Paterson, dear God.

Newark.

Worse.

The cities looked lifeless compared to Republican strongholds like Hunterdon.

Granted, in the case of Newark, ground game contained no battleground dimension.

But in Paterson, Democrats would have to rely on turnout in southern Passaic County to offset a red wave up north.

The Democrats’ countywide ticket looked vulnerable.

“Get down there, get down there,” screamed a panicked operative, as if ordering a coming casualty down to an under-fire engine room.

In the midst of it, InsiderNJ caught up with Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh.

“Paterson is pound town,” Sayegh said. “We’re grinding.”

But the whole operation on his shoulders?

Not exactly.

But almost.

Passaic was a war on Election Day.

It was a war between two taverns, in a way, with Democratic Party Commissioner Terry Duffy (who’s on the ballot) manning his own fortification in Paterson, and fellow pub owner Peter Murphy, chair of the Passaic GOP, ensconced in his stationary battle car in Totowa.

Murphy, for the moment, looked rippling with energy – at least compared to Paterson.

More later.