As polls show Hillary Clinton building an impressive lead, she keeps campaigning hard, studying hard, listening carefully, and rolling out new policies. She may be the first ever presidential candidate to be criticized for being "over-prepared." That work ethic says a lot about her character.
One of my standout memories from the 2008 race is Hillary gathering her team at campaign headquarters for a pep talk. Her message: We'll win because we're going to work harder than anyone else and be the best campaign there is.
It struck me for one reason: She spoke to us like an underdog at a time when the consensus was that she was the prohibitive frontrunner.
That same Hillary is campaigning in 2016.
She knows there is no cakewalk to the White House. She knows you can't take a single vote (or voter) for granted. She understands that you have to earn the job by putting yourself in front of the American people, working incessantly, powering through challenges, weathering the inevitable storms, taking the heat, staying steady, and proving your mettle.
It doesn't matter what the polls say.
Our own Benchmark Politics national projection — which uses a proprietary county-level model — shows Hillary with an overwhelming probability of victory. That may be encouraging, but it is meaningless unless people show up to vote.
I know I will.
And hopefully on November 8th, Hillary's diligence and focus, along with the tireless work of her supporters, staff, and surrogates will pay off. "Bigly," as Trump is fond of saying.
