The Republicans have made me miserable with an effective (if in my view cynical) political strategy. Now one has decided to torture me with hope. His line is that Republicans are doing OK in early voting, because this election they are doing better than in 2008.

Here we will have huge GOP gains for sure and his line is that they are doing better than 2008.

"We've seen a very, very significant shrinking of the [early voting] gap between Republicans and Democrats," said Jordan Shaw, a spokesman for the North Carolina Republican Party. "We think the early voting numbers bode well for us."