Why are CNN/MSNBC/FOX having all night coverage of the West Virginia primary?

[Obamamaniac_25]

I just checked my TV listings out of curiousity after reading on First Read on MSNBC.com that the networks plan to treat tommorow night as "election night" and I found out that Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews have all night coverage of West Virginia starting at 6 P.M. ET Tuesday. CNN has all night coverage starting at 7 pm ET.

The Mississipi primary had 36 delegates and didn't get nearly this coverage. In fact, neither did Wisconsin. Wisconsin primary coverage started at like 9 ET.

Why is West Virginia getting such massive coverage when there are only 28 pledged delegates at stake? Is the media planning to make Senator Clinton into the comeback girl and try to torpedo Senator Obama on Tuesday ONCE AGAIN? Haven't they tried enough?

This Obama maniac is not pleased. If Mississipi didn't get this kind of coverage, why does WV?

It's not going to change the outcome in delegates one bit.

*End rant*

[KingFlorez]

1. So far, most of the primaries have gotten a lot of coverage

I've been watching CNN on every primary day and the coverage has gone on pretty late with a lot of analysis. It's not like this is anything new.

[Obamamaniac_25]

2. Oh I would agree

Except Mississipi which is an equivalent primary didn't get all night coverage. That's why I'm not particularly happy.

[gkhouston]

5. didn't the Mississippi primary happen on a Saturday? Maybe they only

care about prime time weeknight politics-til-you-puke coverage. After all, they wouldn't want to upset the 3 people who watch whatever it is MSNBC airs instead of the test pattern on weekend nights.

[iamthebandfanman]

14. but that was before it was over. n/t

[ossman]

70. I beg to differ.... where was my GUAM coverage?

[ericgtr]

71. Yep it's the same coverage they have given to all of them n/t

[democrattotheend]

3. I think it depends what time the polls close

Wisconsin primary coverage started at 9 PM ET because the polls closed at 9 PM ET (8 PM in Wisconsin). I think the polls in West Virginia close at 7:30. Not sure why coverage is beginning at 6 though.

Mississippi was kind of downplayed, and instead of talking about Obama's big victory, the story was the racially polarized nature of the vote, and that kind of bugged me. But they may treat WV the same way...calling Clinton's win expected.

[Galway girl]

4. They don't want to miss the resignation speech if she makes one

Anyway the media would love the process to go on and on for ratings

[DefenseLawyer]

6. It will be nice. Hillary supporters can pretend it matters and feel really good.

Kinda like watching the Detroit Lions win a pre-season game by 30 points and thinking it means they will win the Superbowl. Sure it's delusional, but it's all they have.

[Clear Blue Sky]

7. Nothing else interesting in the news?

No Brittney/Lindsay/Paris news?

[Tippy]

8. Might have something to do with the late results in IN n/t

[DemGa]

9. Used to be a crucial Swing State

Mississippi, like many Obama wins, has no chance of going Dem in the GE.

[BeyondGeography]

10. The "coverage" should go something like this

Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...Obama, white people...

[panAmerican]

34. ain't that the truth!

[graycem]

66. hehe...

I think you just saved us all a lot of time. No need to watch now, just paste this again in a thread on it's own, titled :********WV Election Night Analysis****** :P

[asjr]

11. The coverage could possibly be

pre-empted by cyclones, earthquakes, tornadoes, sink holes, droughts, floods, or Fred Phelps. But don't count on it.

[indimuse]

12. Are you worried about something likeTHIS???

[dionysus]

58. nope. n/t

[hokies4ever]

64. Despicable

Because it implies the obvious, that Hillary would need an 'act of God' to keep Obama from winning the nomination.

[BlooInBloo]

13. LOL!!! Bless their hearts.

[iamthebandfanman]

15. itll either be to hype of clinton

or totally cut her down...

could probably go either way knowing how the media is ;)

[IDemo]

16. "With zero percent of the precincts reporting, MSNBC projects Clinton to win West Virginia"

"Well, this changes everything."

"the super delegates have to be telling themselves 'this changes everything'."

"We're all agreed this has turned around the race for Hillary Clinton."

"We'll be right back after this message from Viagra."

[NotThisTime]

62. This will be right at 7:01 when polls close at 7pm

WTH are they going to be talking about? The 28 delegates? Obama's picked up more than that in the last week with supers.....

[graycem]

67. You're quoting

Pat Buchanan aren't you! Man, you're good. :D

[rainy]

17. Because it's all about Hillary. If she wins like in Penn. then the news is all

about how she is the come back kid. Why couldn't Obama close the deal. When she looses like last Tuesday, then well its all about her again. Will she get out? All her spokes people are all over the news. No interviews of Obama's people and how far he has come for the under-underdog. Obama's story is a great one and he should be dominating the news in a mostly positive way as he is a huge success. But Hillary is expected to win in West Virginia so here we go again, its all about her. Now I'm not saying is all positive as it is most definitely not. But, it's just all about her, good or bad.

[AllentownJake]

18. They will call it 5 seconds after the polls close

Than go into 2 hours of speculation on what this means for the GE and all conclude Hillary still can't win.

