Networks' cracked crystal ball

The Issue: The Networks’ crystal ball needs a major overhaul, parts replacement or total scrapping.

Our View: Its use of exit poll turned into a see-saw declaration that ends up in a recount of Fla. votes.

Earlier yesterday afternoon, the networks gave Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore the 25 electoral votes from Florida. This was a declaration even before all the districts closed election polls.

Later, the networks declared Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush the victor in Florida, again, while a lot districts have yet to close polling places.

Finally, it was back to square one where no one is the winner prompting a recount to review, with a fine tooth comb, every voter card that was counted earlier.

Perhaps the exit poll formula may be close to accurate, if and only if, the networks ensured that every poll in key states is closed. But with many polling places still to close, the networks decided, in advance of the closing of polls, to declare Gore the winner. It came back several hours later and gave it to Bush. Then it came back and said, embarrassingly, that there’s no winner and that a recount has been sought by the Democratic National Committee.

Perhaps by the time you read this piece of op-ed, the final victor and villain would have been resolved. It may have happened while this piece makes it to the press or the process would take several days as international absentee voting is counted. At this writing, about 19 of 67 counties have been recounted.

The head of the Florida Election Commission said that even with a recount, there won’t be any significant change to overturn the result of a Bush victory. Again, it’s another speculation that is at best, a speculation. For our purposes, we hope that it pans out as assessed by the head of the election commission.

Understandably, the cut throat competition to declare a victor among the major networks may have triggered ill-gotten and premature declarations. It inflated the hopes of the Gore camp then deflated it. Returning, it did the same to the Bush camp. Well, perhaps it is the networks whose vicious competitive spirit has been deflated for its premature see-saw declarations. Let’s hope that the networks doesn’t repeat history four years from now. Si Yuus Maase` yan ghilisow!