I do think that the second FISA request was proof that the Obama admin (and probably the Clintons) were recognizing that Trump could very well win. It came pretty late in the game, almost four months after the first FISA request. They were probably starting to get a little desperate.
Yep, that’s is what happened. All their orchestrated protests backfired and failed prior to the election. They had to do something.
And they had to do it quickly. The hourglass was almost empty.