Columnist John Katsilometes: Election coverage ‘fascinating’

Monday, Nov. 13, 2000 | 9:54 a.m.

John Katsilometes is the Sun features editor. His column appears Mondays. Reach him at kats@lasvegassun.com or 259-2327.

Let us recapture the excitement of CNN's election-night coverage ...

Bernard Shaw: Welcome back to CNN on this truly historic night.

Judy Woodruff: Historic, indeed.

Jeff Greenfield: Mmm-hmmm.

Bernard: As we look at our electoral map as it stands at this hour, the states in red have been projected to go to Texas Governor George W. Bush. The states in blue are going for Vice President Al Gore. You can see there is an awful lot of red on the electoral map at this hour. Your thoughts, Judy Woodruff.

Judy: Indeed. It looks like the Red Sea.

Jeff: I would say it looks more like a sea of red. As we know, the water in the Red Sea is not red but blue, or rather blue-green.

Judy: Indeed. What do you make of these latest figures, Bill Schneider?

Bill Schneider: We're getting some very interesting numbers as to how this race is trending as the night unfolds. Bush voters are responding "very favorably" whenever a state turns red. In fact, that "very favorable" response is right at 100 percent for Bush. Similar numbers favor Al Gore when a state turns blue. So it is clear that each camp is solidly behind those colors.

Bernard: Fascinating. We have now received new numbers from the great state of Florida. What are you hearing, Judy Woodruff?

Judy: The horse race in this crucial battleground state could not be tighter. The numbers we're just getting show Governor Bush with 2,814,633 votes and Vice President Gore with 2,813,212. That's a difference of just ... anybody have a calculator?

Jeff: That's a difference of 1,421.

Bernard: Fascinating. What do you make of those numbers, Bill Schneider?

Bill: There seems to be unexpected support for Patrick Buchanan in Palm Beach County, several thousand votes more than expected. The voters in that county -- the majority of them elderly -- are either confused by the ballot, or fear the unholy wrath of Patrick Buchanan if they do not vote for him.

Bernard: Fascinating. To you, Jeff Greenfield.

Jeff: This is much ado about nothing. I very seriously doubt this will become an issue. The last thing I expect to see in the coming days is a bunch of agitated Florida residents squawking about an unfair ballot. I seriously doubt that a prominent figure -- say, a Jesse Jackson -- will organize any protest.

Bernard: Fascinating. To you, Judy Woodruff.

Judy: CNN can now confirm that Governor Bush's lead in Florida is 1,421 votes. Very close indeed in the Sunshine State.

Jeff: Mmm-hmmm.

Bernard: To you, Bill Schneider. What about the impact that one Ralph Nader has had on the Gore campaign.

Bill: Again, there seems to be a clear message from Gore voters regarding Ralph Nader. When asked, "What would you like to do to Ralph Nader if you were driving a 1962 Corvair," 95 percent of Gore voters answered, "Run him down."

Bernard: Fascinating. To you, Bill Schneider. As this historic night unfolds, your thoughts about the voters' mood this election season.

Bill: Many of them are saying the coverage is far too superficial and driven by polls. The numbers are trending toward voter cynicism. In fact, our latest numbers indicate ...