LOS ANGELES, Nov. 8, 2000 — As if it were as big an event as Super Bowl Sunday, Election Day 2000 was all over TV Tuesday night. There was live coverage, post-game coverage, pre-game coverage and pre-pre-game coverage. And with some monumental events played out on our sets throughout the night, undoubtedly the one question on everyone’s mind Wednesday — other than which candidate won, which is still a toss-up — can only be, “Who had the best coverage?”
No problem, America. We’re on the job.
Cable Coverage
In politics, just like football, pre-pre-game coverage means cable. MSNBC was first out of the gate, with several hours of exclusive coverage. Deep-voiced anchor Lester Holt stripped down to a shirt and tie early, establishing the mood right away. MSNBC also established they lead the television landscape in brainy, savvy commentary from stone-cold babes. Foremost in this category was leggy Electoral College expert Kyra Fischbeck, who not only delivered insightful and informative views on each candidate’s chances, but was also frequently seen in the background sitting on top of a desk in a skirt. These are the kinds of details that set MSNBC apart.
Our Favorite Two Quotes of the Campaign:
“When my sister and I were growing up, there was never any doubt in our minds that men and women were equal, if not more so.” — Al Gore. (Source, The New York Times, 8/12/2000.)
“I think anybody who doesn’t think I’m smart enough to handle this job is underestimating.” — G.W. Bush. (Source, US News & World Report, 4/3/2000.)
CNN’s pre-pre-game show featured a special Election Day edition of “Showbiz Today,” where we learned useful, voter-friendly political “factoids.” Like the factoid that Howie D of the Backstreet Boys is definitely voting for George W. Bush because he once met Bush at the Kentucky Derby and “he seemed like a nice guy.”
One of the more interesting features on cable was MSNBC’s “Dubya-cam” (they didn’t call it that, but that’s what it was), which allowed us to watch Bush, said to be exhausted from the campaign trail, making phone calls to personally solicit individual votes. Ironically, Betty Gleason, a resident of Des Moines, Iowa, was already going to vote for him, so his call to her turned out to be a waste of time. If he hoped to speak to enough people to actually win the election, this random dialing strategy could indeed be exhausting after a while.
Another interesting development came from MSNBC’s “Hardball.” Pollster Frank Luntz got to the bottom of a question that’s been bugging much of America for quite a while: just who are these “undecided” voters we keep hearing about, and what is their problem? When he raised this issue with a focus group of voters who had made up their minds while actually in the booth, previously undecided voter “Stacey” gave the most telling answer. She said she thought she might vote for Gore, but at the last second changed her mind because Bush showed a lot of integrity when he did not deny his past D-Dubya-I arrest. Nice job, “Stacey.”
Winner in the Cable Battle: Kyra Fischbeck… No, wait… MSNBC.
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And now, the Main Event: Rating the Major Networks:
It was a three-way battle of style and substance between Tom Brokaw (in the blue necktie with NBC’s “Decision 2000”), Dan Rather (red tie with CBS’ “Campaign 2000”), and Peter Jennings (darker red tie with ABC’s “Electo-Mania!”). Okay we’re kidding about that; it was actually ABC’s “The Vote 2000,” or maybe “2000: The Vote.” They get points off for a sloppy graphic.
ABC did score big with some impressive 3-D special effects, however, Sam Donaldson standing in front of a goofy, futuristic podium labeled the “ABC News Dataport” prompted a channel change to…
CBS’ “Campaign 2000,” a more old-school presentation, featuring Dan Rather, some pretty stodgy old men, lackluster graphics, very few women, and a strange promise from Rather that when they give you information, you can count on it being true. Call us naïve, Dan, but that’s supposed to go without saying. And after all of the networks had to recant their proclamations that Gore took Florida, we’re taking Rather‘s statement with a grain of salt. All of this leads to a change of channel to…
NBC’s “Decision 2000.” This show seemed heavily influenced by Fox Sports. They had a rotating, glowing map of the country with a Live Score graphic on top. Political analyst Tim Russert played John Madden to Brokaw’s Pat Summerall, sharing the anchor desk, using hand-held chalkboards, and doodling all over the country with their “tele-strator.” Plus, that Katie Couric is just cute as a button.
Winner: based on scientific analysis of special effects, sex appeal, and the fewest appearances of Sam Donaldson, the best network election coverage was clearly… NBC’s “Decision 2000.”
Which of the two — NBC or MSNBC — was more informative and entertaining?
MSNBC. Sex appeal still goes a long way on TV.
