(CNN) Around 11 p.m., ET on Election Day 2018, the conventional wisdom congealed: Voters had delivered a split decision.

Yes, Democrats recaptured the House -- but they didn't achieve the blue tsunami of 40+ seats that some strategists had predicted in the days leading up to vote Tuesday. And Republicans had beaten three Democratic senators -- in North Dakota, Missouri and Indiana -- and had leads in Nevada, Florida, Montana and Arizona. Republicans had also won the governor's mansions in Florida and Ohio, two massive victories in states with big roles to play in the 2020 presidential race and the 2021 nationwide redistricting process.

"To be honest -- I'll be honest, I thought it was a -- I thought it was a very close to complete victory," President Donald Trump told reporters in a post-election press conference on Wednesday.

And if the election had ended at midnight on Tuesday night, it would have been a very good election for Republicans. But it didn't. Lots and lots of votes still needed to be counted. And as they have been counted -- and more and more races have been called -- it's become increasingly clear that the original conventional wisdom badly misses the mark. This was, in fact, a very good election for Democrats.

Consider this: