In the early part of the 10:00 p.m. Eastern hour, and before the Alabama Senate race was called for Democrat Doug Jones, cheers could be heard on CNN’s live broadcast as Wolf Blitzer announced Jones had taken the lead.
At roughly 10:19 p.m. Eastern, Hale Country finally turned in their votes. “Look at this! Wow, look at this,” exclaimed Blitzer. “All of a sudden, Doug Jones is taking the lead.” “Hale County just came in, which puts him back in the lead,” explained Inside Politics host John King as they stood in front of the map. And as they spoke an audible whoop from off-camera could be heard.
Even before that, there was some excitement brewing at CNN. “So, if you’re in the Jones campaign a little while ago you were biting your nails, and now you're saying okay this math could work for us but we’ll see,” King stated. “Now, I’m going to check when the panel gets on the board here, again 72 percent Jefferson County, we'll keep an eye on the margin there.”
Following that analysis, there was a commotion off camera. “They're getting excited across the room there which tends to happen on election night,” King explained.
Transcript below:
CNN
Anderson Cooper 360
December 12, 2017
10:18:15 PM Eastern(…)
JOHN KING: So, if you’re in the Jones campaign a little while ago you were biting your nails, and now you're saying okay this math could work for us but we’ll see. Now, I’m going to check when the panel gets on the board here, again 72 percent Jefferson County, we'll keep an eye on the margin there.
[Noise off camera]
They're getting excited across the room there which tends to happen on election night.
(…)
10:19:16 PM Eastern
WOLF BLITZER: Look at this! Wow, look at this.
KING: Just came in.
BLITZER: All of a sudden, Doug Jones is taking the lead.
[Hooting off camera]
KING: Hale County just came in, which puts him back in the lead.
(...)
