And one might add, exposing the party’s lack of understanding of what the American people most wanted, which was very simply the return of normality not transformation. While the Democratic Congress wasted months in arcane negotiations about bill structure, what programs it would and would not cover and how many trillions of dollars it all would cost, ordinary voters were trying to cope with the Delta wave and the emergence of supply and inflation problems in the economy. As they became increasingly unhappy with the Biden administration and increasingly unsure just when things would finally get back to normal, the endless, confusing negotiations went on.

That’s a hard genie to put back in the bottle and replace with an image of effective, focused governance. And then there are other problems like crime, immigration and the schools where things still seem far from normal and where Democrats are associated with ineffective and unpopular approaches. No wonder Democratic candidates all over the country are tacking toward funding the police, establishing law and order and ensuring public safety. And no wonder Democratic candidates in swing states are practically begging the Biden administration not to rescind Title 42, since that move would almost certainly produce a big immigration surge at the Mexican border on top of already record numbers. As Morning Consult recently noted: “Ending Title 42 is Biden’s most unpopular move yet”.

The Democrats could do worse than a return to the basics: we are all about getting the country back to normal. We are leaving covid behind by fully re-opening schools and businesses. We are doing everything we can to tame inflation including mobilizing all our energy resources, from oil and gas to renewables. And we are going to get crime and the border under control with tough but fair policies.