12:04: And as the clock strikes midnight, all three networks report that the Democrats have 100% precincts reporting (the Republicans are still at only 87%, but the top two are clear). That will be all the live blogging for the night. One down, 49 to go.
11:59: Larry King takes over on CNN at the top of the hour, and within seconds is talking to Mike Huckabee. So three interviews for Huckabee, one for Guiliani and McCain, Edwards soon and none for Obama, Clinton and Thompson. I have a feeling we may hear from them shortly anyway.
11:55: At the end of the Huckabee interview on MSNBC, Olbermann says while laughing, “Well amen to that, is the only possible response.” Huckabee answers, “I’ll pass the plate, Keith. Since you’re amen-ing, I’ll just pass the plate and we’ll have us a revival meeting right here. That would be something. You and Chris Matthews giving to me.” Matthews ends the interview with, “Well, that would be something.”
11:53: FNC’s alert scrollbar reports that both Guiliani and Romney have called Huckabee to congratulate him. Huckabee’s had a busy night.
11:50: Maybe, it’s just too much election coverage in one night, but Huckabee’s MSNBC interview looks like it’s being conducted by webcam.
11:49: “In American history there has never been anything like the next four-and-a-half weeks,” proclaims CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin, as he plays with his big graphic calendar on his monitor.
11:47: Wolf Blitzer checks in with Larry King in the Election Center on CNN. Huckabee completes the trifecta by appearing on Larry King Live next hour, as well as John Edwards and Rudy Guiliani.
11:46: And now, Huckabee changes the channel and begins an interview with Olbermann and Matthews.
11:43: Pat Buchanan is back on MSNBC, chatting with Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews.
11:39: FNC flashes an alert on the bottom of the screen during the interview that Ron Paul says he will continue the campaign.
11:37: CNN and MSNBC are talking with their reporters at the HQ of the Democratic candidates during the Huckabee interview.
11:35: FNC has a big get — winner Mike Huckabee.
11:30: During that sweeping shot through the CNN newsroom heading to commercial, was that CNN/US President Jon Klein?
11:25: Major Garrett‘s audio is working now on FNC, and he’s saying he was told by both the Clinton and Edwards campaign that an Obama win in Iowa would be “transcendent.” Massive commotion by the press going on behind Garrett’s stand-up.
11:23: Carl Bernstein waxing poetic on CNN. He says he could see the “devastation” on the face of Bill Clinton during Hillary’s speech.
11:19: MSNBC was first with the news of Sen. Joe Biden withdrawing from the presidential race. MSNBC took a few minutes of his speech. CNN was less than a minute behind.
11:17: The latest exciting thing found in the newsroom during a crane shot on MSNBC: an image of the ice rink at 30 Rock and an MSNBC technician walking by. Man, this is a lengthy victory speech.
11:14: CNN is still the only network consistently showing the results of all the candidates (all thirteen).
11:11: A quick glance around the dial. PBS is showing the Obama speech, CSPAN is showing the taped Clinton speech.
11:08: Latest sweeping crane shot by MSNBC shows what else is on in the newsroom besides the Obama speech. Hey, look there’s Jim Cramer (on CNBC), an American flag screenshot and possibly a Weather Plus map…
11:03: Obama and family are taking a long walk to the mic as all three networks take the intro while discussing other topics waiting for him to speak. “Pretty stylish family, I must say,” says Matthews on MSNBC.
11:01: Some screwy audio for Fox News at the top of the 11amET hour. First, some double-audio from Greta Van Susteran, then the toss to Major Garrett yielded no audio, and just the FNC theme music.
10:58: Bill Hemmer on FNC says there is a “pretty good shot” they will have a Huckabee interview in about 15 minutes. So far only a few candidates have spoken directly with the anchors and none of the top finishers.
10:53: Not a big difference, but CNN has Fred Thompson at 14% and John McCain at 13% while MSNBC and FNC have them tied at 13%. Each say with 85% of precincts reporting.
10:47: Didn’t see it, but have heard about possible audio problems during the Wolf Blitzer throw to the Huckabee speech. Thanks to TVEyes, it’s clear Huckabee was identified as Mitt Romney briefly through the chyron at 10:39.
10:44: “I’m still one who believes the greatest generation doesn’t have to be the ones behind us, the greatest generation can be those who have yet to even be born,” Huckabee says. Brokaw’s not going to like that. And yes, thanks tipsters, CNN and MSNBC were less than two minutes behind FNC with news of Dodd dropping out.
10:38: Brokaw has to be cut off to hear Huckabee’s speech, but says, “I’m not assuming my old role, here,” in order to let one of the anchors toss to the speech. He relents though. “Here’s Governor Huckabee, who’s the little known former governor of Arkansas, who tonight comes up with a big victory, and right behind him, of course is Chuck Norris,” says the former Nightly News anchor.
10:37: Tom Brokaw joins Keith Olbermann and Matthews on MSNBC. “Tsunami Tuesday” Brokaw says, is coming up.
10:35: Well, by cutting away, FNC was first with the news that Sen. Chris Dodd has dropped out of the race.
10:33: Fox News is first to cut away from Clinton speech, for an interview with Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
10:31: MSNBC tries a sweeping crane shot, showing a bunch of TV’s of various sizes with different images during the Clinton speech. The audio doesn’t match up with the speech but it looked different than the other networks.
10:26: From what we could tell, CNN and MSNBC came in at 10:26 with Hillary Clinton‘s speech and FNC came in one minute later.
10:25: Frank Luntz loves him some focus groups. “Your focus groups foreshadowed what happened to (Clinton),” he said on FNC.
10:20: Someone wake up Larry King, he’s got a guest booked for tonight. CNN just displayed a graphic showing Edwards would be on King’s midnight show.
10:17: From the tip box, it seems viewers are split on Cooper’s crazy CGI-looking pie chart on CNN.
10:14: MSNBC is displaying huge chart showing Obama’s victory right in the double box next to Edwards during his speech.
10:13: All three networks are taking the John Edwards press conference.
10:10: “I think the Clinton’s are planning their comeback and it begins in a few moments,” says Chris Matthews says to Andrea Mitchell at Clinton HQ. “This is really a manufactured event,” Mitchell says. Well way to be the buzz kill.
10:07: Alan Colmes hits Rudy Guiliani (who had a rough night) with a tough one. “If you had been President on 9/11 would you have captured (Osama) bin Laden by now?” he asks. Juicy question. Guiliani evades. “If I am President, I will put a tremendous amount of attention behind catching him,” says Guiliani.
10:04: Well Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee had some big nights, and we’re into the homestretch of Iowa’s big night. Anderson Cooper‘s magic pie chart isn’t really working very well. He’s holding a sign that says CNN=Politics and there’s a graphic pie chart trailing it (sometimes). Cooper looks awkward.