NYT: Beleaguered Democrats abandon compromise, opt for 'total war' with Trump

As we all know, Democrats lost. To employ a misquote that they seem to love, they lost "bigly." In fact, a combination of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders ended up decimating their party. Overreach, a misguided agenda, and insular thinking have left them at their lowest level of power in several generations. So, they're trying to figure out what to do next.

I've argued - over and over again - that they've painted themselves into an electoral corner. By embracing and empowering the fringiest elements of their party, they've rendered themselves irrelevant in all but the most left-wing districts. If they try to change course, the radical base that funds the party will walk away. That means there's no way to go mainstream, while placating the "money people" will place them on a collision course with political oblivion. They've ostracized anyone within their party who tries to make this point, and they've doubled-down on far-left crackpots like Nancy Pelosi and Keith Ellison. Any Dems who secretly hoped that the lessons of 2016 would lead to a course correction have been sorely disappointed. Now, even the Dems' paper of record has taken note. They're making it clear that the DNC has no interest in compromising with the vast majority of Americans who live outside of California and New York. Peace is boring. The Democrats have chosen - in the immortal words of the New York Times - "Total War."

Reduced to their weakest state in a generation, Democratic Party leaders will gather in two cities this weekend to plot strategy and select a new national chairman with the daunting task of rebuilding the party’s depleted organization. But senior Democratic officials concede that the blueprint has already been chosen for them — by an incensed army of liberals demanding no less than total war against President Trump.

Immediately after the November election, Democrats were divided over how to handle Mr. Trump, with one camp favoring all-out confrontation and another backing a seemingly less risky approach of coaxing him to the center with offers of compromise. Now, spurred by explosive protests and a torrent of angry phone calls and emails from constituents — and outraged themselves by Mr. Trump’s swift moves to enact a hard-line agenda — Democrats have all but cast aside any notion of conciliation with the White House. Instead, they are mimicking the Republican approach of the last eight years — the “party of no” — and wagering that brash obstruction will pay similar dividends.

This is great news for Republicans, Conservatives, and Libertarians. Basically, anyone hoping to slay the governmental beast should be happy to hear it. Democrats are about to re-embrace their failed policies, rejected opinions, and disastrous agenda. That means...

• Transgender bathrooms will still be more important to them than the safety of your kids.
• Union appeasement will be granted sway over working class jobs.
• Social engineering will take precedence over actual education.
• Wealth redistribution will sideline personal financial growth
• Nebulous environmental goals will trump property rights.
• Socialism will be the goal, and globalist causes will rule the day.

As long as Democrats tread this path, America's rust belt, bible belt, and breadbasket will remain out of reach. You like California? Congrats, Dems. It's yours. Enjoy. The rest of us will be over here, building a better country without you.

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