Despite all the media hype, there were, in the end, only a few surprises in America’s mid-term elections. Although history is not the guide it used to be in predicting any variety of things, the broader outcomes of the House and Senate races were mostly a foregone conclusion. Both sides are already digging in their heels regarding what their own conventional wisdom dictates they “should” do. Now that the Democrats control the House, what should the Democrats do with the gavel?

Democrats’ first instinct will be to sharpen their pencils and try to impeach Trump, but this would be a mistake. The Democrats have already spent too much time complaining about how terrible they think the President is and too little time crafting a cutting-edge platform with updated messaging that will actually give them a better chance of recapturing the Senate and White House in 2020. It would be a waste of resources trying to impeach the President for it appears highly unlikely that they can prove he actually did anything illegal. He is too smart to have done that. His lieutenants will continue to fall, but not him.

If the Democrats are smart, they will spend the next two years yielding power to a new generation of leaders who gain inspiration from a different playbook. Slugging it out with Republicans sounds good to the old guard, but it is not particularly attractive or effective, and that is not why voters have sent anyone to Congress from either side of the aisle. Both sides need to break their unfortunate habit of saying how terrible the other side is, roll up their sleeves, reach across the aisle, and get some things done.

How long is Congress going to continue talking about health care, immigration, and infrastructure before they actually make meaningful, lasting progress on all these, and other, important issues? So obvious, but so true. While it seems unlikely that much will change in the next two years, the seeds of change for the coming decade starts right now. Trump and the Republicans already get this. By electing Trump, Republicans have already trashed convention and already have a two-year head start on their own future. The Democrats, by contrast, continue beating a tired old drum.

The majority of the American voting public is neither Democrat nor Republican. 45% are Independent and reject both the Looney Left and the Radical Right. The party that can appeal to the sentiments of this majority voting block will become victorious election after election going forward. The Republicans have made significant inroads in that regard; the Democrats have not even gotten their shoes on yet. If they can take some pages from the Republican playbook, stop being politically correct, stop embracing socialist ideals (which are greatly out of step with most voters), and be honest about what is achievable and what is not, they may have a chance in 2020. If they fail to do so, Trump will be re-elected.

Based on recent presidential voting history, and barring some unforeseen political or economic calamity, Trump is likely to be re-elected and the Senate will remain in the hands of Republicans in 2020. If the Democrats want to take back the Senate and the White House, they should spend the next two years getting things done instead of complaining about Trump. He had been busy getting things done and keeping campaign promises since the day he walked into the Oval Office.