------------------------------ Viewer's Guide to Election Night: 6 p.m. (all times Central) All the network news shows cover the election. There is much chirping about exit polls. NBC's Tom Brokaw says it's too close to call. ABC's Peter Jennings looks edgy as exit polls show weak spots for Gore. CBS's Dan Rather predicts Hillary will win. 7 p.m. Indiana goes for Bush and other polls are closing. Rather trumpets Gore victories in D.C., Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont. The others follow suit. Time to make sure you've taken that Zantac. 8 p.m. The solid south starts going for Bush. The Carolinas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Virginia all go G.O.P. Brokaw ignores these and concentrates on New York, which Gore wins. Jennings interviews Jesse Jackson who implores West Coast voters to "stay out the Bushes. We need hope, not the Dope." Rather kisses up Ted Kennedy, who wins re-election big. Sean Hannity warns of vote fraud in New York. 9 p.m. CNN predicts Hillary winning the NY Senate race. George Allen takes the Virginia race but there's hardly a mention of it. Rather trumpets that Joe Lieberman has won re-election to the Senate and remarks he hopefully won't need it. Florida still too close to call. Meanwhile, the Southwest and West roll up big time for Bush to build a big electoral vote edge. Brokaw focuses on Gore's win in Illinois. All the networks cut away to cover a speech by Bill Clinton who can't stand staying out of the spotlight on election night. Clinton says America won't tolerate four years of Newt Gingrich cronies. 10 p.m. Ohio goes to Bush but Wisconsin and Minnesota fall to Gore. ABC projects Gore to win Florida. The others hold back but report that ABC is reporting it. CBS projects Hillary winning New York even though the numbers now show Lazio ahead. CNN interviews Clinton who thanks them for their "faithful" coverage. The electoral count now reads Bush: 220, Gore: 126 but Rather says it's much closer than that. 11 p.m. Pennsylvania, still close, goes for Bush. So does Missouri. Reality is starting to sink in at the networks. Bernie Shaw, in particular, looks like he is having an aneurysm. New Mexico, surprisingly, goes for Gore after he promised the Indians there free peyote. This becomes the ray of hope at CBS. "It's gutcheck time," announces Rather. 12 a.m. All the networks project California for Gore in a race closer than expected. Brokaw calls it a "major wound" for Bush's hopes. They interrupt Bush's speech thanking supporters in Texas to pass along this news. Jennings turns to Sam Donaldson and says "the country seems to be having another tantrum like a three-year-old." Donaldson agreed, "You'd think America would want eight more years of peace and prosperity." 1 a.m. Washington puts Bush over the top. Fox News broke it an hour ago but the other nets are now gradually conceding it's true. Time to get out the champagne. But of more importance now is the race in New York. Hillary is speaking to her supporters so there's no time to cover Bush's victory. Rather still holds out hope that the projections are wrong. 2 a.m. Rather was right! ABC, who had predicted Florida for Gore now has Jennings scowling and muttering to himself on the air. Judy Woodruff is caught on camera with a barf bag. 3 a.m. With 99% of the precincts reporting, Lazio has a 200-vote lead in New York. CNN projects Hawaii going to Gore. Bill Maher is now anchoring the ABC desk. Brokaw interviews Andrea Mitchell about Republicans holding the Senate and House. "Where did we go wrong?", he asks. 4 a.m. Fred Barnes can no longer contain his glee. "We kicked their ass!," he says as he high-fives Brit Hume. Early editions of the New York Times report Gore, Clinton victories. Rather talks to Bob Schieffer, "Let's admit we have idiots in our electorate. They deserve the government they will get." No new votes are counted in New York. 5 a.m. A tearful Gore finally concedes the race, beating Pat Buchanan by several hours. He promises a smooth transition of power, promising to have all their FBI files, computer hard drives, roach clips and Chinese money cleaned out of the White House before Bush moves in. Katie Couric discusses recipes on Today but breaks down in mid-segment. Don Imus on MSNBC asks Joe Lieberman why he is such a weasel. 6 a.m. The last New York precinct comes in from Chappaqua. 5,000 votes for Hillary, none for Lazio. All 5,000 voters are named Howard Wolfson. Hillary wins and the networks perk up briefly. Rather trumpets,"The Clinton legacy will live on." Talk of Hillary running for president in 2004 livens the news crews. Claire Shipman gushes that "all is not lost." 7 a.m. Bryant Gumbel calls in sick. ------------------------------