Uncertainty Attracts TV Viewers; Final Results Send Them Away.

[MineralMan]

The news networks have not called a winner because a close election makes people watch the news. Once the election is over, they do other things. It is that simple.

[wryter2000]

1. That's what I've been thinking

Bastards

[whathehell]

4. Maybe, but others like me may be turning it off

due to frustration and/ or boredom.

[bdamomma]

14. I have my TV off

the "corporate Media" have their own agenda.

[whathehell]

21. I'm listening to an All Music cable channel now. --

-- going to news intermittently, but I know what you mean about the Media -- If I heard one more pundit chide the Dems for "not closing the deal", I was going to shoot the TV.

[marie999]

25. In which states does Biden have enough votes that will keep Trump from catching him?

[wryter2000]

31. We have the answer now for sure

Pennsylvania

[soothsayer]

2. Except in this case, the aftermath will drive such drumpf craziness, there will be epic stories

[MineralMan]

3. Those stories won't be compelling enough.

People want the election to be over. Once it is, they can start being anxious about other things like the exploding COVID-19 pandemic.

Anyone with any sense at all can see that Biden is the winner. You just have to look at the numbers. Trump has no chance whatsoever at this point.

[joshcryer]

5. The election isn't 'over' until transition teams are released.

And Trump isn't going to concede. I don't see the transition funds being released (and access to the White House for transition procedures) happening until the votes are certified in the states that give Biden the EV to win.

[Magoo48]

6. On the nose there MM.

Corporate greedy has its nasty little digits all over this.

[Tommymac]

9. Yup. It's all about the $$. Fuck the Nation's Security. nt

[KentuckyWoman]

7. Yep.

But I do not think that is why this will take time. This is not instant. It is a close race ... which boggles the mind ...

What it means is all those ballot types we don't normally need for a decision matter this time. Normally we get a call and then they can look at all these other ballots not in an international limelight. This stuff is painstaking.

All we can do is wait, don't be pushy, and let these workers do their job. This is a patriotic thing they are doing.

[bdamomma]

18. too many

ballots to be counted overwhelming some states. Election workers get all the kudos, not the media.

[coti]

27. This isn't a particularly close race.

Biden will get 306 EVs. That's not close. The only thing making it "close" is the networks' unwillingness to call the damned states Biden won.

[Windy City Charlie]

8. However

However, after today, fatigue will set in. It's getting to the point people will go on about their regular Sunday routine tomorrow

[Tommymac]

11. NFL will draw all the viewers away tomorrow. NCAA Football will do the same later today.

I expect a call today for those reasons.

Don't want to mess with THOSE cash cows.

[MineralMan]

13. That's true too. The moment ratings drop for network news programming,

They will project the winner. Maybe today. If we knew the guest lineup for the Sunday morning bullshit punditry shows, we'd know if they were going to announce their final projections today.

[Windy City Charlie]

17. Yep

Yes, I've been following this since Tuesday, but I'm becoming drained by it. If it doesn't get called today, I'm gonna go about picking up a few groceries and watch NFL football tomorrow, and if they call it tomorrow, so be it.

[bdamomma]

10. It's all

about this$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[JonLP24]

12. There would be higher ratings with a call

We get to see Biden's victory speech and we get coverage of what to look forward to with the President-elect.

[MineralMan]

15. Expect the projected winner calls very soon.

Folks are getting bored with this.

[Demsrule86]

28. They are also angry...twitter is on file with #call the race...and a couple of others.

[CentralMass]

16. Considering that the Orange Anus will not gracefully concede it seems prudent that there be a ..

mathematical certainty when declaring the winner. It sounds like the painfully slow process to obtain that level of certainty is almost done. This should limit the Anuses options in contesting the results and throw water on his claims of fraud.

[Dem2]

19. I'm still not buying that theory

The margins are still rather thin with enough uncertainty in remaining votes that it seems wise to achieve a higher level of certainty before calling the race. Since they've meandered this far down the path, they figure, why not wait until the level of certainty rises to a more comfortable level. If you read the Politco article about the wild conspiracy theories - not just from the "president", but now from Republican leaders, you'd want to be very sure of your footing before calling this thing if you were in the non right-wing media.

[yardwork]

20. Yes. They are not journalists, they're entertainers.

[Happy Hoosier]

22. The people at the decision desks are neither

Most of them are just number crunchers.

[yardwork]

24. But their bosses - who make the decisions - are running entertainment companies.

That's the context in which decisions are made.

[LAS14]

23. I tend to agree, but I finally heard an explanation from CNN about the delay..

.. in PA. That is that there are 20,000 or so provisional ballots to count, which will be counted last. They don't have any history to predict how those will break out. Could be, since many of them represent mistakes, there will be more from (stupid) Republicans. They have to get a margin to cover that.

[coti]

29. Biden's lead in PA is about 30,000 votes

and he's only been gaining ground for days. That's not changing. It's over.

People need to stop desperately searching for reasons not to anger Il Douche.

[LAS14]

30. I may be misremembering the count.

[Happy Hoosier]

26. This is a bad take.

It‘s almost as bad as the no evidence claims of the Trumpers.

In fact some insiders are saying the networks are a little frustrated with the decision desks because they want to be first in calling the race.