As Labor's campaign hard-heads brace for what what is expected to be a flat performance for the party in Victoria, there is a universal question that keeps being asked: why did Daniel Andrews bring the CFA issue so dramatically to a head just weeks before the federal election? 
The industrial dispute between the state government and the United Firefighters Union had dragged on for more than 1000 days.
Andrews reckoned that was long enough, requiring an extraordinary scorched earth response that forced the resignations of a cabinet minister (Jane Garrett), the CFA's chief executive (Lucinda Nolan) and its chief fire officer (Joe Buffone) and resulted in the sacking of the entire CFA board - all of whom had legitimate concerns about the deal.
As one well-placed Labor source put it, if the dispute has gone on for 1000 days, what difference would another few extra weeks have made to Daniel Andrews? Probably not much.
On the other hand, the thinking among Victorian federal Labor circles is that Andrews' brutal resolution has had a negative impact on their prospects.
How much of an impact is a point of contention.
Among other things it has exposed an Achilles' heel for Labor, adding weight to claims the party is beholden to the self-interested and aggressive unions.
Marginal Liberal seats such as Corangamite (3.9 per cent), Deakin (3.2 per cent), La Trobe (4 per cent) and Dunkley (5.6 per cent) - previously considered to be "in play" - are now seen as a tough ask for Labor. At the same time, hanging on to Labor-held marginal seats such as McEwen (0.2 per cent), Bendigo (1.3 per cent) and Chisholm (1.6 per cent) will be that much harder.
Despite some predictions, an army of 10,000 angry CFA volunteers did not descend on polling booths to campaign against Labor (if anything the UFU presence was greater).
Those on the ground say public anger in bushfire prone areas is not virulent. But it is nevertheless present, and Andrews has done little to help his federal colleagues.
At the time of writing, polling booths had not yet closed, making it difficult to predict the result. One thing is clear, Daniel Andrews' handling of the dispute has damaged Labor, and it has damaged Daniel Andrews in the eyes of his colleagues.
The broader political ramifications will become more apparent as the night wears on. The thinking is that few if any seats are likely to change hands in Victoria. The Greens are seen as a good chance of snatching the hipster seat of Batman from Labor, but otherwise, the status quo could prevail.
The worst result for Andrews will be if Labor just falls short. If that is the case, fairly or unfairly, Andrews will have some big questions to answer.