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Showbiz Tonight
Should Oprah Have Endorsed Hillary Instead of Barack?; Do Celebrity Endorsements Affect Your Vote?; Who Will Make a Bigger Contribution to Society, Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie?
Aired February 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: Who should be president? George Clooney or Oprah Winfrey? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And who is the most over exposed celebrity couple? I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You voted and the results are in. A special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday" starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, it`s the other Super Tuesday, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday". Who would you want to be president? Oprah? Will Smith? Angelina? Or George Clooney?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: OK. I would like to announce right now that I`m running.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers have been voting on the most provocative questions in Hollywood. Like which couple will last longer, Tomkat or Brangelina? Who`s most likely to stay clean and sober, Lindsay Lohan or Amy Winehouse? And was it right for Oprah Winfrey to back Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TV HOST: There were some women who had the nerve to say to me, "How could you, Oprah? How could you?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: We are ready to reveal the surprising results of those questions and more, along with the best and most fired up coast-to-coast panel of star experts on television. Tonight, a special event that you cannot miss. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday" starts right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you from Hollywood. And get ready for an extraordinary event like nothing you`ve seen before. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday".
HAMMER: We have gotten an overwhelming response of people voted online on our website on the most provocative, controversial and heated questions about Hollywood`s biggest stars. Tonight, we are revealing the results.
And right along with us, the most fired up and best team of Hollywood talkers on television. Joining us coast to coast for spin, analysis and debate on the big issues, on questions like, what if you could vote for one of the biggest stars in Hollywood to be president? What if you had a choice of George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith or Angelina Jolie? Well, we`ve been asking you that very question.
Wait. Wait just one moment. I`m now hearing from our executive producer Dave Levine, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now ready to call this race. Let SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday" begin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): OK. One of these people is probably going to be president. But before you went to the polls on Super Tuesday, many of you also came to us at our website, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, to vote on which celebrity you would elect president if you could.
Now, on "Superstar Tuesday", SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals your choice. And in just a moment, we are bringing you the humble acceptance speech of the star who won your vote. The first candidate, Angelina Jolie.
JULIA ALLISON, "STAR" MAGAZINE: She would be the best looking president we`ve ever had.
HAMMER: Hey, we can`t argue with that. But Angelina came in fourth in the Showbiz "Superstar Tuesday" vote with just 11 percent.
DAPHNE BROGDON, TV GUIDE CHANNEL: People are not confident she can rock a pantsuit.
HAMMER: The next candidate on the SHOWBIZ slate, Will Smith. As you see, he has military experience.
BROGDON: How many times did he save the world?
HAMMER: Even John McCain can`t say that. And a President Will would have his pick of running mates.
ALLISON: It`s like either DJ Jazzy Jeff or Tommy Lee Jones.
HAMMER: But in the end, 23 percent of you cast your vote for Will. The next candidate, Oprah Winfrey.
BROGDON: I thought she was president.
HAMMER: Well, technically, no. But she is arguably one of the most influential and popular women on the planet. So, the presidency would be the next logical step. Maybe not.
BROGDON: There is no way she could take the pay cut.
HAMMER: Still, Oprah was the second choice for president in the Showbiz "Superstar Tuesday" vote with 24 percent. And now it is time to reveal which celebrity you would pick to be president of the United States. It was a run away victory. Could it be because of his to-the-point campaign slogan.
CLOONEY: You`re either in or you`re out. Right now.
HAMMER: That`s right; George Clooney is the celebrity Showbiz "Superstar Tuesday" voters decided they would most like to see as president with 42 percent of the vote. It`s probably safe to say Clooney would have an edge among women voters.
ALLISON: For one, because we can still marry him. Ladies, you all have a shot to be first lady.
BROGDON: I would vote for Clooney but only because I would hope to become his intern.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter told Clooney about his victory. He needed some convincing.
CLOONEY: I honestly think that`s a bit of a joke or they`re probably pulling your leg but at the end of it, they`re probably still pulling your leg a little bit.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT eventually convinced George we were for real. He then gave us an exclusive announcement.
CLOONEY: I`d like to announce right now that I`m running, of course.
(CHEERS)
HAMMER: Whoa. Hold off on the confetti. George was probably pulling our leg on that one, but think of the possibilities.
ALLISON: They say that politics is showbiz for ugly people. So what would politics be like if George Clooney were a politician? Hmmm.
HAMMER: And with all that Georges we have had as president, maybe a President Clooney would fit right in.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: OK. So it is George Clooney with the win in the first big race. We have got this covered from coast to coast with the most provocative fired up and best team of talkers on television.
Tonight in Hollywood, executive news editor for "E!" Ken Baker. Also in Hollywood tonight, investigative journalist, Pat Lalama. In Philadelphia, Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill. And here in New York, anchor of Tru TV`s "In Session," Lisa Bloom.
