Slate Voice

What is it about Democrats’ 2018 election performance that feels so… meh? So bleh? A couple of things pop to mind. The general-election candidates that Democrats became so emotionally invested in nationally—Beto O’Rourke in Texas, Stacey Abrams in Georgia, and Andrew Gillum in Florida—all lost (or appear headed for certain defeat). Gillum’s loss was especially painful, since he was ahead in just about every poll of the state.