I’m not a conservative who revels in the self-destruction of the Democratic Party. Sure, there’s an emotional satisfaction in witnessing Democratic delusions go up in smoke, such as last week when CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten expounded on the 40-point swing among foreign-born citizens from Democrats to President Donald Trump on immigration.

But the joys of schadenfreude aside, the Democrats’ total dysfunction is bad for the republic. Competitive balance between the major parties stabilizes the political system in myriad ways. It breeds responsiveness to the broader electorate, encourages innovation and compromise, and prevents the concentration of power in a single party, which safeguards democratic principles.