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Showbiz Tonight
Oprah for Obama; "The View" on Obama; Will.I.am on Hologram
Aired November 05, 2008 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Oprah for Obama. Tonight, Oprah`s remarkable and emotional reaction to Barack Obama`s historic victory. Her amazing show the day after and her tears of joy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": It feels like something really big and bold has happened here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, Oprah leads the cheerleading as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gets the overwhelming coast-to-coast reaction from Hollywood`s biggest stars, including George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
And tonight, right here in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT studios, even more stars open up about Obama, in the interviews you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tonight, "The View" on Obama. The incredible emotion and tears today on the show that became so influential during the campaign. All eyes on Elisabeth Hasselbeck. How is she feeling after fighting so hard for John McCain? Plus, the amazing moments from an amazing election night, including Will.I.am live on CNN via hologram.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL.I.AM, SINGER: It`s important that we continue to stay involved in what happens to America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Beam me up, Scotty, so TV`s most provocative entertainment news show can get started right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you from Hollywood where just like everywhere else around the nation and around the world, there is overwhelming and emotional reaction to the election of Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.
HAMMER: Yes, there is, Brooke. And we begin tonight with "O" and "O." Oprah and Obama. Oprah Winfrey who fought to get Obama elected celebrated his historic victory in a remarkable way today, using her show to drive home the joy and significance of America electing its first black president.
Oprah`s amazing show followed her teary-eyed appearance at Obama`s rally last night. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you all of the coast-to- coast reaction as we begin our coverage of the Obama star connections making news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT-ELECT: Change has come to America.
HAMMER (voice over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, Barack Obama`s historic election as the nation`s first African-American president-elect has a lot of people celebrating. But perhaps is no one is cheering louder than Obama`s biggest and most powerful supporter.
WINFREY: I have two words for you, America - Mr. President!
HAMMER: An ecstatic Oprah Winfrey couldn`t contain herself as she praised her fellow Chicago resident during her show, something she hasn`t done a lot lately.
WINFREY: I made a vow at the beginning that I would not use my show as a platform. And today, though, the election is over, and I`m unleashed!
HAMMER: It was definitely Oprah unleashed.
WINFREY: I`m here to tell you, Iowa, he is the one.
HAMMER: Oprah took a ton of heat for campaigning for Obama during his stump primary campaign against Hillary Clinton.
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": When Oprah first came out and supported Obama, a lot of people were upset. You know, a lot of her audience was women who expected her to support Hillary Clinton.
HAMMER: "In Touch Weekly`s" Kim Serafin, a former political spokesperson, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that for Winfrey, witnessing Obama`s victory speech was clearly a victory for her as well.
SERAFIN: It`s just something that she felt so deeply passionate about. I think you even saw that when the cameras panned to her, sitting her, watching Obama give his acceptance speech and getting so emotional like so many people who were watching it.
HAMMER: Oprah was still emotional when CNN`s Alina Cho caught up with her shortly after Obama`s victory was sealed.
WINFREY: Something big just happened. It feels like anything is now possible. I knew that this was the moment for me to stand up, regardless of, you know, whatever kind of heat I had to take or what people`s responses would be, I knew this was the moment.
HAMMER: Oprah wasn`t the only star at Obama`s big Chicago victory party. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT cameras caught Brad Pitt there, too. And Pitt`s "Ocean`s Eleven" co-conspirator George Clooney has released a statement praising Obama. It says, quote, "I congratulate President-elect Obama on his historic victory, and now, it`s time to begin unifying the country so we can take on the extraordinary challenges that this generation faces."
JESSICA ALBA, ACTRESS: Obama! Obama!
HAMMER: In New York City, Jessica Alba told CNN`s Lola Ogunnaike she was hopeful for the future.
ALBA: I think it opens up a whole new world for my daughter to be raised in. And I`m so, so excited.
HAMMER: Diddy was also thinking of his children as he watched Obama`s victory speech.
P. DIDDY, RAP ARTIST: It`s like, the proudest moment of my life, you know, to be here with my son. You know, it`s for him - it`s unbelievable.
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I sat by my son`s bed and -
HAMMER: But perhaps the most touching reaction came from Sherri Shepherd who broke down on "The View" as she talks about sharing this historic moment with her young son.
SHEPHERD: People of color, we`ve always had these limitations on us. So to look at my son and say, "No limitations on you," - it is an extraordinary day for me.
