Post-Election DIS-Patch
The Morning After for the Media
by Dave "Doctor" Gonzo
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2000 -- LAS VEGAS (AmpolNS) -- So, was that enough excitement for everyone?
For those of you who were unwilling to stay up late, here's what The Doc saw with a gaggle of old friends in a hotel room located in America's real spiritual capitol, Las Vegas:
Relying on data from an exit-polling specialist, all the networks declared Florida "too close to call" at 7PM EST last night.
Before 8, they declared Florida would go to Gore. Interestingly, AP reports this morning that
Republican George W. Bush was in the middle of dinner at an Austin, Texas, restaurant when that news came. Abruptly, he and wife, Laura ,and his parents -- the former president and first lady -- sped home to the governor's mansion, leaving brother Jeb, the Florida governor, behind with the rest of the deflated party.
Sooo... he wasn't supposed to lose Florida?
Just after 8, Mary Matalin popped up on CNN, looking a little cocky, saying that "all the networks would be wrong" and Florida's absentee ballot count could tip the election to Bush.
Around 9ish, all the cable TV news stations showed video of Dauphin Dubya on the phone with Tom Ridge, then telling the assembled press that Ridge does not believe the projections -- and they don't believe the projections out of Florida either.
Between Mary and the Shrub, something was looking awfully staged -- just what did the corporate press know and when did they know it?
Just before 10, the networks moved Florida from Gore to "Too close to call."
Between 10 and 11, Bush puppeteer Karl Rove was whining on CNN about the network calling Florida before the polls were closed in the Central Time Zone on the panhandle.
At 2:18AM, CBS was the first The Doc saw to call Florida for Bush -- by declaring Bush the winner of the presidential election as Florida put him over the magic number 270.
The Doc wrapped up his Game Day coverage and was about to go to bed. Fortuitously, The Doc was suffering from insomnia. Dragging himself out of bed an hour later, the cable news outfits were doing their post-mortem.
Then things got fun -- in a heartwarming Bush Family kind of way. All the news units watching the Bush Florida lead drop like a stone -- Gore was within 10,000. Then 5,000. Then less than 2,000.
Suddenly, all hell broke loose for the Shrub.
In Nashville, according to an AP report, the Gore entourage was making a sudden change of plans backstage at the War Memorial. According to Gore policy advisor policy adviser Greg Simon, ''We had no TVs. Everyone was on their cell phones. People were calling us from everywhere, telling us, 'Don't concede.'" Minutes later, Gore called Bush to announce that ''Circumstances have changed.''
According to another report, after Gore told Bush he was withdrawing his, concession, Gore was heard to say, "Well, you don't have to get snippy about it".
Around 3:32AM, CBS anchor Dan Rather, knowing SOMETHING was in the offing, recast the memorable words of Hunter Thompson:
"When the goin' gets weird, anchor men punt!"
About two minutes later, CBS PULLED Florida from the "Bush Wins" column and returned it to "Too Close to Call."
The Bush victory rally went quiet, the Gore rally went wild. The reporters and pundits were beside themselves with a near-unanimous, "I've never seen anything like this and likely never will again." To the last talking head, they looked tired, excite, and practically at a loss for words. It was obvious that a recount would be required under Florida law.
I watched the talking heads spin a little more, then got a few hours shut-eye, knowing the press and pundits were about to have a helluva morning after.
I also wondered if the press would have the cajones to look into allegations of voter fraud in Florida -- the type that would help "engineer" that sure thing for Bush. The Doc was told by a GOPer who winters in Florida that, "I wouldn't put that past Jeb -- and that's an understatement."