WHY THE TRUMP BETRAYAL NARRATIVE?

Trump may steal some traditional Democratic votes, but the fear of him will also generate huge turnout of the same groups that made Obama’s re-election inevitable. More to the point, there may just not be enough white male voters available for Trump to win the presidency even if he gets a higher percentage of them than previous GOP candidates.

But if Trump does lose there must be a scapegoat, and those scattered and depressed conservatives who are vainly flaunting that “neverTrump” hashtag are the most likely candidates for the position. Since Trump’s inability to make good on his boasts will be considered to only have been made possible by another establishment betrayal, expect to hear a lot of talk about the candidate being stabbed in the back by his critics. The big talk about holding the establishment accountable for acts of lèse-majesté against the king of Trump Tower is just as much about setting up an alibi for him if he falls short of his goal as anything else.

Related: Emerson poll: Hillary tops Trump by 17, Sanders beats Trump by 19 — in New York.