SERAFIN: I think anyone watching that got a little teary-eyed themselves.
HAMMER: Even Shepherd`s conservative co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck had some words of praise for the new president-elect.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": To hear him - to see the people he`s been able to affect, the power that he has - you know, I will get in a long line of supporters because I wasn`t the first. But I will jump in that line and support our president because that is what, as an American, I believe we should do.
SERAFIN: If Obama is able bring the women of "The View" together, he can do a whole lot for this country.
HAMMER: It`s clear that from Oprah on down, there are a lot of celebrities who hope Obama does just that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So while a lot of celebrities spoke out about Obama both during and after the election, it was Oprah who was no doubt the biggest and most controversial lightning rod.
Joining me in New York, Roland Martin, who is a CNN political analyst and supporter of Barack Obama. Also in New York, Lisa Bloom, host of "Lisa Bloom: Open Court" and anchor for "In Session."
Roland, Lisa, Oprah left no doubt on her show today about exactly how she felt regarding the outcome of the presidential election. Let`s take another look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: Oh, my god! OK, I have to words for you, America - Mr. President!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: She could not contain her excitement. And as we know from her book club to her favorite things, when Oprah speaks, people listen.
Roland, how much of an influence did Oprah have on Barack Obama winning the election?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, first of all, Barack Obama - well, now, President-elect Obama said it best when he said, "Look, I don`t believe that she is going to get me votes. But she is going to introduce people who have otherwise been disenfranchised by the political process, bring them to the fore. It`s my job to close the deal."
We saw it in South Carolina, in Iowa and in New Hampshire. So I think there are people who certainly were not necessarily listening to politics all day who said, "Wait a minute, what is Oprah doing? What does she see in this guy? Let me give him a listen and then I`ll make the decision myself."
ANDERSON: Lisa, what do you think? Do you think she had an impact on people before they went to the polls?
LISA BLOOM, HOST, "LISA BLOOM: OPEN COURT": You know, there`s a group called EMILY`s List - "early money is like yeast; it rises. Oprah`s early support of Obama I think was very significant because it got him additional endorsements and got people on the bandwagon early.
When it came down to voting, I think people voted the economy. They voted for hope. They voted for change. And Oprah`s support was probably a big goose egg, a big "O," a big zero at the end, in terms of getting actual votes yesterday.
She is very, very persuasive. And as we know, she took a lot of heat during the campaign for her decision not to have Sarah Palin on her show, although she did make it clear that she wasn`t going to have any candidates on her show leading up to the election, wasn`t going to use the show as a platform for them. Now, it is Oprah unleashed. Take a look at what she told the world today on her show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: During this whole campaign, I made a vow at the beginning that I would not use my show as a platform so I kept my mouth shut and supported Barack Obama as a private citizen. And today, though, the election is over and I`m unleashed!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Roland, what do you think? Now that the election is over, she`s unleashed, is it time for Sarah Palin to do Oprah?
MARTIN: Well, first of all, I mean, it was Oprah`s decision as to who she wants to have on the show. If she wants to have Gov. Sarah Palin on, that`s up to them. That whole story was a fraud anyway because Oprah was very clear up front. That was a single-source story posted on "Drudge" which was pathetic. Everybody ran with it.
But also, I think the women who are tearing Oprah down on her message boards were shameful. This is a woman who has not tried to focus on - really, on gender, on race - all these years. And all of a sudden when she makes a decision, it`s, "Oh, how dare you go against a woman?" choosing the African-American.
I loved it when she said at the rallies - she said, "I didn`t choose him because he`s black. I chose him because he`s brilliant."
ANDERSON: Right. Yes, she was very passionate, wanted to speak out no matter what other people thought. We`ll leave it there for you. Roland Martin, Lisa Bloom, thank you.
BLOOM: Thank you.
MARTIN: Thanks a lot.
HAMMER: Right. So what do you think about Obama getting elected? Well, give us a call here at "Showbiz On Call" to let us know.
ANDERSON: The number is 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; that`s 1-888-728-2899. Leave a message and we will play some of your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And your calls to "Showbiz On Call" are also now online on our home page. Check them out - CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
ANDERSON: Hey, A.J., CNN was right there in Chicago with Oprah Winfrey after the news came in that Obama had won.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. And it was such an incredible moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetime did we expect this to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Coming up, one-on-one with Oprah for a very emotional, very revealing moment. Still to come.
