DEMOCRATS HOLD OFF THE RED WAVE -- AND THE NEW YORK TIMES

You've seen the news: Fetterman wins. Hochul wins. Kari Lake and Lauren Boebert trail. The red wave never happened. There are disappointments, the most obvious being the likelihood -- but still not certainty! -- that Republicans will take the House. Florida and Texas just seem redder and redder. Ron Johnson seems bulletproof. Democrats need to eke out wins in Nevada and hang on in Arizona to be sure of holding the Senate. (Raphael Warnock has a slight lead in Georgia, but -- as I told you -- Herschel Walker proved to be a strong candidate, in spite of or perhaps because of his political ignorance.)

But in race after race, the Democrats defeated Fox News, right-wing billionaires ... and The New York Times, which spent the week before the election heralding the party's inevitable doom. You weren't just imagining that. It was bad. Here's a sample of Times headlines:

* November 1:

Top Democrats Question Their Party’s Strategy as Midterm Worries Grow

Leading lawmakers and strategists are openly doubting the party’s kitchen-sink approach, saying Democrats have failed to unite around one central message.

* November 3:

Democrats Twist and Turn on Immigration as Republicans Attack in Waves

Democratic candidates are either avoiding border issues or talking about them on Republicans’ terms. And the party’s grass-roots allies are struggling for cash and battling burnout.

* November 3:

On Trail in New Mexico, Biden Pitches Economy to a Skeptical Public

November 3:

Fear of Crime Looms Large for Voters, to Republicans’ Advantage

* November 4:

A Poll Reversal

Republicans have swiftly gained ground near the end of midterm elections polling.

* November 4:

At Campaign’s End, Democrats See Limits of Focus on Abortion

Shock and outrage over the fall of Roe v. Wade has faded as confusion has spread, deflating Democrats’ hopes that the issue could carry them to victory.

* November 4:

Can Abortion Still Save the Democrats?

Anger about the overturning of Roe v. Wade has given the party hope of preventing a total blowout at the midterms

* November 4:

Democrats Promote Tough-on-Crime Credentials as Party Plays Defense

With sheriffs vouching for them and a flood of ads proclaiming their support for the police, Democrats are shoring up their public safety bona fides. Still, some worry it’s too late.

* November 5:

Biden and Obama Reunite in a Last-Ditch Effort to Save Their Party

* November 5 (opinion piece):

In 2022, Reality Has a Conservative Bias

* November 6 (opinion piece):

Democrats, Don’t Despair. There Are Bright Spots for Our Party.

* November 6 (opinion piece):

Republicans Are Doubling Down on Trumpism. It’s Going to Work.

* November 6:

Confidence, Anxiety and a Scramble for Votes Two Days Before the Midterms

As candidates made their closing arguments on Sunday, Democrats braced for potential losses even in traditionally blue corners of the country while Republicans predicted a red wave.

The Times wasn't alone in this, of course. We also had:

* The New Yorker, November 4:

Why Republican Insiders Think the G.O.P. Is Poised for a Blowout

The consensus among pollsters and consultants is this Tuesday’s election will be a “bloodbath” for the Democratic Party.

* CNN, November 4:

Mayor Eric Adams might be the fall guy for New York Democrats’ potential big losses next week

* Bloomberg, November 7:

Inflation-Focused Voters Defy Biden’s Bid to Change the Subject

* Politico, November 7:

Specter of midterm wipeout threatens Dem plans to shake up presidential primaries

* Axios, November 7:

Scoop: Top Dems warn party is seen as extreme

* Washington Post, November 7 (opinion piece):

Democrats are drowning in denial

But the Times was the worst of the "liberal media" outlets, by far. It never stopped predicting Democratic doom. Fortunately, voters had other ideas.