Fourth, the Republicans need a united message if they are going to maximize their impact going forward, and the president cannot be a lone wolf with a party whose fundamental issue points appear to be at odds with his. The Democrats, with a message on health care, have only started the process. There is a lot more to winning an election than health care and climate change. The Democrats need a message on inclusivity, education, job training, and the overall economy. They also need, as we had in the 1990s, a message on the federal budget and entitlements to demonstrate some degree of fiscal prudence and social compassion.

Put another way, if the Democrats are to beat Trump in 2020, they need an overarching message that highlights the economy and recognizes the realities of the deficit, but also recognizes that the party has a historic commitment to providing a social safety net, protecting entitlements, and offering people a way to advance themselves. Democrats have begun very tentatively the process of a campaign on preexisting conditions and protecting ObamaCare, but that campaign, which largely focused on resisting and opposing the Trump administration, is only a start for the next election. Absent a new centrist message by the Democrats, the favorite for 2020 will remain the incumbent Donald Trump.