Remembering Irving R. Levine, the bow tie man

We watched NBC Nightly News and John Chancellor at my home growing up in the 1970's, so I saw many, many reports filed by Irving R. Levine. Always known for his bow tie, and efficient, specific style of reporting.

I'm sad to hear of his passing today at age 86. In this economic era, we could sure use Levine on the air, dissecting the situation and offering practical insight and commentary. Click the title for a look back at his life.

Election Night 2008----Live Blog

A rolling blog entry of thoughts, facts, and whatnots on this 11/4/08:

1) Jessica Yelin "via hologram" from Chicago into the CNN HQ in New York talking to Wolf Blitzer.

"Help me, Obi Wolf Kenobi, you're my only hope!!"

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2) PMSNBC gives us the word that McCain will win South Carolina. That's a "whew" for the GOP.

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3) Looking now at the huge stage in Grant Park, Chicago, where some 90 million people....ah, one million people are expected to celebrate with the.......winner? I think he will be.

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4) Here in Virginia, former Governor Mark Warner won (yawn) the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring John Warner (no relation) in a cakewalk over another former Governor Jim Gilmore.

I've never seen two Virginia politicians fall so quickly than Jim Gilmore and George Allen. Before Allen's stupid "macaca" moment, there were many that thought he could have become the next President-elect tonight. As for Gilmore? Happy retirement and don't worry, he'll get a job. He's an attorney.

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7:54pm ET

5) The BBC World News guy says South Carolina is the start of "the real Southern U.S.". Ah, buddy, there's this other place called North Carolina. Apparently you are placing way too much emphasis on the word "North".

Shouldn't BBC America be worried about telling us about Gordon Brown??

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6) 2008 brings a whole new meaning to "Wall-To-Wall Coverage". John King, the incumbent at CNN, versus Bill Hemmer at Fox, with Brit Hume saying if he tried to run the wall, he'd "set the place on fire"......

8PM ET:----------------

Well, here we go; this should change the night.......

Obama gets Dukakis-country
Obama gets Maryland
Obama gets Illinois
Obama gets DC
Obama gets Connecticut
Obama gets New Jersey
McCain gets Oklahoma
Obama gets Maine (must have gotten past that 2 to 1 vote total they've been showing for the past hour or so....)

It's now 77-28, Obama. McCain won't see the electoral lead again.

Now, about that U.S. Senate........

We know Warner gets the vacant one here in Va........

--Inhofe wins in Oklahoma
--Joe Biden wins in Delaware......
--Frank Lautenberg is still alive, and will be shipped back to DC......(he's 84; if McCain is too old, then explain THAT one!!!)
--Susan Collins, the Republican in name only, survives in Maine.......

805pm ET-------

McCain gets Tennessee, cutting the lead to 77-39. Sounds like a fantasy football score! The GOP sure hopes Philip Rivers and Kurt Warner can help cut into the lead.......

808pm ET-------

Mitch McConnell survives in Kentucky and will most likely become the senior Republican in Washington come January.....period.

809pm ET-------

Kay Hagan ends the Dole Political Era. Elizabeth Dole goes down........long live Chiquita! Wha???
North Carolina's Senate seat goes from GOP to Dem......

BULLETIN-------------

Pennsylvania is called for Obama.....on NBC and ABC only.

CNN, CBS and Fox News are holding off......

Meanwhile.......

Obama wins New Hampshire, and it's 81-39 (102 for Obama if you watch ABC or NBC.....)

Vote totals (WOW!!!!!)

Ohio, less than a percent
West Va, less than a percent
Georgia, four percent in
New Hampshire, five percent in, but CNN hasn't called it yet.

Also in New Hampshire, Jeanne Shaheen takes a seat back for the Dems, beating Sununu II.

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Point by CBS-----with Elizabeth Dole defeated, 2009 will be the first time in 50 years that neither a Bush nor Dole will be serving in Washington.

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Fox News gives Pennsylvania to Barack Obama at 8:29pm.......and at 8:30?

