House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was right when she said in August that violent groups “deserve unequivocal condemnation.” But just recently Rep. Keith Ellison, deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, was wrong to signal support for antifa. Democrats, it would seem, are yes then no on violent demonstrations, hot then cold when it comes to street mobs that smash windows, torch cars, and chuck rocks at cops.

The party will need to figure out where they stand ahead of the midterms because, as it turns out, the electorate dislikes hooded bullies almost as much as they loathe orange-haired ones.