Barack Obama still hasn’t announced what action he plans to take in retaliation against the Russians for their meddling in the 2016 presidential election. (He also hasn’t acknowleged that the hacking, if it was by the Russians, occurred on his watch, but let’s not begin looking for miracles.)
While he and other Democrats fret over Hillary Clinton’s loss and try to determine (to quote Obama at his most eloquent) “whose ass to kick,” maybe they are missing the forest for the trees. Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump was not the only telling defeat suffered by the Donks this year.
According to George Will, who did the math on “Fox News Sunday”:
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
The losing party here is in tatters. The Republican Party is as strong as it’s been since the 1920s and probably more broad and deep. Twenty-four states have a Republican governor and the entire control of the legislature, only six states have Democratic governors and Democratic legislatures, 34 Republican governors. That means if you’re looking for a deeper bench for presidential candidates for the Democratic party you have to start with 16 governors is all they’ve got. Furthermore, one-third of the house caucus from the Democratic party are from three states, Massachusetts, New York and California.… They are in danger of becoming what the Republicans were thought to be in danger of becoming, a regional party.
According to an on-screen graphic presented during this morning’s “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, the shift has been occurring gradually throughout Obama’s presidency.
Finally, on the subject of the presidential election, Salena Zito of the Washington Examiner observes:
Yes Hillary Clinton got more votes than Trump, the bulk of which are located in two states, but that is not how you win. In the 1960 World Series the New York Yankees scored 55 runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates 27; out-hit them as well .328 verses .256, but the Pirates won when it counted and all those superior numbers meant nothing.
The pendulum has swung back and then some.
