France, Jan. 30 -- Donald Trump has wasted no time making his mark in his first week back in office, signing executive orders, delivering speeches and outlining his plans. Meanwhile, the Democrats are still absorbing their election loss in November and trying to chart a path forward. But despite the prevailing view that they are in trouble, their situation may not be as dire as it seems.

"This is one of the most misinterpreted elections in our last 75 years," said Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook Political Report. A well-known Washington analyst, Cook has provided independent commentary for decades and is widely followed by major US news outlets.

"Yes, Democrats are extremely disappointed that they lost the presidential election," he s...