Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton made a miscalculation assuming she could cast Republican rival Donald Trump as less unacceptable as herself, political analyst Dick Morris tells Newsmax TV.

With Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein drawing a combined 15 percent support, voters — especially those under 35 — realize they have other choices, Morris told "Steve Malzberg Show" guest host Bill Tucker.

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With Johnson and Stein in the race, Clinton loses seven points while Trump loses only three, Morris said, adding, "that's a strategy that Hillary never anticipated."

Clinton had intended to "demonize Trump" with no need to build herself up, he said. She could, instead, just assume she is "a lost cause with the American people, they hate you. But make them hate Trump more, and you get elected president."

Also, Trump has finally pivoted from his method in the primaries of saying outrageous things and hitting back harder whenever he is attacked, Morris said, and looked presidential on Wednesday when he met with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

That has helped Trump raise his favorability numbers to the highest they have been.

"He's rehabbing himself," Morris said. "He's no longer seen as an unacceptable alterative."

Clinton will likely be behind in the polls after Labor Day, when most voters actually start paying attention to the race, he said.

And Trump's rise against Clinton isn't abnormal, Morris added.

"In fact, there's actually less of a swing than you usually get," he said, pointing out that Democrat Michael Dukakis was leading Republican George H.W. Bush by 17 points in August before losing by eight points in 1988, and Republican George W. Bush was beating Democrat Al Gore by 18 points before coming in at a virtual tie in 2000.

"These swings are normal," he said of the polling numbers.

Morris is the co-author of the new book, "Armageddon: How Trump Can Beat Hillary" (Humanix) with Eileen McGann which can be purchased on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.