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Schweikart: What to Watch for on Election Night
DB Daily Update ^ | David Blackmon

Posted on 10/26/2020 2:38:54 PM PDT by EyesOfTX

Guest Piece by America’s History Teacher, Larry Schweikart

Confession: I rarely watch conservative, or so-called conservative, news sites. You can get some information that way, but I find it much more instructive to watch the reactions of liberals to the stories of the day. That is an instant indicator of who is winning and losing. For example, if the Washington Post says “Trump must change tone or face loss,” you know that Trump’s tone is deadly effective. Or, if Politico headlines “Some Senator Say McConnell Moving Too Fast on Barrett Nomination,” you know that Yertle is moving at light speed (for a tortoise) and that the confirmation is assured.

So on election night, what are the signals that Donald Trump is winning or losing?

Expect any blue state that they can call for Joe Biden will be called within a nanosecond of the polls closing. You can expect Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts to be called immediately. However, if you do not get instant calls on such states as Virginia or Pennsylvania, then it’s a fight. Most expect because of the vote by mail/early voting in the Keystone State that ballots will be counted for days. But Virginia may be a different story. On election night 2016, Virginia’s call was late as Trump led well into the night until the Northern Virginia area finally came in. Rule of thumb: if they can call a state for Biden, they will do so as fast as humanly possible.

Expect the Florida call, despite an obvious Trump win there, to be delayed as much as they can. I expect Trump will win Florida by at least 250,000 votes. Full disclosure: I said this in 2016 and was surprised the margin was closer. Nevertheless, there will be a moment when all that remains on the Florida map is a sea of northern red counties and the Panhandle. Watch Michigan. Michigan doesn’t have “Republican” and “Democrat” ballots so tracking voter registration is tough there.

I have relied on “TargetSmart,” a Democrat outfit that uses “modeling” to predict votes. How does this work? Well, if you are white, older, a gun owner, non-college educated or only two-year college educated, go to church, TargetSmart will label you a Republican. If you’re an urban black female, you will immediately be tossed in the Democrat box.

Michigan has steadily not only trended toward Trump but also John James, who now has a two-point lead in his senate race. It’s inconceivable that Trump would trail James, so it’s reasonable to guess that Trump is up at least two in Michigan (as some of today’s polls suggest). Michigan has a Republican legislature, has far fewer outstanding ballots than does Pennsylvania, and is much more likely to be called early. Michigan, this year, will likely be the first breach in “Hillary’s blue wall” (as they referred to the Rust Belt trio of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.) An early Michigan call means the only hope Biden would have would be an upset in Arizona and regaining Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, while holding Nevada, Minnesota, and all the other traditionally blue states.

Once Michigan is called and Arizona is grudgingly assigned to Trump, I think even the Hoax News networks will have to call the election. I think we will know the winner that night. Once that happens, Pennsylvania’s delayed ballots become irrelevant and may be wrapped up quickly.

As you may know, Richard Baris—America’s most accurate pollster along with Trafalgar—and Tracy Beanz and I will be doing a live election night webcast. We expect to be able to call these races sooner than the legacy media. However, some other things to watch for:

The John James, Thom Tillis, and Tina Smith senate races. If James and Tillis win, Trump will almost certainly carry those states. If Smith is struggling, Jason Lewis may sneak into a seat that a month ago was on no one’s radar. Then all eyes turn to Martha McSally and Susan Collins.

If those two Republican ladies survive, Republicans would be looking at a net gain in the senate of two. The only current nearly-sure loser among Republican senators is Colorado’s Cory Gardner—but even he has a spark of life, given that his opponent, John Hickenlooper, has committed more errors than the Bad News Bears. He may still screw up a race that was all but won.

The black and 18-24 turnout. Some pundits are trying to claim that the “Yut” vote is up this year. Well, I never thought of a 29 year-old as a “youth.” These surveys include as “young people” 18-29, whereas all my predictions were specific to college-aged kids, 18-24. That age group is most definitely down. Also, if the black turnout is down (as it already appears to be in North Carolina), this will allow for much earlier modeling and predictions about outstanding races.

Finally, if the networks don’t call the House at 8:01 as Fox News did in 2018, we will probably be looking at a tight race for 17-20 seats that would decide control. But if you tune into CNN by mistake and they all have glum faces, you don’t need to wait for the state by state calls.

Larry Schweikart is the co-author, with Michael Allen, of the New York Times #1 Bestseller, A Patriot’s History of the United States, author of Reagan: The American President, and founder of the Wild World of History, a history curriculum website featuring full courses in US History and World History Since 1775, including teacher’s guide, student workbook, maps/graphs/charts, tests/answer keys, and video lessons accompanying every unit (www.wildworldofhistory.com).

That is all.


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Humor; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: amyconeybarrett; apatriotshistory; arizona; colorado; corygardner; fakenews; florida; humblegunnersux; jasonlewis; johnhickenlooper; johnjames; larryschweikart; maine; marthamcsally; massachusetts; mediabias; michaelallen; michigan; minnesota; nevada; northcarolina; pennsylvania; rhodeisland; richardbaris; susancollins; targetsmart; thomtillis; tinasmith; tracybeanz; trafalgar; trump; trumpwinsagain; vermont; virginia; wildworldofhistory; wisconsin
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1 posted on 10/26/2020 2:38:54 PM PDT by EyesOfTX
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To: EyesOfTX

NC and GA are two early states that will give us an idea of what kind of night we’re going to have. either the press/pundits are right, or they’re not.

