also because the democratic brand is so bad, the controlling faction not only has to lose, they have to be *widely seen* to have been overthrown. the very public humiliation of the republican controlling faction was a major part of how they basically rebooted their brand
This is right and why I find it extremely concerning when someone like Chris Murphy is talked up in the media as the possible next Senate Dem leader. It will just be more of the same just with a somewhat younger aesthetic. It is another indicator to me that the caucus writ large sees no issue.
Or at the very least all they see is a messaging and public perception issue.
the democratic party doesn't just need new management, it needs to hang a huge "UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT" banner