The Democratic Party didn’t learn the lesson on 2016.  In a “Democratic” Party the voters, not a central committee of corporate lackeys, decide who the nominees should be and what issues the party stands for. Democratic Leadership Council* logic is as debunked as the DLC is defunct.

DLC logic says if Democrats don’t win, it’s because Democrats weren’t far enough to the right for the mythical center’s taste, so step to the right to win.  The mood of the true center has moved far to the left of the Democrats. (The Republicans are still two steps or more to the right of the Democrats.) This leaves no viable choices for the true (now progressive) center.  Only a house cleaning and sincere change of direction can save the Democratic Party.  

The GOP held the Senate, so they don’t have to compromise on anything.  The Democrats won the House but can’t even bring progressive issues to a vote because they fear they’ll lose their minuscule majority.  So, House Dems will continue to toady to Republicans “in the spirit of bipartisanship” but will get no reciprocation.  Yet the Democratic Party was able to get a lot of people to put in a lot of time, effort and money on candidates chosen by party leaders (not primary voters) only to win just enough to give the Republicans the extra votes they need in the House. 

In conclusion, The Democrats blew it again, Trump still has a GOP Congress, and nobody has wised up about how the Democrats are no longer and never will be an effective opposition to the Republicans.  The U.S. needs the option of a progressive party that really represents the people.

* The DLC was founded by a group of Republicans in Democrats’ clothing whose agenda was to turn the Democrats into a “Republican Light,” or a clone of the Republicans in their support for business, war, institutional racism, but with less open religious fanaticism and overt KKK style racism. Early members included Sam Nunn, Chuck Robb, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Terry McAuliffe Dick Gephardt etc.