of course, no matter what they’re going to spin it
heck, they’ve written the three or four narratives weeks ago

this is not a bad analysis: washpo

The GOP’s looming spin about the 2018 election is a fallacy

The reason Republicans might gain seats {in the senate] is pretty simple: The map is distorted. Democrats had to defend 10 states that went for Trump, while Republicans had to defend only one that went for Hillary Clinton (Nevada). If Republicans gain seats, it’s almost definitely going to be in territory Trump won by double digits. These are states they should be winning; they just happen to be held by Democrats because 2006 and 2012 — the last time these seats were up — were both good Democratic years.
…
The point is that if we had anything amounting to a neutral map, we’d almost definitely be talking about a Senate takeover by Democrats. …defending these red states in a good year for Democrats might be the best thing that could have happened for them, even if they don’t actually gain seats, because they were actually hold-able under these circumstances.

the story isnt how R’s managed to keep the senate and maybe gain a seat. it’s why was it so close in so many races in the first place? the swing in all these districts that trump won +10, +15, +20 to nearly even is…..encouraging