A landslide election?
I got a call from a friend in Washington who knows more about political polling than anyone in America. Here's our conversation about a possible election outcome.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton delivers remarks at a gathering of law enforcement leaders at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York on Aug. 18, 2016.
Lucas Jackson/Reuters
I got a call from a friend in Washington who knows more about political polling than anyone in America. He was almost breathless with excitement.
鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna be a landslide,鈥� he said.
鈥淚n which direction?鈥� I joked.
鈥淗illary鈥檚 going to win in places we haven鈥檛 won in years 鈥� Georgia, Nevada, Arizona. She鈥檒l take the entire West, the whole East Coast. Trump is sinking like a stone.鈥�
鈥淪o do we get the Senate back?鈥�
鈥淵ou bet.鈥�
鈥淪ixty votes?鈥�
鈥淣o, but a nice majority.鈥�
鈥淎nd the House?鈥�
鈥淲e won鈥檛 win it back, but Democrats will get 14 of the 30 they need. So still a Republican majority, but far weakened.鈥�
鈥淎nd what about the states?鈥�
He paused. 鈥淭he states?鈥�
鈥淲ill we take back the states?鈥�
鈥淣o. The GOP will remain in control in most states.鈥�
鈥淪o the only part of government that will change hands is the U.S. Senate, and not even by enough to overcome a filibuster?鈥�
鈥淵es,鈥� he said, as if I had taken the air out of his balloon.
鈥淎nd what about all the people who鈥檒l be voting for Trump?鈥�
鈥淲hat about them?鈥� he asked, cautiously.
鈥淎fter Trump loses, they鈥檒l still be out there, right?鈥�
鈥淥f course.鈥�
鈥淎nd they鈥檒l be madder than hell, poisoned with Trump鈥檚 venom. They鈥檒l be a ready-made constituency for the next demagogue.鈥�
鈥淏ob?鈥� he asked.
鈥淲丑补迟?鈥�
鈥淩emind me never to phone you again.鈥�
鈥淪orry,鈥� I said.
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