In our system, at about 11:30 on election night, they just push you off the edge of the cliff-and that’s it. You might scream on the way down, but you’re going to hit the bottom, and you’re not going to be in elective office.

Meaning of the quote

In this quote, Walter F. Mondale, an American lawyer, is describing what can happen to politicians on election night. He says that around 11:30 PM, if a candidate is losing, they will be "pushed off the edge of the cliff" and their political career will be over. Even if they try to fight it, they will still "hit the bottom" and no longer be in office. Mondale is using this metaphor to show how quickly a candidate's hopes can be dashed on election night, even if they thought they had a chance to win.