ANDERSON: Also, the election was the talk of the day, of course. But wait until you see how emotional things got on "The View." Sherri Shepherd really broke down and what about Elisabeth?
Plus, amazing moments from Martha Stewart and "Live with Regis and Kelly" coming up.
HAMMER: And we have two big stars right here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to discuss Obama`s big night. You`ve got to stay right where you are for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: It`s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The amazing moment when President-elect Barack Obama delivered his victory speech in Chicago after Americans chose him to be the first black president in history.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And right now, it`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of the incredible celebrity reaction to Obama`s victory.
With me tonight in Hollywood, Holly Robinson-Pete who`s an actress, children`s advocate and Obama supporter. Also joining me tonight from Hollywood, Tim Daly, who stars in ABC`s "Private Practice." He`s also co- president of the nonpartisan group, "The Creative Coalition."
Holly and Tim, I truly appreciate you being here on this historic moment for Barack Obama and for this nation. Holly, I`m going to begin with you. You`ve been an Obama supporter from the very start. So I`ve got to know, when he became President-elect Obama, when that call was made that he had won the race, I just can`t imagine what that moment meant to you. Tell me what was going on in your head.
HOLLY ROBINSON-PETE: Well, I went nuts and jumped around like a crazy woman. But what really surprised me was the reaction of my children. They were looking at a family on that stage, a family that will eventually be in the White House that looked just like them. And we don`t even get to see families that look like us on television shows, A.J. So for us, this was a huge, huge moment.
HAMMER: Wow. Yes, and we`re hearing that from so many people today. Tim, over to you. You know, the last time we spoke to you on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - in fact, you were right there at the Democratic National Convention and Obama had not even yet officially been nominated. Could you have imagined, Tim, back then, that things would have turned out the way that they did?
TIM DALY, ACTOR: Well, I was starting to imagine it then. And you know, after I heard Obama speak in Denver, I realized that on that day, the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King`s march on Washington, the "I have a dream" speech, that my grandfather had marched with Dr. King. And it was very moving to me to think that in some tiny way, he had helped move our culture forward, and now, of course, the historic moment last night.
It`s just incredible to me. And I, too, shared it with my daughter who`s 19, a first-time voter. And we sat there and wept. We were very happy.
HAMMER: Yes. A lot of tears shed and so many first-time voters. I know - when I was out at the polls myself, I`d never seen so many young people coming out for any election that I`ve ever been a part of.
And as we know, the majority of celebrities who did speak out during the entire campaign were really speaking out in support of Barack Obama, the majority of them. In fact, it almost seemed unprecedented how many stars were so vocal and so passionate.
Holly, you know, they were passionate just like you were from the very beginning. What is it that struck such a strong chord among stars like yourself for this candidate?
PETE: Well, I can only speak for myself. It doesn`t matter who comes out for you, no matter how big of a star you can attract, a stump speech for you. But if you`re not the candidate that`s going to deliver the goods, you can forget it. Many of us went out for Kerry and Gore. And you know, it just wasn`t the time and it wasn`t the candidate.
And this is a man who`s going to transform and transcend so much in this country and in this world. I`m wearing my Harriet Tubman necklace because I was trying to invoke her spirit. She`s one of my personal heroes, and I couldn`t imagine what she would be saying if she was here today, just trying to bring people to freedom in the Underground Railroad.
I think the celebrity aspect is important because we`re able to get information out.
HAMMER: Sure.
PETE: But if your candidate can`t deliver, then, it doesn`t matter who you are.
HAMMER: No question about that. And you talked about past elections where celebrities have always come out but it did seem to be at a whole heightened level this time as opposed to what we`ve seen in the past. Stars like you, Holly. We saw Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Brad Pitt - that`s just naming a few - all speaking out for Barack Obama.
Now, Tim, last time we spoke, you told me celebrity was wrongly being turned into a bad word during the election. But in the end, how much do you think that the celebrity endorsements ended up helping Barack Obama?
DALY: You know, I don`t think that it really makes that much of a difference. I need to point out that it`s not just celebrity that came out in force. But you know, the American people really came out. You know, the interest in this election and the recognition by the citizens of this country that it was a very, very important time has been demonstrated by the amount of new voters that came out, you know, the young voters that came out. So I think that the celebrity interest is only a mirror of the interest throughout the country.
