On this election night, we’re reflecting on that very year when Nashville was especially pivotal. We’re hearing from the people who lived it.
November 2000 — Al Gore arrived in Middle Tennessee. The state was very much seen as in play for the presidential election as it was Gore’s home state. The team for George W. Bush was also working hard to win Tennessee.
Reporters from all over the world descended on Nashville. War Memorial Plaza was set as the place where Gore hoped to give a victory speech that night.
Ben Hall was reporting from there. Phil Williams was in the newsroom. Pat Nolan was on set.
“This was folding out in Nashville in a way Nashville hadn’t seen before,” Ben remembered. “This was a Tennessean running for president. I remember it was a cold, rainy night. Everybody was watching our television on our platform and following the returns. Back then, everyone expected we’d have a winner on election night. We’d have someone concede. We’d have a victory speech that night. That’s what we’d seen over and over again growing up.”