First the success of the Repubs is not because they trashed or destroyed the democratic side or someone in specific, is because (since Gingrich and now Rove) they know how to manipulate and deliver the "Republican Agenda" social and cultural conservatism, religious and moral values and last but not least "Patriotic values", all based in FEAR!

Fear in being attacked by foreigners (notice how Oklahoma faded, done by a good ol' white boy).

Fear of immigrants taking your job (but notice how people don't notice or care that much about outsourcing and free trade).

Fear of losing Medicare of medical insurance (notice how insurance premiums have gone way up in this administration)

Fear of imported pharmaceuticals that can harm or kill us (notice that flu vaccine was being made in England and now looking to Canada to supply for shortfall)

Fear of your children lagging behind in school (notice no actual support to schools and lets not forget the "Texas miracle" a total sham)

Fear of  marriage being dissolved, fear of killing unborn fetuses or even now steam cells but notice the lack of protection for automatic weapons or the death penalty (why can't democrats appeal to Catholics in the death penalty issue just like repubs did on the abortion???)

And I can keep going on and on with it, fear is at the core of the agenda of the repubs, we have to admit it and clearly state that Karl Rove is a Genius and we need the equal but inverse of him in the democratic party, cold, visceral, smart, firm, confident, etc...

We don't need a Carville figure to head the Demos but we do need someone that can understand rural America, religious America, moderate America, not only the south but the Midwest, if we are not careful we are going to lose the upper Midwest by the next elections. And I think that even if the 18-29 crowd did not perform to the hype we still need them and we need to continue especially to attack in the Internets (jajaja) but seriously we should not drop the advantage that we have on the internet, I think that it is a good counterbalance to Talk Radio and honestly we middleagers are going to continue using it and the kids are going to use it even more and more, so we need a Trippi like person behind the curtains, and so much more.

And what about the losing ground with women and minorities? We are losing connection with women very fast and that would be fatal! And what about first time Hispanic voters, split between dems and repubs? Why are we losing ground in the Hispanic vote? This is also fatal, fast Hispanic growth in this country is a fact not fiction, by 2050 or even earlier 1 out of every 4 Americans is going to be Hispanic (25% of the population) and it is only going to keep growing and growing; and we are losing them because of moral issues, religious issues (sorry but again with religion, I don't like it but is a fact), we are losing them because we lack a clear plan for education and immigration. They don't see a clear picture with us so they turn to the clear picture of the repubs even when some in that party have almost xenophobic ideas on immigration (Davis and Arnold in CA, etc).

How can immigrants, women, the middle class vote against their own economic and personal interests? Because they don't see a clear alternative in the Dems.

I personally feel that we are in the midst of a major shift in the USA, a real almost tangible but out of reach cultural and racial change. I feel that this is like the last great stand of Conservative White America, and it is going to end but if we are not careful they are going to transcend to the rest of the nation THEIR AGENDA and we can not let them achieve it.

Look at the voices and leaders of this country reflect the majority of the nation. A leader of the House that bribes and lies and who knows what else (Delay), the previous leader of the Senate that is a racist cheating man (Lott), the leader of the law enforcement is a xenophobic ultra religious man (Ashcroft), a possible ultra conservative chief justice that was involved in a sexual harassment case (Thomas), the leader of the conservative airwaves that is a known pharmaceutical dependent and possibly reseller (Limbahug), the leader of the conservative media that was involved in a sexual harassment case (O'Really), and last but not least, the leader of the free world that is an alcoholic, known drug user, born again Christian (Bush). See a pattern here, all hypocrites disguise as conservative, role model, almost holy figures.

AND WE LOST 2004 BECAUSE 22% OF THE NATION SAID THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IS MORAL VALUES???