Gang, I appreciate you all being here for "Superstar Tuesday". President Clooney kind of has a nice ring to it. Ken Baker, did the voters get it right?
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR, "E!": Well, first of all, why didn`t you tell me I had to wear a tie tonight? Now, that being out of the way, I just want to say that George Clooney is a smart guy. And for that reason, I don`t want to burst anyone`s bubble but he`s not going to be running for president, OK?
I know that the people have spoken and they want him to be president. But this is a guy who enjoys his privacy. He`s someone who`s battled the media and the paparazzi. And he is never going to run for political office. You mark my words on that. However, he definitely would be the best looking president since JFK, there`s no doubt about that. And he also would likely be bringing in, like JFK, people like Marilyn Monroe and other stars like that. So I, for one, also vote for George Clooney.
HAMMER: We will take your vote. George will take your vote. Pat Lalama, does he get your vote?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Absolutely not. I applaud him for his humanitarianism. I really do admire him for that. But if George Clooney were president, it would be the "People`s Republic of the United States of America," and Hugo Chavez would be hanging out with him. So sorry, no go for me.
HAMMER: Well, Marc Lamont Hill, over to you. Our voters said it`s George.
MARC LAMONT HILL, PROFESSOR, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: Well, you know, I`m all for George. And I`m a Hugo Chavez supporter so that`s why I probably like him. I mean, think about it. He looks presidential. He has the look. He has the hair. He`s attractive enough. And the worst thing that can happen is, even if he`s a bad president, he won`t make "Oceans 14" if he`s president.
HAMMER: There you go. Lisa Bloom, over to you. The winning smile, did that get him into office?
LISA BLOOM, ANCHOR, "IN SESSION": You know, my candidates never win. Seeing in that Brooks Brothers suit, I`m voting for A.J. Hammer!
HAMMER: I don`t think it`s Brooks Brothers. But we`re going to move right on. Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, by the way, has received an overwhelming E-mail response to our candidates. Charles, let`s go right to the E-mail board for one viewer`s thoughts on our presidential hopefuls.
Trevor from Georgia says, "The four `star` choices are awful. I can safely say I`d rather not live here than have to vote for them." Trevor from Georgia obviously displeased with these choices. Pat Lalama, any write-in star candidates who should have made the ballot in your opinion?
LALAMA: Marge Simpson, because she would be tough on the border. She would have a small government, but she`d be a compassionate conservative. I go for her.
HAMMER: Ken Baker, who got missed here?
BAKER: Well, you know, the obvious choice is Arnold Schwarzenegger who couldn`t technically be president because he was not born in the United States. However, if they did change that law, he`s the governor of California. A lot of people like him. I think he`s doing a good job. So I think his absence was conspicuous on that even though it`s an asterisk. Since he was born in Austria, he`s not allowed to run for president.
HAMMER: We`ll take your asterisk and we will move on because George did get the votes here, so we need to talk about the implications obviously of a possible Clooney administration. So, here`s my question. Do you think President Clooney, in his first 100 days in office, would declare war on the paparazzi and rid the streets of their cameras of mass destruction? Lisa Bloom?
BLOOM: He probably would. But you know, I can`t understand any George Clooney movies. Is it just me? There so choppy and so edited that I don`t think I would understand anything he did as president.
HAMMER: Michael Clayton is up for an Oscar. You need to retract your last statement, Lisa Bloom. Marc Lamont Hill, over to you.
LAMONT HILL: I agree wholeheartedly with what you said, A.J. I think the first 100 days (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the paparazzi. The thing about him that makes him such a good candidate is that he`s not a media whore like the rest of us.
LALAMA: Hey!
LAMONT HILL: Not you guys. I`m not talking about - except you guys. Present company excluded. No, I mean really. He hates the media in certain kind of ways. So he`ll get rid of them. He`ll be a great president because he`s a low-key celebrity.
HAMMER: Let it be known George Clooney is perhaps the nicest guy in showbiz. Plenty of nice people - George Clooney perhaps the nicest. And what is truly amazing when you look back at George and think about him is how he`s transformed from heartthrob to global hero just in the past few years with his humanitarian work. Charles, would you roll this little piece of videotape that we have dug up about this guy who`s even been named by the United Nations as a messenger of piece.
Ken Baker, did you ever imagine this guy, right here, I mean, look at that hair, the handy man from "Facts of Life" would become who he is today and our voters saying he should be president among our candidates?
BAKER: Well, you know, he would be the first president who had a mullet. So I think that that would be historic for that reason alone. However, I have to say about the choices that the viewers were given, a lot of left leaning celebrities there.
LALAMA: Yes!
BAKER: You have Tom Selleck, who`s an NRA supporter. You have Chuck Norris who`s backing Huckabee, you know, the preacher. So I think that it`s a very left-leaning selection.
