While Trump supporters fall in line, Democrats fall apart

Now Warren is making a pitch for the one group that none of the white males who lead the field has much interest in courting: Latinos. She'll get a crack at them in Nevada, where Latinos represent 30% of the population. She also plans a five-city tour in Texas, as she sets her sights on the March 3 primaries on Super Tuesday. Those contests include elections in the Lone Star State and California. We can expect Julián Castro -- her chief Latino surrogate -- to figure prominently in that strategy.

Castro deserves credit for recognizing that Iowa was behind the times. While he was in the race, the former housing and urban development secretary argued that first-in-the-nation status should go to a state with a more diverse population. After the voting debacle, we can expect that view to become more popular.

Meanwhile, nothing on the Democratic menu is appetizing to James Carville. After the Iowa caucuses, the veteran political strategist went on MSNBC and declared that he was "scared to death" of where the Democratic Party appears to be headed. He's not just talking about the prospect of losing to Trump. Carville thinks the party has become an "ideological cult" and that Democrats need to "wake up" and "talk about things that are relevant to people." As one of the chief architects of Bill Clinton's pair of successful White House races, Carville knows how to win. He doesn't care much about being "woke" or starting a movement.

"What we need is power!" he said. "Do you understand? That's what this is about." Carville complained that he is "not very impressed" with the Democratic field. And that's why he is scared.

He's not alone. Political observers will often say that Trump is his own worst enemy, and that name-calling, handshake-shirking and rage-tweeting could ultimately be his downfall. Trump can beat Trump, they insist.

As a Never Trumper, this gives me some comfort. Because, heaven knows, none of the clowns headlining the Democratic circus seems up to the task.

========

Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.