They were supposed to win.

After the tumultuous election season and the first months of Trump's presidency, the Democrats were supposed to pick up at least some of the four special elections for vacant House seats.

They lost all four.

This was supposed to let Trump and the Republicans know that their agenda was not popular with voters, and was supposed to be a bellwether for the upcoming 2018 mid-term elections.  Maybe it is.  But why?

It turns out, that to win elections, you have to have fresh ideas.
--Not "We hate Trump"
--Not "Keep Obamacare"
--Not "Republicans are bad"

If the 2016 election told us anything, it told us that between an unlikable Presidential candidate who wanted to just keep all of the previous administration's policies, and an unlikable Presidential candidate who wanted to address head-on the policies that aren't working, voters will choose the one with new ideas.

Let's take the Obamacare issue as an example, since it is forefront in politics at the moment.  Now, to be fair, I don't think the Republicans are doing the whole healthcare thing right.  I wish their plan would have looked different out the gate from the House, and I wish the Senate was being more transparent.  But the Democrats who are losing are lauding Obamacare as the only viable option, and are not addressing what has become (obviously) unpopular with voters.

Being against Trump doesn't work either.  He doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks.  He truly has the thickest skin of anyone I've seen, orange tint and all!  Sure, groups can bond over their hatred of a politician, but that doesn't gather the middle-of-the-road voter who could go either way and help win elections.  Extreme left and extreme right politicians must address the concerns of the silent, more moderate majority.

So, Democrats, do you want to win elections?

Tell us what you will do differently to address the issues that are making voters pull the lever for the other side.

If you do so in a way that makes it clear that you have new ideas, and do it in a way that makes it clear that you are welcoming of those who are not extreme left of center, then you will get a lot more votes.

One of them could be mine.

Peace,
Anthony