There’s a lot of post-game analysis about the mid-term elections before the game has really begun. Including plenty of dancing in the end zone by Republican operatives, and lots of finger-pointing by Democrats.

Great. But let’s hold on just a week before we decide who really won and lost and why.

So in that spirit, here’s my latest at the Daily Beast, looking at how Obama’s aides view these final days of the 2010 cycle, and what factors can tip the results one way or another in the next week. Plus the story gets into their agenda post-election, which is really more important than trying to predict who will lose their job on November 2nd.

In the meantime, I’m beginning to wonder if some Republican commentators have any sense of self-awareness. Never mind that Marc Thiessen worked for some of the most go-it-alone, hubristic Republicans in recent times: among them, George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and Jesse Helms. Apparently the real fault of Barack Obama is that he’s a go-it-alone, hubristic politician. And what’s his punishment for thinking that voters supported his agenda in 2008? That Republicans will try to impose their voter-backed mandate in 2010.

You know what that’s called? Democracy.

Obama had every reason to believe that voters actually supported what he was offering in 2008. If the GOP wins big now, they’ll have every reason to think the same. But you can’t suggest that Obama was deluded or arrogant for drawing a clear conclusion from the clear election in 2008.

Because democracy works for both parties. Right?