Not exactly news, but the competitive North Carolina election was not decided by swing votes. The difference was large numbers of, well Trump voters voting for Trump. It happens, especially in a state Charles Pierce calls newly insane.

However, as I’ve said, Trump is bluffing. Yeah, with some effort, he or his proxy can pull out a bare victory in a solidly red Congressional District, and maybe even motivate a few die-hards who normally don’t vote at all. And in 2016, against a candidate who’d been pummeled for decades and who didn’t exactly inspire, it made for a razor thin “victory” despite a not particularly close loss.

If the Democrats don’t lose (yeah, I know)…they can win. But they won’t win by flailing about in a desperate attempt to triangulate. Trump voters are Trump voters. Reagan Democrats don’t exist anymore.

Same with undecideds. As if anyone could be undecided.

The path to victory is make your base belong to you. Motivate them, and get them to the polls. And it matters in 2020.

After that, depending on the outcome, it might not.