When will the networks call the race on Election Night?

[liberalpragmatist]

IF (and this is still a big *IF*), Obama is the clear winner, do the networks wait until 11:00 PM EST to allow polls to close in California and the West Coast? I could imagine the networks holding back on declaring at least some of the big battlegrounds until 11, then calling all the major battlegrounds at once and declaring Obama the winner by 11:05 EST.

OR do the networks wait till 12 to allow Alaska to finish voting? (Given Alaska's Senate race, this could actually matter to us.)

Also, could it be an early night? If the networks call Virginia within 1/2 an hour of polls closing (i.e. Obama wins by more than 5 or even up to 10 points), then we'll know we're en route to a landslide.

[endarkenment]

1. 11.05 works for me.

Alaska's senate race will not affect the presidential race.

[NightWatcher]

2. the west coast is in the bag for Obama so they could call it as soon as the polls close there

but yes, if they have called Virginia or Missouri, or another "tossup" within an hour of the polls closing there, we've got it taken care of for sure.

[lamp_shade]

5. That's my wish too.

[Goldom]

3. They won't call it for ages...

between getting it "wrong" in 2000, and not wanting to appear liberally-biased, they'll wait til he's over 270. But WE will know as soon as Obama wins Virginia, Ohio, Florida, Colorado, Indiana, South Carolina, Nevada, OR Missouri. That's a lot of options.

[tledford]

14. He WON'T win SC. Might win NC, though, which has more EVs. eom

[Goldom]

33. Oops! That's what I meant of course.

[FVZA_Colonel]

4. Around 8 to 9 PM EST.

The West Coast States are all for Obama, so they'll likely be factored into any proclamation.

[liberalpragmatist]

10. You don't think they'll wait for polls to close on the West Coast?

I figure that sure, the outcome will be clear by 8 or 9 PM, but that they won't officially call the race until polls close on the West Coast. They came under huge fire for doing that in 1980 and they've been reluctant too ever since.

I mean, what did they do in '92 and '96 when it was obvious Clinton had won by the time the West Coast polls closed?

[FVZA_Colonel]

24. I hadn't taken all of that into consideration.

I think, then, 11 PM or midnight would be more reasonable, though however late it is I'm staying up until it's all done.

[Democrats_win]

6. BFEE controls the counting, the media & the Supreme Joke. It's over on 1/20/09.

Don't forget they're stationing troops in the streets so why would anyone think democracy has a chance this time?

[Stagecoach]

7. I say it'll be around 10:30 eastern

They'll want to stretch the viewership as long as they can, and also make sure they get it right. There'll be states that are clearly Obama and enough to take him over 270.....but I think the networks will hold back on some of those to keep it in the 200 to 225 electoral vote range for as long as they possibly can. And then about 10:30p.m., states that'll take Obama over 270 will be declared.

[Quixote1818]

8. If they call Virginia for Obama, it's over! nt

[treestar]

13. That'll be a really good sign

And if we get NC, even better.

[Quixote1818]

15. And West Virginia.

If all three of those come in for Obama it will be a blowout!

[SeeHopeWin]

9. Midnight...

[Zynx]

11. I think it will be when Cali comes around.

Missouri and some others will stay too close to call for a while. Until those 73 EVs come in on the West Coast it will be hard to get over the hump unless they are calling states within 2-3 points.

[democrattotheend]

12. They have a policy of not calling the election before the polls have closed everywhere

That's been their policy since 1980...it might even be the law. But they can call enough states to put a candidate at 270, which is essentially the same as calling it.

[liberalpragmatist]

19. So even Alaska? nt

[SuperTrouper]

16. I have predicted 11:00 PM, with 333 electoral votes

55 from California, 10 from Washington and I think 9 from Oregon for a total of 74 electoral votes...he will come into 11:00 PM with about 255-259 electoral votes before the West Coast puts him over the top.

[WI_DEM]

17. When the candidate reaches 270 EV even if other polls are open.

[OregonBi]

18. The MSM traitors may not call it until the next day!

As soon as those traitor bastards in the main media decide they can no longer lie and pull the election for McSame, they may call the election for Obama. Even if President Obama has 300 electoral votes, those asshats will wait until the next morning to call the winner.
Just disgusting if you ask me!

[grace0418]

20. My feeling is that the MSM will suddenly get very careful and want to wait "to be sure" before

they announce anything. Of course if McCain were winning, they'd call it at 8 p.m. :eyes:

[leftynyc]

21. 11:00 works for me

Fuck Alaska.

[OmahaBlueDog]

22. The agreement since '80 is no call until the polls in California close, but....

they will be calling states in the other time zones.

My guess is that FL and OH will be "too close to call" by 11 Eastern, but if Obama is leading on the popular vote in FL, OH, NC, VA, In, and/or MO AND is not losing in any states Kerry won, we should have a pretty good idea which way this is going.

[blue_onyx]

23. It depends on how close some states are...

Obama will have enough states in the Eastern and Central times zones to win (based on my prediction). If all those states have a clear winner and it's obvious Obama won then it would be dumb for the networks to wait for California. So I'm guessing somewhere around 9:30-10:00 Eastern.

[Stagecoach]

25. If I had to guess a state

I say it'll be Iowa that puts Obama over the top, sometime in the 10:00-11:00p.m. Eastern hour. Which would come full circle, as that's the first state Obama won in '08.

[RollWithIt]

26. 12AM EST

Is my guess.

[AllentownJake]

27. 7:05 PM EST will call it for me if

Indiana is too close to call not to early too call. First state called for Bush in 2000 and 2004 if its too close to call than I will believe that this is a lanslide.

[tedoll78]

28. It could be when Indiana's results are in.

If Obama wins Indiana (a state Bush won by 21%) or keeps it within a few points, the media will point this out as a harbinger of doom for McCain without officially calling the race.

[ronnykmarshall]

29. 8:10 Pacific

[AllentownJake]

30. Well at 8pm

If current polls are right Obama should have 209 Electoral votes to McSame's 57. At 9pm when all the central states start reporting exit polling Obama should have 258 to McCain's 139. At 10 pm Obama should be at 277 to 170. At 11 pm 350 to 170. Finally wen Alaska and Hawaii close 354 to 173. I left Indiana out because there is really no indication of who is really ahead there so add 11 to either's total at 7pm.

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

31. It's a simple rule

They call it when a candidate is projected to win 270 or more EVs among states whose polls have already closed.

For Clinton in either 1992 or 1996, the call was made at precisely 9 p.m. EST. On CBS, I recall the network going to a commercial at 8:58 or so. At the exact top of the hour, up flashed a portrait of Clinton as the winner. He had enough EVs even without the West Coast to go over the top.

[Stagecoach]

32. I was thinking that too

I seem to recall Bob Dole giving his concession speech well before 11p.m. Eastern in 1996.

[Essene]

34. If there's a clear electoral margin for Obama, they will "hesitantly" call it at 11pm EST for sure.