Fox News gives Arkansas to John McCain.......

So, it's now 103-45, Obama.....

WE BREAK to help Rachel prepare for her P.E. test on basketball history tomorrow!!

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John McCain says, "Roll Tide!" Alabama goes to the GOP.........

THE LATEST ELECTORAL SCORES BY NETWORK AT 8:41PM:

CBS: Obama 102, McCain 54

ABC: Obama 102, McCain 49

Fox News: Obama 103, McCain 69

CNN: Obama 102, McCain 34

BBC America: Obama 103, McCain 49

NBC: Obama 103, McCain 58

NOW at 9pm----

Obama gets Minnesota (God, PLEASE not Al Franken!!!)
Obama gets New York
Obama gets Michigan
McCain gets Wyoming
Obama gets New Mexico
Obama gets Wisconsin
Obama gets Vermont
McCain gets North Dakota
McCain gets Kansas

Let's go with Obama 183, McCain 81.........from Fox.....
Let's go with Obama 174, McCain 100....on CBS....
Let's go with Obama 174, McCain 76....on ABC, the Stephanop....the Stepha....George's network.
Let's go with Obama 175, McCain 70....on NBC (The Obama Network)

Kevin Tibbles of NBC says Grant Park reminds him of Woodstock. I see people wearing coats, rather than nothing......and they seem orderly, too.

Oh, and there's CNN-------Obama 174, McCain 49. 49??!!??


918pm: Ohio does go to Obama, according to Fox News. 183-81 now the score.

Obama up 174-115 on CBS right now. I can't wait to see what kind of confetti they throw over on MSNBC when it's 270, which should be at 11pm when California falls.

Meanwhile, BBC America continues to show its ignorance with some dumb reporter saying Palin was a drag.......maybe Romney would have been better, blah, blah, blah, and former U.N. Ambassador Bolton SCHOOLED her.

"I think you show a fundamental ignorance of the Republican Party", says Bolton to the idiot reporter. Palin energized the base. McCain NEVER did. Romney NEVER did. For one independent she may have created a question mark in their mind, there were more conservatives than came aboard.

They quickly ended the live shot with that reporter at McCain HQ in Phoenix, tried to switch to another, couldn't, and the anchor (OOPS!) admitted the truth......

"Maybe we did that just to stop the argument....."

Meanwhile, of ALL PEOPLE, Larry Sabato (??!!??!!) was sitting there?? On BBC America???

-------925pm: Wolf Blitzer teases a big projection! Fox News says 200-81........

AND?????? La dee la dee da..........nothin'.........

Thanks, Wolf. Go teleport somebody.......

CBS says 194 to 124 now.
ABC says 195 to 90 now.
NBC says 200 to 85 now.
Fox now 200-90.

Fox gives Louisiana to McCain.
Fox gives New Mexico to Obama.

Rob breaks to show stupidity........

Brian Williams, thank you for reminding us that I live in the area of the former "Capital of the Confederacy".........as my county, Henrico County, was featured by Chuck Todd as a Republican suburban area of Virginia now taken by Obama.

A Democratic operative told Brian today about how bad they want to win there!

Yes, because obviously there are people who STILL THINK we're the Capital of the Confederacy! Sorry, but that makes me MAD; thanks, Brian!

Oh, and Brian-----we elected the first-ever African-American Governor......he lived in the Capital of Richmond......NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO??!!??!!

We now return to live blogging, hopefully without stupid interruptions......

9:42pm------Tavis Smiley discusses dividends with, that guy, on NBC. He says dividends about nine times in two minutes. Interesting perspective; think I'll keep an eye on his show going forward, even if it is on PBS (hee hee.....)

9:45pm------On Fox, Sen. Bill Casey of Pa. thinks that 51 percent of the vote for Obama in the popular vote means a broad victory. Heh?

The Democrats are already spinning a "mandate". Hold up a sec.....

1) The Dems are only getting more seats in Congress because of such an unpopular President. The President creates "coattails" or "drags", Congress never does.