BLOOM: Yes.
BAKER: And I think there are a lot of right wingers in our midst -
LAMONT HILL: Good for us.
BAKER: So we have to do another poll.
HAMMER: All right. Ken Baker, your point is well made. I hand it off to the analysts right now. There it goes. Ken Baker, Pat Lalama, Marc Lamont Hill, Lisa Bloom, I thank you all. We will be back to you guys on as Showbiz "Superstar Tuesday" continues. And in case you`re just joining us, once again, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can declare George Clooney the winner in the Showbiz "Superstar Tuesday" presidential show down.
ANDERSON: That is right. And coming up, this really has people fired up. The controversial question, should Oprah have endorsed Hillary Clinton instead of Barack Obama? Oprah herself is responding to that question and not mincing words. And wait until you see how the vote came down, straight ahead.
HAMMER: We also ask you to cast your votes on some big questions about star couples and you responded big time. Who will last longer? Tomkat or Brangelina? And who is the most over exposed couple out there? Well, I`m here to tell you the results are in. There are some big surprises. We will get into that, next.
ANDERSON: And here`s something I have wondered about myself. Who do you think is more likely to have a successful comeback, Whitney Houston or Britney Spears? Some really passionate responses on this one. We`re going to have the results on that, still to come. That is coming up as the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Superstar Tuesday" continues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVA LONGORIA-PARKER, ACTRESS: I will support either Hillary or Obama. I mean I`m really still undecided between both. But I think they`re two great choices.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDSAY SLOANE, ACTRESS: I`m on the Barack tip. He makes me feel safe when I`m watching him speak. I feel like I could trust him being responsible for my livelihood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, showbiz "Superstar Tuesday". I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight, we are going wall to wall on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with your online voting on the most controversial questions in Hollywood. Right now, how you voted on celebrity couples. We asked you this -which couple will last longer? Brangelina - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie; or Tomkat - Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.
And we also asked you this controversial question - Who is the most over-exposed celebrity couple - Brad and Angelina, Tom and Katie, David Beckham and Posh Spice? The results are in. And with us tonight in Miami to discuss them, Steve Santagati, author of "The Manual." Also with us tonight in New York, Janelle Snowden, red carpet correspondent for VH1 News. And in Hollywood, Carlos Diaz, correspondent for "Extra," waving his American flag. Carlos, nice.
STEVE SANTAGATI, AUTHOR OF "THE MANUAL": Carlos. I know Carlos, hey.
ANDERSON: Welcome to all of you. And I want to start with that first question. The polls are closed and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now ready to declare the winning couple. Take a look at whom you voted for. Here`s the question: Which couple will last longer? The results, astounding; 69 percent of you say Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will. Only 31 percent of you say Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are going to stick it out. Steve, this is a shocking result that will make big headlines tomorrow. Why do you think Brad and Angelina have a better chance at survival than Tom and Katie?
SANTAGATI: It`s not shocking if you are not delusional. When you look at relationships, you look at them like a house. If it has a strong foundation, it may survive. If it doesn`t, it won`t. Brad and Angelina had kind of a normal courtship, but Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, it was kind of strange. It was all this kind of weird stuff. So their house is built on stilts and Brad and Angie, well, I don`t know if it`s concrete but maybe straw. It`s a little stronger.
ANDERSON: all right. Well, of course, we know that is subjective. Janelle, I want to hear what you think about it. Do you think Brangelina`s got a better shot than Tomkat?
JANELLE SNOWDEN, RED CARPET CORRESPONDENT, VH1 NEWS: Oh I think that Brad and Angelina probably are more similar in the fact that their careers are probably more on par with one another. Whereas Tom and Katie a little bit - let`s just say apart. Tom is obviously like super duper and I not being nice, right?
SANTAGATI: Tell it like it is.
SNOWDEN: I know. I know. I know. Well, let`s just say it. Tom Cruise is one of the biggest superstars we have and then Katie Holmes, well, not so much. So in the sense that their careers are more in line and they seem to be more, you know, involved with humanitarian efforts and they just seem to have more common interests, I think that Brad and Angelina may have a better chance.
Plus, there`s just something about Brad and Angelina that we love to see. I mean they`re a gorgeous couple. We can`t get enough of them on the magazine covers. And with Tom and Katie, there`s still that, "Oooh, should we look or should we not look" factor.
ANDERSON: Kind of the mystery involved with that couple maybe. And as we analyze the results on this showbiz "Superstar Tuesday", I want you to take a listen to something Angelina Jolie told Larry King back in June about how she views her relationship with Brad. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: I need to - I need to feel strongly with Brad about how we raise our children, about what we think is right and wrong in the world, what we think is worth fighting for, and what is morally, you know, the correct thing. And if you have that same view, then you can go through anything and then you - when you die, one day, you look back at your life and you went on the right journey together and the same journey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Carlos Diaz, the children, their united front, is that what makes them so strong?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Let me just say right now that the children in this relationship, they are the melting pot and they signify what America is all about. That is why I look at Brad and Angelina as being one of the best couples around. From A to Z - from Angelina to Zahara, you`ve got the best couple because they`ve got the best kids. Thank you, America.
