After discounting the hyperbole (a gargantuan task), how is the final stretch going? Rocky for Democrats, encouraging for Republicans. That’s the message from polling trends and political betting markets. The polls are essentially tied in battleground states, but have moved slightly in Trump’s favor. The odds, which favored Kamala Harris as the fresh nominee, now say Donald Trump has a greater than 60 percent chance of winning. It is virtually certain Republicans will win the Senate, which is crucial for confirming all presidential appointments. The House is a toss-up. 

The grim faces at MSNBC and CNN tell a similar tale. So do ads for local Democrats in swing states. They seldom mention Harris, never mention Biden and stress areas of agreement with Trump, such as energy and trade (not immigration). None call him a fascist, as Harris does. Instead, they include positive references to the former president and virtually beg his supporters to split their tickets. 

These messages are a sea-change from the early, heady, positive days of the Harris campaign.