Reply #35: uh, disagree on the timing.

[Lexingtonian]

Yes, these people do want strong bold clear leadership. They also want piles of spending on what they like and tax cuts for themselves, winning in Iraq and withdrawal at the same time, abortion banned and yet available to their kids, and they're all rugged individualists while begging for some leader to save them from imaginary marauding hordes.

In short, the beating with the Clue Stick hasn't gone far enough just yet. Doing anything of the sort you propose in an expectation of winning majority appeal isn't worth it now or in the next few months, right or wrong as their demand may be.

As for the specifics, I think Democrats really need to stand on an extremely simple point: citizenship has to mean something real (again), after a long period in which it hasn't. and government has to act in conformity with and respectful of that notion of citizenship. Ask not what your country can do for you, etc.