Yesterday I wrote a diary asking Hillary supporters why Hillary wasn’t doing better than she was — why she was barely fending off Bernie in pledged delegates when she came into this race with all the advantages. I mentioned that the trend-lines constantly have him climbing, and her fading. Whether or not that trend will continue — or whether she will be able to snatch up enough delegates to win the nomination before it goes too far, is open to debate.
But today’s question is about benchmarks, and about South Carolina specifically. Polling has had Hillary up by 20, by 30, by even more (including an outright ludicrous +50 the other day). My question is — win or lose — what outcome would make you think Hillary was in trouble? If she fails to match the polling, if the race has tightened from the comfortable margins her supporters have touted here and elsewhere . . . what margin would make you think maybe Bernie was a bigger threat than you thought? That maybe Hillary was going to have a hard time winning the nomination?
We all hold faith in our chosen candidates. We all interpret results in the best light we can. But what result would shake your faith? Just curious.