Will Democrats get complacent if they win big in 2018?

[SN2903]

I vote Yes. The democrats winning the house is the best thing that could happen to Trump's chances for 2020 reelection....

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

They'll get complacent even if they lose big. See 2014 and 2016.

[Ogre Mage]

Just winning the House would not be enough to make Democrats complacent.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I vote Yes. The democrats winning the house is the best thing that could happen to Trump's chances for 2020 reelection....

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The House will move quickly to impeach him, not good news😞

[Cassandra]

Yes because Democrats are always complacent.

[Podgy the Bear]

The Debbie Downer and George Costanza mentality is annoying.  I don't agree.  The Democrats are in a situation similar to 1978 when the Republicans were on their knees.  They did well in the midterms and with hard work and a spirited presidential primary season, they unified around Reagan-Bush and crushed it in 1980.

I see the first part happening--getting good candidates to run and work the areas that have not seen Democrats for years.  Stacey Abrams and Beto O'Rourke are doing that, and they are very competitive for left of center candidates in red states.   They will probably not win, but they are getting the vote out.

The second part--we'll have a considerable nomination battle in 2020--but we must get around the nominee. 

And hard work throughout.

[SN2903]

Yes because Democrats are always complacent.

Truth

[ajwiopjawefoiwefnwn]

They'll get complacent even if they lose big. See 2014 and 2016.

I don't know. They seem to hate Trump more than they liked Obama. Hate is a stronger motivator than satisfaction.

[Mr. Smith]

Just winning the House would not be enough to make Democrats complacent.

It was for the Tea Party. They were so sure Obama would be a one-termer after 2010.

#Resistance seems to have that same kind of complex.

Problem is, The Deplorables will wake up just as Obama's base did and might be powerful enough to make 2020 another 2012.

They'll get complacent even if they lose big. See 2014 and 2016.

I don't know. They seem to hate Trump more than they liked Obama. Hate is a stronger motivator than satisfaction.

Because that's how 2012 went for The Tea Party huh. They hated Obama more than ever liking Bush...and yet Romney underperformed and they lost seats in both chambers of Congress.

[Zaybay]

Just winning the House would not be enough to make Democrats complacent.

It was for the Tea Party. They were so sure Obama would be a one-termer after 2010.

#Resistance seems to have that same kind of complex.

Problem is, The Deplorables will wake up just as Obama's base did and might be powerful enough to make 2020 another 2012.

They'll get complacent even if they lose big. See 2014 and 2016.

I don't know. They seem to hate Trump more than they liked Obama. Hate is a stronger motivator than satisfaction.

Because that's how 2012 went for The Tea Party huh. They hated Obama more than ever liking Bush...and yet Romney underperformed and they lost seats in both chambers of Congress.

The problem with that analogy is that the Tea Party is much smaller than the #Resistance. Obama won by a large margin in both elections, while Trump has only lost the PV by 2. Democrats will likely not get complacent, as its Trump they are truly after. After 2020, maybe, before, no.

[SInNYC]

If you mean the party insiders (as opposed to D voters) I dont think complacent is the word. More likely, they will attribute it to the party's ability to pick good candidates, and will tell activists to butt out for 2020. Of course, if they dont meet expectations in 2018, they will blame it on activists picking loony candidates out of touch with real America, and tell activists to butt out for 2020 lest they lose again.

In short, there is a whole professional class of insiders that needs to justify their jobs.

[Xing]

This is my fear, since Democrats will likely conclude that 2016 was just a fluke and that Trump can’t possibly win again... Trump is obviously beatable in 2020, but Democrats definitely have the ability to blow it again.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

No party since 1988 has won 3 straight election in a row for Congress or the Presidency; 1992, 1996, 2000 failed; 2006, 2008, 2010, failed; 2008, 2012 and 2016 failed; all failed for the Dems. Likewise, 2014, 2016 and 2018 also is failing for the GOP.

If history is any guide, Dems shouldn't get complacent about 2022 should back to back years be golden. Especially, in an economy like this. Pass entitlement reform as well as criminal justice reform. Unlike Trump, who just passed tax reform

[Rookie Yinzer]

Just winning the House would not be enough to make Democrats complacent.

