There are thousands upon thousands of good people who believe in liberal and progressive ideas, and many of them belong to the Democratic Party.  And that’s a good thing.  We, as a nation, need a healthy debate about policy and government to survive as a republic.

The First Amendment to the US Constitution provides for Freedom of Speech, and that includes protesting and arguing as well as praise and congratulations.  Again, we need to have that freedom on either side to remain a free nation.

There are those on the alt-right that believe in all manner of things that are viewed as disgusting and vile by most Americans, but they have the same rights as those who disagree with them.  The same is true for those on the other end of the political spectrum, somehow not often referred to as the alt-left, but you get the picture.

Those on the left fringe are making all the headlines since Donald Trump was elected President of the United States.  Many long-time Democrats are suffering in silence; as lifelong Republicans did when Obama was elected.  But you don’t see those on TV on in the news headlines.

The same thing happened in 2008, but to somewhat lesser degree, because the left has many more high-profile celebrities on its side that have outlets for headline-grabbing moments, such as awards shows and concert stages.  One would argue that would give an advantage to the Dems; being able to reach so many in large concentrations at one time.

However, the extreme nature of the left’s reaction to Trump is not exactly having the effect the party would like to see realized.  For sure, the comments and sound bites are rallying the far left base, but those would vote Democrat no matter who was the candidate.

The ones the Dems left behind in the 2016 election are not exactly viewing those who are spewing such hate speech and acting like whining sore losers as something they want to be associated with.  Ironically, those claiming to be protesting in the name of tolerance and free speech are coming off as oppressors against that very thing.

And with the sitting Congressional Democrats either not condemning such behavior, or in some cases, actually supporting it, those in the center are seeing this behavior as the current face of the party.  Not exactly as inclusive as the party has wanted you to believe it was in the past.

How is all this going to play our over time?  Too early to tell.  Trump is not exactly wooing the center nearly as much as you would think.  His use of executive orders is being seen as the same overreach that bothered so many in the previous administration, though he is also solidifying his extreme base.

But, the message being seen on our screens and news reports coming from the Democrat supporters is that we only include you if you agree with everything we say.  And if things don’t go our way, any activity to silence those who disagree is justified, whether it be blocking the schoolhouse door (sound familiar to anyone who remembers the University of Alabama desegregation?), preventing those with opposing views to speak, or destroying private property in the name of free speech.

Like it or not, that is becoming the public perception of the face of the Democratic Party.  If that face remains visible in 2018, it may not work out as the party officials hope.