Slate's Bizbox
explainer: Answers to your questions about the news.

Is This a Banner Election, or What?

Emily Yoffe
Posted Monday, Dec. 4, 2000, at 8:14 PM ET

Following the Nov. 7 election-that-will-never-end, the New York Times ran day after day of banner headlines (headlines that go across the entire width of the front page). Is the number of banners some kind of record for the New York Times?

Yes, it is a peacetime record. This election resulted in 20 banner headlines from Nov. 8 to Nov. 27. The longest string of banner headlines in modern times was from Dec. 21, 1944, to May 10, 1945. That was bigger news.

Explainer gets mail ...



Explainer, a little while ago you said that while former Secretary of State Warren Christopher was donating his services to Al Gore's campaign, former Secretary of State James Baker's office refused to disclose his financial arrangements with George W. Bush's campaign. Does that information still stand?

Explainer is vacating that answer because the question was remanded to another one of Baker's law offices, which provided the information that Baker, too, is volunteering his services.

Explainer, you reported that Mel Carnahan is the first deceased person elected to the Senate but that three dead people have been elected to the House of Representatives. Who were they?

Like Carnahan, all three were killed in plane crashes so close to the time of election that their names still appeared on the ballot. All three House members were serving at the time of their deaths. They were Clement Miller, D-Calif., who died in 1962; and Hale Boggs, D-La.--who was the father of TV anchor Cokie Roberts--and Nick Begich, D-Alaska, who died together in 1972 in an Alaska plane crash.

Next questions?

Print This ArticlePRINTDiscuss this in The FrayDISCUSSEmail to a FriendE-MAIL
Share on FacebookPost to MySpace!Share with MixxDigg ThisShare with RedditShare with del.icio.usShare with FurlShare with Ma.gnolia.comShare with SphereShare with Stumble Upon
Emily Yoffe is the author of What the Dog Did: Tales From a Formerly Reluctant Dog Owner. You can send your Human Guinea Pig suggestions or comments to .
Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum
What did you think of this article?
POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES
Washington Post
The Washington Post
OPINIONS
A Grand Tour
David Broder | While the stars align for Obama, McCain is looking like the odd-man-out on foreign policy.
Annette Heuser: A Honeymoon