Dawning dread and desperation 2016 was a disastrous year for Democrats - and not just because they lost a little thing called the White House. They woke up the day after the election with champagne hangovers, caviar breath, and the horrific realization that they’d become a small, ineffectual, bi-coastal political party-ette. Worse, they were forced to admit that their media allies could no sell their tin as gold. So, they took a look at their parties “bench” to determine what comes next.