Election Night coverage on TV tends to become a marathon of long-windedness. On the other hand, with the right sense of appreciation, there’s a certain modern poetry to it all — or maybe not.
Tribune staff reporter Marja Mills watched the coverage for 4 hours Tuesday night, and compiled this free verse of quotes.
8:04: “CNN is now in the position to project that [Kansas Republican] Pat Roberts will — boy, we’re going out on a limb on this one — be a senator once again. He ran unopposed.” (Paula Zahn, CNN)
8:06: “That’s where things stand. A lot of polls, a lot of projections, a lot of races that will clearly keep us up very late tonight.” (Lester Holt, MSNBC, after running through early returns)
8:08: “Everyone here knows it will be a long night. . . . This ballroom has just begun to fill up every so slightly. . . . But this is not a party happening anytime soon.” (Kelly O’Donnell, MSNBC, at Walter Mondale headquarters in St. Paul)
8:17: “An NBC News poll of likely voters conducted in the past several days before the election found that no single issue was dominant.” (Nora O’Donnell, MSNBC)
8:19: “I’m being handed actually the letter right now, Chris, which I can read. This is from Harvey Pitt. It says, “Dear Mr. President.” It says actually, “My Dear Mr. President, it is with deep regret that I have decided to tender my resignation to you.” (David Gregory, MSNBC)
8:23: “In Illinois, Rod Blagojevich. This is the man whose name we all had to rehearse. But now we know how to pronounce it. He’s the governor.” (Judy Woodruff, CNN)
8:45: “What is it like to be a father, a former politician yourself, on a nail-biting night like this?” (Bill Delaney, CNN, to John Sununu, whose son ran for — and won — the senate seat in New Hampshire)
“It’s 10 times worse than being a candidate. The heartburn level is at a peak right now. You just sit here and watch the numbers come in and agonize.” (Sununu)
8:47: Coming up on MSNBC’s coverage of Decision 2002, Sen. John McCain, current House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt and political heavy hitter Arnold Schwarzenegger. Decision 2002, Hardball Style. (MSNBC promo)
8:57: “TV Guide gave you a “Cheer” this week for your appearance [on `Saturday Night Live’], saying you were as funny as any senator has ever been on purpose.” (Larry King, interviewing John McCain, on CNN)
9:00: “The polls have now closed in 45 states around the country and we can begin to at least get some kind of feel for how things are going early this evening . . . it is a cliffhanger everywhere we turn.” (Peter Jennings, ABC)
9:01: “It could be a long, long while before we know who controls the Senate. The outcome, of course, will affect the lives of millions of Americans for years to come because control of Congress means much control of the nation’s agenda and control of Congress has much control over who is or is not a judge.” (Dan Rather, CBS)
9:08: “My reaction is, if I recall President Bush is in the White House and I think somebody projected that Gore had carried Florida, so there’s a traditional method of figuring this stuff out and they call it counting and we’re going to wait and count, and when it’s finished either Blagojevich or Jim Ryan will win, but it’s not over yet by any stretch.” (Steve Culliton, Ryan campaign adviser, at Ryan’s gathering at the downtown Hilton, WLS-Ch. 7)
9:42: “We seem to have been completely swimming against the current of what has happened nationally. It seems the Republicans will probably hold on to the House of Representatives, may take control of the Senate and in Illinois we’ve got a complete sweep by the Democrats. Why, Jim Edgar?” (Antonio Mora, WBBM-Ch. 2)
“Well, I think we had Watergate here. I mean, what happened in 1974 nationally. Again, the problems that George Ryan has had has resulted in what we’ve seen here tonight.” (Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, WBBM-Ch. 2)
10:16: “I stand before you today, the son of a man imprisoned by the Nazis because he fought on the side of the allies, a penniless immigrant who came to America with nothing but courage, determination and a hard-to-pronounce last name. My values, what I’m about, can be defined by my father’s story and by his hopes and dreams of those who work on this factory floor and by those who work all across this great state.” (Rod Blagojevich, victory speech at Chicago steel factory, Chicago stations)
10:36: “I’ve kind of got my head in the right place here.” (Liberal commentator James Carville, holding a wastebasket over his head on CNN to express his displeasure with the Republican victories rolling in)
10:51: “With the resignation tonight of Harvey Pitt as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, everyone is saying, what about you? . . . If the president called you and said, `Rudy, I’d love for you to head the SEC,’ would you consider it?” (Larry King, addressing New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani on CNN)
“I’m not looking for a job, Larry. I’m not. Honest.” (Giuliani, CNN)
11:03: “I have been waiting for months to finally say, `Change is here.'” (Lisa Madigan, Democratic victor in race for Illinois state’s attorney general)
10:12: “It’s like the Academy Awards with no band.” (Jeff Greenfield, CNN, as yet another candidate stands on yet another podium and launches into a long list of thanks to family, supporters and aides)
11:55: “I find it amazing that at a time when we are under attack and also our economy is so bad that the Democratic slogan this year was are you better off than you were five minutes ago, people seem to find comfort in the incumbent, in the status quo.” (Bill Maher, on CNN’s “Larry King Live”)
11:57: “One of the mainstays of election eve is the victory party. Now, tonight they’re being held all over the country. All told there are more than 500 victory parties this evening and, amazingly, we’re taking you now live to Rob Corddry, who is covering every one of them. Rob.” (Jon Stewart, Comedy Central)
11:58: “John, right now I’m outside either a Hyatt or a Sheraton where supporters of the victorious congressman/woman or senator have gathered in what is a festively decorated ballroom. . . . He or she spoke, mentioning a gracious phone call from the vanquished opponent. This prompted a loud boo from the crowd at which point the candidate mildly chastened them, saying, and I’m quoting here, `No, no, no. There’s no need for that now. It’s time to put our differences aside and come together as a state and/or district . . . ‘” (Corddry, Comedy Central)
11:59: “Thank you, Rob. We’ll be right back after this.” (Stewart, Comedy Central)
