Winning and losing

I tend not to cry over spilled milk and I'm not going to this time either. Even though the Democrats have lost two presidential elections since 2000 when they won the popular vote, the popular vote isn't what gets you elected, even though in a democracy, I've always thought it should be the only way to get elected. The will of the people vs. the state's congressional representation does away with the concept of one man, one vote which our nation was founded on.

But, to be fair, we elect Presidents by the Electoral College and everyone knows that going in. So it's a fair fight. And even though the Republicans would be raising hell if Trump had won the popular vote by 2 million votes as Hillary is doing but lost the electoral college, that's the way the game is played even though he would be screaming rigged election from the highest rooftops. Hillary lost the election when she neglected the rust belt states, thinking they were safely in the win column for her when they weren't. She has piled up the popular vote lead she has from the blue western states along with New York but she didn't get the states she desperately needed in order to win the presidency.

So what do Democrats do now? Do they give Donald Trump a chance, as suggested by President Obama, or do they fight him at every turn? I suggest they stop trying to be everything for everybody and show a little backbone. What got them into trouble in the first place with white, working-class Americans was the perception that the party had turned its back on the very people that made the party what it was several decades ago. We used to be for the little guy, for the worker, for the families working hard just to put food on the table and clothes on the backs of their children but somehow we took a wrong turn.

The party essentially abandoned the white working-class to embrace multi-culturalism, minority group support and political correctness and in doing so, they lost the base that made them what they were.

So I'm a disgruntled Democrat but still a Democrat. I think the party can be saved if we make another course correction back towards the people who supported us to begin with. It will be tough to do because the left wing of the party is vocal and persistent about their interests but we have a strong middle section too that should not be overlooked or discounted. The middle is where most elections are won and lost and the Democrats must remember that if they're to win in the future. But for now, the Democrats should take a page from the Republican playbook and challenge President-elect Trump on every single issue he supports. It's the height of hypocrisy for Republicans to encourage Democrats to get on board with Trump when the Republicans didn't get on board following Obama's two election wins.

In fact, they fought him at every turn and Senator Mitch McConnell said his only job was to make sure Obama didn't get anything passed as President.

Well, he got some things passed over McConnell's and the other Republicans objections but not much because the dislike of Obama was so strong among Republicans, from Republican leaders right down through the rank and file Republicans that we work and play with every day. They weren't going to give him a chance and they didn't. I don't think Democrats should give Trump a chance either. There's an old saying that two can play that game and I think it's time we did. I never liked losing anything, from fights to football games, to political contests and I'm still that way. Even though the Republicans now control the Presidency and both houses of Congress which makes it infinitely easier for them to succeed than Obama, Democrats should act toward Republicans like Republicans have acted toward Democrats over the past eight years and attempt to block them at every turn.

If they don't do that, they give Donald Trump legitimacy and almost insure his re-election in four years.

The Republicans didn't want four years of Obama, much less eight, and the Democrats should feel the same way about Trump. Being a good loser is no longer a requisite for personal character if it ever was.

In fact, the legendary head coach of the Green Bay Packers professional football team, Vince Lombardi, said it best:

"Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser!"