MICKEY KAUS says that the big story is the New York Times’ blowing of its own scoop — its polls over the weekend forecast the outcome, but the Times was too busy spinning for the Democrats to notice.

He has some choice words for VNS — which apparently was showing Florida too close to call even as Jeb Bush racked up a big victory — too. But to be fair, even VNS doubted those numbers.

Jay Fitzgerald, meanwhile, has some Massachussetts insights:

Ronald Reagan wins Massachusetts in ’80 and ’84. The last four gubernatorial races here have been won by Republicans (granted, not of the Rest of the Nation variety). A radical anti-income tax measure nearly wins tonight (and it’s still not counted out as of now). President Bush has a surprisingly strong approval rating here, especially after he rattles the old sword. But what does the rest of the nation still think of Massachusetts? McGovern, ’72. Message to the country: Massachusetts IS more liberal than the rest of the country, but not nearly as liberal as people think. There’s a Democratic machine here that most out-of-state observers just don’t get — nor appreciate in terms of the way it shapes politics here. Think: Cook County of the Daley era. The patronage. The nepotism. The one-party lock. That’s Massachusetts. The Dems draw the legislative and Congressional maps here. That’s why they control the legislature and all the Congressional seats here. But it doesn’t necessarily reflect the mood here. Yes, again, Massachusetts is, without question, more liberal than the average state, but tonight’s results show … well, figure it out yourself. Now if we could only have a Republican party that could get its act together … Hell, I and a lot of other people would even vote Green or French Socialist to get these clowns off our back.

The Massachusetts GOP has been lame for years. Maybe they’ll sieze this opportunity. Maybe they won’t.