In an ordinary election we could say that the whole thing is over with President Trump as of today, losing in landslide. The mood of the country is set; the people cannot stand four more years of Barnum & Bailey in the White House.

After all, the President has managed to alienate the majority of voters with his inept handling of foreign affairs, insulting most countries of the world, cruel treatment of immigrants, cutting benefits for the disabled and needy, playing politics with defense and foreign aid and being more obnoxious as a president than Andrew Jackson.

Trump’s re-election is impossible except for one thing: the Democrats haven’t finished their nominating process and are handing the President another four-year term by being Democrats. It is genetic for them to seize defeat from the jaws of victory.

Right now, Democrats are engaged in an internecine war aimed at killing the leading candidate. So while a candidate is leader on Day One, after a night of the long knives, the leader is the loser on Day Two.

Reminds me of baseball Coach Leo Durocher who said he would trip his mother rounding third base if her run would beat his team.

And with a field of candidates as big the Third Division of General Clark’s Sixth Army, there are plenty of swords swinging in every foray politely called “debates.” They are killing fields, wiping each other out as President Donald rumbles toward the finish line.

The Democrats have managed to ruin their chances of victory by cutting moderate Joe Biden down to the level of two left -wing candidates – Sanders and Warren – who are so far off center that the Republicans needn’t worry about extra votes from Chicago cemeteries.

Republicans have a definite advantage over Democrats when the rubber meets the road. More of them are rational about elections while Democrats always try to win elections with new and better promises. In most cases, staying home would be the best strategy.

History has lessons for politicians. Of course, every generation feels deprived if we don’t let them go out and repeat past mistakes. Every party has the right to do the foolish things that beat their candidates in the past.

When I was professing political science at UND, one of my courses was political parties and interest groups.

During that time, two guys named Richard Scammon and Ben Wattenberg (one Republican and one Democrat) wrote “The Real Majority” in which they gave away the simple secret of winning elections. Hog the middle. The problem is that political strategists don’t read books. They watch TV commercials, polls and the anti-social media.

According to Richard and Ben, “it can safely be said that the only extreme that is attractive to the large majority of American voters is the extreme center.” Barry Goldwater and George McGovern demonstrated that.

Just last week, the number of independents increased from six per cent to 15 percent. These may well be moderates shaking their old loyalties and looking for moderation.

That means the out party (Democrats) should be fighting to dominate the middle with moderate campaigning instead of running through the radical underbrush. Mark my word: they will pay no attention to moderation when they select delegates to the National Democratic Convention. They may give a moderate candidate a vote or two but most of North Dakota’s votes will be cast for leftist candidates who cannot win a general election.

So, Donald, we know you did your best to lose but the Democrats aren’t going to let that happen without a fight.

Lloyd Omdahl is a former lieutenant governor of North Dakota and former political science professor at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.