I'd like to talk about a Democratic themes. Specifically, what
values define us as Democrats, and how those are consistent with our view of America.
What I'm looking for are one-word descriptions. Things that emphasize our strong points so we can use them as hammers. Things that are positive. Things that allow us to talk about our policies and frame debates.
For example, I like "Truth" because it points out what I see as the biggest liability on the part of the Republican party -- the fact that they're pretty much willing to lie and bend the rules to get what they want. Since we're not willing to do this, we need to make a bigger deal out of it. It speaks to a number of issues we care about: DeLay, Halliburton, lying about Iraq, 9/11, Medicare numbers... Also, it lets us say, "well, hey, sometimes the truth hurts, but at least you know we're gonna give it to you straight 'cause we're all adults here." It removes their ability to sugarcoat things without making us sound dour if we disagree.
More suggestions after the flip.
I also like "Security," although it may be a little contrived. I think that we can spin this to mean a number of things, but mostly it can be summed up in the Democratic feeling that government should keep people safe. So it means military security and all that entails, and it means being smart. Remember, being strong doesn't mean being safe. Being safe means not getting killed. It includes economic security, and thus the safety net: if you have a run of bad luck, it shouldn't put you out on the street. If your children aren't lucky enough to be born into the world of the super-rich, it's not going to mean that they have to be unhappy. I think it also means personal security. You shouldn't have to die from a preventable disease, period. That means not paying out the nose to HMOs, too, because you can't put a price on life. :P
I like "Opportunity" to some degree, because it captures economic security, too (everyone should have the opportunity to succeed). It also gives a good jumping-off point to talk about civil rights -- we might have equality, but we don't have opportunity for most minorities. It's also a better way to frame the class debate -- it's not about helping the poor and hurting the rich, it's that everyone should be able to become rich in America if they work hard enough, and we shouldn't lock anyone out of the happiness they wany if they're willing to work for it.
Finally, I like "Brotherhood," despite the fact that it's not gender-neutral, because it captures the Democratic dedication to equality. We use this to bludgeon the right on gay rights (what, just because they're gay you don't have to help them?), minority rights, economic security (what, you don't want to help your fellow Americans?), and a whole host of other issues. Better yet, we smack them in the face with it whenever they try to bring up a wedge issue.
Best of all, all of these allow us to frame the debate and take the moral high ground. They say: "no, we believe in Truth, too" and we say "well then why did you do X?" or "hey, maybe you should be a Democrat, George, 'cause your VP sure as hell doesn't believe in Truth."
That's all for now. Note that I have four and I wanted three. If you can think of a better rubric, or you just want to discuss these, you think they present liabilities, or you have stuff to add/subtract, please do. Remember, what we're looking for are single words expressing our values and our vision for America. Preferably stuff that draws the line between us and them in a really positive way.