Trump differs tremendously from Reagan in his policy views and personal style. But he shares one key thing with his predecessor: Trump knows that whenever he wants, he can always trade on the Democrats' basic, underlying shame at being American.
Thirty years later, it's still ridiculously easy to evoke this feeling in them if one is so inclined, and yet it's a terrible look for a political party. This isn't how one wins elections:
"The Trump presidency... reinforced the national pride of older, whiter people, who tend to vote Republican, while inducing the opposite reaction in the younger, more diverse Democratic base. And with Trump again on the ballot, the 2020 election may hinge not on foreign policy, the economy or health care, but on pride — who gets to feel it, and why."
(And if it's not actually shame about being American, it's honestly not so easy to tell the difference.)