A lot of us were "shell shocked" because were---at least in our county---were NOT told that in 2010 they consolidated polling places, putting one table with two sets of workers (i.e., two stations) where there used to be four. This 50% reduction in staff slowed the process down dramatically, hence we saw lines and thought "voter turnout," when in fact was a normal (even substandard) turnout made to look big by inefficient poll workers due to the smaller numbers of these workers.
Moreover, I think that while all the numbers of absentee/early votes were lower than 08 as we predicted, they were still higher than I expected coming out of early voting.
Franklin CO., which had over 100k Ds vote in 08, had only 60k, but that's still a big lead to overcome just from one county.
If there is a conspiracy answer, then there is never a need to confront the real problems which are that right now the US is a left to center-left country and they flat have more voters who believe in their message of free stuff.
That doesn't jive with the annual Gallup poll which consistently over at least a decade has roughly 40% of the population describing themselves as "conservative," 20% liberal, and the rest "moderate" or unwilling to say. I'd say that's a pretty good base for conservatives to build on.
If there is a conspiracy answer, then there is never a need to confront the real problems...
Yes, there are "real problems." But if there is massive fraud that determined the election outcome, there's no shame in discussing it. We can walk and chew gum at the same time, can't we?