Prognostication
Tonight will be one of the dumbest nights in television history.
Tonight networks, television stations, cable news channels, radio stations, and literally everyone else will be trying to predict who will win the election(s).
They will be falling all over themselves trying to get the scoop and declare a winner first. They will make predictions on races all over the country, for lots of different elected positions.
They will, in effect, be meddling in the election.
It happens every year and it is actually kind of disgusting and should be illegal.
East coast voting stations and polling places close (at minimum) three hours earlier than West coast stations and polling places. As such, announcing any “results” of what East coast states are doing or the way they are leaning actually influences what happens on the West coast. If voters on this coast see predictions that tell them the election is going one way or the other, it actually discourages people from voting. Amazingly, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of research on this, but it is safe to say it happens. It’s human nature.
So, keep it under wraps. Stop trying to predict a winner before there are true results. It’s not only irritating, but it’s actually irresponsible and verges on tampering.
But, of course, we won’t see that happen tonight. So, sit back and watch the stupidity. Or not.
Piss and Moan 