Sounds of dramatic percussion crashes through the air. Blue, glass-like plates flash across the screen, followed by those three simple words: “Key Race Alert.”
Over the past several elections, CNN’s coverage has been marked by these images and sounds, followed by Wolf Blitzer’s breathless calls of the latest results from different states.
But on Tuesday night as Donald Trump took a growing number of states and Hillary Clinton’s chance of a victory diminished, the state of anxiety across the country reached an all-time high.
For a lot of people watching CNN’s coverage, Blitzer’s constant barrage of updates put them on edge — to put it very mildly.
Wolf Blitzer interrupting for a KEY RACE ALERT to reiterate X, Y & Z states are too close to call will never not make me wanna punch things
— Sam’s Army (@BarstoolSam) November 9, 2016
Every time CNN does a key race alert I have a panic attack #ElectionNight
— Gloria Del Mar (@Glo_dm) November 9, 2016
cause of death: KEY RACE ALERT
— Lindsay Zoladz (@lindsayzoladz) November 9, 2016
KEY RACE ALERT: It’s no longer too close to call, I will have diarrhea. #ElectionNight
— Ben Schwartz (@rejectedjokes) November 9, 2016
DID HE JUST KEY RACE ALERT INTO A KEY RACE ALERT? DID MY STREAM SKIP? THATS UNBELIEVABLE
— JP McDaniel (@itmeJP) November 9, 2016
WITH EVERY KEY RACE ALERT pic.twitter.com/1U2UFyNi1o
— Nasty Hombre (@itgetsbedder) November 9, 2016
I think the Key Race Alert music is making me as jumpy as Wolf Blitzer already is #ElectionNight
— Lynn Lipinski (@lynnlipinski) November 9, 2016