re: #141 Decatur Deb

This is a long, well illustrated, assessment of what we face in November. It’s cause for neither euphoria nor panic. Eight months to get it right, people.

Why 2018 Is Do-or-Die for Democrats
politico.com

The ending belies the title:

Harris: Let’s imagine it’s November 2018, and Democrats really underperformed what you’re expecting they do. And the question in Democratic circles is, “Oh, my gosh. We screwed up again. How did that happen?”

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Sosnik: There’s an old saying, “Life’s not whether you win or lose. It’s whether you beat the spread and the expectations.” That’s one of the reasons I think it’s important for everyone—particularly Democrats—to see the structural challenges at the federal level in terms of the Senate map and the fewer number of House seats.

While there would be a reckoning if we don’t beat the spread, to some extent, I don’t think it matters. Because the people who are active in the party—who have true beliefs and have a theory of what they need going forward—that’s not going to change based on a series of midterm election outcomes.

The system is currently rigged against Democrats. Even in 2016, there were more votes for Democrats in House elections than Republicans. Clinton won most of the votes. That doesn’t imply the party will slide into irrelevance.