PETE: And I would just add to that. I`m just so proud of this country, and not since Nelson Mandela came out of prison and became president of his country and embraces the people that went after him in an apartheid world, have we seen such a transformational scenario. And I think it`s going to be great for everybody, not just the people who voted for him, but eventually everyone in this country and the world.
HAMMER: I agree. I`ve been saying to people all day, regardless of your politics, you cannot help but be very aware that this is a historic moment and a good moment for this country. Holly Robinson-Pete, Tim Daly I appreciate you being here on this historic moment and sharing your stories. Thanks, again.
DALY: Thank you so much.
PETE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: That was great, having Holly and Tim with us tonight. And A.J., I don`t know about you, but I was really waiting to hear what Elisabeth Hasselbeck would say on "The View" today.
HAMMER: Good point, Brooke. It was no secret who she wanted to win this race.
ANDERSON: That`s right. So what was it like at the table this morning? I will show you how she took the news. And some very emotional moments from Sherri Shepherd coming up.
Plus, why Cedric the Entertainer was dancing on "Live With Regis"
And we`ll also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetime did we expect this to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: One-on-one with Oprah Winfrey. It is a big day for both "O`s" - Oprah and Obama. And we were right there with Oprah on election night. That`s ahead.
HAMMER: So many amazing moments, Brooke, last night. I`ve got to tell you, this, for me, was one of the coolest. Look at this, Will.I.am in the CNN Election Center via hologram. Yes, "Star Wars" geeks everywhere, rejoice. That`s coming up as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: CNN can now project that Barack Obama, 47 years old, will become the president-elect of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Wolf Blitzer calling the presidential race last night, a truly historic moment for the country and for CNN.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And tonight, we want to congratulate our colleague at CNN for an extraordinary job. We need to brag on them for a moment. Because listen to this - between 8:00 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., CNN was the most watched television network on election night, broadcast and cable. Congratulations to the best political team on television and everyone behind the scenes as well. Great job, everybody.
HAMMER: Well, it looks like we may need a recount to find out whether comedian Al Franken will be elected senator in Minnesota. This race is neck-and-neck with all the precincts reporting, the incoming Senator Norm Coleman leads Franken by only about 700 votes.
Now, the Minnesota Secretary of State Office said there will probably be a recount since the margin is less than a half of one percent. The recount ballots would be hand-counted, which could take a week, if not two.
HAMMER: So Brooke, I`ve got to tell you. I was really interested to see what would happen today on "The View."
ANDERSON: Yes, I think a lot of people were, A.J. The show became so important during the campaign. So what was it like at the table this morning with all eyes on Elisabeth? I`ll show you how she took the news and some very emotional moments from Sherri Shepherd, straight ahead.
Plus, why Cedric the Entertainer was dancing on "Live with Regis and Kelly."
And also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetime did we expect this to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: One-on-one with Oprah on election night. CNN right there with Oprah Winfrey on this historic and very emotional occasion, coming up.
ANDERSON: And so many amazing moments last night. And I`ve got to tell you, this was one of the coolest. Will.I.am in the "CNN Election Center" via hologram. If you missed this, you definitely have to stick around. And even if you saw it, you`ll want to see it again. That`s coming up as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, talking Obama on the talk shows. Tonight, how did McCain supporter Elisabeth Hasselbeck take the news on "The View"? Who cried?
Plus, why could Cedric the entertainer not stop dancing on "Live with Regis and Kelly"? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with everyone talking on the talk shows about this historic election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetime did we expect this to happen.
HAMMER: "O" for "O." Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there in Chicago with Oprah Winfrey as she celebrates Obama`s big win. It`s the emotional one-on-one interview with Oprah.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, everybody is talking about one man - President- elect Barack Obama. And there was just no avoiding talking about Obama today on the TV talk shows. The reaction, overwhelming and very emotional.
In fact, today all eyes were on this young woman, "The View`s" Elisabeth Hasselbeck who actually campaigned for the McCain-Palin ticket. Everybody wanted to see how she reacted to Barack`s big win.
And get this, Cedric the Entertainer dancing on "Regis and Kelly" as he also celebrated the election of Barack Obama.
