You know what is rock-solid guaranteed not to happen on Groundhog Election Day? The same thing that didn’t happen in 2016: a soul-searching internal critique by the Democratic party. Why was the party not winning over enough voters, particularly in the Upper Midwest? Could the party possibly have done something to alienate millions of Americans? Might Dems have a problem appealing to moderates? Might this possibly be linked to radical schemes like decriminalizing illegal immigration, reparations payments for sins of the 19th century and illegalizing private health insurance?
No matter which Democratic nominee loses to Trump in November, it’ll be someone who backs policies (such as the “public option” for health insurance) that were considered extreme by their own party just 10 years ago. The Dems will bemoan their fate by lashing out at the Electoral College, the Russians and Fox News.
Instead, if they want to break the cycle of pain, they need to let Phil Connors be their guide and learn to stop defeating themselves by doing the same dumb stuff. Phil was ultimately like a successful politician — he learned to stop lashing out at those he didn’t like and instead reached out to forge connections with a wide cross-section of people. In the process he did two things Democrats really need to do: shed their grumpiness and win over Pennsylvania.
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