Once again, Lucy (North Carolina voters) pulled the football (a Senate seat) away from Charlie Brown (Democrats).

In the 50 years since 1972 – when the two-party era began in North Carolina and Jesse Helms won the first of five Senate elections – there have been 18 Senate elections.

Democrats have won four and lost 14.

Those four wins took great candidates who ran great campaigns. Also good luck and good timing.

Robert Morgan won in 1974 – the year of Watergate and Nixon’s resignation.

Terry Sanford won in 1986. That was President Reagan’s second mid-term. Republicans were divided. Helms’ Congressional Club ran a primary opponent against Jim Broyhill, whom Governor Jim Martin appointed after Senator John East committed suicide.

John Edwards won in 1998. That was the year of Monicagate, President Clinton’s impeachment and Clinton’s second mid-term. It should have been a Republican year. But Republicans overreached on impeachment, and voters disliked Speaker Newt Gingrich even more than Clinton.

Kay Hagan won in 2008, lifted by the surge of Black voters and young voters mobilized by Barack Obama. It was the first time a Democratic presidential candidate won North Carolina since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Morgan, Sanford and Hagan all lost races for reelection. Edwards ran for President instead of reelection.

This year, once again, Cheri Beasley came close.

But once again, Democrats were left flat on our backs, like Charlie Brown.

Good grief.