Whether the DNC should "position" or "brand" themselves is not really the question, because, inevitably, the DNC has a budget item to do just that. So then it becomes a question as to how best to do that, not only without appearing completely phony, but also re-directing the party itself towards its constituents. It's called progressivism.
Two ads have come to my attention recently. One has aired, one is still in pre-production.
This advertisement, from the Center for American Progress, is airing in Midwest markets:
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The ad below is in pre-production, but its director, Adam Klugman, released it on YouTube to get feedback from progressive Democrats before the final video is made. (And you can read more about the thought behind its development here.) As Adam Klugman says, we're not looking for
...a new brand identity, or a new commercial, but... what Oxford Dictionary defines as "an uplifting song" to be "sung by a choir." And while I must admit that it is odd to propose a new brand identity campaign for a party that seems to be careening away from its constituents, that is precisely my point: like turning into a skid, we must not pull away from our party but turn directly into it, all of us, at the same time, and recover our control before it is too late.
So it's not a question whether the Democratic Party will work to "brand" itself for 2008, because they will, the question is, how best can it do so?