Table of Contents

Turnout is Not Enough

"Turnout alone is no longer enough to win a national election for Democrats. The next Democrat who wins will be the one who changes enough minds."
-- MATT BAI, NEW YORK TIMES

Party of Responsibility

"Go back to being the party of responsibility.... All the issues Democrats like to run on -- education, the environment, the deficit, energy independence -- would be vastly more powerful if united under a single theme. ... It all comes down to responsibility."
-- WILLIAM SALETAN, SLATE

Comfortable with Faith and Values

"We need a nominee and a party that is comfortable with faith and values."
-- REP. RAHM EMANUEL (D-ILL.)

Compete For More of the Country

"Democrats need a nominee who can effectively compete for more of the country than Kerry did -- especially socially conservative regions such as the South and rural Midwest."
-- RON BROWNSTEIN, LOS ANGELES TIMES

A Positive Message That Connects with the Heartland

"If the Democrats make a comeback, it must not be by default, because the country has lapsed into a total mess, but because they have nominated a candidate who can win with a positive message that connects with America's heartland."
-- THOMAS FRIEDMAN, NEW YORK TIMES

The Real Outsiders

"We need a fresh reassessment of how we communicate with people. How did a party that has been out of power in Washington, D.C., become tagged with the problems of Washington, D.C.?"
-- GOV. JANET NAPOLITANO, ARIZONA

More Than Resentment

"We need to be a party that stands for more than the sum of our resentments."
-- SEN. EVAN BAYH, INDIANA

Culture Matters Too

"[Voters] simply reject the notion that material concerns are more real than spiritual or cultural ones."
-- BRAD CARSON, OKLAHOMA SENATE CANDIDATE

A Narrative, Not a Litany

"The purpose of a political party in a democracy is to win elections. We're not doing that well enough. ... There's a Republican narrative, a story, and there's a Democratic litany. ... We really need to have a narrative."
-- JAMES CARVILLE, COMMENTATOR & CONSULTANT

Intolerant Liberals

"If you want to understand why Democrats keep losing elections, just listen to some coastal and university town liberals talk about how conformist and intolerant people in Red America are."
-- DAVID BROOKS, NEW YORK TIMES

Back to Basics

"This is the time for the losers to go back to basics, to restate their views into a basic simple, straightforward language of values and morals. It's the time to parse what we believe in. Especially right and wrong."
-- ELLEN GOODMAN, BOSTON GLOBE

Faith, Family, Hard Work

"Once we agree on a shared vision to connect our progressive social values of faith, family, hard work, loyalty, opportunity, security, and prosperity for all, we will soar again."
-- DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST

The Real Electoral Division

"The real electoral division isn't between the coasts and the heartland. It's between cities all over the United States and the rest of the country."
-- SEAN WILENTZ, LOS ANGELES TIMES