So far, the Democrats have done a fine job of picking their opponents. The Trump-backed Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno looks like 24’s Dr. Oz. Their money joined Trump in nominating the weakest candidate. Of course, the crown jewel is nominating Donald Trump over more electable Republicans. Drowning him in questionable lawsuits, especially in New York, made him sympathetic to the Republican base while ensuring the ex-president dominated the news, sucking all the oxygen from his opponents. They got their man; now they only have to make him unelectable as an enemy of our Democracy.

However, they may be overplaying their hand. Ever since the Charlottesville, VA riots in 2017, the Democrats and their media allies have misquoted Donald Trump for saying “there were good peple on both sides'” when he was talking about people arguing about where to place the Robert E. Lee statue. He condemned the Nazis.

No matter, Biden used the Charlottesville misquote as his reason for running for president and used it to his advantage in the presidential debates. 

Having such success misrepresenting Trump’s words, it must’ve seemed a gift from the gods when Trump used the phrase bloodbath linked to a reelection failure. Democrats and their media allies couldn’t register their disgust and fear fast enough. The implication is clear: Trump threatened a “bloodbath” if not returned to the White House. The condemnation raced around the world.

We will soon see Donald Trump sew up the Republican presidential nomination. There have likely been private polls on how various Democratic candidates would fare against Trump. If not, there soon will be. With the unpopular former President locked in as the opponent, finding the best replacement ticket for Joe and Pamela is in full swing.

Already millions of dollars are a bet on  Michelle Obama in the ’24 presidential race, putting her in third place behind only Trump and Biden and ahead of Nikki Haley and Robert Kennedy Jr. Gavin Newsom is right behind her. People willing to risk big bucks might know something.

The private polls winnow the field and alert the significant donors to the best bets. Closer to the convention, we’ll see public polls showing how badly Trump fares against the new competition. Once the Democrats see a new ticket leading to victory, giving them a possible eight years of rule, a delegation of eminent Dems led by South Carolina Rep. James Claiborne will sit Joe Biden and wife Jill down to discuss their retirement plans. 

Joe’s dim prospects evaporate without Claiborne and other luminaries in his corner. If Joe hesitates, Democrats might have information on the Biden influence-peddling business they haven’t shared. It’s better to accept thanks for their service and ride out in the Sunset than lose their place in a positive history.

Agreeing on the replacement candidates ahead of the Democratic Convention in August will eliminate the messiness of previous conventions. The present delight in right-wing media over polls showing Trump edging out Biden will only slowly give way to dismay as they realize they’ll be facing a younger, robust ticket without the baggage of either Trump or Biden. 

Another off-year election and another Republican loss are on the books. This New York congressional defeat illustrates the ongoing weaknesses of the party. Compromised from the start, the race to replace a fraud kicked out of the House of Representatives needed solid handling to offset the stench of the poorly vetted former Republican member. A known, solidly-funded candidate with a well-organized campaign was necessary.  

What happened in the New York election reflected the continuing inability of Republicans to match Democratic fundraising and organization. Instead of finding a known squeaky-clean candidate, the Republicans selected a little-known candidate who appeared to be a registered Democrat. Heavily outspent, Republicans received much fewer early and mail-in votes. This situation left the campaign needing election day votes. Of course, the weather was terrible on that day. The result was that the seat turned Democrat, leaving the party with an even slimmer majority in the House.  

I’m tired of pointing out that parties exist primarily to win elections. After three miserable general elections, some changes might be in order. Why do Republicans underperform? It isn’t that a charismatic leader leads the Democrats. Joe Biden is the least popular incumbent in polling history. Yet, Democrats can widen their appeal to gain majorities.

Suburban women used to vote for Republicans but now provide winning margins for the Democrats. By running engaging pro-choice candidates, Democrats broaden their appeal. They understand the idea is to gain more votes.

Conversely, Republicans seem to go out of their way to repel voters. Instead of putting forth candidates who can who generally support their agenda, Republicans increasingly put loyalty to Donald Trump above electability.