Defeat in Georgia—a Gut Punch to Democrats

It’s so bad, you have to wonder if there were a secret plot hatched by Republicans to fool Democrats into talking about issues that voters don’t care about, writes James Freeman in the WSJ.

The operating assumption among journalists and politicos has been that the Russia investigation is a problem and a distraction for Mr. Trump and congressional Republicans as they try to enact a reform agenda. Now here’s a Senate Democrat saying that the Russia story has actually wasted time that his party could have spent opposing Republican policies or trying to explain why Democrats should be given another chance to govern.

The Democratic caucus spent months “casting aspersions on the patriotism of President Trump without ever offering any ‘collusion’ evidence.” Meanwhile they ignored the issues that concern the average voter.

Now Democrats are questioning their party from the top down.

• Chris Murphy (D., Conn.), “The fact that we have spent so much time talking about Russia, you know, has been a distraction from what should be the clear contrast between Democrats and the Trump agenda, which is on economics.”
• Massachusetts, Seth Moultoncalled the Georgia loss “frustrating,” urging a shake-up at the top of the party.
• Y. Rep. Kathleen Rice wants the entire Democratic leadership team to go.
• Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan believes the Democratic brand has become “toxic.” Voters viewed Democrats as “not being able to connect with the issues they care about.”

Molly Ball in The Atlantic describes Georgia’s 6^th district as a part of America that “lies between the coalfield and the ivory tower. … of strip malls and big-box stores, sushi buffets and light-rail park-and-rides, a landscape dotted with charter schools and pet hospitals and retirement villages along endless straight, flat, six-lane roads.” One resident of this district explains why he and his wife voted for Karen Handle rather than Jon Ossoff:

• Ossoff did not have residence in GA, preferring to stick to the elitist governmental bubble in Washington DC. This really insulted us as if he’s too good to live amongst us.
• The immense donations from the coastal Democratic socialistic communes. This closely links Ossoff to the Pelosi types who we disdain.

Read more here.