2) Guess who has a LOWER approval rating right now? Bush? NO---Congress!!! Led by the Dems.....but that doesn't matter right now.

3) Finally----51 percent of the electorate is NOT a mandate; never. Ever. 1996, when Clinton was re-elected 49 to 40 over Bob Dole is the closest we've had to a mandate in the past 20 years. Still, Clinton never won 50 percent of the vote in either election to the Presidency.

Real mandates? Try:

1984: Reagan wins 58.8 percent of the popular vote.
1972: Nixon wins 60.7 percent of the popular vote.
1964: LBJ wins 61.1 percent of the popular vote.
1956: Eisenhower wins 57.4 percent of the popular vote.

10pm ET--------

Obama gets Iowa (switching from GOP, like Ohio and New Mexico)

McCain gets the token prize of Texas (did anyone remember Texas??)

Fox News says 207 to 129
CNN says 206 to 89
BBC America says 207 to 135

Speaking of......the BBC America anchor now asks Larry Sabato if this will be a "mandate". Sabato reminds the Brits that the last Democrat to get more than 50 percent of the vote was Jimmy Carter in 1976.........LBJ gets the last Democratic "mandate", he reminds them. In a nice way, Sabato says, NO.

Now, from Times Square, another BBC blonde, this one with cleavage, who wasn't ready for her live shot, talks of the "cheers in Times Square" when Obama wins a state, then interviews the elder statesmen, comedian Eddie Izzard.

Oh, dear. Now we welcome Erica Jong. "We've been through so many stolen elections", she proclaims. What? Reagan screwed Mondale?? Bush stole it from Dukakis?? Heh???

I thought Ted Koppel was supposed to be part of their coverage. Maybe he thought the better of it at the last minute.......and RAN!

Jong believes Obama has "serenity". Yes, that'll solve the economic crisis. That should bring Osama Bin Laden out to be arrested, too.

Kum by yah........

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It's hard to watch ABC News' coverage. Not the bias.

They're constantly showing Times Square. WE WERE THERE!! I WANNA GO BACK!! I LOVE NEW YORK!!!!

ABC says 207-135.
NBC says 207-135.
CBS says 206-135 (where's that other vote?? Dan Rather stole it!!!)
Fox News says 207-129.
CNN says 207-95. Wow, being hard on an old guy, aren't they?

OH!

BBC America says 207-135. On their screen. Anything said on the channel, other than John Bolton and Larry Sabato..........and sometimes Sabato is.......well.........

Bolton just SCHOOLED them again over their Colorado reporter, who Bolton says, should be fired for not interviewing, but arguing with the state Republican committee head.

John Bolton rocks!

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Heading to the bedroom for more.....tired of sitting in Rachel's foldout chair. I once had a recliner. Then I got a mother-in-law in-house temporarily.........so long, recliner! :)

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SPECIAL NOTE!!!!!!--------------I passed an African-American woman, probably over 60, in the parking lot at my voting precinct today and thought to myself, I'm sure she never thought that in her life she would have the chance to vote for an African-American who really had a good chance to win the Presidency.

I thought that was really cool. I thought to myself, "I don't want your guy to win, but...", my feelings have nothing to do with race.

I wish my first friend from elementary school, Darrell, were still here to see this; he went home to be with God in April.

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Back to the hilarity of BBC America, we see they've shown John Bolton the door, and I don't see Larry either. New people and the first I see is some old Clinton crony. They don't show names on this channel, apparently; I've seen two I think tonight.

We're all just waiting for the final dominoes to fall here......

OH WAIT!!!!!! A HOLOGRAM ON CNN!!!!

Anderson Cooper (the gray Darth Vader????) has teleported the sage political scientist.....

Will.I.Am

who is really in Chicago.......

.....had McCain upset Obama, would they have hologrammed Joe The Plumber??

Ewwww......does he have the butt crack thing going on? Didn't think of that.....

OKAY-----back to the Electoral College......