[MattBaggins]

40. Untill your head explodes

She still can't win but this changes everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I won't watch tonight. I watched the other week and did a quick flip through the news channels as they did the "early exit poll" results. Same crap from everyone of them; "Obama and them darned white folks". First words out of the mouths of every single one of the reporters.

[DangerousRhythm]

19. It's going to be a huge pile of WTF I'm sure...

MSNBC's WV primary ad alone made my head explode. "Mountain do or DIE!! Will Hillary still be ALIVE?" etc. See below...

[Obamamaniac_25]

20. That ad made my head explode-LOL

And as far as this primary goes,

So I hate to be blunt but Mississipi didn't matter because it was "African Americans voting for the AA candidate" in the media's eyes and it was downplayed big time. In fact, the win was turned into a loss since whites voted against him in such big numbers.

Just watching MSNBC now though. They seem to be quite fair and talking about how this win is too little too late so maybe it won't be quite so bad.

I'm just resentful that Mississipi wasn't as critical as this. LOL.

Not that it matters. Obama is still picking up supers.

[Erin Elizabeth]

21. Ratings.

And you know, I think they make a big mistake when they do stuff like this. They end up having a bunch of filler and boring-ass commentary from blowhards whose opinion you don't care about in the first place.

With Indiana, I watched some guy stand there and move around some maps of Indiana counties on a smart board while other people talked and it struck me how ludicrous it was.

(I don't normally watch TV news at all.)

[LTR]

22. They're doubling up on loudmouth pundits

And need the extra time for all of them to scream their talking points at one another.

[Erin Elizabeth]

24. God. All the more reason for me to turn it off, read stuff here

and just check it in the morning.

[LTR]

27. I haven't watched any cable news coverage of primary results

MSNBC is the absolute worst. The pundits are really annoying.

I've been sticking to the internet, for the most part.

[NotThisTime]

63. At least there are only six more primaries, thank god....

[Eurobabe]

23. They are bored and addicted to primaries?

:shrug:

[Doityourself]

25. The pundits have to pontificate!

[NC_Nurse]

26. Trying to squeeze the last bit of money from the "horserace".

That's always been their objective. The more they can act like there's still something to
it, the more money they can make.

[NJSecularist]

28. Because the networks are supposed to be fair?

And not Obama Talking Point networks?

[Obamamaniac_25]

31. Oh come on NJSecularist-come on

West Virginia has all of 28 pledged delegates. There is NO WAY that the democrats will carry it in the fall. It doesn't change the delegate math or popular vote in any meaningful way. West Virginia is no more important than Wyoming, Guam or Mississipi, which the networks failed to provide meaningful coverage of.

We have a presumptive nominee and this is just an effort to tear him down. I'm sorry. If it would change the math in a material way, it'd be different.

GE Polls have Hillary down by 12 and 16 in Kentucky and West Virginia respectively.

Why no 24/7 coverage of Guam and Mississipi?

[NJSecularist]

33. West Virginia is a Democratic state.

Which we will lose in the general election if Obama is our nominee.

[slinkerwink]

35. Actually, Bush won West Virginia in 2004

[NJSecularist]

36. And? It was a swing state in 2000 and 2004.

The state is overwhelming Democratic. They have two Democratic senators, a Democratic governor, a Democratic legislature, etc. However, they are a conservative Democratic state.

A certain type of Democrat can - and will - carry West Virginia in the general. Hillary will win the state. Obama won't.

[slinkerwink]

38. Obama will carry other states like North Carolina and Virginia.

[NJSecularist]

42. Actually, he won't carry either. n/t

[Blondbostonian]

44. Actually, you have no fucking idea

One thing we do know....it won't be Hillary :)

[Obamamaniac_25]

47. LOL-you confidently proclaim Hillary will win WV

Well proclaim that the "right kind of democrat will win WV" to be completely fair when the latest polls have her 12 back and conversely 2 states where 2 polling organizations have Obama extremely competitive (SUSA and Rasmussen) are unwinnable.

I don't see your logic.

BTW, I hope I don't come across as harsh. Don't mean to be. I'm just an Obama maniac that's all. No hard feeeling against HRC supporters.

[NJSecularist]

48. West Virginia has voted Democratic before.

1976, 1988, 1992, 1996.

North Carolina? Only 1976.

Virginia? Last time it went Democratic was in LBJ's blowout in 1964.

Obama will win neither North Carolina and Virginia.

[skipos]

83. Wow, so you consider California or Delaware a swing state?

CA had a PVI of 12% D in 2004, DE had a PVI of 10% D in 2004
WV had a PVI of 10% R in 2004

You know that there are many states that are deep red in Presidential elections but still elect Dems to the senate and governorships, and many states that are deep blue in Presidential elections but still elect Repubs to the senate and governorships, right?

[TBF]

41. Guam and Mississippi - do white people live there?

We all know why they are covering West Virginia. They are going to do their best to find the most backwards hicks they can to go on camera and make fools of themselves. And then they will pontificate about how these are Hillary's voters and she is still in it to win it .... and whatever else they can think of in order to "entertain". It only works if you work it - you can also make the choice to turn it off.

