During editorial board debates in college, I remember seeing fellow writers propose an editorial line and then, when they had obviously lost the debate, vote against their own proposal. If this is Bush's plan, it's working brilliantly. Despite the polls, the political class is almost universally convinced that Gore's a goner. Heck, I even picked Bush to win a landslide in our office's electoral college betting pool. Whatever the explanation, the race has returned the political universe to its natural order.
Conservatives are most comfortable gloating.
Liberals are most comfortable engaging in vicious internecine battles. The late Clinton years have upset both sides, forcing conservatives to justify being in the minority, and liberals to justify agreeing with the public. But now, both sides are happy again. The possibility that Bush could win has allowed conservatives to revert to their preferred state, obnoxious triumphalism. Speaking of which, I will return to the topic of Nader shortly.