And even domestic diva, Martha Stewart, just couldn`t help but share on her talk show how she spent election night.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Tanika Ray, who is a correspondent for "Extra." And in New York, Lisa Bloom who is the host of "Lisa Bloom: Open Court" and an "In Session" anchor.
All right. Tanika, Lisa, we were all glued to "The View" today to watch Elisabeth Hasselbeck. We wanted to see this morning how she would react. And now I`m going to play for you Elisabeth describing the conversation she had with her very own young daughter, Grace, about Barack Obama being elected president. You`ve got see this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": She said, "He won, that`s cool." Who lost? And I looked down at this little face with her big cheeks and I said, "You know what, Grace, no one lost today." Today, seriously - and God knows I fought hard on the other side - but today is a victory for this country, to have Barack Obama be our next president.
To see the people he`s been able to affect, the power that he has, you know, I will get in a long line of supporters because I wasn`t the first, but I will jump in that line and support our president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well said, Elisabeth. But you know, we will not soon forget all of those screaming matches between Elisabeth and the other co-hosts on "The View" during the campaign.
Tanika, off to you first. Were you surprised by what Elisabeth said?
TANIKA RAY, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": More than surprised - shocked and in awe, like mouth on the floor. You know, she fought so hard against this whole Barack Obama idea for president, up until yesterday, the day of the election. She and Whoopi went at it again.
So I found it a little odd and shocking that 12 hours later, she`s onboard with Barack. But I think she realized something really powerful last night and that she`s in the minority as far as her thinking. The country spoke and it`s not speaking out in favor of McCain. And I think she realized, "Wait a minute. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I should evaluate this in a more objective space." So that`s a victory for all of us.
HAMMER: Yes. And I think she had to choose her words very carefully.
RAY: Yes.
HAMMER: I`m sure she gave a lot of forethought to what she said. Lisa, what do you think? Elisabeth had to know everybody was going to be watching today. Do you think she handled that just right?
BLOOM: I say, Elisabeth, welcome to the light. Welcome to the side of truth and justice that we`ve all seen for the last couple of years. You came lately, girl, but you came along with us. And we`re glad to have you. We`re glad you`re teaching you`re daughter that Barack Obama is the president for all of us, not just for some of us. And keep watching. He`s going to impress you further. Welcome, Elisabeth, we`ve been waiting for you.
HAMMER: The show started off, not only with a moment from Elisabeth, but with what I thought was a terrific moment. Whoopi Goldberg describing what her mom said to her when Whoopi asked her if she thought that she would ever see the day that an African-American man would become president. And then Whoopi went on to describe how she was feeling. You`ve got to see this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": She said, "No, I never thought this day would come in my lifetime." And the realization that hit me and really messed me up for a lot of the night was that, as an American, I always thought of myself as an American with all of the promise that America holds. But suddenly last night, I felt like I could put my suitcase down finally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. What a powerful, powerful way of putting that. Tanika, a lot of people can just relate exactly to what Whoopi said, "I could put my suitcase down finally."
RAY: Yes. It is a powerful statement and it hit all of us. I went to a couple of election parties last night so I heard a lot of different comments. But nothing hit me harder than my mother who called me on a fancy cell phone which she`s still getting used to, to say that she was a senior in high school when Martin Luther King said that amazing "I have a dream" speech.
And she again said, "Never, never, never in my lifetime." They had lost hope, it`s never going to happen. She`s in a complete twilight zone right now, but smiling all the way through.
HAMMER: Yes. And I should point out Whoopi also mentioned that her mom - while she said never, her mom is one of the most progressive people Whoopi said she knows.
RAY: Yes. Absolutely.
HAMMER: So that makes it even more shocking. It didn`t get any more emotional this morning than when Sherri Shepherd described what this historic election meant for her young son and for her. Roll that.
RAY: Yes.
SHEPHERD: I remember somebody in my family said one time when I said, "I want to be a comic and an actor." And they said, "No, go get a job at the post office. They don`t let people like us do that."
And so, to look at my son and saying, "No limitations on you" - it is an extraordinary day for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. That`s it, I`ve got to go home now. I mean - come on. The emotion - Lisa, it was just felt everywhere around the country.
BLOOM: Well, A.J., I want to say this because I got choked up watching Sherri. I was openly weeping last night. It is a beautiful, inclusive moment, but it also has to be tempered.
