So, after Clinton wins the election by a wide margin...

[Orrex]

How will the pundits and pollsters--who for weeks have been telling us how close the race is--spin the results so that they can claim that they were right all along and that they knew Clinton would win?

I recall similar post-election spin in 2012 and 2008. They need to reestablish themselves as experts so that people are fooled into giving a shit about what they say.

[awake]

1. While I agree with your premise I am not counting my chickens yet

Let us wait till they hatch and with luck we will not just keep the white house but also win back the Senate were not only will we be able to fill empty judge seats but have hearings into FBI misconduct as well.

[Orrex]

4. Sensible advice, of course

I'm very confident that she'll win but, like you, I won't take anything for granted until it's done.

[getagrip_already]

2. its obvious... they have already started laying the talking points....

they will say it is NOT a mandate for clinton, both candidates are hated, it was a vote against trump. trump will say the election was rigged and he actually won. the house republicans will say we need committee hearings and investigations.

And so it will go.

Which is 10^99 better than a trump presidency would end up.

[Orrex]

3. Ugh. I sense that you're correct.

I hadn't framed it out the same way that you've done so nicely here, but I've already resigned myself to the "no mandate" mantra. Even if she pulls in 538 electoral votes, Republicans will insist that she doesn't represent the will of the people.

Dubya, on the other hand, had an undeniable mandate after winning by five points. Go figure.

[geek tragedy]

5. Let's talk about any putative blowouts after they happen and act like every vote is vital

beforehand.

[Orrex]

6. No reason we can't do both.

Every vote is vital. I'm also confident that Clinton will score a decisive electoral victory.

[Towlie]

9. Don't be too confident, I see two possible outcomes next Tuesday...

The first possible outcome is the one you're assuming - Hillary Clinton wins by a wide margin, the Trump supporters are surprised and upset at their unexpected loss because it's not what their "news" sources predicted, and all of us here are happy.

But the other possible outcome is that Hillary Clinton wins by an uncomfortably close margin, the Trump supporters are still surprised and upset, and we're upset too. Virtually everybody is upset.

Or at least I'll be. It'll be depressing for me to have to face the fact that such a huge proportion of Americans are such idiots and that we just barely managed a rational decision concerning what should have been a no-brainer.

If other Democrats feel like I do and if the election actually turns out to be close, I think it'll be appropriate to call November 9th "Black Wednesday."

[Coyotl]

10. They will blame nasty women, of course.

"Who knew there were so many nasty women?"

[Orrex]

11. The only good piece of reporting I've heard from Mara Liasson during this election...

Was when she rightly observed that Clinton was having trouble finding an effective meme to help bring women voters to her side, and then Trump generously handed a terrific one to her.

Oddly, it might be Trump's best campaign moment!

[Coyotl]

12. It may go down in history as the moment he defeated himself.

[napkinz]

13. they'll be on Trump TV saying it was rigged

I'm sure there will be a panel discussion moderated by Chachi