With only a few hours to go before we start getting results from the unexpectedly close Senate race in Massachusetts I am sure the spin doctors on both sides are prepping for whatever the outcome is. Just to save them a little time I thought I’d suggest what they should not be saying.

For the Democrats

Simply put there really is not any way you can spin this one. If you lose then you’ve lost a seat you should have won by 20 points. If you manage to pull out a victory then you’ve barely won a race you should have won by 20 points or more. The win (if it happens) will not be the result of Obama or a triumph over the evil nasty guys on the other side, rather it will be the luck of an overwhelmingly Democratic voting base actually delivering.

So if you lose, take your lumps, if you win then smile quietly and keep your mouth shut.

For the Republicans

To be fair, if you win you’ve got a little bit of crowing to do. After all you will have defeated the state AG with a previously unknown state senator and you’ll have done it with Ted Kennedy’s senate seat. That’s certainly something to celebrate.

However, don’t read too much in to it. It’s not a rejection of Obama but rather a rejection of the worst run campaign by a Massachusetts pol since Dukakis 88. It is not a signal of a pending GOP sweep, it’s one election.

If you lose, then you will have lost a race you were expecting to lose.

So should you win, celebrate a little but don’t get over the top with things.

If you lose, move on.