Feeling better about tomorrow

Reports like this did not make me feel strong about tomorrow:

Some late polls suggested momentum was swinging the Republicans' way, and Ken Mehlman, the party chairman, told allies the surveys summoned memories of 1998, when the GOP lost seats but held power.

I'm seriously prepared for failure. I just can't get excited about this election until its over. But for those of you looking for reassurance, the good folks at Pollster.com offer this nugget:

One interesting twist to these findings is that the Republican Bob Corker's gains in Tennessee explain virtually all of the Democratic decline. The last 5-poll average in Tennessee went from a dead-even tie to a 7.4 point Corker lead in just a week. If we remove that race from the overall average, there is still a leveling off of the six week Democratic trend but virtually no decline.

Optimists take heart that the latest downtick can be accounted for by one state and continue predicting a 6 seat swing in the Senate. I'd be happy with it, believe me.

I will say this. Predicting a 4 seat gain and hitting 6 will be much better for Democrats than predicting 6 and hitting 4. A big part of perceived power these days is momentum and fulfilling expectations. If Democrats fail to take over the House, they will be considered a weak party still out of touch with the people even when those people disagree so strongly with Republicans. And it will be hard to find hope for a while after that.

Remember this, too:

“Two years ago, winning 14 seats in the House would have been a pipe dream,” said Matt Bennett, a founder of Third Way, a moderate Democratic organization. Now, Mr. Bennett said, failure to win the House, even by one seat, would send Democrats diving under their beds (not to mention what it might do to all the pundits).

The Democrats have come along way in the last two years. Remember that, regardless of the outcome tomorrow.