I wish Rosie O`Donnell were still on "The View" to talk about the millions of gay Americans who were disenfranchised last night, who lost their constitutional rights in California and in Arkansas to be married, to be parents and in two other states.
So unfortunately, we`re not all included in the sweeping victory. Many people are. It was an amazing night, but it was tempered with a little bit of sadness for millions of Americans who lost rights yesterday.
HAMMER: Yes. It did provide a little punch in the gut. Well, let`s lighten it up a little bit, because it was really interesting to see even domestic diva Martha Stewart opening up her show today with details about how she spent her election night. Let`s watch Martha.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA STEWART, HOST, "MARTHA": I started out at a party in New York and drove home listening to the radio, not wanting to miss anything. I thought that John McCain`s speech was very gracious and inclusive and that Barack Obama`s speech was very moving. He is a really gifted speaker and I believe it is hugely important for Americans to have a president able to capture, shape and always lift the national mood and Barack certainly did that last night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I can totally relate. I did not want to leave CNN last night. I wanted to be around while this history was going on. But when I did leave - I only had a 10-minute ride home. I made sure the radio was on. I wanted to hear every single moment. So that`s how I felt watching.
Tanika, it`s like you didn`t want to miss a second because we were all witnessing history.
RAY: Absolutely. I didn`t sleep last night. I`m being perfectly honest. I`m going on like 36 hours right now because I was scared like if I went to sleep, something was going to happen, you know. We all were holding our breaths even past 8:00 on the west coast, just making sure this is real, like this really, really happened. And I think it`s such a great day for America. We`re a kinder, gentler, more loving America and I am so proud.
HAMMER: Yes. Lisa Bloom, same reaction?
BLOOM: You know, I think in most of the elections in our lifetime, it`s been the choice of the lesser of two evils. And yesterday, many of us felt we were actually voting for someone we really thought was a terrific candidate, somebody who inspires us, who we believed in, who we`re excited about.
I can`t think of any other elections where people just flooded out into the streets in every city in this country and every neighborhood just jubilant. I mean, it was a transformative evening.
HAMMER: Yes. Lisa Bloom , Tanika Ray, I appreciate you being here and for sharing your very personal thoughts with us. Thanks so much.
BLOOM: Thank you.
RAY: Thanks.
ANDERSON: A.J., I think it`s fair to say that Oprah Winfrey may have had a big influence.
HAMMER: Yes, I think that is fair to say, Brooke, right behind Barack Obama from the very start.
ANDERSON: She was, A.J. And she got so emotional at Obama`s victory party in Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetime did we expect this to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there at Grant Park as Oprah saw Obama claim his presidential prize. She was in tears. Tonight, one-on-one with Oprah. It`s the amazing interview you`ve got to see.
HAMMER: Another amazing election moment, the Black Eyed Pea`s Will.I.am beamed from Chicago to New York as a hologram. I love this. One of CNN`s really neat election toys. So incredibly cool, like my childhood "Star Wars" dreams coming true.
ANDERSON: A.J., did you see Sarah Palin? She was in tears last night. Sarah really got emotional - Oprah, the CNN hologram, Sarah Palin crying, you`ve got to see these simply unforgettable election moments. And we`ve got them next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Oprah Winfrey emotional and in tears in Chicago`s Grant Park Tuesday night. Oprah was one of the more than 100,000 people who came out for Barack Obama`s big victory party, just one of the many amazing celebrity election night moments making news right now.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. A.J., that scene in Chicago was truly amazing. And I can only imagine what it was like for Oprah to see Obama now president-elect. She was one of the first big stars to come out and campaign for him.
CNN`s Alina Cho went one-on-one with Oprah right on the ground in Grant Park. And she got a revealing interview while the celebration was happening. You`ve got to watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You were one of Barack Obama`s first supporters back when few people really had faith in him to do this job. How does it feel tonight?
WINFREY: It feels like hope won. It feels like it`s not just victory for, obviously, Barack Obama. It feels like America did the right thing. It feels like there`s a shift in consciousness.
It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetime did we expect this to happen. Something big just happened. It feels like - it feels like anything is now possible. And I think -
CHO: I`m a woman of color, you`re a woman of color.
WINFREY: We`re women of color.
