Intolerant Democrats devour their own

This trend points to a broader problem for Democrats: their lack of a credible, unifying, positive message. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi attempted to offer one in late July under the label “A Better Deal.” It fell flat, with their slogan mocked as a rip-off of a Papa John’s Pizza commercial and their agenda dismissed as a rehash of traditional liberal initiatives that haven’t spurred much support.

That leaves Democrats with a platform that entirely consists of furious resistance to President Trump. Yet their message of obstructionism has been wholly ineffective so far. Democrats have failed to flip a single Republican congressional seat in this year’s special elections, even after their candidate in Georgia’s Sixth District—which Mr. Trump won by just over 1%—outspent his opponent $30.2 million to $6.6 million. In this year’s Virginia gubernatorial race, Republican Ed Gillespie has so far parried Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam’s attempts to make the contest all about Mr. Trump. The race is a dead heat in a state that has recently trended Democratic.