Nobody's vote tallying process is automated; results get reported from precinct to County and have to be tallied together at various points. If you have a reporter on site when a locality reports its votes, the network may be able to calculate the new totals more quickly.

As usual, we're all being played by the networks. They make it a horserace to keep it "exciting." But the ending was already known, of course, and Santorum didn't have a chance.

The networks sure do love them a come-from-behind story. (Snerk. Come-from-behind story. Take that, Romney!)

shut his mouth...and filed papers in the proper manner, perhaps he would have run away with this thing.

*sighing*

but it's not over. There is another set of primaries next Tuesday.

... but I still think the networks all act like drama queens when they know Romney's going to win. Not out of any conspiracy, mind you, but because Santorum is batshit crazy. He can win batshit crazy voters in the South, but I never thought he'd win Ohio.

I just think the networks breathlessly whip up suspense over a situation that has none.

The same way they always start reporting that Pennsylvania might GO RED this time! They really might vote McCain! No really!

They're all about the ratings. Anything they can do to make it a horserace, they'll do. It's their job. Doesn't make it any less distasteful, but it is what it is.

CNN got some live tally numbers a little earlier than everyone else at 10:30 PM. At 11 PM, when most networks would want to announce a big headline to get the late news crowd, they weren't ready to call the race one way or the other. Same for 11:30.

In some instances, I really don't think they know who'll win. The problem with the media is that they often don't tell you the breakdown of the numbers, so you're left going by the raw vote total as it they report it - which doesn't necessarily mean squat if the votes are coming in from a certain area.

Toward the end, they did talk to Chuck Todd who said the votes that had yet to be counted were in Romney counties, so most should have realized at that point Santorum might be in trouble.

Really, though, I guess you knock the media for not characterizing a close race. In '08, I briefly remember a mention of Florida's counties, the ones that hadn't reported & the ones that had, and how it probably meant Obama would pull the state out in the end (he had a small lead). But yeah, they like to keep you on the edge of your seat - unless a win is too big that they can't pass up calling it early (like, since you brought it up, Pennsylvania in '08 - that was supposed to be very close and it was called within thirty or so minutes of the polls closing).