The Republican consultant probably should stop making election night calls.

Good news for anybody who wants to relive that 2012 election night moment when Republican fixer and "George W. Bush's brain" Karl Rove challenged his Fox News colleagues for calling the election for President Barack Obama, only to experience an immortality glazed flash of humiliation: Tonight, on Fox News, Rove botched it again.

At issue were the election returns in the Virginia primary, which for a while showed a taut race between golden-tanned horsehide Donald Trump and his ersatz foil, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. But as the night progressed, Trump built out a big enough lead to earn the win. (While Rubio will haul off some delegates, his "comeback narrative" could have gotten a useful boost if he'd won the state outright.)

Rove has been the infrequent target of Trump's insults during this cycle, so it's possible that he was a teensy bit over-invested in a Rubio win in the Old Dominion. Whatever the reason, however, Rove boned it again.

CHRIS WALLACE: What are your thoughts about Virginia, and that race?

KARL ROVE: Well, I think this race is going to continue to tighten. Umm...

WALLACE: Wait, wait, hold on just a second, apparently we've got a call in Virginia, so you can tell us after we get the call.

MEGYN KELLY: Chris, thank you, Fox News can now project that Donald Trump will pull out a win in Virginia, leaving Marco Rubio a close second, according to Fox News exit polls and early returns. What does that mean for Rubio and Donald Trump? Back to Chris Wallace and the campaign cowboys.

WALLACE: (laughing) Karl, tell me, what does that mean for Marco Rubio and Donald Trump?

Just chill with the opinions and ride the election returns out, Karl.

~~~~~

Jason Linkins edits "Eat The Press" for The Huffington Post and co-hosts the HuffPost politics podcast "So, That Happened." Subscribe here, and listen to the latest episode below.

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