Congressman Mike Thompson is the Middletown Area Town Hall’s scheduled guest speaker on Thursday, Aug. 10.

MATH meetings are conducted at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St.

Thompson is a standard-bearer of sorts for the Democratic Party in California. He has never lost an election dating back to his tenure in the State Senate. He hasn’t faced a substantial opponent in years, and his seat is, let’s say, secure. The Democratic Party can count on Mike Thompson to deliver.

For those residing in California’s Fifth Congressional District, it appears as though we are in a long-term relationship with Thompson. Or at least until at such time as he sees fit to end it. A bit ironic.

I am not a native of California, but I do know what one-party rule in a state can look like. I was raised in a so-called red county from “downstate” Illinois. The member of Congress who currently represents that area is Rep. Mike Bost (R) Illinois, 12th District.

In 2012, then-state Rep. Bost drew brief national attention following a meltdown on the floor of the Illinois General Assembly.

Although not particularly eloquent during this outburst, his rant over the House’s rules revealed his party’s deep frustrations with Chicago-dominated Democratic politics in the state.

And now at the national level, the Democratic Party is having a meltdown, or at the least, a serious identity crisis.

Democrats are the minority in the House, Senate, governorships and state legislatures. They are angry, disappointed and lack a message. However, something they don’t lack is a target for their venting.

On the morning of President-elect Trump’s Inauguration, I was listening to a National Public Radio broadcast of the day’s events. One of the guests on this program was from www.MoveOn.org, which is a progressive public policy advocacy group and political action committee.

She was lamenting the results of the recent election and matter-of-factly described our new president as a monster. That doesn’t sound like a particularly progressive thing to say. It sounds hateful.

Hatred is not a blue emotion nor is it a red emotion. Hatred is a destructive emotion. I would hope that we can all agree upon this.

On Aug. 10, bring your questions for Congressman Mike Thompson, but leave your hatred at the door.

Michael Tabacchi lives in Middletown, Calif.