Lessons From the Election

The media “Hall of Shame” has to make room for a new exhibit. In fact, Tuesday night’s debacle deserves center stage in the wing devoted to horrible blunders of huge historical import.

The early “call” of Florida for Al Gore, made even before the Sunshine State’s own polls had closed, had a dramatic impact on the election across the nation and especially here in California. Reps. Steven T. Kuykendall (R-Rancho Palos Verdes), especially; Brian P. Bilbray (R-San Diego) possibly; and perhaps even James E. Rogan (R-Glendale) may have the networks to thank for their defeats last week.

MSNBC led the pack by calling the Florida vote for Gore at 4:56 p.m. Pacific time. The effect on Florida voters still making their way to the polls in the Republican panhandle of the state is the obvious story. If George W. Bush does take the oath of office in January, it will be despite the best effort of the major networks to level him with a reckless body blow early in the seesaw night. But the effects went far beyond depressing Bush’s margin of victory in Florida.

California Democrats are fond of remembering the effect of former President Carter’s early concession in 1980. But at least that was a candidate throwing in the towel, not the judges calling it over from the sidelines. And make no mistake, that’s what the Florida call was--a massive gift to Democrats that sapped crucial energy from Republican get-out-the-vote efforts across the country, and especially in California.

The media will defend themselves (it has already begun) by arguing that they called a state, not the election. That’s not surprising for a television elite full of “formers” like former Mario Cuomo aide Tim Russert, former “Tip” O’Neill aide Chris Matthews, former Clinton-Gore aide George Stephanopoulos and former (and still volunteering) Gore aide Paul Begala. Sure, there’s former Dan Quayle aide Bill Kristol over at Fox News, but let’s be blunt: Television media are now overrun with “former” paid warriors for the Democrats. They knew well the import of a Florida win for Gore. No, they didn’t invent it. But they ran with it hard. It hurt the GOP badly.

The evidence is obvious, though the actual vote totals will never be known. From the Florida voter who turned back in heavy traffic having gotten the word that the game was over, to the precinct walker on the Palos Verdes peninsula where Kuykendall appeared headed to a narrow defeat at the hands of Democrat Jane Harman, the Florida marker hit the national audience like a tidal wave.

The audience in Nashville knew the impact of a Gore win in Jeb Bush’s state. An enormous cheer went up, and in my newsroom the reaction was amazement. George W. had spent enormously to defend that state, and had committed the crucial final weekend there. Gore had tripped in on Monday. The Ed Asner phone calls made headlines. It was ground zero. And ground zero went for Gore. Game. Set. Match.

Except it didn’t go for Gore. It was a massive, reckless screw-up for which not one apology has yet been given or even a decent explanation tendered. Over time, the crew at CNN and MSNBC will chew it over at panels devoted to the ethics of reporting, and gentle asides will be made.

Too bad for voters here and across the country, taken out for a ride again by media that pride themselves on professionalism and objectivity. For years, I have broadcast over both radio and television with my center-right Republican credentials on my sleeve. The audience can correct for my bend because I announce it, repeatedly.

But how to correct for what you cannot see: the “scientific sampling” and professional reporting of a huge blunder? It’s why the exit numbers should be public, so the Karl Roves of the world can talk the media bigfeet off of the ledge before they collectively jump.

Of course, the election is tainted, and of course there is no choice but to suck it up and troop on. But, please, spare us the think pieces and the 120-inch essays on the coverage of campaign 2000. It was a charade organized from the left for the left from the start; a collective tilt that is obvious always in California, but this time across the country.

At least this time, even a freshman at USC has to see it for what it was--a dive.