Thread by @PalmerReport

We've now reached the point where even the on-air personalities on CNN and MSNBC are starting to grumble out loud about the absurdity of their networks not calling the results. This is a farce.

It's been my observation that MSNBC and CNN are remarkably far removed from reality when it comes to what they think makes them look good. Even with their primary goal being ratings, they cost themselves ratings with a tone deaf approach.

For instance, CNN still thinks it can get higher ratings by having one Trump apologist on each panel, even though no Trump fan is going to watch CNN no matter what. MSNBC still thinks "both sides" narratives make it look balanced.

MSNBC and CNN are still taking heat (along with everyone else in the media) for having spent the entire 2016 election lying about Hillary's emails while going soft on Trump. They now seem to understand this, but they've learned the wrong lessons.

CNN and MSNBC seem to fear that if they call the 2020 election too quickly, viewers will see them as reckless, and think less of them. But they're actually being seen as reckless for dragging this out for no reason.

It's one thing to chase ratings at the potential expense of truthiness. Cable news pretty much has to do this, to hit high enough ratings marks to cover its huge operating expenses. It's another thing to dishonestly chase ratings in a stupid way that actually harms ratings.

When current CNN and MSNBC viewers look at back at the 2020 election a week, month, or year from now, the one thing they'll remember about CNN and MSNBC is that they inappropriately dragged out calling the result. People give up on their favorite network over that kind of thing.

These MSNBC and CNN on-air people are the ones the viewers trust. In their professional view, it's time to call the race. Yet a few guys hunkered in a back room are in charge of making the call instead. Why do they ask us to trust the judgment of these hosts, if they don't?

We all get that someone like Kornacki is looking at this more mathematically than the hourly hosts. But even Kornacki says he's not involved in calling states. So the hell are these people making the call, and why are they screwing up our election? Where's the accountability?

Eight hours ago I was trying to give MSNBC and CNN the benefit of the doubt. But with the numbers the way they are now, there is simply no mathematical excuse for waiting. They either mistakenly think this helps ratings, or they're cowering to Trump. It's an all-time fail.

Does this hurt Joe Biden? No. Won't affect him if his de facto presidency begins yesterday, today or tomorrow. Trump's conspiracy theories are going nowhere anyway. But it's hurting us. Give America our new President already, in this time of need. He's very clearly already won.