ANDERSON: Carlos, it looks like we should have put your name on the ballot as well.
SANTAGATI: They`re creating world dominance. Don`t you - Can anybody see they`re starting the U.N.? Gosh.
ANDERSON: They are trying. Yes, they are. And it is admirable what they`re doing and their focus on their family. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has also tallied the votes on our next big question, the votes are in.
And wait a minute. I`m hearing from our executive producer Dave Levine. We can now declare another couple of winners on the question: Who`s the most over-exposed celebrity couple? Here are the results. Brad and Angelina declared the most over exposed couple, 40 percent; followed by Tom and Katie, 37 percent. David Beckham, Posh Spice, 23 percent. Brad and Angelina over Tom and Katie again by a hair this time. Steve Santagati, big night for them.
SANTAGATI: Absolutely. Everything that they do is newsworthy. Not only how they look, but their relationship, adopting all these kids from foreign countries. I think they had the military in Namibia doing security for them when they were over there. And now, once again, Angelina is pregnant.
ANDERSON: Reportedly, Steve.
SANTAGATI: Everything that they is news-worthy. So of course they`re going to be over-exposed. And we like to look at them. I mean I don`t look at them very often but - I`m fishing - but everybody else does.
ANDERSON: They are beautiful people and seem to be that way both inside and out. We will leave it there. Steve Santagati, Janelle Snowden, Carlos Diaz, don`t go anywhere. We do have more big results on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday".
HAMMER: That`s right, Brooke, including how the vote went on this very provocative question. What do you think is more likely? Who do you think is more likely to have a successful comeback, Whitney Houston or Britney Spears? Personally, I am pulling for both of them. But what did you say in our exclusive online poll? Some really passionate responses on this question. I`ll have those results coming up.
ANDERSON: And who will make a bigger contribution to society, Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie? I know that`s a tough one, but you have spoken and we have the surprising results. Stay tuned for that, still to come.
HAMMER: And this really has people fired up. The controversial question - should Oprah have endorsed Hillary Clinton instead of Barack Obama? Oprah herself responding to that question, not mincing her words at all. Wait until you see how this vote came down. That`s coming up as this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Superstar Tuesday," continues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER, COMEDIAN: I`m good friends with the Clintons, though. But I think Barack has an interesting message of change and, you know, he`s got the power of the people now of just wanting that new something in the White House, and I think it`s very important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Superstar Tuesday". You`re looking at a reunion of none other than the Grateful Dead. The three surviving members of the band reunited for the first time in four years at a San Francisco event supporting Barack Obama.
ANDERSON: Our "Superstar Tuesday" coverage continues in just a moment. First, another big story in Hollywood right now. Shocking details about Britney Spears and her manager. A restraining order against Sam Lutfi is making some stunning claims about his role in her life. It says Lutfi has drugged Britney, cut her phone lines, that he yells at her and has completely taken over her life and finances. The restraining order comes from a declaration from Britney`s mother, Lynne Spears. The court documents were just released today. Britney remains in the psych ward at a hospital. Her father has been granted temporary control over her finances.
HAMMER: Well, we have lots more votes pouring in for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday". We have some really big results to get to. That`s coming up. Who`s more likely to have a successful comeback - Whitney Houston or Britney Spears? I`ve got to tell you, I`m pulling for both of them in this particular show down. I have the results coming up.
ANDERSON: Also, who will make a bigger contribution to society, Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie? I know, I know, it`s a tough call. But you have spoken and we`ve got the surprising results still to come.
HAMMER: And Lindsay Lohan and Amy Winehouse, both very talented young women. Obviously, both have struggled with substance abuse issues. Here`s what we ask. Which one is more likely to stay clean and sober? Who got your votes? You definitely don`t want to miss the results as this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Superstar Tuesday," continues in just a moment.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: A very special action-packed edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - it`s the other Super Tuesday, showbiz "Superstar Tuesday". Tonight, you have voted on the most provocative and controversial questions in Hollywood. Like, who is most likely to have a successful comeback, Britney Spears or Whitney Houston? And Paris Hilton and new mom Nicole Richie, who will make a bigger contribution to society? We`ve got the surprising results.
Plus, we`ve got the best coast to coast team of Hollywood experts on television all fired up and ready to go. Tonight, a special event you just can`t miss - SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday".
(MUSIC)
And we`d like to welcome you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 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 from Hollywood. And you are watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the other Super Tuesday, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday".
