"They wanted to believe" is amatuerish for professional con men like the DNC and MSM.
I'm not saying you're wrong. It just doesn't pass my own personal suspicious 'smell test'.
But .. if you remember the reaction of the liberal crowds - and even the people within the campaign .. I don't believe they knew the early numbers were skewed. Only those within the campaign (presumably Joe Lockhart) knew the plan was in place.
We know exit numbers are not that reliable .. however, dems live on that kind of unrealistic polling.