With all due respect, “...Mitch can’t get any Dem votes...” unless and until he has something to TRADE for those votes.
A Senate Majority Leader has a few “goodies” to trade.
A Senate Minority has less to offer.
Strangely, some people seem to “think” that waiting to attack until the ammunition has arrived and been loaded is “surrender”.
Screw the Senate or "goodies to trade". What did Tip O'Neill do to get/prevent stuff he wanted/opposed under Republican President and a Republican controlled Senate for 6 years after 1980? Hint: the total opposite of Boehner and the current Republican leadership strategy of slow capitulation.
Will=way and if not prevent the other side from at least getting what they want (You can do this under control of 1/2 of the Legislative Branch or the Executive).