The authors of the Third Way and co. report, Marlon Marshall and Lynda Tran, present a few linked findings. First, Democrats lost support among Latino and Black voters because the party didn’t give them something to vote for. Part of the report’s explanation was that Democrats were so busy attacking Trump that they failed to offer a consistent vision for rebuilding the economy. In the absence of a powerful message, Republicans had ample space to label Democrats “radicals” who endorsed a socialist agenda and violence in the streets, the report said. According to Marshall and Tran, districts where Republicans emphasized “law and order” and “socialism” also saw a higher share of Latino, Asian, and Black voters supporting the GOP. The report’s prescription might sound familiar: The party needs to start talking to voters—especially voters of color—earlier and to offer a focused message about jobs, wages, and economic prosperity. Just as important as having a message is sticking to it. Democrats need to “fall in line” during campaign season, says Quentin James, the leader of the Collective PAC, which recruits and supports Black candidates for political office. “We have to be real about our ability to win elections and not just promote certain grassroots slogans,” James says, alluding to the unpopularity of the movement to defund the police. “Running in deep-blue districts is super cool. But if you want to have a majority to legislate, then you need to help those candidates in more moderate districts. Shooting off the mouth on things that don’t poll well is not helping the cause.” Mucarsel-Powell is not the only one who blames “shooting off the mouth” for her defeat. “[Voters] said to me directly, ‘We support you, we know your positions, but we’re worried about the direction of the national Democratic Party,’” Ben McAdams, who lost his reelection bid in his deep-red Utah district by fewer than 4,000 votes, told me.