For pundits and anchormen, a night of surprises
"Beware the analyst who draws the moral before the tale is told. "
CBS Commentator Bill Moyers on election night, 1982
The script might have been called "Seven Anchormen in Search of an Author. " The network news veterans who conveyed the results of 494 mid-term races last week were sure that the nation had spoken in unison, sending a clear, concise message to the White House. But the newscasters clashed bafflingly all night about what the message was. From the three networks came an erratic and sometimes...