# Chickenshit tv coverage of election night (a rant and a question) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 2, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464 "2004-11-02T01:02:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464/41 "2004-11-02T21:51:04Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > I’m confused. Are the networks not calling a particular state until all the polls are closed _in that state_ or are they not calling _any_ state until _every poll in every state_ is closed? Each, not every. Thank goodness. ---
**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 2, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464/42 "2004-11-02T21:52:27Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > I’m confused. Are the networks not calling a particular state until all the polls are closed _in that state_ or are they not calling _any_ state until _every poll in every state_ is closed? They won’t call a state until every poll _in that state_ has closed. Some will be open longer than others because anyone who is in line before the official “closing time” will still have the right to vote. That means it could take a while for the polls to _actually_ close even though they would be _officially_ closed. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464/43 "2004-11-02T21:53:06Z")
Slate seems to be down, now – I wonder if their early results just got big coverage somewhere, or if there are lawyers breathing down their necks? Daniel ---
**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 2, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464/44 "2004-11-02T21:55:09Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Slate seems to be down, now – I wonder if their early results just got big coverage somewhere, or if there are lawyers breathing down their necks? > Daniel I think it’s just getting a lot of traffic. Daily Kos has been up and down all day as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Svinlesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Mr.Svinlesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Svinlesha)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464/45 "2004-11-02T21:59:08Z")
Please disregard my previous X, as I realized directly after posting that it was redundent. **Dio** : The [NRO](http://www.nationalreview.com/) has some interesting coverage as well. Folks over there about shit their pants when they saw the first exit poll. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464/46 "2004-11-02T22:05:20Z")
Heh. > [@National Review Online](#): > > LA LA LA LA LA! > LALALALALALALALALA! > WE CAN’T HEAR YOU! That may not be strictly accurate, but it’s pretty close. My fingers are getting cramped from being crossed all day. Pleasepleasepleaseplease turn out well… Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Svinlesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Mr.Svinlesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Svinlesha)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464/47 "2004-11-02T22:33:34Z")
Zogby calls it! Nov. 2, 2004, 5 p.m.: Bush – 213 electoral votes. Kerry – 311 electoral votes. (i.e., a landslide for Kerry)… with Nevada (5) and Colorado (9) being too close to call. but (!) in terms of the popular vote, Zogby finds Bush at 49.4%, Kerry at 49.1% – i.e., 2000 _in reverse_. Surreal…only in America. Go to [Brad deLong](http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/movable_type/). ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464/48 "2004-11-02T22:55:52Z")
May the force be with us! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Svinlesha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Mr.Svinlesha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Svinlesha)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464/49 "2004-11-02T23:17:33Z")
GOP Pollster Frank Luntz is now calling it for Kerry, claiming that he could win between 310 and 320 electoral votes. In the allegedly tight races, Kerry’s ahead by a couple of points. He could still lose, of course, if something dramatic happens in the late voting, especially in Ohio or Florida. But all in all, looks like Kerry’s on his way to victory. Luntz, via Wonkette (whose down at the moment), via DeLong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chickenshit-tv-coverage-of-election-night-a-rant-and-a-question/272464.md?page=2)