He mentions the "they don't report exit polling numbers because it might affect turnout", and immediately dismisses the point.

It's not a small point. If people are still voting in California, we shouldn't be saying "well... election's over". It WOULD affect turnout and if you're a moral person who values people participating in the democratic process, you should respect that.

Be cynical all you want. But it's not useful to criticize a news corporation for having one moral scruple about something - even if it also provides a nice side benefit for them of boosted ratings. There's a reason reporting on exit polling is banned in other countries.

I can never hear the word Crossfire without remembering this.

This is news? Everyone knows the networks are going to portray it as a close race up until the results start rolling in. Otherwise, who would watch?

Hell, when Reagan completely crushed Carter in one of the most lopsided elections ever, the media had it as a "draw" up until the day of the election.

News is a delivery method for advertising. This isn't new.

What fake news might look like

The on-air systematic dismantling and destruction of Crossfire at Jon Stewart's hands is still one of my favorite pieces of television. The fact that they brought him on as a guest, and then he took a giant steaming dump on their entire show and lit it on fire just amuses me to no end. The fact that Tucker Carlson and his ridiculous bow tie could only sit there and plaintively mewl about "b-b-b-but I thought you were supposed to be funny :( " made it extra satisfying.

Um shiathead, if you announce the winner at 6pm Eastern, you will suppress voter turnout in the West.

Then you might end up like these guys:

lacydog: There's a reason reporting on exit polling is banned in other countries.

Yes, there's nothing like restrictions on the free flow of information to enhance the democratic process. By that logic, let's put a muzzle on poll aggregators like Nate Silver because they can predict the election with a high degree of confidence weeks, if not months, from election day.

If FOX News knew the results that well, they still hadn't come to terms with it by the time the election had wrapped up on the 7th.

MFAWG: Is this one of the guys Jon Stewart destroyed?

Pretty much, yeah.