> it is normalizing not conceding.

That's not what I got at all. I believe the article can be summarized as "If Democrats lose, where do they go from there? They'll have to concede that everything they've been saying for the last 4 years doesn't matter to the electorate. That would be a crushing blow and very hard to come to terms with". Which is obviously true when someone's entire worldview is shattered. That statement could apply to anyone.

Not once does it say "They mustn't concede" or "It would be totally fine if they didn't concede."

> The Atlantic is a left-leaning publication

I feel like you're letting your biases creep into your interpretation.