Problem is, The Deplorables will wake up just as Obama's base did and might be powerful enough to make 2020 another 2012.

Obama's base gave him two commanding and decisive victories. Trump's base got him a thin victory against the second most unpopular candidate of all time. They're not the same.

[CookieDamage]

Just winning the House would not be enough to make Democrats complacent.

Problem is, The Deplorables will wake up just as Obama's base did and might be powerful enough to make 2020 another 2012.

Obama's base gave him two commanding and decisive victories. Trump's base got him a thin victory against the second most unpopular candidate of all time. They're not the same.

This. Also, if Obama's base really did "wake up", 2014 would have been much better for Dems and Hillary would have won. Obama won 2012 because he was popular-ish, killed Bin Laden, presided over an okayish economy, and looked better than Romney. He didn't win because Dems were shocked by Republican gains in 2010. People barely pay attention to congress and this was true in 2010 and 2014.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Not yet. Getting rid of Trump will still be the ultimate motivator. Someone else said it but hate truly is a better motivator than support is. Trump may very well learn that lesson too. As such; after 2020 though, if they are successful, we might see a repeat of how elections went during the Obama years. Democrats should never ever get complacent ever again, but they probably will regardless. Our politics may seem volatile, but it also tends to be fairly repetitious.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Just winning the House would not be enough to make Democrats complacent.

Problem is, The Deplorables will wake up just as Obama's base did and might be powerful enough to make 2020 another 2012.

Obama's base gave him two commanding and decisive victories. Trump's base got him a thin victory against the second most unpopular candidate of all time. They're not the same.

This is very true.  Trump's victory was either the most shrewd example of political calculation in history (coupled with Hillary's indefensible failure to campaign in WI and MI) or the dumbest of dumb luck.  Given how Trump consistently seems to outsmart his enemies just when they they they have him, I'll vote the former, granting that pulling that off in 2020 will not be easy.

The complacency Democrats will have will manifest itself in the belief that they can entertain snarkfests and feuds within their own ranks.  They need to get behind the candidate that will be able to gain the broadest base of support and run a campaign fixed on income inequality, because Trump, on the issues, is surprisingly strong.  The income inequality issue will resonate, however.  In truth, the identity politics will olay itself out on its own; Trump's not going to gain any new minority support and women are pretty much aware of what Trump is about, one way or the other.

[eastowilko]

I think some will but the ones running for President I believe will look at is a way to "grab control of the party and run it themselves."

[MarkD]

Not yet. Getting rid of Trump will still be the ultimate motivator. Someone else said it but hate truly is a better motivator than support is. Trump may very well learn that lesson too. As such; after 2020 though, if they are successful, we might see a repeat of how elections went during the Obama years. Democrats should never ever get complacent ever again, but they probably will regardless. Our politics may seem volatile, but it also tends to be fairly repetitious.

This (bolded). The reason why there has been such a surge of Democratic candidates running for the House this year has been because of contempt for Trump. That contempt is going to be sustained. Don't forget too that Republicans will likely keep the Senate, and they've certainly got a firm grip on the Supreme Court.

[pbrower2a]

Democrats will still have Donald Trump glaring in their faces, egging them on.

[BlueSwan]

They'll get complacent even if they lose big. See 2014 and 2016.

[MT Treasurer]

Atlas Democrats always get complacent and predict massive Democratic waves, but as long as their nominee doesn’t take the election for granted and runs a halfway competent campaign it doesn’t matter.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

They won't get the minimum wage passed or raising the cap on SSA; however, fixing immigration probably boarder control will be able to manage under a Trump president. After that, it probably will be budgeting and oversight until the Dems get a presidential signature on pet projects.

[Del Tachi]

Democrats narrowly capture the House in 2018, learn all the wrong things in the process, and then lose narrowly to Trump in 2020.

[IceSpear]

Democrats narrowly capture the House in 2018, learn all the wrong things in the process, and then lose narrowly to Trump in 2020.

What do you think they'd learn, and what do you think they "should" learn?