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Democrats are resolving to improve their performance after a disastrous 2014 the political equivalent of new year's resolutions to lose weight and save more.

The ritual introspection is both predictable and imperative for parties that have been rejected at the polls, the way the Democrats were in 2014. Two years ago, it was the Republicans engaging in the self-examination.

It's such a staple of losing election seasons that it feels a little bit like the time loop in the movie "Groundhog Day" when the same thing is repeated over and over again, said former state Sen. Dan Gelber, a Democrat whose district included part of south Broward.

"The Republicans become introspective after presidential year losses, and we become introspective after off-year election losses," Gelber said.

Democrats are trying to figure out how to recruit better candidates, examining their use of data and technology, and reconsidering the way they deploy people and money in the field in an attempt to boost turnout of their voters.

Among the reasons for the post-election reviews:

Party activists need something to focus their energy, and to stave off despair.

Donors require assurances that the party is changing to avoid a repeat of their wasted money.

Leaders such as U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, need to show they're listening to voter dissatisfaction and taking it seriously, minimizing any sentiment that they aren't up to the job.

"She needs to be seen as a part of that just to make sure she isn't tainted as a failure," said Charles Zelden, a professor of history and legal studies who specializes in politics and voting at Nova Southeastern University.

Originally posted here:
Democrats seek fixes for voter disapproval