3 hours ago
Well, there are several ways to define "the Left." One is, anyone who identifies his opponents as "the Right." Another is, anyone who denies that there's such a thing as "the Left." 
Back to the original question, at least indirectly. Many professional commentators/political scientists claim that, historically, the Right (Trump and the Republicans) is at a disadvantage in the US this year because it's the mid-term election after a presidential election they won. Like most arguments from history (as both Left and Right would agree) this has some merit.
The Left's problem is that - contrary to what Right-wing commentators claim - it has no command-control network (only a constantly changing vibe, but that's just my metaphor). When all those professionals call on the Left to hang back, act responsible, and hide their flames under a bushel because it's theirs to lose this year, historically, actors on the Left are incapable of listening, much less obeying the advice. Tell them to lay low - they call for death and imprisonment to their opponents; they hijack airplanes; they set off bombs; they burn cars and get themselves shot in stupid ways. They hijack, ferchrisakes, memorial services. It's not stupidity or even rebellion against the professionals (e.g. Democrat Party leadership), it's that in the actual activist Left merit comes from riding and pushing the vibe. As one leader in the French Revolution put it, my people are running through the streets, I must get in front to lead them!
The consequence of which is that there are constant pop-up explosions from the Left which are beyond, even against, its control and best political interests. If there are enough of those, or serious enough, the Right takes it. The formal Left leadership's only defense against this is sympathetic media which will hide and censor news of the explosions... but it's not 2020 anymore. The filters are torn, the bubbles are broken. Anything can happen. And when it does, the reaction can't be suppressed.
Back to the original question, at least indirectly. Many professional commentators/political scientists claim that, historically, the Right (Trump and the Republicans) is at a disadvantage in the US this year because it's the mid-term election after a presidential election they won. Like most arguments from history (as both Left and Right would agree) this has some merit.
The Left's problem is that - contrary to what Right-wing commentators claim - it has no command-control network (only a constantly changing vibe, but that's just my metaphor). When all those professionals call on the Left to hang back, act responsible, and hide their flames under a bushel because it's theirs to lose this year, historically, actors on the Left are incapable of listening, much less obeying the advice. Tell them to lay low - they call for death and imprisonment to their opponents; they hijack airplanes; they set off bombs; they burn cars and get themselves shot in stupid ways. They hijack, ferchrisakes, memorial services. It's not stupidity or even rebellion against the professionals (e.g. Democrat Party leadership), it's that in the actual activist Left merit comes from riding and pushing the vibe. As one leader in the French Revolution put it, my people are running through the streets, I must get in front to lead them!
The consequence of which is that there are constant pop-up explosions from the Left which are beyond, even against, its control and best political interests. If there are enough of those, or serious enough, the Right takes it. The formal Left leadership's only defense against this is sympathetic media which will hide and censor news of the explosions... but it's not 2020 anymore. The filters are torn, the bubbles are broken. Anything can happen. And when it does, the reaction can't be suppressed.
Non-practicing atheist