On a triumphant evening such as this, in the glow of two debate victories in a row, this seems like a good moment to pause and express the deepest appreciation for the MSNBC journalists and their colleagues, who have done a truly extraordinary job of covering the campaign and the debates.
It is hard to think of another year when the coverage has been as consistently strong as it has been this year. It's a remarkable achievement for this "junior" NBC network. This may be as memorable as the Huntley-Brinkley-Tom Chancellor coverage in 1968, or the Walter Cronkite & Dan Rather team coverage in 1972.
MSNBC's team has brought together skilled veterans who have raised their games to a higher level with a new group of journalists and pundits - Rachel, Ed, Chris, Ezra, and a host of others, from Al to Chuck Todd to EJ Dionne, etc. etc. It's remarkable to hear how some of them have matured and come into their own. When I hear Ed Schultz during the debate coverage, I hear a voice that has the resonance and authority that I haven't heard since Walter Cronkite. And, importantly, Howard Fineman has been absolutely incisive and brilliant - it's hard to think of anyone who has shown the ability to distill clouds of information into the most crystalline summary.
Thanksgiving is 7 weeks away, but this is a perfect time to recognize how very lucky we are to have such a wonderful network covering the 2012 campaign. Every member of the MSNBC team must recognize what a golden moment this is - they are on fire.