HAMMER: And we thank you because you have been voting online on our website on the most provocative, controversial and heated questions about Hollywood`s biggest stars. It is time to get more of the results as they have been coming in and right now, on to the big votes on the much anticipated party girl polls.
Here`s what we asked you to vote on, no matter what your party affiliation. When`s most likely to have a successful comeback, Whitney Houston or Britney Spears? Who will make a bigger contribution to society, Nicole Richie or Paris Hilton? Who`s most likely to stay clean and sober, Lindsay Lohan or Amy Winehouse?
We are going back now to the best, most fired up team of Hollywood talkers on television. Once again, tonight, from Hollywood, executive news editor for "E!", Ken Baker. Also in Hollywood, investigative journalist Pat Lalama. In Philadelphia tonight, Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill. And in New York, anchor for Tru TV`s "In Session," Lisa Bloom.
Gang, we`re going to start right off tonight with one of our top party girl poll questions for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday". Here`s what we asked: Who`s most likely to have a successful comeback, Whitney Houston or Britney Spears?
Stand by a moment. Stand by. OK. I`m hearing from the executive producer, Dave Levine. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ready to declare a winner. As you see, we are able to call this race for Whitney Houston. Overwhelmingly, 71 percent chose Whitney Houston;, only 29 percent choosing Britney Spears. Ken Baker, voters clearly showing solidarity for Whitney. Are you surprised?
BAKER: I am surprised, actually. And unlike a politician, I`m going against the majority, OK, because I`m not running for office here. And I`m going to say I disagree wholeheartedly. I think that first of all, Britney Spears has a lot more time. She`s about 20 years younger than Whitney Houston, so she has more time to take a comeback. And guess what, guys? Britney Spears, for better or worse, right now, is the most recognizable woman, has the best brand recognition or name recognition in all the world. And I think she`s poised to come back if she could just get her head screwed on straight. And I think that it totally can happen and I think it will happen.
HAMMER: Ken Baker, sounding of in stark contrast to our voters tonight. Pat Lalama, what do you suppose Whitney accomplished on her campaign trail that put her ahead of Britney in the race to a comeback?
LALAMA: First of all, with all due respect to Ken Baker whom I do adore, I do adore, I`m running for nothing, by the way. Whitney Houston has so much more wholesale talent but for the bad husbands and drug problems, she is just a sincerely talented woman. Britney Spears is created by guys in a studio. OK?
Now, let`s get back to Whitney. The fact of the matter now dumped the drugs and old Bobby, she`s looking less like a toothless crack ho and Britney the looking more like a toothless crack ho. So there you go.
HAMMER: Well, clearly, Pat, the voters agreed with that last statement. They spoke loud and clear when they pulled their virtual lever. Marc Lamont Hill, what do you think put this race over the top for Whitney?
LAMONT HILL: Oh, man. Part of it is the bias against Britney, because she just went to the psychiatric ward like last week so there`s an immediate bias against her. But I think though the talent thing is big. And also, Whitney`s biggest problem is a crack addiction. By Hollywood standards, that is like nail biting for the rest of us.
HAMMER: Exactly right.
LAMONT HILL: For Britney, it`s the mental problems and mental problems are harder to surmount for a lot of people.
HAMMER: I want to jump in here because we`ve been overwhelmed with E-mails on this particular race bearing an opinion. I want to go back to the E- mail board right now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewer Angie from Utah has a very interesting point, writing, "Whitney does not interest people the way Britney does. Plus, Britney is younger, and in a weird way, with the sales of her new album, she has had a comeback already." Lisa Bloom, over to you.
BLOOM: Yes, absolutely.
HAMMER: Are you kidding me? I mean Britney`s actually having a comeback? She is a psychiatric ward, hello.
BLOOM: She may be in a psych ward, but she`s got two hit songs right now, "Gimme More" and Piece of Me." I don`t know if even she needs a comeback professionally. She needs to clean up her act emotionally. I demand a recount on this one. I think it`s a West Palm Beach voters and those voting machines. Something is wrong with this outcome.
HAMMER: We`re going to look out for those virtual hanging chads. And let`s now move on to another big question we asked for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday". Let`s look at this - who will make a bigger contribution to society, Nicole Richie or Paris Hilton? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT now ready to call this race with all the votes reporting. Look at that. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT declares the winner, Nicole Richie, a whopping 83 percent of the vote. Paris Hilton, an embarrassing, possibly career ending 17 percent of the votes. Ken Baker, I can`t imagine anyone in a Paris Hilton camp is shocked tonight or are they?
BAKER: Well, I think that obviously the viewers are right. You have to agree with them. Nicole has already done a lot. She and Joel Madden have started a foundation for kids. They threw a big gala around the holidays for them. She`s already showed that, you know, she has compassion for people. She wants to turn her life around. Paris? I saw pictures of her the other day making out with someone in a club and you know, just doing the whole party circus. So I think the viewers did get it right and I have to agree with them on that one.
