In this exceptionally well-paced and informative final election analysis episode of "Meet The Press," the most significant take away in our estimation is that the spike in the Hispanic vote is what could put Hillary Clinton over the top to win the presidency. The operative word there is 'could.'
And for Hillary Clinton supporters it would be poetic that it would turn out that Mr. Trump actually lost this election on the very day that he declared himself a candidate. The introductory speech on that first day when he called Mexicans rapists and murderers may in fact really been the beginning of the end. As Telemundo's Jose Diaz-Balart pointed out, Latinos are standing up against something, the something being Trump. But good for them - Mr. Trump's description was despicable to say the least and the tribalism ripping through the country that Tom Brokaw referred to during the panel discussion has been initiated, perpetuated and exacerbated disproportionately by a wide margin by the Trump campaign, and even that phrasing is being extremely generous.
To us, it's ridiculous that baked into the common lexicon of American thinking at the point is the notion that Donald Trump has openly offended so many different groups of people and yet people still find him acceptable to represent the United States.
Throughout the first half, the program featured different NBC analysts and what they were watching for in the race, state to state - mentions of what to look for in FL, NC, AZ, etc. Of all the states mentioned, due to the spike in Hispanic turnout, we would not be surprised if Democrats built a solid block of states by winning Nevada and Arizona, establishing a southwest block.
The professional pollsters Chuck Todd interviewed both seemed to agree that Sec. Clinton's four-point national lead is 'durable.' However, Mr. Todd and the panel members keep focusing their attention on why the Clinton campaign was still putting so many resources into winning Michigan. It must be in play, right? If you're the Clinton campaign, you're thinking that until the polls close on Tuesday night, don't take anything for granted, playing it cautious as is Sec. Clinton's wont, but in this ultra-harsh, unpredictable election you can leave nothing to chance. Or think of it this way, Georgia isn't going to go Democratic, but it's close enough that it is making Republicans uncomfortable - vice versa on Michigan and the Dems.
In other areas, like in Philadelphia as Chris Matthews described, Republicans are kidding themselves if they think that they're going to win Pennsylvania. Not going to happen. As we've said numerous times in past columns, if you cannot win in the suburbs of Philadelphia, you will never win the state.
Lastly, on the blocking and tackling of all this, is the African-American vote which Mr. Todd questioned John Podesta, Chairman of the Clinton Campaign, about, and the concern that turnout is down in early voting. When Mr. Podesta outlined that it was down 6% from when Barack Obama, our first African-American president who was running for reelection, then you would say overall that's not to bad for the Clinton campaign, and we haven't gotten to election day yet.
Ultimately, that's going to be the key - Sec. Clinton and her campaign have coalesced all these different groups whereas the Trump campaign has alienated them inherently narrowing his supporters to predominantly white men. And in that group, he's not going to get enough because many college-educated white males are going Democratic.
Then there's the existential - the God-knows-what-could-still-happen-in-this-election possibility that still dreadfully exists in this anything goes year. Even Tom Brokaw, of all people, was questioning the behavior of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, saying that from the outside looking in the FBI seems to have been politicized on the side of the Trump campaign. Within a week's time, it's been accepted that particular agents at the FBI are intentionally politicizing the agency. Vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine has put forward the notion that FBI agents are actively working against the Clinton campaign. The responsibility for such behavior falls squarely on Director Comey, without question. In the aftermath, the politicizing of the FBI is one of, if not the worst byproduct of this campaign.
As for the "day after," let's worry about that when we get to it - as the saying goes: one catastrophe at a time.
Without going on too long, we'll say this - if you haven't voted yet, try to cast it with some hope in mind, but if that doesn't work for you, just get out there and do it anyway!
If everything goes smoothly, or even just slightly rocky, the next time we write we'll have a new president-elect. Wow, finally.
Panel: Nicole Wallace, Savannah Guthrie, Chris Matthews, Jose Diaz-Balart, and Tom Brokaw
One more thing...
In the more politics as usual Senate races, Charlie Cook, namesake of the Cook Political Report, didn't call either North Carolina or Missouri, but gave control to the Democrats with his predictions. He didn't think Kelly Ayotte will win, but is a big blow to the Republicans, more so than any other contest because sacrificing a seat held by a conservative northeast woman in great standing with the party for the Trump candidacy will be a price that didn't need to be paid. Mr. Cook also sees Pat Toomey losing his seat in PA to Katie McGinty will be insult to injury in the state.
While the presidential race has filled us with all kinds of existential dread, the Senate races at least have still made it a little fun. Not much of a consolation.
All the best.
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