Firing up the Dems..

Rick Perlstein, former Village Voice national correspondent, recently gave an interesting speech (note: the title of the speech may be offensive to some) to a group of national Democrats on how to break Republican's seeming lock on government.

In his speech, Perlstein focused on the role of economic and health care issues. He summed it up thusly:

It's simple. Barack Obama put it exquisitely in his victory speech: "Government can help provide us with the basic tools we need to live out the American dream."

Here's a dirty little secret. The Republicans know this. Nothing scares them more than us returning to our simple answers.

Here's Bill Kristol, in a famous 1993 memo I'm sure you're all familiar with: "Health care is not, in fact, just another Democratic initiative . . . the plan should not be amended; it should be erased. . . . It will revive the reputation of the . . . Democrats, as the generous protector of middle-class interests."

Has he hit on a point Democrats are forgetting? Or has the ground really shifted under the Democrats and people do not view the government as a way to help "provide us with the American Dream"? Or is it a dollar and cents issue: people like an active government and the programs it provides but they are worried about the cost?