We've done it. We've achieved our hopes and dreams (yes but I too want 60 votes in the Senate) and have gotten off to a good start in turning the country around.
Now is the time to reflect and discuss what we do NOT want to happen. We do NOT want to become like Republicans, and for that it will help to take a close and dispassionate look at what happened with our fellow wingnut citizens.
#1 Ideology Creep
Whenever you get a like minded group of people together, and all they listen to is each other, you get everyone trying to take the ideology a little bit further than the next person. You get dissenting and moderating voices suppressed by the group.
This is how Conservatism degenerated from Buckley to Bush. They weren't always so loony and there was a time you could actually debate them civilly.
#2 Facing Failures
When something goes wrong and all that happens is a circling of the wagons, we lose credibility. We have to be very honest and open about our real failures. While at the same time willing to go to the mat for those being dishonestly attacked. (Keep your grubby mitts of My Speaker wingnuts!)
#3 Facing Facts
If some valid evidence surfaces that challenges a particular ideological point, deal with it, don't deny it. Things may come up that pushes Democrats to modify their positions, well that just what grown ups do and what Republicans refused to do.
#4 Screw Ideology
Finally it all boils down to political ideology, which in the end is an, at best, limited system for governing and, at worst, the path to disaster. We've got to keep the beast of ideology in check, or we very well could become just like the Republicans.