This is a belated and brief postmortem on the 2014 midterms. Let me begin by noting that, as based on historical patterns, the Republican Party was due to gain seats in Congress by virtue of being in opposition to the incumbent President. Thus, perhaps even the most favorable campaign message would not have guided the Democrats to victory in 2014. Nevertheless I was deeply disappointed in the platform of federal candidates. The Democrats ran a cynical campaign lacking both in policy substance and resonance with voters. The party essentially ran on raising the minimum wage, this in the face of the growing issues of climate change and renewable energy development, a host of problems in the Middle East, the negotiation of major trade deals, remaining problems in health care, and many more. I found this outrageous. I certainly support raising the minimum wage, but frankly, it's not and shouldn't be presented as the policy issue of the day. I suppose it could be viewed as a measured response to the growing issue of unhealthy economic inequality in the United States; even if so, it's wholly inadequate to address the problem. Moreover, while it affects the income of millions directly, what about everyone else? Is the party appealing to them in a meaningful way? I have my doubts. What does the Democratic Party seek to accomplish? More specifically, what legislation do congressional Democrats favor? If the answers to these questions are unclear, the Democrats will remain in the minority. In the end, while the Republicans are wrong (or worse, absent) on most major policy issues, that isn't enough to carry the day. The Democratic Party must offer up its ideas to win.