HAMMER: You know, Ken, you`re making very good points. But really, let`s not forget that Paris Hilton did vow to help society after she got out of jail. I want to now flash back to a moment earlier in Paris` rehabilitation campaign when she appeared on "LARRY KING LIVE" and made a promise to women in need. Please watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, ACTRESS: I want to help set up a place so these women can get themselves back on their feet; a place with food, shelter and clothing and programs, kind of a transitional home. I know I can make a difference and hopefully stop this vicious circle of these people going in and out of jail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Marc Lamont Hill, clearly, she wanted to help women in jail. Now, have you heard anything about this happening or was this just a Paris campaign promise unfulfilled?
LAMONT HILL: Oh, no. I mean, you`re too skeptical of Paris. You know, I`m a big Paris Hilton fan. I`ve got to lay that on the table as you already know. I think she`s still trying to help people in jail. I think she`s trying to help African kids. I think she`s doing things that fix economic inequality around the globe. You know, you have to give her a chance. She has all the tools. She has all the talent. The American people made a big mistake tonight. Big mistake.
HAMMER: Marc Lamont Hill sounding of on behalf of Paris Hilton. Now, we need to move on to our final, truly provocative question in our party girl polls for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Superstar Tuesday." This one got a lot of people really riled up. We asked, "Who is most likely to stay clean and sober, Lindsay Lohan or Amy Winehouse?" The polls are now closed. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ready to call this race.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is declaring Lindsay Lohan the run away winner. It`s a historic landslide. Look at that. And unprecedented 84 percent of you chose Lindsay; a sad 16 percent chose Amy Winehouse. Ken Baker, over to you. Come on. Did everybody just choose Lindsay because she`s cuter or do you believe this?
BAKER: No. Because Amy Winehouse is walking around with powder on her nose every five minutes, and Lindsay looks actually like she is keeping it pretty clean. So, you know, I think that that does seem to be the direction it`s going in sadly for Amy Winehouse. So I think that - Lindsay Lohan has cleaned up the act a lot. Now she had that stumbling block, of course, on new year`s. We saw her drinking from the champagne bottle - drinking directly from the champagne bottle. But I do think that overall, though, she is working on being sober, and being clean and sober and she`s done a pretty darn good job of it.
HAMMER: Well, Lisa Bloom, I`ve got to lead it over to you to wrap this up on this. There`s such a huge disparity here. It`s so big I think the history books will need to be rewritten. Why is that?
BLOOM: Well, one little tip-off is Amy Winehouse`s hit song, trying to make me go to rehab and I say no, no, no. That`s just a little clue that maybe she is not over her drug addiction yet.
HAMMER: Pay attention to the clues in politics of all kinds, ladies and gentlemen. Ken Baker, Pat Lalama, Marc Lamont Hill, Lisa Bloom, I want to thank you all. But gang, Brooke and I definitely need you to stay put.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J., because I just can`t wait to hear what they think about one of the most controversial moves in this presidential election. Oprah Winfrey`s backing of Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. I know a lot of people are really fired up over this. Some think that Oprah should have stuck with a woman, but what do you think? I`ve got to say the results are pretty surprising.
And what about all the celebrity endorsements in general? Do they really have an impact on how people vote? The results are pouring in. We`ve got this special exciting edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday" coming back after this.
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CLOONEY: There are a few people in my lifetime that I`ve heard speak that made me want to get up and do something. He is one of those people that inspire me. It`s not knocking off the other candidates. It`s just there`s one that truly inspires me.
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FRAN DRESCHER, ACTRESS: I`ve been supporting Hillary because I think that she`s got a kind of life experience, someone that seems prepared to face the issues at hand.
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ANDERSON: That was "The Nanny" Fran Drescher rallying behind Sen. Hillary Clinton for president. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You are watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, showbiz "Superstar Tuesday".
You have been voting on the hottest, most controversial and provocative questions about Hollywood`s biggest stars. Now on to Oprah Winfrey and her controversial support of Barack Obama. We asked you this: Should Oprah have endorsed Hillary Clinton instead of Obama? And it doesn`t matter anyway because we also asked you if celebrity endorsements influence your vote.
We are now going back to the best, biggest and most fired up team of Hollywood talkers on TV. Here they are. And I want to first get right to that question. Oprah Winfrey: Should she have endorsed Hillary Clinton instead of Barack Obama? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT now ready to cal this race. Fifty eight percent of you said, no - Oprah should not have endorsed Hillary over Barack. Forty-two percent of you said, yes - Oprah should have endorsed Hillary over Barack.
Investigative journalist Pat Lalama, I think I saw you out of the corner of my eye shaking your head. It does look like the country has spoken. They have sent a message loud and clear to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Oprah did the right thing by endorsing Obama. Does any of that surprise you?
