Senate Democrats have resorted to asking West Virginia's senator to teach them how to talk to 'real people'

Still reeling from their 2016 losses but already looking ahead to 2018, 10 Senate Democrats who are facing election contests in states that voted for President Trump gathered in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, on Thursday to learn how to effectively market themselves to "real people."

Prominent on the day's agenda is a "discussion with Trump voters" session moderated by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who is among those 10 Democratic senators prepping for a difficult re-election campaign. Other sessions have titles like "Speaking to those who feel invisible in rural America," "Listening to those feel unheard," and "Rising America — They feel unheard too."

The meeting, which is closed to journalists, will also feature a discussion headlined by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on how Democrats can find and exploit points of convergence with Trump's policies that traditional Republicans may not embrace. Called "Triangulating Trump," the conversation will focus on topics like infrastructure development, international trade, and anti-outsourcing regulations.

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