The Republican tax bill should pretty much cinch a big Democratic year in 2018.

The bill does exactly what Americans suspect Republicans want to do: reward their big donors at the expense of everybody else. When you take away a tax break for teachers who pay out of their pockets for school supplies – and let corporations keep the same tax break – well, there aren’t many fatter political targets than that.

How would you like to try to sell this proposition to the American people: “Yes, we gave huge tax cuts to the super-rich and big corporations, but you can count on all that flowing right straight down to you, Mr. and Mrs. America.”

Righto. 

(Tip to Democrats: Stop talking about “the middle class” or “ordinary Americans” or “working families” or whatever other awkward construction you come up with. Talk about – and to – all Americans.)

The tax bill is just one part of the sinking ship the Republicans are building.

First, and always, there’s Trump. The more he tweets, the more deluded, demented and downright dangerous he looks.

Now he thinks a government shutdown would help him.

Then there’s Roy Moore. You almost want him to win so you can see Republicans defend how Trump and Moore treat women. Or girls, in Moore’s case.

Republicans in Congress aren’t done. Having piled on a trillion dollars of new debt, they’ll now try to cut Social Security and Medicare.

It all adds up to a wave election. And one thing is sure in a wave election: The politicians who get swept away never see it coming. They convince themselves they’re in power because of their own moral goodness. They convince themselves they’re immune to defeat. They convince themselves that what has happened again and again throughout history won’t happen again.

Now, Democrats could blow it. But it’ll be hard, even for us. The easiest message in politics is: “Had enough? It’s time for a change.”