According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, (paywall), Democratic candidate Conor Lamb clings to a small – but sufficient – lead in the Pennsylvania special election held on Tuesday, boldly declaring victory Wednesday morning, despite his opponent’s unwillingness to concede – sound familiar?

The Republican candidate Rick Saccone is a delusional idiot, claiming Democrats hate God while stumping during the final days of his campaign, proffering this little gem early Wednesday morning (sourced from the Washington Post – paywall):

“We’re not giving up,” Mr. Saccone said. “We’re going to win it.”

Uh, Ricky, I’d give up if I were you, d*ckhead…

The outcome is a tad surprising, particularly in view of the GOP’s efforts to marginalize Democratic votes in the district. Eric Lach, a columnist for the New Yorker, (paywall), spoke with Eliza Griswold Tuesday evening and here’s what Griswold had to say about this election:

“As much as Conor Lamb and everyone else in the district stressed the local importance of the election, the truth is that it is a national referendum also, or else the stakes wouldn’t be what they are,” Griswold said. “As close as it is, the success, the idea that a Democrat is neck and neck in a gerrymandered Republican district, a district created to sustain Republican leadership, is stunning.”

Better yet, an eleventh-hour endorsement from the Thief-in-Chief™ didn’t help one bit. Sure, the New York Times, (paywall), is exercising caution in terms of calling the election, (always a wise choice), but they go on to point out:

“…Mr. Lamb’s strong showing demonstrated that the Trump-inspired energy propelling Democrats across the country is not confined to liberal-leaning regions. Republicans were left with the prospect of defending a far broader range of districts this fall than they had hoped.”

The GOP’s laughable ineptitude will cost Republican candidates dearly in November, just as it should.