CNN: Obama 207-135
ABC: Obama 207-141
NBC: Obama 207-142
CBS: Obama 206-141
BBC America: 207-141
Fox News: 220-138 (220 because.......)

ALERT-----------------FOX NEWS says OBAMA wins VIRGINIA.........

Wow..........what else can be said?

This-----FOX NEWS is the first media organization to call the Virginia race.

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Well, as it was when I was on the air live in 1992, when California closed at 11pmET, I led into the news that William Jefferson Clinton would become the 42nd President of the United States.

16 years later.......Barack Obama does the same, about to become #44.

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CNN gives Virginia to Obama.......

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Fox News has a blinking 297 on the screen at 10:59ET. Oops......

And at 11pm, the victory.

Lots of people going nuts......Times Square, Chicago.......they're hugging in Times Square, like it's New Year's Eve.......

Well-----LET THE MEDIA PARTY BEGIN!!!

First........good live camera shot on MSNBC of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta; MLK's church.

CNN just showed the church, and good ol' Al Sharpton is there. Well, everything can't be perfect.

---Chris Matthews says the world will wake up tomorrow and say, "Damn it, they did it!"
---Eugene Robinson says American history goes back 389 years. Jamestown was pretend.

McCain has called Obama. Classy to the max. Didn't wait for "the rest of the rest".

---David Gregory says this election wasn't about race. Does that go with or against all we've heard the past many months. Just throwing that one out to y'all.

---Chris Matthews: "The best is yet to come tonight!" referencing Obama coming forth soon to speak to us.

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Now, a moment to say.....

This is a wonderful moment for the United States of America. It's about time. Black, woman, Hispanic......whichever, this is good. Very good.

Now, let's get the rest of the hatred crap out of us (the collective us) and out of the way. Also, those who have used race politically, from both sides, lay it down. It's over.

I must confess I have doubts about much of this. Electing Obama President does not magically make hate and "the race card" disappear. But they should make them SO DULL, that they die of irrelevancy.

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John McCain, as always, first class as he congratulates Obama.

And that's it from this election headquarters.

HEADLINES AS I LAY ME DOWN:

1) Obama wins historic election, becomes first African-American President
2) Watershed day as youth make impact
3) "Race Card" blunted
4) One more BIG shovel of dirt dumped on top of the grave of an ugly portion of American history

Well, we'll see what happens next. :)

Trying to grasp......

.....I simply cannot get my arms around this entire tragic, horrific event involving Chris, Nancy, and Daniel Benoit.

There's so much fingerpointing and allegations, and we're what, less than 36 hours from the discovery of the scene? That bothers me. Alot.

Was it heinous to kill your child? YES! Are there any excuses for that? NO!!!

BUT....there is also possibly circumstances involved which do NOT explain or excuse this behavior, but may provide insight into the life going on behind the doors of the Benoit home.

The WWE is getting creamed in the media for putting on a "tribute" show to Benoit last night. They had an appropriate statement at the start of their ECW show tonight which you can also see at WWE.com.

I'm sorry. The bodies are discovered, mid-afternoon, and they have a show to do at 8pm live on USA Network (three hours instead of the usual two, I might add). Apparently not having all the details surrounding the Benoit family, they did what they have done in the past and looked back at his career.

Had they known what we all know now at 4pm Monday, would the show have been different? Probably. But for the Dan Abrams of the world (MSNBC tonight, in for Joe Scarborough) to say, "...while we were getting details here in the newsroom, they are showing a tribute show."

Well, for the 299 million of us NOT in a newsroom, we didn't know. The first report on pwtorch.com, an extremely well run pro wrestling news site which is unbiased in reporting, posted their link to the first AP report regarding the fact it was apparently a murder-suicide at 10:38pm ET, near the END of the show.

The report, found via a provided link to myfoxatlanta.com, was last updated on that site at 1116pm Monday night.

The WWE (and I RARELY defend them) did the best they could with regard to programming with so little time, and, until Benoit, each situation was simply "tragic" in nature, no matter what the reasons may be. Murder never entered the picture.

