Democrats will paint themselves as the tools of some of the most extreme, intolerant and intemperate pressure groups ever to operate in American politics. Worse yet, they will make themselves look like a pack of yapping toy poodles, a minor annoyance for the adults who are busy with the serious business of government. A contentious confirmation process that gives the Bush administration an early boost probably won't be the last self- inflicted wound the Democrats suffer because they cannot put aside the bitterness of loosing a close one. Three times since 1960 the party in power has lost a close election. Each time the losing party reacted by returning to its ideological base.
Close elections are always contests for the center.
When a party in power loses narrowly because it cannot hold the center it usually decides not to fight for the middle ground in the next presidential election. Typically the party ideologues nail their true colors to the mast and go down fighting. This is what happened to the Republicans with Goldwater in 1964 and to the Democrats with McGovern in 1972. In 1980 Republicans nailed their true colors to the mast and won anyway. Ronald Reagan's unique political skills, Jimmy Carter's comprehensive ineptitude and serious economic distress combined to make the electorate accept Republican true colors.