ABC’s Diane Sawyer was the anti-Karl Rove on election night — just going with the flow. Sawyer looked so comfortable on the set, in fact, that viewers began to suspect she was sloshed. “And Diane Sawyer declares tonight’s winner is… chardonnay!” read one of a few hundred tweets questioning her sobriety. They had a point: Her words were slurred, and she kept leaning forward with both hands on the desk, like she was both bracing herself and making a very important point. See for yourself:
If it was like the time that Tom Brokaw accidentally took an Ambien, Sawyer isn’t letting on. “Awe for the @ABC powerhouse team. Hail the techs who kept us on air…,” she tweeted this afternoon, referring to the network’s technical difficulties. “…during 25 minute power outage. Read your tweets the good, bad, and the funny. See you on @ABCWorldNews.” (This message had been brought to you by aspirin.)
The New York Times, always with the euphemisms, reported that “viewers noticed [Sawyer] was off her game,” but added, “Some people at ABC had an explanation: Ms. Sawyer was simply exhausted.” The network provided no official comment, but we’ll take Sawyer’s as a wink.