The move tonight online and on TV was the correct move. No more "tribute", considering all the circumstances. Good call.

But, to Dan Abrams-----YOU are ridiculing the WWE for their "tribute" show, but YOU were the network to air the Virginia Tech killer video???

Now, in fairness, I supported the initial decision to air that; NBC's HUGE mistake was putting their name and logo in the corner of all things VT killer, which, in news terms means, "all my competitors cannot use this material without acknowledging who they received it from".

So, Abrams should check his newsroom before shaking the finger.

After the Tech video scandal, Nightly News ratings have dropped even worse than Katie Couric's.

NBC, the news, Virginia Tech, what to show, what not to show.....

One of the many huge topics of conversation this week over the Virginia Tech tragedy is what NBC should have or should not have done with the package they received from the killer of 32 people.

There have been passionate responses to my posting the NBC Nightly News video Wednesday night. To quote my two faithful posters.....

kenju posted: "I don't think they should have put his video on the news. A copy of the written stuff should be made public, but putting the video on the news, where unsuspecting parents might have had children watching, was not a good idea. I watched part of it; it made me sick, and I don't want to see it again."

A great point concerning the fact that children could be exposed to this; I honestly hadn't thought about that.

Frank posted: "Quite typical of the main stream media is the opportunity to gain a few viewers by having something like what fell into NBC's lap. I think it appalling that they thought it necessary to use the material to start with. Being "edited" for broadcast was a bunch of _____ in my opinion. How do you edit out the horror and disdain that was in this package. The families, friends, and colleagues of the slain heros did not need reminding of this senseless event, and especially the ranting and raving of a crazed lunatic who had no soul."

Now to my two cents.....

1) I had no problem with the first decision by NBC News. Let's face it, had they given it to federal authorities, and washed their hands of it, people would be up in arms about why the public was not allowed to get the thoughts and messages of the perpetrator. Sorry, but the last thing this tragedy needs is breeding ground for conspiracy theories.

2) I do not regret posting the open minutes of Wednesday's NBC Nightly News. It had to be shown. Protect children from it? YES! Come to grips as a people that we live in a society with way too many of these type of people....maybe one living in your neighborhood.....YES. And, you don't have to watch the video for a long time to realize the basics of the horror, both of the evil and the demons, plus the severe psychological problems that were obviously there.

This is not "giving the killer his 15 minutes of fame"; but was necessary to help us better understand at least a few percentage points of the senselessness of the "reasoning" behind this crime.

And the words "freedom of speech" would have been decried in a huge way.

I'm sitting here with the TV on and saw a spot for a movie soon to open with Anthony Hopkins. I realized I see disturbing images on spots like that all the time, but we don't raise a finger to ask networks or ad agencies to stop doing it. To stop the desensitizing of all of us.

Now, YES, the focus in this case is on a real killer, not a Hollywood script. So while there are a much higher set of reality circumstances, it doesn't take too, too many steps to see similar "characters" in the (ha) "creative" media. And people flock to see it day after day, night after night.

3) After trying to watch the 11pm news Wednesday night, I turned the news off. Every channel showed the video at the top of their news, so the killer's face was on 20 different channels, all at once. This was a highly negative "equal and opposite" reaction to the action of releasing it to the public in the first place.

And after the news cycle had finished the morning shows the next day, it was time for the media to say, okay, point taken. Message used.

4) Many news organizations have stopped using it. Good move. If someone really wants to hear this guy, there's always YouTube, et al.

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We had a time of remembrance and reflection at noon today at the office. My first time "speaking" since leaving the pastorate. It was, as it always is, an honor to be used.

The message I was happiest to convey was simply, life is fleeting, so cherish every moment, and tell the people you love that you love them. They can't hear you say that to them when they lie in a casket.

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And the best news I saw today? The VT Band went to the hospital where Tech students are recovering and played outside, while students came to windows, with great smiles and appreciation.