Even the Democratic establishment, long enamored of the idea that talk of a Republican “wave” was overblown, has now mustered the power, in George Orwell’s phrase, to face unpleasant facts. The Washington Post reports that the official “talking points” of the Democratic National Committee belatedly registers the long odds confronting Democratic candidates across the country. In the language of the DNC missive: “Despite these historic and economic headwinds, Democrats are now positioned to hold onto the Senate and have prevented Republicans from yet locking down the seats they need to secure the House.” Pay little attention to the shop-worn optimism or the pro forma encouragement. Rather, look to what they are no longer really bothering to deny: namely, that the House will most probably fall.