The multi-touch election night

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

“I’m Wolf Blitzer, and you’re in the THE SITUATION ROOM!!!” Duh-duh-du-du-duhhhhhhhhhh.

Poor old Dimbleby over on the Beeb didn’t stand a chance. He was doddery and indecisive, while the hapless Jeremy Vine stumbled around his CGI results room like a bad weatherman, eyeing the monitors as he fumbled to touch areas of a screen that clearly was there but had been made to look like it wasn’t there, if that makes any sense to you. No? Me neither.

Over on ITV, Alastair Stewart tried his best, but in between every sensible guest he was forced to put questions to the insufferable “comedian” Jon Culshaw, whose Obama impersonation was indeed true comedy, being suspiciously similar to his Bush impression and his McCain impression, both of which sounded like his Gordon Brown, all of which sounded like Jon Culshaw.

But CNN was there to rescue us all from election night Hell. Despite the most brilliantly inappropriate name on TV, Wolf Blitzer proved a slick and knowledgable host, helped by a team of thinly disguised body-builders whose parents never quite grasped the concept of first names. (more…)