Usually, I am not very into politics. In the days leading up to Election Night, however, I found myself becoming more and more nervous. During those long seven days that felt more like a month, I found myself getting more and more nervous about the results. Like most of America, I was glued to my screen, watching MSNBC journalist Steve Kornacki. I, for one, had never paid attention to Mr. Kornacki. However, during the election, he mesmerized a national audience with his clear explanations of frightening data and his frantic transitions between the big screen and his computer. During those seven days, my house was filled with his voice, from the afternoon to almost midnight. Even at school, when we would put up the news on the big TV, the whole community would watch.
During the election, it amazed me how fast he was collecting all the data. As more and more ballots came in, he was so calm, always saying “Let’s pull out the calculator” as he would whip out his iPhone and start tapping the screen. I wouldn’t be able to do all that math and simultaneously speak to a live audience, in the midst of one of the most historic presidential elections. As new numbers were constantly pouring in, he was able to make calculations, while clearly speaking to a live audience and also remaining on his feet for hours and hours. At sixteen, I couldn’t vote, but I noticed that all over social media, people my age were advocating for others to go out and vote. Everywhere I looked, people were posting images of election data or results on Instagram. Those seven days consumed my generation’s anxiety on social media and in school; it amazed me how my generation was so involved and hopeful even though none of us could vote. It gave me a sense of hope and confidence for our future civic engagement.
My anxiety was replaced with relief on November 7th when Joe Biden was confirmed as the President-Elect. It was a Saturday morning I’m sure millions of Americans will always remember. The streets of New York City erupted with cheering and applause, people leaning out of windows banging pots and pans, UPS delivery men dancing in their trucks, cars honking, and people hugging one another. It was truly a very memorable day. Since the election, Steve Kornacki’s popularity has skyrocketed and, in addition to election results, he is now featured on the sports channel at times to do the predictions and calculations for sports teams.