If you’ve ever dared to dream of seeing a 20-foot Wolf Blitzer analyze exit polling data with a flickering hologram of John King, your aspirations may soon be blissfully realized. CNN is partnering with AMC Theaters to live stream election night coverage into 50 theaters in 25 major markets, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and swing-state cities Miami, Columbus, and Denver.
Granted, packing a large room shoulder-to-shoulder during one of the most contentious periods of modern U.S. political history while everybody learns whose preferred candidate will shape the future of the nation isn’t necessarily the best, or even safest, idea. But AMC is way ahead of you: The theater chain has designated locations specifically for Republicans and Democrats, so that neither group has to smell the stink of the other one. (Green Party supporters are presumably free to scrounge for dropped Milk Duds in the lobby.) It’s worth noting that Regal Cinemas tried something similar with the Presidential debates, without bothering to split it up, and no grisly murders have been reported.
“On Election Night, as Americans gather in their communities to watch the conclusion of this historic election, we recognize that Democrats want to cheer with fellow Democrats and Republicans cheer with fellow Republicans,” AMC’s Executive VP Elizabeth Frank said in a statement. AMC has not, so far, addressed the issue of security for these cauldrons of antipathy, nor have they explained who gets to hold the clicker so that you can flip to MSNBC when Wolf Blitzer gets to be too much.