There's little doubt that the Democrat Party has had a significant case of the sads since Election Day. And to be quite honest, it brings me great joy to report that the liberals' mysterious malady continues unabated.

On Monday, the New York Times organized an "online written discussion," moderated by contributing opinion writer Frank Bruni and featuring progressive campaign consultant Anat Shenker-Osorio, Democratic communications strategist Lis Smith, and ex-Ohio representative Tim Ryan. 

The group convened to dissect the Democratic Party's condition following their harsh election losses in November.

Bruni kicked off the conversation by noting the once formidable resistance party was in utter disarray, unable, really, to pinpoint how they got carpet-bombed on November 5th. He inquired as to what this panel believed to be the biggest issue.

Smith, who once served as senior advisor for Pete Buttigieg's 2020 presidential campaign, didn't hold back, coming right out of the gates with a brutal takedown.

"The Democratic brand is in the toilet," she announced.

Inject that directly into my veins:

“Democrats have gone beyond soul searching to soul spelunking — they’ve descended into whole new subterranean caverns of analysis,” writes @FrankBruni, in a discussion of the party’s future with @Lis_Smith, @TimRyan and @anatosaurus. https://t.co/pDJEHFosyj

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) December 23, 2024

Yes, Christmas is coming, and Democrats experiencing distress over the election brings great joy to many people during the holiday season. However, perhaps the most critical aspect of Smith's analysis is this: The only candidates with a "D" next to their names who performed well in the election ran as far away from the "D" label as humanly possible.

"Many of the Democrats who succeeded this cycle — our best over-performers in House races, for instance — are people who ran against the Democratic Party brand," she commented.

"Trump tore down the blue wall in the industrial Midwest, but he also expanded his vote the most in our bluest and most urban areas."

Bruni replied to the "toilet" comment with the word "Yikes," and wondered if Smith was being too harsh with her opinion. But Smith refused to apply the brakes.

"When the best way to win as a candidate is to run against your own party, it’s that bad," she replied.

The Democrat Post-Mortems Begin, and Three Focus Groups Leave Party Leaders in Shambles

This tracks. As RedState reported on the same day as the Times' roundtable, three separate focus groups showed signs that the Democrat Party should be panicking. Not just because of the massive Election Day defeat but also because they have no working plan for how to pull out of the nosedive they're currently experiencing.

Trump and the Republicans beat them so severely, they can't crawl out of their own personal doldrums to fight back right now.

Participants in those focus groups blasted the Democrat Party as "complacent and lazy" and "not a friend of the working class," and suggested they've hitched their horse to the radical progressive cart "even when (those ideas are) failing."

Even Dems Can't Ignore It: 'Stench of Loser' Lingers for Party As Trump's Appeal Grows

Also tracking with commentary that the party is currently in the toilet are recent comments from DNC Finance Committee member Lindy Li, one of the most vocal critics of her party following the election.

(She eventually announced she was leaving the party, saying it was akin to "leaving a cult.")

Li torched her former party post-Kamala as having the "stench of loser."

"And I’m sorry, I’m speaking as a Democrat myself, this brings me no joy to say it, but I feel like Democrats are going to be consigned to the wilderness for at least the next four to eight years," she added:

DNC Finance Committee member Lindy Li says her party has the "stench of loser" written all over it after Trump trounced them in the election.

"Democrats are going to be consigned to the wilderness for at least the next four to eight years." pic.twitter.com/42I1Cfsk2J

— Rusty (@Rusty_Weiss) December 15, 2024

When you've been defeated on the field of play so soundly that two words that come to mind are "toilet" and "stench," you know it's been a rough ride.

How bad? Coach Jim Mora should come out of retirement and hold this press conference about the performance of the Democrat Party...

October 20, 1996 🗓️

28 years ago today, we got the Jim Mora "diddly poo" rant 😂

"Coaching did a horrible job. The players did a horrible job. We got our a** kicked."#Saints | #NFLpic.twitter.com/Uqnft6NKR6

— FanDuel (@FanDuel) October 20, 2024

As for the Times' online conversation, Shenker-Osorio disagreed with Smith's assessment that the Democrats are comparable to a toilet. She thinks calling them a "toilet" is too kind.

"Well … toilets have clear utility, so perhaps the comparison is even ‘generous,’" she said.