In the coming months, the Democratic Party will offer explanations for its failure in the 2024 presidential election. Its reasons will almost certainly miss two points that are central to understanding the outcome and building a party that can win nationally.

First, Americans aren’t comfortable with the idea that theirs is a flawed nation that happens to have done some good. They prefer to see their nation, as I do, as a powerful force for good that happens to have some deep imperfections. The first description encourages a sense of shame while the second instills a sense of pride, moderated by the humility of our shortcomings. It’s possible to talk about our nation’s injustices in ways that honor the view of so many that our country is good and special. Our founders created a flawed system, but that same system had within it the ability to change for the better. It was Americans who perpetrated the nation’s founding imperfections, and Americans who fought to banish those same imperfections from our national soul.

With good intentions, Democrats seem to focus relentlessly on the wrongs of the nation, making it difficult for Americans who are proud of their country to listen to the party’s other messages. Democrats could remember that two things can be true at once: Ours can be a flawed nation with imperfections and we can also be an extraordinary nation, one of the very few in history able to move past its shortcomings, even if progress is sometimes halting.

Democrats should remember that people need to feel valued and respected before they can effectively listen. The party’s frequent slide into condescension precludes huge numbers of Americans from listening to its positive message. Democratic politicians talk about the “American people” but too frequently end up calling them deplorables or garbage or uneducated or misinformed. For too long, Democrats have attributed their electoral shortcomings to the character flaws of other Americans, and to a failure to communicate clearly enough to a population they believe should be receptive to their ideas. The truth is, no amount of communication can overcome the barrier of condescension, and there’s no place for condescension in a Democratic Party that wants to reach our diverse citizenry.

The Democratic Party’s acceptance of many types of diversity has been laudable, but we need to do a better job accepting the validity of a more conservative worldview. Tens of millions of Americans voted for president-elect Donald Trump, not because they were bigoted or ill-informed, but because they believed his vision and his policies were best for them and their nation. If Democrats want the chance to win these voters in the future, we should call out the excesses of a few while we praise the noble intent of the many.

I am a Democrat because I believe government can play a productive role in people’s lives. I am less convinced than my Republican friends that free markets left alone always produce the best outcomes for Americans. I am a descendant of immigrants and believe immigration can make our nation better. I believe every American deserves the tools they need to thrive, and I acknowledge that not every American is born with those tools. I believe government is sometimes best positioned to provide them. At the same time, I am uncomfortable with minors receiving gender-affirming care, believe faith and religion play an important role in people’s lives and the life of the nation, am committed to the type of border that precludes uncontrolled crossings, and believe that people are ultimately responsible for their actions and their outcomes. I have at times felt unwelcome by a Democratic Party that seems to hold in contempt what it would describe as my more conservative positions. This is a problem for a party intent on broad appeal.

Republicans have much to change if they hope to reach Democrats with their message. Democrats often point out the places Republicans should improve but are less willing to admit where their own actions create distance between themselves and voters. I am not a fan of Trump and voted against him all three times he ran for office. But I have many friends who voted for him, people I’ve known for years and for whom I feel nothing but love and respect. I know first-hand that most of his voters are good people and good Americans. If the Democratic Party wants to reach them in the future, we would do well to start there.

Colin Pascal (colinjpascal@outlook.com) is a retired Army officer, a registered Democrat and a former member of the Veterans for Hogan Coalition. He lives in Annapolis.