I grant you some of the drama is thanks to the author who wrote the article - all those one-line paragraphs! - but even so, omg so dramatic.

I think the author is using good technique to adequately make the audience feel like they are feeling what Friedman is feeling.

Somehow, he got the end of the race right. It’s good that he did, because he says, “If I didn’t say that [spoiler], I would have been on a flight this morning and I would have gone home. I would have quit. There’s no question in my mind.”

Oh, Friedge. You're right. He's being very dra-ma-tic.