soul-searching

The lack of soul-searching clearly rubbed CNN panelists the wrong way, as the Democratic Party's army of consultants appeared to be running away from their results before the ink dried on their checks.

For Mr Topless, the experience has led to "soul-searching moments".

Democrats are already engaged in considerable soul-searching, as they come to grips with an election defeat that has delivered the White House, the Senate and, perhaps, the House of Representatives to Republican control.

Democrats are — to mix political clichés — soul-searching in the political wilderness yet again after Trump’s dominant win over Kamala Harris.

But soul-searching over where she went wrong and what else she could have done will likely take longer as Democrats begin finger-pointing and raising questions about the future of the party.