The media doesn't "call" an election. They project a winner based on the numbers they have

[StarfishSaver]

That projection has no legal meaning or import and has no effect on the the actual outcome of the election.

That's why all of the demands that the media "call it" and the angry complaints that they haven't done so yet is odd - especially since many of us think the media are often idiots who generally shouldn't be taken seriously. We all have the same information they have. If, based on that information, you think Biden is going to be the winner, why do you need Steve Kornacki to tell you that the MSNBC Decision Desk agrees with you?

I'm feeling better about things than I have in years - we are on the verge of a horrible menace being run out of office and the country being turned back around under President Biden and Vice President Harris. I refuse to have my joy stolen or spend this time complaining and getting all worked up over the fact that a media outlet hasn't yet decided that it is comfortable projecting a winner.

[Zoonart]

1. THIS!

[Just_Vote_Dem]

2. I just want the media to affirm a fact that's staring me in the face

Don't think that's odd

[StarfishSaver]

10. I'd like them to affirm it, too. But I'm not going to throw a fit if they don't do it this minute

People are losing their damned minds over it. I don't get it.

[JonLP24]

3. I know that they project

The thing is they are already projecting Biden to expand his lead but they haven't "called" it yet.

[BKDem]

4. I'm sick of this bullshit pussyfooting around.

The shit head lost. He is a loser. We don't need to cushion the blow for him or the disgusting people who voted for him.

Declare Joe the President-Elect.

[Statistical]

5. You are quibbling over words. Projections and calling are synonymous.

When the networks called Virginia for Biden they are saying the projections indicate it is implausible that Trump could win it.

IT IS important for the media to call the election for Biden. It is important psychologically. It is important so we can move past this fork in the road. It is important so they can start running stories on what this means what the future hold. It is important so Trumpers can stop clinging to this false hope and move forward in the grieving process.

It is stupid for them to not report on the fact that are obvious and right in front of them. I mean that is all the media ever does is report on stories. Nothing the media does is "official" or have any "legal meaning" so you might as well say the media doesn't need to cover anything by that logic.

[StarfishSaver]

11. No, they're not. But even if they are, the media "calling" or "projecting" it has no legal impact

There is no winner until the states finish counting and certify their votes. The media "calling /projecting" it means absolutely nothing - it's just a show.

If you think it's obvious and right in front of us, why do you have to have Steve Kornacki say it and why are you so pissed that he hasn't? If you think Biden is going to win, it doesn't matter whether the CNN Decision Desk is ready to say it.

[Statistical]

13. You just ignored my entire post. Disappointing.

Of course it matters. Nobody thinks it is official. Nobody thinks it has the rule of law. It still matters. The same way any other important news story matters. If the media reports on a BLM protest it isn't "official", it doesn't carry the "rule of law" it still matters. It is the job of the media.

Until the media calls it, Biden would get bashed for declaring victory. Until the media calls it, it would be premature for Biden to start talking about what he plans to do his first 100 days in office. For the love of God everyone gets it isn't official but that doesn't make it unimportant. It is important as part of the unofficial shift that will happen.

[StarfishSaver]

25. I responded to your post.

I don't understand why you seem to think the media isn't covering this story or telling us what's going on.

The media hasn't announced a projected winner but they've been reporting for days exactly what is happening with the numbers, how likely it is that Biden will win, that Trump has little chance of winning. In fact, they've done nothing but talk about that for the past several days. That's one of the reasons we all are so sure that Biden is going to win this. It's not like they're hiding anything. They're reporting it vigorously. They're doing their job. But they don't want to make the final call until they get all the numbers in.

[Maeve]

6. I agree and was ready to pop the cork last night

But Hubby wants to wait for a more "official" win before that champagne flows....we can wait. It will still happen and as long as it drags on, Twittler is somewhat contained.

I've seen trapped animals before; not looking forward to what its lizard brain will try before January.

[JI7]

7. I think what is bothering most people is that they are holding off to not upset Trump

or at least that's what some people think the reason is .

[StarfishSaver]

14. It just seems to me that some people just what something to complain about

No matter what happens, they still seem to want to find a way to fuss about how someone is doing us wrong.

And I know for sure that if the media had "called" the race earlier and the voting continued, and for some reason the numbers tightened and they had to pull back their projection, folks would have lost their damned minds.

I just don't understand why people can't just take a breath, be patient, enjoy the moment, knowing what they outcome is very likely to be.

[JI7]

19. I agree that I would rather have them hold off than go back on giving a candidate a state

For me though it's more about just wanting to see it on tv when it's announced as they usually do .

But I am feeling mostly relaxed right now. And enjoying what we know will happen. Especially after Tuesday .

[NurseJackie]

8. Here's how I look at it...

There's something very satisfying about having an authoritative and recognized precise moment of victory… especially when millions are eager to celebrate their joy and relief with each other.

