A few weeks ago, the punditocracy told us not to read too much into the Republican victories in small special elections.

They were "flukes." They were no weathervane for the 2020 general election. In fact, these Democrat losses were actually "good news," according to Our Betters at the Washington Post.

Well, now we have this, which is a little more indicative for 2020 and a little closer to the Big Day in Louisiana's gubernatorial election:

Early voting in the October 12 "jungle primary" between incumbent Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, and two Republican candidates ended on Saturday, and the turnout is massive, particularly among Republicans and Independents. "As of last night, 374,190 Louisianians either early voted by person or by mail in ballot (340,480 in person, and 33,710 mail in ballots). To put this number in perspective, this is the highest early voting turnout EVER for a non-Presidential election, and is the second highest early voting turnout EVER (only the 2016 Presidential election has seen a higher in person + absentee voting turnout with 531,555 early votes)," Louisiana-based JMC Analytics reported on Sunday[.]

It's unlikely that's going to translate into voter party-crossover in favor of the Democrats.

Color that a weathervane — with now some gale winds blowing for the GOP.

It jibes with the big fundraising hauls — record hauls — from small-dollar donors that the Republicans are amassing.

It also coincides with the steady if not rising high public support for President Trump as the Democrats' impeachment scam gets going. This Louisiana turnout suggests that the voters aren't going for it. What they are doing is putting their foot down and saying they don't want more of the bad swamp ways; they don't want their state to look like the poop-strewn mess of Democrat-led California. And it's now a pattern. The fluke thing argument is getting thinner.

(For a good laugh, read Axios's outraged disbelief at White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney's prediction that Republicans will win 45 states.)

The Trump wave is apparently not over yet. And Trump, who sent out a tweet urging Louisiana voters to get out there and vote for one of the Republicans in the jungle primary, apparently still has the Midas touch. Every endorsement he tweets turns to Republican gold.

For lefties, that's not good news in the least. On the Republican side, we call it "winning."