CHO: But how does it feel? I mean, this is a -
WINFREY: Well, you know, I think the beautiful thing about Barack Obama is - you know, throughout this whole process, one of my favorite endorsements came from Colin Powell when Colin Powell said he understands - Barack Obama understands that all villages matter. I mean, it brought tears to my eyes because I thought, yes, that`s it. So it doesn`t matter -
CHO: Did that seal the deal for you?
WINFREY: Well, I was already sealed. I was the deal. I was in the envelope. But this whole process for me has been something that I knew that this was the moment for me to stand up, regardless of, you know, whatever kind of heat I had to take or what people`s responses would be. I knew this was the moment.
CHO: It`s been a long 22 months, so what now?
WINFREY: The best is yet to come. I mean, listen, first of all - geez, you know, if I have a chance to talk to him, interview him, I think -
CHO: I think you have a shot?
WINFREY: I think I might. But you know, I wonder, does he wake in the morning and go, "What have I gotten myself into?" Because this country is in bad shape right now. But I think what he is going to do more than anybody else could, is help us all to understand that it`s not one person. It`s not one person who`s going to unify this country.
CHO: One more question - you`ve got this little thing called the "Oprah Show."
WINFREY: Yes.
CHO: But would you consider an ambassadorship?
WINFREY: Would I consider an ambassadorship - not as I have "The Oprah Show." I can honestly say this, I had no agenda. I have no agenda.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So isn`t that interesting? Oprah is not totally denying those reports that she could become an ambassador in the Obama White House. Well, I`ve got to say, though, that Oprah being brought to tears by Barack Obama`s historic election night`s speech was one of last night`s simply unforgettable moments. Oprah was totally overcome as she watched Obama capping an unbelievable and emotional journey for both of them.
Also unforgettable, Sarah Palin in tears. The Republican vice presidential candidate, who became a lightning rod for so many people, gets emotional.
And CNN goes "Star Trek" on us with a totally mind-blowing hologram beaming the Black Eyed Peas Will.I.am from Chicago right to CNN`s "Election Center" studios in New York.
And joining me from New York, where he worked late into the night, CNN political analyst, Roland Martin. And in Hollywood tonight, Tanika Ray, who is a correspondent for "Extra." Roland, Tanika, thanks for being here.
And I want to begin with Oprah who was a huge, tremendous Barack Obama supporter from the beginning. Roland, do you think that Oprah`s tears were from excitement mixed with a sense of relief, maybe, after what has really been an emotional time for her?
MARTIN: Well, I think it`s a combination of all of that, but also in many ways, the ancestors cried out last night and you can hear the collective chains being broken and yelling "freedom" after nearly 400 years since the first slave came on to this land in 1619.
I mean, so it was that kind of emotion that you saw all across the country, but also the world. And so Oprah`s tears were like - look, you know, I shed tears yesterday - last night on the set of CNN. And people were like, but you`re a journalist. But I`m still a human, I`m still an African-American, and you cannot divorce yourself from that reality.
ANDERSON: Yes. It was so moving to see countless people with tears in their eyes and the hopeful looks on their faces. As we saw after Obama`s speech, Oprah told CNN`s Alina Cho about how very emotional this campaign has been for her. Take another look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: This whole process for me has been something that I knew that this was the moment for me to stand up, regardless of, you know, whatever kind of heat I had to take or what people`s responses would be. I knew this was the moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. There`s no doubt that Oprah`s support of Obama was a risk to her. People threatened to boycott her show and her magazine. But, Tanika, in the end, she was vindicated, wasn`t she?
RAY: Absolutely. And you know, when Oprah speaks, people listen, whether they listen and they want to fight against it or they listen and they want to emulate her ideas.
But the thing last night that was so important was that Oprah felt that Barack was the best candidate. She felt it in her soul and she made that very clear in the rallies that she went to, the first interview she did with him.
And for America to finally come around to see her side was a huge emotional victory for Oprah. It`s one of those things in life that my parents never thought that would happen. Oprah probably never really thought it was going to happen. But she knew that if it ever did, Barack was the guy to do it. And he won.
ANDERSON: And I do want to move now to this other simply unforgettable moment - Sarah Palin wiping away tears of her own as John McCain made his concession speech. She now resumes her job as governor of Alaska.
Roland, quickly, after all she`s been through, I can only imagine it`s been a roller coaster of emotions for her.
