Special election losses show that the Democrats suffer from a cultural divide

Published June 22, 2017 5:45pm ET



Democrat Jon Ossoff lost his race against Republican Karen Handel despite a money advantage and a Republican president with job approval ratings averaging less than 40 percent. Ossoff’s campaign spent nearly $30 million, and it wasn’t enough to win, despite the favorable circumstances.

Democrats have been looking for scapegoats ever since their defeat on Tuesday, but couldn’t find any. After all, Ossoff is white, straight and male. Democrats could not blame sexism, racism or homophobia, so some were left to bemoan the inclement weather as a culprit in not enough Democrats getting out to vote. People are arguing the race is a major factor in determining whether or not President Trump is a hindrance or liability for Republicans.

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