In New Jersey and Virginia, the illusion will turn into reality, but not in the Quaker City, perhaps the most "blue" big city in America.

In Al Schmidt's white-walled campaign headquarters off Head House Square, Temple University volunteer Dan Cornell, 24, says that Schmidt has "a good chance of winning" the race for controller. An accounting major, Cornell's shrugging off the Democrats' 6-1 advantage in registered voters.

Before the returns roll in, there is still time for illusion.

Five people are in the headquarters, the size of a boutique shoe store. Small in size, big in dreams.

Schmidt's veteran media man, Elliott Curson, drifts in and says that, due to low turnout, "I don't know" if Schmidt will ring up 30 percent or 60 percent of the vote.

"We ran against both Democrats and Republicans," says Curson, meaning Republicans ensconced in the hated and patronage-staffed Philadelphia Parking Authority, which was attacked by Schmidt during his uphill campaign.

Later, in Paddy Whack's Irish bar, at 2nd and South, Curson knows. He closes his laptop at 9:51 p.m., seeing that Schmidt has won less than 30 percent of the vote.

The low turnout - a piddling 12 percent of Philadelphia's estimated 1 million registered voters - has handed the Democratic machine another victory.

At 8:36 p.m., I asked Schmidt about his chances.

Wearing a crisp navy-blue suit, white shirt, striped tie and horn-rimmed glasses, the 38-year-old Schmidt looks like the president of your high school's Math Club. The former federal auditor has been up since 4 a.m. but seems fresh as a breeze off a glacier.

"We were successful in doing everything we set out to do, we met our benchmarks," he says, leading me to sheets of paper stuck to the wall showing literature drops, direct phone calls and "door-to-door hits."

But the numbers, Al, the sheer numbers?

"I wouldn't run for city controller if I couldn't count," he says, with an easy smile. "It's a steep climb, we know that."

The only area where he fell short was fundraising - he got and spent about $150,000 - and he blames himself.

"It's an awful and awkward thing to do," to ask people for money, he says. "You have to be a creep for it not to bother you."

During the 10-month campaign, Schmidt worked hard, even showing up to make his case at some Democratic ward meetings. I like that kind of chutzpah, even if he did have the good manners to ask for permission.

Sadly, predictably, Schmidt lost. Thoroughbreds at Hialeah sometimes overcome 6-1 odds. Politicians rarely do.

At this point, Schmidt won't commit to another campaign, but while he conceded the election, "I don't concede who won the argument about the city's future."

I hope this bright, ballsy guy sticks with it. Philadelphia needs smart, energetic people - regardless of party label - to be involved in civic life and, when necessary, civic strife.

There's some small comfort in that Schmidt ran ahead of the state GOP ticket. The 28 percent of the city vote he drew outstripped the 21 percent garnered by Republican state Supreme Court candidate Joan Orie Melvin. The GOP did well in the parts of Pennsylvania not named Philadelphia.

Putting a spin on the (usual) GOP loss, Republican City Committee Chairman Vito Canuso told me that, with a 50,000-60,000 vote spread, "There's not a mandate for either candidate."

He was talking about Democrats Alan Butkovitz and Seth Williams, who won.

Maybe the time for illusion hasn't passed after all.

E-mail stubyko@phillynews.com or call 215-854-5977. For recent columns:

http://go.philly.com/byko.