Well at least its better than what they have been using... "Its America's fault".

Their strategy is the same as before. They can change the wrapping, but the shit inside the boxis still the same -- class warfare.

It's even worse than that. When Edwards says there's

a hunger for something big and important and inspirational that they all can be involved in

Nope, guess not. They're too busy trying to screw it up.

I guess at least they can bank on the fact that they have a better chance at Bush than the Texans.

Well at least its better than what they have been using... "Its America's fault".

It's the same, because to the DNC, America just isn't about community, internally or externally.

America: Unilateral inside and out.

Which I'm fine with, of course ...

Community and School Spirit.

sounds a lot like the mindless jingoism of "america right or wrong" the democrats accuse us of.

remember the dem study a while back where they decided that republicans didn't have better ideas, they were just better at 'framing the issue' than democrats. they're right on that last point anyway.

it's really no wonder bush has made it 5 years ever answering his critics. ignore them long enough and what they say gets stupider and stupider.

heh.

Oh wait...

Community?

Holy shit!

That changes everything!

I'm voting Democrat!

Isn't this just a re-working of the Hillary (oooooh shudders from chill that just went up spine) "it takes a village" theme.

When we work together, when rely on one another, when we care about one another we remove the fear of sharing ...

Wow. In a single sentence, he managed to cram in four code words for economic collectivism and forced wealth redistribution.

I guess liberty and voluntarism aren't in the Democrats' vocabulary any more.

"There is a hunger in America, a hunger for a sense of national community, a hunger for something big and important and inspirational that they all can be involved in," [Senator John] Edwards, the party's 2004 vice presidential nominee, told delegates at a weekend convention of Florida Democrats."

Translation: There's a "hunger" for big government programs like the War on Poverty, run by a Democratic President and Congress. Ah, pardon me while I throw-up.

Democrats believe that Communism is a winning strategy?

I have a fear of sharing. It's when I'm sitting next to some guy on a cross country flight, and he starts talking to me. I think, "Oh, my God, he's not going to 'share,' is he?" The only way to remove this fear of sharing is by placing gorgeus, witty women next to me on flights. I'll vote Dem, if they can do that.

When they say Americans have a "hunger for something big and important and inspirational that they all can be involved in," well don't they realize that people will immediately think of Dick Cheney?

This is what today's Democrats do: talk. They talk and talk and talk about how they've got ideas to fix everything and turn America into a land of chocolate puppies and soda pop rivers, but it's all just talk. Somewhere in all those words, they never have any real ideas or solutions, just gooey platitudes and abstract states of being like "community". Nuts to that. Stand for something other than weakness, division, and obstructionism and we'll see what you have to say, DNC.

I have to disagree with you, to an extent. America's bloodiest war was fought to preserve the Union. As much as Americans bicker among ourselves, the founding principles of the nation are even today -- despite the best efforts of the Worstest Generation -- ingrained into us in ways we tend to take for granted until they're pointed out to us.

That said, it's true that most Americans aspire to a different kind of "community" than Alger Hiss did. I'll believe the current Democratic leadership is serious when it can go a year or two without actively sabotaging the country.

They're projecting, really. They say "we" need to feel a part of something but they won't even mention patriotism in the same breath. Most of us already feel a part of something even if it's something with the wheels slowly coming off.

And that's what all this is about. You can bet it focus-grouped not necessarily as a leading issue, but a counter for their percieved lack of patriotism. It has the added appeal of not alienating the moonbats with jingoistic words about flag and country.

What a bunch of boobs they take us for.

Democrats 1932: "We're going to tax the crap out of those eeevil rich people over there and give you part of the loot! We'll usher in a golden age of Socialism!"

Democrats 2005: "We're going to tax the crap out of those eeevil rich people over there and give you part of the loot! We'll usher in a golden age of ... er... community!"

Not only two America's, but TWO communities!

they search for something that will resonate with America, that they can actually, you know, support.

and the best they can come up with is what doesn't piss us off?

Today's Democratic Party: Sure, it's meaningless tripe, but hey, it doesn't make you mad and for us that's real progress!

Empty plans from empty headed demacrats so what else is new?

