That’s because the Obama campaign has already declared a McCain victory — using the prospect as a viral tool to motivate activists in a creative online video, “Bad News.”

The unusual video has rocketed to be the most popular item on YouTube on Monday:

UPDATE: YouTube tells us: “Embedding disabled by request.” But here’s the link.

PRODUCTION NOTES: “Bad News” has all the ingredients of a viral hit: Mockumentary-style production, a remixed cameo from a media celebrity, and a surprise ending. Predicting an opponent’s victory to rile up supporters is a common tack in American politics — Al Gore used the riff in stump speeches back in 1992 and Hillary Clinton is doing it right now — but YouTube is a new platform for this tactic. The video drives visitors to VoteforChange.com, a site where people can register to vote and find their polling locations.