I’m betting they’re not.


2 posted on 10/26/2020 2:42:01 PM PDT by JohnBrowdie
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To: LS; Lazamataz

Ping.


3 posted on 10/26/2020 2:44:49 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: EyesOfTX

I want to see Carville with a wastebasket over his head.


4 posted on 10/26/2020 2:46:50 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: EyesOfTX

Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Michigan, my eyes will be on. Also Georgia and Florida for any kind of ridiculous voter fraud. If we get those states, which we qould without voter fraud, its over.


5 posted on 10/26/2020 2:47:32 PM PDT by Democrats hate too much
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To: EyesOfTX
Guest Piece by America’s History Teacher, Larry Schweikart

So you give a tip-o-the hat to LS but still list yourself as the author.

I think there is some Psychstuff going on.

You want to kiss his butt but still puff yourself up.

You're about a messed up dude.

Typical of folks writing blogs.

6 posted on 10/26/2020 2:48:52 PM PDT by humblegunner (Balls To Picasso.)
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To: EyesOfTX

The inside of my eyelids?

I’m not gonna stay up and watch all the drama. Not that I’m not invested in the outcome, I most certainly am. It’s the day after that Most concerns me. I’d prefer to meet the day rested.

Outside of showing up at the polls, my deed for the day is done.

May God have mercy on US.


7 posted on 10/26/2020 2:49:25 PM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: Democrats hate too much

I feel like there was voter fraud in Cobb and dekalb county in 2016 (Georgia). I feel like the Dem voter fraud peeps really eyed Georgia for 2020 but its just a feeling.


8 posted on 10/26/2020 2:49:43 PM PDT by Democrats hate too much
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To: EyesOfTX

Bkmk


9 posted on 10/26/2020 2:50:02 PM PDT by smvoice (I WILL NOT WEAR THE RIBBON.)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Expect any blue state that they can call for Joe Biden will be called within a nanosecond of the polls closing. You can expect Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts to be called immediately. However, if you do not get instant calls on such states as Virginia or Pennsylvania, then it’s a fight. Most expect because of the vote by mail/early voting in the Keystone State that ballots will be counted for days. But Virginia may be a different story. On election night 2016, Virginia’s call was late as Trump led well into the night until the Northern Virginia area finally came in. Rule of thumb: if they can call a state for Biden, they will do so as fast as humanly possible.

10 posted on 10/26/2020 2:53:54 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Democrats hate too much

In terms of the Senate, this article places Cory Gardner in the loss category for Republicans

One sure loss on the Democratic side is Doug Jones in Alabama, he won after the Roy Moore fiasco and Tommy Tuberville the former Auburn football coach is going to win that race....it’s far more guaranteed than Cory Gardner losing..


11 posted on 10/26/2020 2:54:02 PM PDT by srmanuel (It)
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To: EyesOfTX

I think this thing will be over before election night. Election night 2020 will just be as if Trump is up by 6 strokes on the 18th hole and the chip-in gimme is just required.


12 posted on 10/26/2020 2:54:48 PM PDT by frogjerk
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To: srmanuel

Tuberville is up by 62%!


13 posted on 10/26/2020 2:55:57 PM PDT by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues th the day be decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: EyesOfTX

I expect something a little new: The liberal media will call States early in the evening, such as 3:30pm local, for Biden if Trump is winning to stifle Trump turnout.


14 posted on 10/26/2020 2:56:51 PM PDT by CodeToad (Arm Up! They Have!)
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To: JohnBrowdie
"NC and GA are two early states that will give us an idea of what kind of night we’re going to have. either the press/pundits are right, or they’re not."

If Georgia falls it is over. I find irony in that the Rust Belt is starting to trend Republican and the Sun Belt is now fertile ground for Democrats. I guess we will find out if demographics are indeed destiny.

15 posted on 10/26/2020 2:57:34 PM PDT by buckalfa
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To: DarthVader

Yeah, Alabama will be called early for Trump and Tuberville by a wide margin.....

As this article mentions, I’m looking at Michigan and Minnesota, honestly unless you live in those states has anyone outside of there ever heard of the two Democratic Senators ??

They are total non-factors, if Trump carries one or both of those states, I can see both Senate Races flipping as well....


16 posted on 10/26/2020 2:59:23 PM PDT by srmanuel (It)
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To: srmanuel

I concur!!


17 posted on 10/26/2020 3:01:08 PM PDT by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues th the day be decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: CodeToad

Absolutely! They’re NOT going to call Michigan.

They’re going to report endlessly on states which will be counting for days.

They will report similarly on litigation already being started by Dems in states before polls even close.

One thing you have to give them credit for, they are determined to NOT win it honestly. Hillary didn’t campaign at all, and they doubled-down on that with Joe. They’re after a new paradigm, where THEY decide who leads.


18 posted on 10/26/2020 3:05:55 PM PDT by Empire_of_Liberty
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To: CodeToad

“I expect something a little new: The liberal media will call States early in the evening, such as 3:30pm local, for Biden if Trump is winning to stifle Trump turnout”.

It Won’t Work.


19 posted on 10/26/2020 3:08:10 PM PDT by laplata (The Left/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: CodeToad

especially fox news. they called it for California in 2018 for house seats.


20 posted on 10/26/2020 3:09:16 PM PDT by Democrats hate too much
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