No one said anything of the sort. (I can’t speak for @anon50609448’a thought process, but it seemed clear to me).
If all sides of a contest have adequate pedigrees and motivation and comparable levels of support, the absolute level of those attributes is irrelevant. Luck is what is left. When the #1 ranked football team plays #2, the outcome is the product of mostly luck. No one thinks that that says anything about either’s absolute (and very high) level of skill/dedication/effort, or that the local middle school team would have any chance whatsoever against either. What is it that you think makes political contests different?
There is nothing about any of this that makes me feel better.