MARTIN: Yes, but guess what? "Newsweek" is reporting that Sarah Palin asked to speak last night, and Steve Schmidt who lay at the McCain campaign flat out rejected that. And so I think clearly ...
ANDERSON: Wow.
MARTIN: ... it was the end of the road listening to John McCain as POW. But I wouldn`t be surprised that here was an opportunity where she also wanted to share some words about the campaign and they said, no.
RAY: Is that what you think she was crying about? That was what she was crying about.
ANDERSON: Well, on a happier note, I want to move to this. One of the iconic things that really made this campaign simply unforgettable was the song "Yes we can" by Will.I.am of the Black Eyed Peas.
RAY: Yes.
ANDERSON: Last night, another unforgettable moment for Will.I.am. Mind- boggling new technology, appearing on CNN as a hologram like "Star Trek" beamed in from Chicago to CNN`s New York City studios to talk to Anderson Cooper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We`re joined now via hologram by Will.I.am who is live in Grant Park. We`ll see if we can beam him in now - here we go.
Will, thanks very much for being with us. How is this night for you?
WILL.I.AM, SINGER AND MEMBER OF BLACK EYED PEAS: Oh, this is great. You know, we are on the eve of a brand new day in America. And it feels good being here in Chicago. All of this technology I`m being beamed to you like in "Star Wars" and stuff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tanika, quickly -
RAY: Very cool.
ANDERSON: Did that just blow you away when you saw that?
RAY: Absolutely. Just to compound everything, we are going to the "Star Trek" age. Not only it was historical moment, but all the little "trekkies(ph)" out there are super-excited about the technology. It was very cool. Very cool.
ANDERSON: Will.I.Am had to feel cool.
MARTIN: I love having Fox and MSNBC and the other competitors go on, "Man, I wish we had the technology."
ANDERSON: We didn`t think about that. Roland Martin, Tanika Ray, thank you both. Good to see you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You should have seen our executive producer Dave Levine freaking out.
All right. So with all the stars getting involved in the campaign with all the endorsements, the ads, the fundraisers, here is the big question. How did they actually come out to vote?
Well tonight, I can tell you that, yes they did. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Hollywood`s A-list, Christina Aguilera, Lindsay Lohan, heading to the polls next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. Out of all of the elections I`ve seen, I can definitely say that this time around, the stars were more involved than ever before from endorsements, ads, campaigning, concerts - you name it. Hollywood really got out there. But the most important thing is to actually vote, right?
Well tonight, in Hollywood`s A-list, I can tell you that the stars did go to the polls. Check out this video from "Hollywood.tv" - Christina Aguilera voting in Beverly Hills, Lindsay Lohan in West Hollywood, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star, Kim Kardashian, also Beverly Hills. And yes, the governator(ph) himself, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Brentwood.
HAMMER: Well, on Tuesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day which was this - "Presidential Race: Is it the funniest campaign ever?"
Here`s how it went - 46 percent of you said yes, meaning 54 percent of you said no. Kind of down the middle.
Let me read a couple of the E-mails we received. One from Christina in Alaska who thinks this race was hilarious, "That `Saturday Night Live` Palin rap is on repeat in my head." -
And Tamara from New York is writing in to us, "The election race was not funny. It was negative and nasty. `SNL` made it funny and tolerable."
ANDERSON: You know, A.J., history was made last night. And we were all lucky enough to witness it. And I really appreciated that Barack Obama, in his acceptance speech, stressed that he wanted both sides of the aisle to come together and to work together for the good of this country. It was an incredible night. It was remarkable.
HAMMER: Yes. It was remarkable, Brooke. No question about it. Regardless of people`s politics, as Barack Obama pointed out, it is time for everybody to come together and be hopeful and not cynical. Because it is easy to be on the other side of that if your candidate didn`t win. I think this is a good time for everybody.
And Brooke, I`ve got to tell you. I wish you were here at the CNN "Election Center" last night because you felt like you were in the middle of history watching it happen. Wolf Blitzer, you know, 100 feet away from me, talking to the hologram - whole thing was just incredible. We had a good time and some good burgers, too.
ANDERSON: I`m sure you did - "Election Center" right there with you, A.J.
HAMMER: Yes, it was a lot of fun. And now it`s over. And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Thanks for watching, everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And don`t forget you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 p.m. Pacific, and also in the morning - that`s at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is coming up next. Take care.
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