During the definitely more than daylong period of election analysis, there’s no rest for the quant-y. That’s especially true if you’re as dedicated to the art of map-pointing as MSNBC’s apparently literally restless Steve Kornacki. Kornacki spent most of the last night furiously working away at his big electoral map and occasionally being caught on the “Kornacki Cam,†and according to the Washington Post, it wasn’t until it was nearly noon that he even took his first break. “He has not slept since he was on Morning Joe yesterday,†a spokesperson told the Post, following up a half-hour later to say that Kornacki was “taking a break†from screen duty — his first break. Around noon, his colleague Ali Velshi stepped in, telling anchor Ari Melber, “We have removed him forcibly from the building … He’s in a room with pillow, blankets, and warm milk.†MSNBC also posted a somewhat concerning video of Kornacki on said break, apparently still in a building, but at least out of the studio. There he says thanks for the kind messages, but he clearly needs to be forced to nap.
As for the other networks’ map guys, they’ve had a little more rest. Per the Post, CNN’s John King left the studio at 4 a.m. and slept from 5 a.m. to 7:15 a.m., returning to the studio by 11. He’s planning to stay there “through midnight or longer.†Fox News’ Bill Hemmer told the Post he got 45 minutes of sleep, as did NBC’s Chuck Todd. NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell apparently slept for 30 minutes on a cot in 30 Rock. Over at CBS, Gayle King worked from 7 p.m. until after 3 a.m. ET, and then went back on TV from 6 a.m. to noon. “I slept in my clothes and my Spanx,†King told Variety, which noted that she slept on a couch in the greenroom of MTV’s TRL studio nearby in Times Square. “I thought I would have enough time to go hop in the tub. When my assistant said, ‘We’re going at 6,’ I said, ‘What?’â€
If you happen to see one of these dazed politicos out in the wild, offer them a pillow and maybe one of their cherished Diet Cokes before they speed back to the studio.
Update, Friday, November 6 at 12:20 p.m.: He’s still going. MSNBC’s data darling Steve Kornacki continues to work his magic on the big board, and maybe it’s the all the caffeine in our veins, but the thirst is real. While Joe Biden’s hold on Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Georgia grows stronger, so does Kornacki’s hold on hearts across the nation. He opted out of taking a nap after Morning Joe and refused a chair (“If I sit down, I’ll fall asleepâ€), but he’s delivering the data with just as much excitement as night one. At this point, the internet doesn’t even want him to nap — Why stop him from having his fun? — we’re just collectively marveling at the feat of human endurance. Let’s hope for an IV drip, nap, and a snacky for Kornacki. Until then, here are Twitter’s loving odes to the correspondent.