Republicans are afraid they cannot stop Democrats from making big gains in November, so they're trying to convince Democrats to stop themselves.
The impact, rather, is on Democrats, who seem congenitally inclined to fret, who overthink every situation and who have been creative in finding new ways to squander political advantage.
Predictably, some Democratic hand-wringers are warning darkly that the very existence of left-of-center candidates such as Ocasio-Cortez, in the bluest districts in the land, will limit the party's potential gains in the House and imperil some Democrats in the Senate.
At a time of loudmouth politics, the one thing Democrats cannot afford to do is muffle their voices.
If Democrats concentrate on winning and manage to take control of both chambers, which is what really ought to happen, based on the Republicans' disgraceful performance, they will have difficulty reconciling the views of progressives and centrists.
What Republicans really fear when they see the likes of Ocasio-Cortez is the rise of a new generation in the Democratic Party.
Democrats need to win this election, not just for the good of the party but for the good of the country.
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