Networks struggle to play it safe on the McCain-Obama call

The networks are straining to keep their promise not to call the race until Barack Obama has earned at least the 270 electoral votes he needs to win (something that won't happen until polls close in the Western states).

Until then, their reporters are hinting broadly about an Obama victory, as Matea Gold, the Times' television reporter, notes.

She sends over these observations:

The biggest call of the night came between 6:15 and 6:30, when the networks all called Ohio for Obama. And without officially declaring the Democrat the next president, they came pretty close.

“Unless something miraculous happens in one of these nonbattleground states, McCain’s situation is looking pretty dire,” Brit Hume said on Fox News, which gave Ohio to Obama at 6:18.

“At the moment it still looks pretty grim for Sen. McCain and a very daunting task here,” Sam Donaldson said on ABC.

"I don't think you can find the numbers on the map and figure out how John McCain can win now,” Bob Schieffer said on CBS.

-- Kate Linthicum

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