Diminishing Returns: A Comparison of the 1968 and 2000 Election Night Broadcasts

Abstract

Shortly before 8 p.m., the television networks projected Al Gore as the winner of the Florida vote.Two hours later, they retracted the call. Then, just after 2 a.m., the networks claimed George W. Bush had won in Florida and was thereby the president-elect. Upon hearing this news, Gore called Bush to concede defeat. Meanwhile, the networks were trying to get statements from the candidates. “We haven’t heard yet from either Al Gore or the triumphant Governor Bush,” said CBS’s Dan Rather. “We do expect to hear from them in the forthcoming minutes.” Forty-five minutes later, the networks reported that Gore’s concession had been withdrawn. “Nobody knows for a fact who has won Florida,” Rather told his audience. At 4 a.m., the networks retracted the claim that Bush had won the Florida vote.