I suppose that for some emotionless "analytical types" they can be perfectly happy with "knowing what will eventually happen" and take comfort with the knowledge of how everything will assuredly play out in the end.

But others of us will get a great deal of satisfaction and delight from being able to hear our party's nominee CLAIM VICTORY for himself, and for OUR party, and for our nation and the world. It will be a SHARED MOMENT of history.

It will be a defining STARTING POINT where we can begin celebrating with others. It will be a moment to look back on and talk about. It's like the moment between midnight and the new year! (Compared to a group of disinterested people coming to the eventual conclusion over the course of a week that the new year had indeed happened a week previously.)

LET'S CELEBRATE!!! LET'S BREATHE A COLLECTIVE SIGH OF RELIEF!! I'm ready!

[StarfishSaver]

15. I agree with everything you said

That is very satisfying. And it's going to happen. But the endless whining and fussing and accusations because it hasn't happened on someone's personal time schedule is just weird to me.

[catbyte]

9. Because until the networks announce it, Biden & Harris cannot publicly claim victory and it's

detrimental to the country. The appearance of uncertainty is fertile ground for every half-assed conspiracy theory that QAnon can manufacture. They'd do it anyway, but the audience for it would be greatly diminished if the election was settled. I don't know. This just seems like another cowardly capitulation to that childish thing currently infesting the White House.

[StarfishSaver]

18. They can publicly claim anything they wish

But I will bet you that they would rather the press see this as a sure thing with no likelihood of it being pulled back.

I don't think it's cowardly at all. This is a very different election than in the past - largely because of the absentee ballots in some critical states. The count is going very differently and has to be handled differently. The media are trying to be responsible. And you can bet that if they had called a winner and turned out to be wrong, the same people who are trashing them for taking their time, would be screaming just as loudly that they had jumped the gun because they were all trying to be first. There's no satisfying some people.

[Silent3]

12. Like it or not, these media calls have taken up an important role in our culture

Arguing that it isn't official, and shouldn't be taken seriously, doesn't change the fact that the media calls are the moral equivalent of official victory in the minds of most of America.

Considering the importance it has psychologically when the media calls an election, I think we're quite justified in complaining about inconsistent standards are being applied on when or when not to make a projection. We know that many more states have already been called much faster based on much less data, with less clear trends, and a lot more votes left outstanding.

Let's not pretend there's some mathematically rigid framework at play right now that the "decision desks" are applying without bias.

[LymphocyteLover]

17. exactly

[StarfishSaver]

20. True

But by the same token, given the importance given these calls, if they get it wrong, that also has a tremendously damaging impact. And it would be far worse for them to call a state that puts Biden over the top and then have to pull it back because they got it wrong than waiting a day or so to make sure the results were certain. THAT would be a disaster with far-reaching ramifications that could last years.

[Silent3]

28. This looks more like an abundance of fear than an abundance of judicious caution, however

And it's not like dragging this out doesn't have negative consequences either. You can always find a million reasons why making the call isn't 100% certain, but they've run out of reasons that making the call isn't 99.99% certain.

[LymphocyteLover]

16. OK but the key thing is by them not projecting the winner, they are enabling the crazies

to protest and make trouble. It's not helpful for them to be so reticent.

[StarfishSaver]

22. The crazies are going to crazy no matter when they projected a winner

It's not like if they had done it on Wednesday, these people would have just gone home.

Remember - the projection is just something they say on television. In the meantime, the counting will continue just as it's going now. And the crazies would still be showing up at the counting centers yelling and screaming and protesting, just as they are now.

The media not projecting the outcome isn't having any impact on how these people act. They're going to do what they're going to do no matter what John King says about who won and who lost.

[Silver Gaia]

21. It's a ritual, a collective experience that we all need, especially without a concession speech.

We can all know the truth of the matter, but we still need that ritual. I know I do!

I think the lack of a concession speech is part of the problem. The media networks each want to make sure their projections are foolproof because they know he is waiting to pounce on the slightest error. I dont feel like they are trying to appease him. They are trying to protect themselves and all of us as much as they can.

This is so unlike any other election because of covid, and because of how they messed with the post office, and many other factors, including that stubborn brat in the WH. I think it has been difficult to make projections with certainty due to the lack of reliable data to base them on. This is so very different that there has been much uncertainty as to how some things would play out, which has made it very difficult to make projections. They are getting a better handle on it as they go, but there has simply been little from past experience that applies very well. If you listen to the statisticians, this is the jist of their dilemma. I've been as frustrated as anyone else, but I'm cutting them a break because I think their caution has been warranted to a degree.

That said, I think (hope) today will be the day.

[StarfishSaver]

23. Thank you. You explained it very well

[Silver Gaia]

24. You're welcome.

Glad it helped.

[StarfishSaver]

26. I don't know if it helped ...

But I appreciate it.

[Silver Gaia]

27. I hear ya.