LALAMA: It confounds me that - I hear it all the time. You`re a woman and not voting for Hillary? Why does it mean because I`m a woman I must vote for a woman? The beautiful thing about being a feminist and I consider myself a feminist, I have the freedom to vote for the candidate that I will think - that I do think will do the best job for the nation. And I don`t happen to think it`s her.
I`m a big supporter of women. I do lots of causes for women, for children. I am not for her. Does that make me any less of a person? I think Oprah did what she felt in her heart was the right thing to do.
ANDERSON: It is about freedom of choice.
LALAMA: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: "Extra" correspondent Carlos Diaz, does Pat have a great point there that when it comes to politics and celebrities and Hollywood or anybody for that matter, gender should not be the focus at all and that Oprah made the right choice?
DIAZ: First off, I consider myself to be a political entertainment expert. And what I want to say right now is that all of my guy friends are constantly talking about the Obama girl, and I guess that means Oprah Winfrey. And so obviously she`s made an impact on Barack Obama here. Thank you so much.
ANDERSON: She`s the new Obama girl, I suppose. And Tru TV`s Lisa Bloom, it makes sense to me that your choice for a candidate should be about their stance on the issues, not their gender or race. Your thoughts?
BLOOM: Absolutely. But in my case, you know, I`ve worshipped Oprah all my life. I read the books she tells me to read and they`re always good. Her magazine is terrific. The show is top notch. I had the privilege of appearing on it. So whatever Oprah tells me to do, I just do it. No questions asked. It works out for me.
ANDERSON: I know that you`re kidding because you are a very independent, successful woman, and do think on your own. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been covering this race like no other entertainment news show. Our cameras were right there over the weekend when Oprah said to the world, "You don`t like what I`m doing? Tough. I`m Oprah." Listen to what she said.
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WINFREY: You know, after Iowa, there were some women who had the nerve to say to me, how could you, Oprah? How could you? You`re a traitor to your gender. Yes. That`s how I felt.
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ANDERSON: All right. Marc, she`s not afraid to alienate some people. But isn`t that what we love about Oprah? She takes on the critics head on and says, "Too bad?"
LAMONT HILL: Right. Tough cookie. "I`m rich and you`re not." I mean that`s sort of the idea here. I mean what I don`t get is why can`t people accept the idea that it`s possible that a man could be better for women than a woman could be. Or that a white guy could be better for black people than a black guy could be.
BLOOM: Yes. Yes. Amen.
LAMONT HILL: These are all possible. And I think that`s what Oprah`s getting at. Oprah doesn`t normally endorse candidates. She says she was driven by her own personal truth. I believe her. This one time I actually believe Oprah and I think she did the right thing.
ANDERSON: Ken Baker, again, America has spoken on showbiz "Super Tuesday." Can Oprah Winfrey do no wrong?
BAKER: Well, you know what? She has done wrong. I mean she`s promoted authors that ended up to be a fraud.
BLOOM: That`s one time.
BAKER: Well -
LAMONT HILL: She gave us Dr. Phil.
BAKER: Then there`s the endorsement of Dr. Phil. And guess what? While she`s been out on the stump for Barack Obama, and singing his praises, she hasn`t been talking about her spawn Dr. Phil that much. She`s been taking sort of a backseat on that. So she`s very smart, very calculated and you know what? Barack Obama is highly electable. It`s not like she is throwing up - throwing her support against someone or behind someone that is not electable and is not - she is looking for someone who can win and she really believes he can win.
ANDERSON: Right, yes. He does have a shot here and she knows it. Well, not only has everybody been voting online but we`ve been overwhelmed by the number of E-mails that we`ve received. Let`s go back to the showbiz E-mail board right now.
Kathy from Tennessee writes, "I think that Oprah should have supported Hillary because on her show, she preaches how important women are in the world and how much power we have. But yet, when an opportunity comes for a woman, she lets race get in the way."
ANDERSON: Janelle, we`ve been taking the pulse of the heartland. It would seem that a lot of people might agree with Kathy. But is that criticism unfair?
SNOWDEN: Of course it`s unfair. I think that pulse is off. First of all, who are we to question anything that Oprah does? She is a self-made billionaire. She`s obviously of supreme intelligence. So she decides to put her vote behind someone that she thinks is worthy, then god bless her for doing so.
Like Marc said, it`s the first time she`s loaned her support to a candidate. And she`s stepping out and for her to do so means that she obviously has thought about this and wants this is guy in office for valid reasons. So the fact that someone could even suggest that Oprah would say that race has a factor in her decision is to me just offensive and downright ignorant.