[WeDidIt]

29. They're testing teh ratings waters

If ratings are down considerably, they'll push the "This thing is over" meme.

If, on the other hand, ratings remain the smae or only drop slightly, they'll push the "she could still pull this out" meme.

It's all about how much money appears on teh hnottom line. Stories mean nothing, they spin however it benefits ratings.

[monmouth]

30. It will be Hill's last hurrah!

[Kitsune]

32. Because OMG DRAMA.

If they can play it up like it actually, y'know, matters, they'll get more viewers. Follow the dollar.

This is why we need that firewall between the news and entertainment/advertising divisions again. -___-

[Jamastiene]

37. Just to get on your nerves.

Ain't life grand when you finally realize you can't have your cake and eat it too?

[wrando]

39. Mississippi has not entered the 20th century yet

[Unsane]

69. And WV has?

From today's Hillary rally:

[wrando]

78. could be your family reunion

[alcibiades_mystery]

43. To sell advertising

Indeed, this campaign has been over for weeks - and maybe months, but acknowledging that would cut into the precious advertising dollars, so the networks have pretended that Hillary is perfectly viable. It's silly.

They're like those scam artists who tried to tell MIA families that their loved ones were still being held in Vietnamese prison camps. Just another $2000 for supplies and we'll break 'em out. Ya been had.

[L0oniX]

45. Uhm ..because people getting killed in Iraq isn't as worthy?

[jenmito]

46. The tease for Hardball tonight is, "Will a big win in WV breathe new life into Hillary's campaign?"

They're trying to STILL keep this going.

[Obamamaniac_25]

49. That's outrageous-n/t

[jenmito]

54. That's Chris Matthews. n/t

[DefenseLawyer]

50. And the tease for the local news is "Could your vacuum cleaner be killing you? Story at 11."

Same thing really.

[jenmito]

55. Good point...

it IS just a tease-nothing more.

[FrenchieCat]

51. Which is why I won't be watching!

They can talk all night long for all I care. I certainly won't hear what they have to say.

They are only gonna try and hoodwink us. That's what they do!

[Obamamaniac_25]

52. Frenchie and it may sadly work-n/t

[FrenchieCat]

56. It won't work anymore than the pastorbating Marathon worked......

But they will try it. Which is why, they will be on ignore.

Everyone already knows that she will beat him there, so they will be seen for what they are, the same folks who sold us a war.

[Obamamaniac_25]

57. That's true-n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

53. Oh Get A Grip LOL

This has to be one of the silliest rants ever. Too funny!

:rofl:

[ruggerson]

59. Wisconsin is Central Time Zone

and Guam is, well.. Guam. And it happened on a Saturday. Cable news anchors don't work on weekends.

[my3boyz]

60. I hope Obama drops a SD bomb during their coverage to wipe out that delegate gain. LOL nt

[milkyway]

61. Everybody knew Obama was going to win Mississippi, so it didn't matter.

[graycem]

65. lol..

the coverage will end at 9:10 ET when they call it for Clinton. :P They'll let people spin this huge win for her a little, then by 11:00 they'll be on their way out the door. They'll speculate a short while if the race has changed, at least until the following primaries, then they'll be back to the same square one. And in the first week of June, we will finally be able to fully focus on John McCain and take bets on who the VP pick is going to be. But for now, this "coverage" has been good to them, I think it's called milking it for all it's worth. $$ :)

[AtomicKitten]

68. something to do?

[CakeGrrl]

72. And in response, Obama should 'deploy' about 10 SD endorsements on Wednesday.

n/t

[davidpdx]

73. I can see the MSM headline now

"Clinton wins WV, it isn't over yet"

The next day's headline:

"It is over, we lied to you yesterday"

[marlakay]

74. i am not turning on tv tomorrow

and i have read on many blogs others doing the same. they will hopefully get low ratings.

this is all a $$$ thing with the networks.

[Yukari Yakumo]

75. The (perhaps vain) hope that HRC will make her concession speech that night. {nt}

uguu

[TexasObserver]

76. because those products for middle aged people won't sell themselves

Without the commericals on MSNBC, how will I know which products I need to make me healthy and carefree?!

Are you listless for no particular reason? Do you find misery where there is none? Try Abilify. If you have too much time on your hands to worry about your mental state, you may need Abilify.

[FrenchieCat]

77. I ain't watching......

Fuck 'em!

[Carrieyazel]

79. Because Obama has failed to clinch nomination and Hillary still

is mathematically in it.

Looks like the MSM didn't pay heed to the Obamites "It's over, he's won" crescendo.

[McCamy Taylor]

80. They have had wall to wall coverage of all the primaries and caucuses.

Every primary and caucus is another chance for GE, Time-Warner and NewsCorp to spread their propaganda to a bunch of viewers. They are not about to pass up any opportunity.

[Aloha Spirit]

81. You're probably one of those people who doesn't slow down and look when there's a car crash.

[galledgoblin]

82. I personally think Clinton will bow out tonight

if they suspect the same, then it makes a lot of sense to be filming everything they can.