After the networks, through the use of wire services and exit polling, became sure enough to give Kentucky and Indiana to the Governor as well, Bush enjoyed a sensible lead over his opponents, Vice President Democrat Al Gore, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, Reform Partier and Journalist Pat Buchanan and Libertarian Harry Browne2, before the broadcasts even went to their first commercial break. .
The networks quickly threw their attention to the Southeastern state of Florida. Carrying 25 electoral votes within its borders, many pundits predicted that the fourth most populated U.S. state1 could very well swing this election either way. Since the top three states, California, New York and Texas, were already believed to be going to Gore, Gore and Bush respectively, Florida stood as the most populated state that both candidates had a chance at. As a result, the two frontrunners both made sure their campaign trails stopped in Florida within 48 hours of the election4. George W. Bush's brother, Jeb, was the governor of the state and thus gave the Republicans a distinct advantage. However, the Democrats won the state four years ago and many on-screen pundits at the time were favoring Gore to take it. These beliefs seemed to be confirmed at 8 PM when ABC's Peter Jennings reported that the Voter News Service was calling the state in favor of the Gore-Lieberman Campaign3. With an entire nation in belief that the Peninsula went to the Vice President, those on screen were predicting a Gore blowout by 8:30 as he all but took Pennsylvania and Michigan (41 votes in total) 5. NBC's Tim Russert claimed that Bush's only chance for victory was to "run the table" of the remaining states and CBS's Dan Rather Bush's chances of winning were "shakier than cafeteria Jell-o3.
By 9:30 PM, everything started to change. Bush, as predicted, ran an electoral sweep of almost the entire South, taking Virginia, Georgia, the Carolinas and his home state of Texas and Gore took New York.