“Wondering if you’re really a Democrat?,” writes Tucker Carlson on the Daily Beast. “Here’s a quick way to find out: Given everything the Democratic party has going for it this year — the overwhelming financial advantage, the legions of new voters, George W. Bush — do you believe the Obama campaign could still somehow, in the final moments, find a way to blow it and lose this election?
“If you answered yes, you’re a Democrat.
“Two weeks out, only the Democrats in Washington think Obama might not win. That’s not the result of a scientific study, but instead the conclusion I’ve reached after many lunches, dinners and elevator rides with DC Democrats. Against all evidence, a good number of them have convinced themselves that John McCain is going to be the next president.
“Republicans have no master plan for victory, no October Surprise. [But] you’ll never convince most Democrats of that.
“Partly this is superstition, like throwing salt over your shoulder when you spill the shaker: predictions are bad luck. But it’s also the voice of experience.
“‘We’re the Cincinnati Bengals,’ says Jay Rouse, a longtime Democratic political consultant. ‘Democrats are used to losing, not winning.’