Meanwhile, there are some traditional battleground states - like Ohio and Iowa - that are becoming older, whiter and less educated. That's turning them from true battlegrounds into more reliable red states.

Michael Rubio said Trump's plan was impulsive and not well thought out. The other thing that's really annoying Republicans is that this was supposed to be their great week. The president gave a speech on terrorism that was not well received. They were working hard to tie Hillary Clinton to the president. Then along comes Donald Trump, and the story changes dramatically.

The enthusiasm for [Donald] Trump had gone up. The net result was it made people more supportive of him.

The winner's margin of victory also matters. If it's a squeaker, that will make the lessons learned for both parties much murkier.

Does Donald Trump accept the results and concede graciously, pursue legal action, or tell his followers to take to the streets?

Hillary Clinton is also not a very exciting, inspiring candidate to a lot of the left-leaning Democratic base, especially in Iowa.

There's a lot of anxiety about terrorism among the country at large. There's also a feeling the country has stagnated.