The Democratic Party is in shambles. There’s absolutely no reason the Democratic Party should be in shambles.

Donald Trump won the presidential election in November. Trump was already president for four years. Trump has been a public figure for five decades. Less than a month into his second administration, it seems like there’s no rhyme or reason for the opposition party to not know what to do. It’s inexcusable.

There’s been more time to prepare to take on this opponent than any other president in the history of the United States. It’s even more of a shame since there’s a playbook on how to defeat this guy, or any other Republican with a history in professional wrestling (FYI, Trump is in the WWE Hall of Fame). 

There are three pro wrestlers who not only worked well in an industry that doesn’t align with their politics, but thrived. It is possible to stand for something and win, or at least not lose, even when the guy that signs the checks and the guy at the top of the card are in direct opposition. 

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Kevin Nash and CM Punk give Democrats more than 40 years of examples on how to deal with an unstable billionaire (Vince McMahon) and his equally unstable favorite wrestler (Hulk Hogan). These lessons are applicable for dealing with any other unstable billionaire and their equally unstable lackey. 

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper: “Just when they think they’ve got the answers, I change the questions.”

There are two infamous “Rowdy” Roddy Piper “Piper’s Pit” segments.

The first involves Piper smashing a coconut on an unsuspecting opponent’s head. We’re not recommending that tactic since, as of this writing, politics is not a full-contact sport.

The other involves Frankie Williams, a jobber (a wrestler whose main job is to lose to the bigger-named talent). Piper and Williams verbally joust before the segment devolves into Piper physically humiliating the jobber (once again, not recommending this). But the reason every wrestling fan remembers this segment is the line Piper says directly to the camera: “Just when they think they’ve got the answers, I change the questions!”

Trump learned this lesson years ago. He’s perfected it. Elon Musk is pretty great at it too. Say whatever, whenever. There’s nothing preventing leaders of the Democratic Party from embracing this chaos theory of bold political statements. 

Piper was one of Hulk Hogan’s greatest opponents. But Piper rarely spoke about Hogan. Piper said a whole lot about Piper. Until the Democratic Party realizes that they can also control a narrative, they’ll always be reacting to chaos. 

Kevin Nash: nWo 4 Life

The New World Order, more commonly referred to as nWo, is one of the most successful wrestling factions in the history of professional wrestling and the most successful wrestling faction in popular culture.

Their shirts were omnipresent on television during the late ’90s and early 2000s. Made up of Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, the trio covered the entire political spectrum. Hogan is clearly a member of the GOP, dramatically endorsing Trump at last year’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Nash is very much not a member of that same party.

Nash has spoken about his ability to work with people he doesn’t necessarily agree with. He credits it to playing team sports.

Like most people that have shared a locker room, he understands horrible stuff is said in locker rooms across the political spectrum. It’s foolish to take a holier-than-thou approach to your opponent.

Trump has learned and benefited from being the bad guy. Calling him out is not only pointless, it makes him even more popular. When cruelty is the point, pointing out the cruelty reminds people that you were unable to stop it. 

Related to this lesson, Nash does not hate or speak about hating Trump. Saying you hate an individual or group is shooting yourself in the foot. Don’t say anything full of hate, unless you don’t want to make money or win votes. As politics evolve into a more tribe-like mentality, hating any one group means connecting with that group will be damn near impossible.

Kevin Nash’s entire career has been focused on making money. That is not a bad thing. It’s why he teamed up with Hogan in 1996 and never looked back, even if he’s never supported the guy Hogan shamelessly embraces.

Nash worked with Hogan and any other wrestler to benefit Nash. Hate no one and get paid has worked for Nash and would work for any politician.

Just make sure your constituents benefit and they know you’re part of the reason why. 

CM Punk: “Luck is for losers”

The Democratic Party would especially benefit from the current hottest professional wrestler working today, CM Punk. 

Some people vote against candidates they hate. More people vote for candidates they love. It’s much easier to fall in love with someone if they’re consistently themselves. No professional wrestler has been themself more than Punk.

The 46-year-old Punk has had his name chanted in WWE, AEW, ECW and Ring of Honor rings for two decades, including and especially during the seven years he stepped away from the squared circle.

Similar to how former President Barack Obama made “Yes, we can!” a rallying cry of optimism, fans have chanted Punk’s name as a show of support for him, but they also chant it when he is not even there and they’re unhappy with who is in the ring or what’s happening.

Consistency is key. Obama stayed on message in his first campaign and gave people a sense of hope. Punk has done the same by maintaining who he is. That’s why people chant for him.

He does not alter who he is to suit his opponent. He stays on message (the message being he’s the best in the world), speaks with conviction and literally wears his beliefs on his sleeve.

The heavily tattooed Punk has been telling opponents he’s better than them because he clearly believes it. The straight-edge atheist is as far from Hulk Hogan as you could be, both in terms of looks and mic prowess. 

One of Punk’s few catchphrases is “Luck is for losers.” Whenever luck is mentioned, whether in a WWE wrestling ring or a mainstream interview on ESPN, Punk chimes in, “Luck is for losers.” It’s a simple and powerful message. Hell, it would serve well as a life motto.

If the Democratic Party embraces this simple idea and starts inspiring people to support ideas and initiatives that would benefit their constituents, they might not live day-to-day hoping for the other guys to screw up. When there’s no luck, you have to act. 

The common trait of all three wrestlers is they fought for themselves.

Roddy Piper didn’t go on and on about defeating Hulk Hogan. (Fun fact: Piper was never pinned by Hogan, a lesson every Dem should remember.)

Nash didn’t care about taking down any specific opponent as long as he still had the big gold belt. (Whoever has the championship belt tends to sell the most T-shirts, and that means they get the most $$$.)

And Punk has made it clear he’s wrestling to make the most money. They’ve been successful because they understood it’s not about hating the other guy or compromise or even the best ideas.

Ideas do not matter if you can’t captivate. Convincing people you are the best and you are fighting for them, even when it’s predetermined, is how you win. 

If the Dems learn from the professional wrestling careers of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Kevin Nash and CM Punk, there’s a future for the party.

If not, they’re going to go the way of WCW.

If you’re not familiar with WCW, they’re dead. WWE now owns the WCW catalog and copyright.

Brandon Wetherbee is the editor of Recommend If You Like and co-author of “The Donald: How Trump Turned Presidential Politics Into Pro Wrestling”