A party in search of 'opportunity'?

With an incendiary President capable of mass alienation and mid-term election history on their side, the Democrats should be poised for the upcoming November election showdown.

Instead, the Democrats find themselves in search of a message.

Still stinging from their massive defeat in 2016, a vocal and energized wing of the Democratic party believes the road to success lies in socialism.

Their platform includes a guaranteed universal income for all, free college education for all, universal healthcare and the abolishment of ICE.

But within the Democratic party are a strong majority of moderates who feel rightfully that this hard-left approach is a losing combination come November.

Many of those moderates gathered in Ohio this weekend to plot a path forward.

They have rebranded themselves no longer moderates but rather "opportunity" Democrats.

These Democrats acknowledge that the energy lies currently with the socialist wing of their party and they risk being "drowned out" if they remain silent.

In a message I find unbelievable, the "opportunity" Democrats confirmed they favor capitalism, as if that confirmation is somehow remarkable.

One moderate Iowa Democratic congressman summed up the dilemma of his party when he said, "A small but vocal subgroup that is unhinged from evidence will be wrong in the long run, regardless of how loud they are."

"Unhinged from evidence.." -- what a perfect term to define these socialists.

The party's swing to the left puts moderate Democrats like Claire McCaskill in a tough position to say the least.

Democratic voters in Missouri may indeed abhor President Trump but they will fall far short of adopting the stances adopted by the radical wing of their party.

McCaskill will have to walk a fine line to position herself against the momentum that is moving her party toward socialism.

My Democratic friends are fiercely loyal to their party and will march in lockstep to support virtually any and all candidates who wear the party label.

But I can't help but believe they will stop short of supporting those who advocate the unraveling of capitalism in favor of income equality.

Truthfully, I believe but a very small vocal fringe of the Democratic party honestly supports this socialist agenda.

But our friends in the liberal media have fully embraced this fringe element and they have joined in full force to promote their growing left agenda.

In an irony for the ages, the left-leaning media may well be driving the Democratic party straight off the cliff.

By pretending that a majority of Democrats embrace this growing socialism, the media has become the best friend the Republicans could imagine.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Standard Democrat in Sikeston, Missouri.