I think maybe the Democrats are slowly, painfully, and not entirely willingly moving toward embracing patriotism again. They've learned that running as the party of national self-loathing isn't a big vote-getter, but they can't quite bring themselves to utter the "P" word yet -- at least not without either scare quotes or irony. Still, it's a good sign.

I actually enjoy these biannual public exercises in repackaging and marketing that the Democrats routinely provide.

Face it, these guys can't say what they really think on virtually any substantial political issue because to do so would be electoral suicide.

So, we are treated, year after year, to the spectacle of Democrats repackaging the same luke warm "socialism/welfare state lite" in terms that they think will resonate with the rubes in flyover country that they wouldn't deign to share a public toilet with if they could avoid it.

It's fun watching people like the Dems obsfucate ineffectively.

Dumbshits.

They apparently don't comprehend that Americans are GREAT at establishing a sense of community, but they do so around "tasks" (for lack of a better word).

They form Little Leagues and churches and dating services and blogs and Lions Clubs and arts collectives and all kinds of stuff like that.

The fucking federal government has NOTHING to do with how those collections of interests get together, but by God, the fucking federal government knows when it's time to start administering the sense of a possibility of a spirit of community.

"Americans don't want to believe that they are out there on an island all alone," the former North Carolina senator said.

Ah, selling to the "What's It All About, Alfie?" segment. This was maybe new in the 60s but amounts to repackaged spam now.

Sadly many still *like* spam.

Here's a concept: modernization + convenience = slow but inevitable erosion of all things communal.

That's just. The Way. It Fucking Is.

(I was dying to use that line somehow/somewhere).

This is the new "framing" of the Democratic position. From Lakoff's website:

Frame development takes time and work. Progressives have to start reframing now and keep at it. This reframing must express fundamental progressive values : empathy, responsibility, fairness, community, cooperation, doing our fair share.

Progressives have to articulate over and over the moral basis for progressive taxation.

Since he has become the Democratic Party's message guru, you can divine the future trends of the Dems by studying Lakoff's site and work. Unfortunately, while he won't add much substance, he'll certainly add coherency and unity to the Dems' platform.

Patriotism is the normal expression of national "community." But I don't think the donks have that in mind - I think it's more along the lines of "collectivism" rather than "community" that they're aiming for. I see nothing in this that wasn't there before - just different words.

Not to shamelessly self-promote TOO much, but this came up at Urban Elephants as well.

I live down the street from where this little "get together" happened. It was held at the home of Mr. "for the people" John Morgan....also known as Mr. ambulance chasing scumbag fucking personal injury lawyer sue anybody shithead douche Morgan.

These leftists go on and on about caring for the people and they're constantly caught trying to make big money. Bunch of hypocrites man. At least we clearly state that we're into making cash.

God I hate them.

There is a hunger in America, a hunger for a sense of national community

That's Nationalism, right. And they are the party of Socialism. Hey, where have I heard those two words used together before?

I love the way the AP reporter describes this gaseous 'context' as an 'emerging message'.

That's the whole point of the piece.

Problem is, nothing is emerging, least of all a message.

To a professional writer words should have meaning.

Was the AP editor so unprofessional that he failed to recognize his reporter's incoherence? Or is this yet another example of the MSM compromising its standards for the sake of its party?

"...the self-reliant individual supported by community..."

The self-reliant is historically accurate, but less so now than in past generations (thanks, NEA, for making our kids a bunch of "do-nothings-without-everyone-else's-help-and-approval"), but "supported by the community"? Back in the day, support of the community was either by local group or church, and lack of support was generally by social convention, i.e., when someone did something wrong such as stealing hubcaps or trashing an outhouse, they were caught, turned in to the authorities or reported to parents, and punishment was meted appropriately.

There was none of this "community" crap. Everyone assumed they were part of the community, and to remain so meant to behave in acceptable fashion. End of story.

Edwards' talk is just what has been pointed out already: it's newspeak for collectivism. The Dems really hate the individual, with good reason. Individuals can make decisions. Communities talk problems to death but never do anything without guidance from "above" (read: the Party).