Democrats are rightly excited about recent victories at the ballot box. There is rising hope that a “Blue Wave” is coming in 2018 resulting in the Democrats taking back control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. A prelude to recapturing the White House in 2020.

Democrats have won 26 out of 35 races (at the state legislative and congressional level) in which the Democratic candidates over-performed Hillary Clinton's 2016 effort.

In the Virginia state legislature, the Republicans held a 66-34 edge before the elections. Barring any further legal action, the GOP will maintain control with a 51-49 majority. The gains by the Democratic Party in Virginia are highlighted by the victory of Danica Roem, an openly transgender candidate, over 11-term incumbent Republican Bob Marshall.

The win by Doug Jones over Judge Roy Moore, accused of being a pedophile, delivered the first Democratic Senator in 20 years from Alabama. Jones' victory came in a state in which Donald Trump won with 63 percent of the vote.

Political prognosticators such as the venerable Charlie Cook of the Cook Report and many others will tell you all the “data” and “history shows” that 2018 will be an outstanding year for the Democratic Party. If you listen to progressive media, there is almost no need to have the election in 2018.

The string of victories is fueled, primarily, by a visceral dislike − some say hate − of President Trump by Democrats and segments of independent voters. In recent polling over 80 percent of Republicans support Trump.

The Democratic Party didn't achieve minority status with the election of Donald Trump. The party’s lack of a connection to the working man or woman has been a precipitous fall over the last 15 years.

As the losses mounted over recent years, Democrats averted their eyes from the destruction all around them, clouded by the election and re-election of Barack Obama. Democratic leaders, in and out of government, were making millions in consulting fees or collecting prestigious staff jobs across the Obama Administration. Life was good.

If you are a Democrat, think for a moment how things would be if instead of President Trump it was President Rubio, Cruz or Paul? What would be motivating the Democratic Party? Their plan for health care? Infrastructure?

The policies of almost any Republican president would mirror President Trump’s. One would hope with less juvenile Tweets or press secretaries referring to the political opposition as “losers.”

Today’s current Democratic Party reminds me of “Ikey” the lure rabbit at the long-gone Plainfield, Connecticut, Dog Track. All the party does is chase “Ikey” or, in this case, Trump. The Democratic Party needs to make bold moves and dramatic change to grab the voters they lost, Joe Six Pack and Rosie the Riveter.

Here’s an idea, Democratic leadership; in response to the #metoo movement, declare that all leadership positions in the House and Senate after the 2018 elections, regardless of majority or minority status, will be filled by women. (House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi would not be included. She’s had her time.)

Each day commentators on MSNBC and other left-leaning outlets breathlessly discuss the latest movement by the Mueller investigation. Most recently it was revealed that Trump wanted to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The president was rebuffed by White House counsel Don MaGahn.

Let us assume that in the next year President Trump is either impeached or resigns in the face of a stack of indictments for money laundering and obstruction of justice. With Trump gone the Democrats get, President Pence.

How is that a good thing for Democrats? Pence is more conservative than Trump and without the drama. Pence never wrote checks to Chuck Schumer or Hillary Clinton, Trump did.

Brings Oscar Wilde to mind, “There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.”

At this rate, it looks like the Democrats will get what they want.

Ben Davol is a freelance writer and a public policy and political consultant for Democrats and Republicans. Ben lives in Mystic and is occasional contributor to The Day.