Democrats get some unsolicited advice for Christmas

*Where Have All the Democrats Gone?: The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes; By Ruy Teixeira and John B. Judis;* Henry Holt and Co.; 336 pp., $28.99

Americans are unhappy.

OK, I’ll be more specific: Democrats are especially unhappy right now, mystified and bereft that President Joe Biden is consistently underperforming in 2024 polls despite his likely opponent’s unpopularity. While overperforming in the 2022 midterm elections and November’s special elections, as well as notching a slate of victories on abortion-related ballot initiatives from Kentucky to Montana, Democrats’ continuing anxiety about 2020 is best channeled by David Axelrod, speaking recently to Maureen Dowd: “They’ve got a real problem if they’re counting on Trump to win it for them. I remember Hillary doing that, too.”