I think this could have been written much more succinctly and better, but the point is well taken. The article is missing a very important contribution to our demise, however: The fact that since the 80s, Republicans have played the long game, making sure they got their extremists onto school boards and other down-ballot seats, with the plan on helping them rise over time. And importantly, they always turned out to vote. In droves. Democrats? Not so much. Too apathetic to bother or care. Not to mention the millions who are disenfranchised and *can’t* vote. A free, civilized, democratic society can only exist with nearly everyone’s participation, like herd immunity. When the average voter turnout in midterms is 10–15 percent, it’s no wonder how we got to this point. Democrats have been doing a good job with creating that pipeline for the last decade or so, especially with women, but it will take a long time to catch up strategically to what Republicans put in place 30ish years ago. And by then, it may be too late, as your article points out.