Political Blog #3

The most exciting moment of any competition is that when a winner is decided. The presidential election is no exception. In order to gain the presidency, a candidate must gain a total of 270 electoral votes. Many times however, networks attempt to “call” a projected winner prior to acquiring these votes. There are many consequences to this early projection, primarily voter discouragement. If voters have not yet gone to the polls when a winner is supposedly decided, they simply will stay home. This was the case in the 1980 election when networks projected Ronald Reagan was to defeat Jimmy Carter. The numbers were based on poll results from eastern states, while the western polls had not yet closed. Consequently, there was an estimated loss of 2 percent of Californian voters (Steinberg 2008). In addition to the presidential ballot, there are other important elements of legislation on the ticket. One such example would be the vote for slot machines in the state of Maryland. If voter turn out was reduced there would be a substantial loss in votes that could have shifted legislation one way or the other.

When CNN was first founded its large success grew from the 24 hour news cycle. Continuous information was being brought into the home. The network’s ability to bring the most up-to-date information appealed to the masses. Competition then developed between stations to bring breaking stories to viewers first, before all other networks. This competition has infiltrated recent elections by encouraging networks to be the first to project a winner. An early decision can create positive and negative possibilities for the network. A network’s image and prestige could be easily compromised by calling the wrong candidate. While at the same time, they could appear to have the most updated information. In the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, networks incorrectly projected the state of Florida to be awarded to Gore. A large controversy then ensued that resulted in a presidential victory for Bush. The networks were therefore wrong and have since taken steps to ensure accuracy in projecting a winner.

An article in the New York Times analyzed when network producers felt it was appropriate to share projection information with the public. All networks were having debates about how relying too heavily on exit polls could be costly. The senior vice president of CBS news stated that, “meeting the minimum threshold of electoral votes could be clear as soon as 8 p.m. At such a moment, the network could share its preliminary projection with viewers” (Steinberg 2008). ABC felt that the network might have an indication early however there is a difference between feeling and reporting that indication. NBC stated very clearly that, “When a candidate gets 270 electoral votes, they’re the next president” (Steinberg 2008). It is clear that Networks wanted to make a projection off facts, rather then assumptions, and that is just what happened.

Barack Obama obtained a commanding lead in electoral votes by gaining key states such as Pennsylvania and especially Ohio. No Republican president has ever won the office without winning Ohio, and the 2008 election was no exception (CNN 2008). The 20 electoral votes gained from this state were an important push toward the 270 required for victory. This was crucial because Ohio was a republican state that turned democratic this election, while no democratic states had turned over to McCain. The Obama victory in Ohio was projected at 9:38pm however the official winner was not announced until 11:00pm, when the 270 electoral votes were officially in. Networks displayed more responsibility in 2008 with winner/state projections. The distinction between “too close to call,” and “too early to call” was made on NBC. This allowed viewers to stay informed with many state’s numbers and make individual assumptions, without the networks providing misinformation.

There are similarities and differences that exist between the elections of today and those of our founding fathers. Election Day is in November because in rural times, crops were already harvested. Also, Tuesday was the chosen day to vote because people needed time to travel to the polls. Sunday was reserved for worship, therefore Monday was the travel day and elections took place on Tuesday. This election date has remained constant for hundreds of years. The way in which we vote however has dramatically changed. Hand written ballots have been replaced with punch cards, which were then replaced by touch screens. Technology allowed for projections to be calculated much earlier in the 2008 election. There are often “kinks” that result from using new technology. The Networks seem to have worked them out in past elections, and are now more cautious. Thankfully, this can only benefit the legislative process.



WORKS CITED:

CNN. 2008. Election Center. CNNPolitics. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/ (accessed November 4, 2008).

Steinberg, Jacques. 2008. Networks May Call Race Before Voting Is Complete. The New York Times, November 3, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/us/politics/04network.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss (accessed November 4, 2008).