The Clintons Knew What Might Happen

Thanks to the hacking of Podesta's email account, we know what people in the Clinton campaign were saying about their chances as they went along. This is from a staff memo from February about a meeting with Hillary and Bill:

We're told that President Clinton (like Mrs. Clinton and some other Dems) thinks that Trump would be a formidable opponent in the general election, and that Dems are in a form of denial if they dismiss Trump as a joke who would be easily defeated in November. President Clinton, like others, thinks that Trump has his finger on the pulse of the electorate's mood and that only a well-financed, concerted campaign portray(ing) him as dangerous and bigoted will win what both Clintons believe will be a close November election.

We're told that President Clinton, like Secretary Clinton and some others, thinks Trump could pose a real threat in battleground states that President Obama carried in 2008 and 2012 -- like Virginia and Ohio -- and he will be competitive in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

It occurred to me when I read that Hillary staged her final rally in Philadelphia that the campaign must have had data showing they might be in trouble in Pennsylvania.

So whoever else was surprised by Trump's strength, the Clintons were not.