Not since Casablanca has anyone been so “shocked, shocked” as the Democratic broadcasters describing their reaction to Donald Trump’s refusal to say in the third debate whether he would accept the results of the presidential election. The parley in Las Vegas was over but minutes and it was already clear how the Democrats are going to play it – Donald Trump undercutting the very idea of American democracy. The New York Times’ headline runs across the entire top of its Web site: “Trump Won’t Say if He Will Accept Election Results.”

We can’t wait until Albert Gore chimes in. The fact is that the only party to an American presidential election in modern times that refused to accept the result was the Democrats. Just about every one of them feigning shock over Donald Trump this evening was egging on Vice President Gore as he went to court in 2000 to overturn the vote at Florida. It went all the way to the Supreme Court before Mr. Gore was defeated. That only began the long campaign to de-legitimize the presidency of the winner, George W. Bush.

In our opinion, Mr. Trump’s refusal to answer the question of what he would do was the right response to a condescending question, particularly given the rampant reports of voter fraud and the violence that has been perpetrated by the Democrats against his campaign. There is no reason that he should have been asked that question and there is no reason that he should have answered it. Of course Donald Trump respects the American political process. He’s the only candidate putting his own money into it.

The shock being voiced by the Democrats is all of a piece with the hypocrisy that has marked the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton’s camarilla from the outset of this campaign. We understand that the commentariat and the pollsters reckon her victory in November is a lead pipe cinch. For our part, a long list of errors predicting elections taught us early in our careers to avoid making predictions.

In 2000, even Mr. Gore finally bowed to the Supreme Court (it was his finest hour). And while we’re loath to make predictions this year, the one thing we are confident of is that if, by some miracle, Donald Trump wins the election, the Democrats will fight it until the bitter end. It’s all too evident that Hillary Clinton, more than any candidate we can remember, feels entitled to the presidency.