I mean no disrespect to my liberal friends when I say, to borrow Mr. Biden’s phrase, that I am absolutely convinced that Democrats won’t accept the result if the Republican wins. I say this because, with only two exceptions, liberals have considered every GOP presidential victory in the last half-century more or less illegitimate. The two exceptions were Richard Nixon’s defeat of George McGovern in 1972 and Ronald Reagan’s defeat of Walter Mondale in 1984. Both were so lopsided as to make allegations of dirty-trickery a waste of effort. (Nixon’s re-election was tainted by crimes, but they didn’t contribute to his victory in any meaningful way.)

After every other Republican presidential victory from 1968 forward, however, Democrats invented cockamamie theories that the GOP had won by illegitimate means…

The president now seems likely to lose. But if he wins, may I suggest an alternative theory? A Trump victory in November will have nothing to do with the Russians or the Chinese or the coronavirus or “voter suppression.” It will have everything to do with Democrats’ foul behavior over the previous four years, born of the conviction that they can’t possibly lose an election fair and square.