When I started watching the results come in last night, Ted Kulongoski was leading Kevin Mannix. As the evening unfolded, the lead changed in Mannix's favor. When I went to bed, Mannix was in the lead by about 8,000 votes with 58% counted. I expected to wake up to a front page story on The Oregonian proclaiming one the winner. Instead, all media coverage save one (KATU) went with the theme that "this race is too close to call." Currently, with 76% of the votes counted, Ted Kulongoski has regained a slight lead with 493,385 votes, compared to 490,745 votes for Kevin Mannix. KATU is alone in projecting Ted Kulongoski the winner. It will be interesting to see how the numbers change as the remaining ballots are counted today and tomorrow. All can remain hopeful -- this is one close race.
Addendum: As of 4pm PST, both KGW and KATU are now projecting Kulongoski the winner with 91% of ballots counted. The lead is still a scant 20,000 ballots. Portland CBS-affiliate KOIN is still saying there is "no winner." And The Oregonian and other media outlets throughout the region have yet to weigh in on this race since last night. So much for the web being real-time.
Visiting the respective candidates' websites, we Mannix's site reads, "And still counting...Mannix still hoping for win." Kulongoski's site reads, "Kulongosky narrowly defeats Mannix."
Given the profile of this race and its closeness, I have been surprised by the complete lack of intra-day coverage by The Oregonian at oregonlive.com or any other media outlet. Google News indicates the most recent story was 12 HOURS AGO! I would have expected this lag five years ago, not today. News happens in real time, not once a day as newspapers like to believe. It's little wonder that I find less and less "new" news in the local paper after I've been briefed on it throughout the day via other sources.
Well, whoeever wins this election, it will be a tall order to rebuild this state to its former potential. Good luck one and all. Where's Neil when we need him?
Addendum II: (Thu 11/07/02) It's official. Despite carrying 28 of Oregon's 36 counties, Mannix has conceded the race and Democrat Ted Kulongoski will become Oregon's next governor on January 13, 2003. Today's Oregonian covered the story.
