# Anybody notice Fox News has been "calling" the Bush states ahead of the Kerry states? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 3, 2004, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705 "2004-11-03T08:30:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/1 "2004-11-03T08:30:55Z")
All night, Fox News has consistently shown a _larger_ disparity between the number of electoral votes called for Bush, and those called for Kerry, making the margin by which Bush appears to be ahead always larger than what CNN, NBC, or CBS show. Fox will periodically “catch up” with the other networks, and reflect the true closeness of the race, but always seems to make their next call so that, for awhile, Bush seems to be further ahead than what any of the other networks are showing. Not that it matters, since it’s looking like Bush has it pretty wrapped up, but it does seem to be consistent with what many have been saying about Fox News having a bias towards the right. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/2 "2004-11-03T08:32:33Z")
I did notice that. They took forever to put California on the board. But what do you expect? Fox is nothing but a propaganda outlet for the White House. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/3 "2004-11-03T08:34:59Z")
Fox attempted to do what they did for Florida in 2000 - prematurely “call” it for Bush, causing other networks to play catch-up and do the same, thus creating the illusion that the dems are being “sore losers” when they contest the state’s results. At least they had the decency to rescind Ohio tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/4 "2004-11-03T08:43:48Z")
What, anyone was surprised by this? What were you expecting them to do? ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/5 "2004-11-03T08:48:51Z")
> [@Priceguy](#): > > What, anyone was surprised by this? What were you expecting them to do? Nope, not surprised. Just wondered if anyone was paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/6 "2004-11-03T09:05:12Z")
Yeah, delaying the call on California was stupid. “It’s because some people are still waiting in line,” they said, “and we don’t want people listening on their XM radios to hear that Kerry won and go home.” Even though CA’s one of the few states _guaranteed_ to go for the Dems… They sure didn’t hesitate to call Ohio & Florida for Bush, though! ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/7 "2004-11-03T09:08:37Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Nope, not surprised. Just wondered if anyone was paying attention. Well, if you’re watching Fox News, expect to see what they air. If you want something else, watch CNN/ABC/NBC/MSNBC/C-SPAN…_ad nauseam_. Are we supposed to feel sorry for you? Or are you pissed that Bush won and have to lash out? ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/8 "2004-11-03T09:11:36Z")
> [@Freejooky](#): > > Fox attempted to do what they did for Florida in 2000 - prematurely “call” it for Bush, **causing other networks to play catch-up and do the same,** thus creating the illusion that the dems are being “sore losers” when they contest the state’s results. Huh, so all the other networks are getting their news from Fox? Maybe they have something going for them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/9 "2004-11-03T09:13:19Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > They sure didn’t hesitate to call Ohio & Florida for Bush, though! The polls in those states were closed. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/10 "2004-11-03T09:18:07Z")
I was a little surprised by Fox announcing Ohio when it did, but NBC already had, so hey. They (FOX) also lagged at calling Alaska, which was as much of a slam dunk for Bush as California was a slam dunk for Kerry. I’ve heard complaints in the past from some folks about other networks being reluctant to call states that went for the Republican candidate. It works both ways, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/11 "2004-11-03T09:20:26Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > I’ve heard complaints in the past from some folks about other networks being reluctant to call states that went for the Republican candidate. It works both ways, I guess. God-damned right wing media! ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/12 "2004-11-03T09:22:00Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Well, if you’re watching Fox News, expect to see what they air. That’s gotta be the most inane tautological statement I’ve ever heard. 😃 > [@](#): > > Are we supposed to feel sorry for you? Or are you pissed that Bush won and have to lash out? Why would I expect anyone to feel sorry for me? If I want to point out Fox News’ bias, I’ll fucking well do so, and you can kiss my ass, bitch. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/13 "2004-11-03T09:23:09Z")
_pucker_ Wow, got me on that one! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/14 "2004-11-03T19:17:21Z")
It was interesting to see the difference in projections amongst the networks. If you were watching CBC, it looked about even _much_ earlier in the night-- they had a lot less hesitation to project on either side, presumably because there were no concerns about appearing partisan. CNN’s constant qualifying seemed absolutely surreal. “We just don’t know, folks!” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/15 "2004-11-03T20:07:26Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Yeah, delaying the call on California was stupid. “It’s because some people are still waiting in line,” they said, “and we don’t want people listening on their XM radios to hear that Kerry won and go home.” Even though CA’s one of the few states _guaranteed_ to go for the Dems… > > They sure didn’t hesitate to call Ohio & Florida for Bush, though! I was watching when they said that. It was pretty clear that they were going to call California for Kerry. It was their policy to not call any state until they heard the voting was over. If they implied that the race in Cali was close I would agree with you but I don’t see what they did wrong. All night they where saying the state was favored for Kerry. It meant they turned a state blue about 30 minutes after other stations. Its a non-issue. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/16 "2004-11-03T20:23:52Z")
I was switching back and forth between MSNBC and FOX all night, and didn’t see a lick of difference. I thought Fox actually did a great job of their election coverage and really liked who they would go to the “decision desk” to explain which states they were calling and why. They, like all the networks, were giving a glum forecast early in the afternoon for Bush, but then started to realize around 7PM (PDT) that it looked to be going the other way. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/17 "2004-11-03T20:41:22Z")
Hmmm. Didn’t watch FOX last night. I was jumping between CBS and NBC. What I noticed was that CBS was, while staying even calling the states for Kerry, was consistently behind their calls of states for Bush than was NBC. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/18 "2004-11-03T21:01:17Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I was switching back and forth between MSNBC and FOX all night, and didn’t see a lick of difference. I thought Fox actually did a great job of their election coverage and really liked who they would go to the “decision desk” to explain which states they were calling and why. They, like all the networks, were giving a glum forecast early in the afternoon for Bush, but then started to realize around 7PM (PDT) that it looked to be going the other way. John, I can’t understand how you can say that. Did you maybe stop watching at 7:00 Pacific time? That’s about when I started watching the returns, so maybe you’re talking about a different time period, but when _I_ was watching, which was between 7 PM and 1 AM Pacific time, Fox consistently showed Bush as having more electoral votes, and Kerry as having fewer electoral votes, than any of the other networks. Obviously, I don’t think they were misrepresenting anything; I just think they erred on the side of Bush when deciding when to call a state. And it wasn’t _just_ the California call, as some have suggested. It was a consistent phenomenon throughout the evening. You can argue about Fox’s “reasoning” all you want; I’m simply basing this on the fact that I switched between stations all evening, and consistently saw Fox project a wider discrepancy between the number of electoral votes for the two candidates. It’s not really a big deal, and it’s not really surprising, but it IS true. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/19 "2004-11-03T21:10:25Z")
Fox called Ohio for Bush after Ohio’s Secretary of State informed them that Kerry winning Ohio was a near statistical impossibility. They interviewed his spokesman on air. He gave them the math. They posted their call. What’s the problem? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705/20 "2004-11-03T21:15:55Z")
**blowero** your points would hold more weight if FOX was wrong. They got it right. They were consistant with not calling a state until they got word that all voting had ceased. They never once implied that California would even be close. Seemed to me that they were a bit more aggresive than the other networks with their predictions but not tremendously so. CNN were pussies and were scared to commit to anything. I might have it wrong but I believe that NBC called the states for Bush before FOX. Still, it is a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-notice-fox-news-has-been-calling-the-bush-states-ahead-of-the-kerry-states/272705.md?page=2)