken Word album. He beat out former president's Clinton and Carter. This for his audio version of his book, "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream."
More excitement still to come.
Reporting from the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in downtown Los Angeles, Brooke Anderson, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
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