Leaderless Democratic Party in dire straits after GOP sweeps
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama hands over the White House to Republican Donald Trump in 71 days, leaving the Democratic Party leaderless and with few up-and-coming stars among its aging cast of stalwarts.
In what appeared to be a wave election, Republicans also secured majorities they already enjoyed in the Senate and the House and in governor’s mansions and state legislatures across the country. Democrats were all but wiped out in places like Iowa and Kentucky.
The defeat of Hillary Clinton, an experienced Washington politician who sought common ground with Republicans, could make it more likely that the party will turn to its liberal wing as it grapples with its future. That’s best represented by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whom Clinton defeated in a long primary, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a pull-no-punches progressive darling.
“The Democratic Party needs to remould itself in the image of them and offer a systemic critique of the rigged economy that shows the voters who put Trump over the top that they understand why they are angry,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.