Let’s hope Dave Wasserman slept tonight. As senior editor and election analyst at the Cook Political Report—an independent, nonpartisan outlet—and a key figure on NBC News’ decision-making staff, he wants election night sent to be quiet.
Wasserman, 40, is known on social media for his “I’ve seen enough” catchphrase, which comes as he gets ready to unofficially call a race. His attention to the demographic details of different counties and districts across the country means he often grasps trends in the electorate long before anyone else. In September 2016, that means sketch a potential Donald Trump won the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote, less than two months before that result actually materialized.
While preparing for this year’s late night, Wasserman said Vanity fair that he let gadgets guide his outfit choices on election night, but appearance Friday on C-SPAN is the perfect time to make his final prediction for Tuesday via tie color.
“It’s a pink tie,” he said. “I will let viewers draw their own conclusions.”
Pink, like the “Italic R” on the CPR map? Pink, as in J.D. Vancetie debate? Pink, like all the women are voting for Kamala Harris? Pink, as in completely inconclusive?
Vanity Fair: Do you remember when “I’ve had enough” became your catchphrase? It really explains how experts use data when it’s available.
Dave Wasserman: So I mean it literally – that I’ve seen enough to make the judgment that a certain candidate has won. I could have used it first for Scott Brown when he won the special election for Ted Kennedy’s open Senate seat, but I’m not so sure. It has taken on a life of its own. When people started asking me, Well, have you seen enough in this or that race, I was so into it that it became a catchphrase.
My goal is to overcome the false thrill of election night. Now, I don’t blame media organizations for deliberately reporting the results on big election nights. I’m part of a major network’s decision-making team, but the reality is, most election results are clearly based on a portion of the data before every network declares a winner. My goal is to announce the results a little earlier with a high degree of confidence.
What is your election day routine?
In some ways, this is the most frustrating day because we have no new polls to mull over. So I try to get as much sleep as possible the night before Election Day. I unplug for at least a few hours during the day and work out on the treadmill or bike at the hotel gym. I’ve worked on the NBC News decision-making staff on every major election night since 2008, so most of the day is spent looking at our models, looking at our data from the polls. election in advance to ensure that we can respond as quickly as possible once it starts. Get actual data.
