MSNBC’s Election Night Coverage

I watched the jovial coverage of the election on MSNBC. They had most of their shows hosts (Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Chris Mathews, ect…)  sitting at a semi-circular desk. All were smiling and seemed to be honestly having fun. I was in a good mood as well, and was having fun too. They watched the polls come in and declared states red or blue as happens every election. However they were paying close attention to House and Senate results, which I have not seen done before. In the presidential race Obama was consistently ahead, and most of the talk, centered around what McCain would have to win to beat him. Then the polls closed on the West Coast and it was over. Everyone (them and me) was even happier, more exited, and relieved. McCain’s concession speech was dignified, if somewhat sparsely attended. I thought that it was the best speech I’ve seen him make this year, not because of his conceit but because he seemed more genuine while giving it. Obama’s acceptance speech felt to me like he was ushering in a new age for this country. The crowd that gathered to see him was amazingly large. My friend in Chicago said the 60 thousand tickets to get in to see him were gone fifteen minutes after being offered to the public, and it looked like another hundred thousand or more came to stand together and watch on Jumbo-tron screens. After this everyone talked about how momentous this was and tried to explain what it means, but I easily become impatient with television and had seen what I wanted to see. Turned it off, talked to friends, read and fell asleep, smiling.