ALBANY—David Paterson appeared on CNN this afternoon to talk about—well, it wasn't clear.  read more »

Not to be a party pooper but those CNN holograms weren't actually holograms, according to the geeks.

You see (adjusts glasses), real holograms are composited from a pattern of light reflection and interference. Laser beams are involved. CNN's technology was simply a matter of shooting political reporter Jessica Yellin with a bunch of different cameras and mashing them all together on a TV screen.

CNN used 35 HD video cameras set up around a circular room. The video cameras were spaced six inches apart, 220 degrees around their subject (including will.i.am) and shooting him/her simultaneously. In CNN's own gleeful story about their "holograms," Chuck Hurley, the Washington bureau's senior producer of video, called it simple chroma-key technology that's been taken "to the Nth degree.  read more »

On Tuesday night, some 71.5 million viewers tuned in across 14 television networks to watch Senator Barack Obama's victory over Senator John McCain, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Overall it was the highest rated election night since 1980.

On broadcast television, ABC News was big winner. On cable, CNN dominated.

The Nielsen numbers for total viewers via THR:

ABC: 13,135,000

NBC: 12,018,000

CBS: 7,829,000

Fox: 5,137,000

CNN: 12,304,000

Fox News: 9,044,000

MSNBC: 5,889,000

Like many of you, we reveled in the history we witnessed last night. It was something we never thought we'd see in our lifetimes; something that a few years ago seemed not only impossible, but also laughable. And yet there it was, spread out across our television screens in living color. This was not only a great moment to be American, but also a citizen of the world. Yes, that's right...

CNN turned their correspondents into holograms. Can we just say: bananas? Also: are you kidding?

Shortly after 7 p.m., Wolf Blitzer went live to CNN reporter Jessica Yellin from Grant Park in Chicago to check in with her about the mood of the crowd.  read more »

The Web is revving its engine for tomorrow's big night. Here's where you can tune in on your computer and your iPhone:

ABC News is offering live streams of its own TV broadcast and they'll have Web cams at the McCain and Obama campaign headquarters. CBS News will be offering county-by-county, up-to-the-minute results with live blogging, and a simulcast of its TV coverage, starting at 6:30 p.m. Around 2 a.m, Katie Couric will live chat with viewers on CBSNews.com and CNET.com. MSNBC has a neat results widget, which posts real-time results to your blog or Facebook profile. CNN YourRaces allows you to customize your own tracking tool (with local races too), and then watch the results in real time through CNN's site or on your  read more »

Are you ready for this? Next Tuesday, at CNN's Election Center in New York, an Obama campaign strategist will be in the studio to comment on the incoming voting results. Only he'll be … (wait for it) in 3-D! As a hologram!

Instead of the normal flat-screen version of talking heads, the Obama spokesperson's image will be projected from Chicago and into the New York studio -- in a 360 view. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer will essentially be talking to the strategist just like when Princess Leia sent Obi-Wan Kenobi a hologram message that he was her only hope. Only there will be talk about Ohio, rather than Alderaan.  read more »

Today, Julia Ioffe of The New Republic writes about the personal pitfalls facing political reporters and bloggers limping to the finish line after two years on the trail.

Here's a bit from the article about CNN's Candy Crowley:

At campaign rallies, Crowley, a self-described loner, is mobbed by 'CNN junkies,' all of them clamoring for a picture or an autograph. ('That's why I love my iPod,' she says.) Crowley was with Barack Obama when he declared his candidacy in February 2007, and has been going nearly non-stop ever since. She has heard all the speeches, covered all the campaign ads. She can't remember her last furlough and her "strategic nice reserve" ran out two months ago. Now in the final lap, Crowley just wants to go home.

Curious to see how CNN's Soledad O'Brien lives? New York magazine's S. Jhoanna Robledo took of tour of the newswoman's $4.6 million, three-bedroom, three-bathroom loft in Chelsea and brought along videographer, Jonah Green, so you can see it for yourself. (Before you make the joke, the apartment contains no Situation Room.)

At one point, the brokers show Ms. Robledo Ms. O'Brien's bathtub, teeing up the quip, "That tub can fit an entire news team." Even Lou Dobbs?

On Thursday, during the first taping of CNN's new comedy show (which is set to debut this coming weekend), former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told host D.L. Hughley he will be voting for Barack Obama in November.

No word yet from the McCain campaign about how many former White House press secretaries are supporting him.

CNN is reporting that a protestor attempted to handcuff Karl Rove during a panel discussion in California. The woman tried to arrest the former Bush White House Deputy Chief of Staff-turned-Wall Street Journal and Newsweek columnist for treason. In the accompanying video, Mr. Rove does not look the least bit amused.

The cable network's report comes from ABC affiliate KGO of San Francisco. Naturally, they also have a T-shirt.