Tuesday’s midterm elections mean the return of the New York Times’ infamous prediction needle.
In 2016, the “needle of terror” gave many readers a false sense of comfort that Hillary Clinton would prevail over Donald Trump and win the presidency, before slowly and maddeningly sliding into the red. People have since described the needle as becoming a fixture in their nightmares.
Even the Times newsroom became preoccupied and fearful about the needle.
“When the needle started twitching toward Trump, you could tell who was watching, because they were the ones who started getting distraught. There were people crying in the newsroom that night,” the editor said.
The formula that powers the needle has been updated, but its association with the 2016 election has led to a lot of consternation on social media.
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