ANDERSON: You know, and anybody has a right to speak his or her mind. But I`ve got to ask, does any of this really matter? I want to move now to our next question for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Super Tuesday" - Celebrity endorsements: Do they influence your vote? A landslide historic 96 percent vote no, that celebrities don`t influence your votes. While only four percent of you say, yes, they do. Temple University Professor Marc Lamont Hill, this is the stuff you live and breathe. So do these results surprise you?
LAMONT HILL: I think the results are wrong but don`t surprise me. American people are delusional about their own individuality. Think about the `80s when people said, "I want to be original, just like Madonna." You know, we always sort of make our choices based on other people. I mean it`s not that we like we Clay Aiken out of nowhere, right? The media creates people and the political realm is not that different than "American Idol." They create people for us to choose from. But the very choices themselves are products of them, not us.
ANDERSON: So are you saying that people are being dishonest in the polls here?
LAMONT HILL: No. They were delusional. I think they think they`re making individual choices. But they don`t realize that the very options that have been given to them are arbitrary.
ANDERSON: Pat, what do you think? Do you think people are influenced by celebrities?
LALAMA: I don`t really think in the end. I think if you`re a person who really cares and puts a lot of thought behind your vote. I mean, these are all polls that we`re taking and we`re kind of having fun with it. But when you get to the voter`s box, I really doubt that it plays a role. I personally love Robert De Niro. My god, way up at the top of the list. He`s out there for Obama yesterday. I mean that doesn`t mean anything to me. I still watch him in any movie, but his politics mean nothing to me. And I think most people who really care about their vote - they`ll make fun of and have fun with celebrity issues but they don`t really allow them to weigh on their minds when they cast that ballot.
ANDERSON: Carlos Diaz, your thoughts. Do celebrities impact how people vote?
DIAZ: I hope not because I spend time in junkets with celebrities. And basically all celebrities do read newspapers and then form the opinions from that so -
LALAMA: You are so right, Carlos. You are so right.
BLOOM: Newspapers?
DIAZ: They`re just using the platform that they have and they just - they`re as informed as anyone is out there. They just have a platform to speak whereas other people don`t have that platform.
LALAMA: Amen.
ANDERSON: Very good point. We will leave it there. Carlos Diaz, Ken Baker, Pat Lalama, Marc Lamont Hill, Lisa Bloom and Janelle Snowden, thank you all for joining us on this "Superstar Tuesday".
HAMMER: Brooke, I`ve got to tell you. It`s been so exciting here today. Everybody said it would be an exciting year. The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff of analysts poring over all of these numbers. There have been so many shocking surprising results in my opinion. So in case you missed any, I`ve your revealing look at all of our controversial and provocative questions right here on showbiz "Superstar Tuesday," coming up next.
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KERRY WASHINGTON, ACTRESS: I come from a really political, progressive family. So for me, I get out there as an American. I think it`s really important that we all as Americans participate in our democracy.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, showbiz "Superstar Tuesday". All this hour, we have been revealing for you the stunning results. Thousands of you voted online on the most provocative questions in Hollywood. Well, the online polls are now closed. Here are the final numbers. In the very hotly contested race for president, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT declares George Clooney has come on top with 42 percent of the vote followed by Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith and Angelina Jolie.
ANDERSON: A.J., some very interesting results about a very heated topic, celebrity endorsements. Oprah Winfrey controversy when she decided to back Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. Take a look at this. Oprah Winfrey: Should she have endorsed Hillary Clinton instead of Barack Obama? Fifty- eight percent of you said no; 42 percent of you said yes, Oprah should have picked Hillary over Barack. And regarding celebrity endorsements, it`s a landslide. Ninety-six percent of you say they do not influence your vote.
HAMMER: Well, what about all of those young, out of control party girls? Here is how you voted. Who will make a bigger contribution to society, new mom Nicole Richie or Paris Hilton? Right in line with the exit polls here, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT declaring Nicole Richie the winner with 83 percent of the vote.
And how about staying sober? An overwhelming number of you, 84 percent, think Lindsay Lohan will stay clean and sober. Grammy-nominated singer Amy Winehouse is in rehab right now.
And another very big question, right now, Britney Spears is in a hospital psych ward so who`s most likely to have a successful comeback? Seven out of ten of you are betting on Whitney Houston over Britney Spears.
ANDERSON: Hmmm. Fascinating. How about celebrity couples? Who do you think is the most over exposed? You think Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are the most over-exposed, followed closely by Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and Posh and Beck, Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham and her hubby, soccer star David Beckham.
And finally, which couple will last longer? About 70 percent of you think Brangelina will make it longer than Tomkat.
HAMMER: Brooke, I`ve got to tell you the results have been fascinating and shocking all at the same time. And that is going to wrap it up for showbiz "Superstar Tuesday." Now remember, you can check CNN.com/ShowbizTonight for all the results of all of your votes on Wednesday. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And A.J., you look super sharp tonight. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is next.
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