the people’s party?

This article in Mother Jones by Michael Kazin is worth the reading time.

Democrats need to start acting more like the people’s party they once were -- and less like a traveling road show that packs up after each election.
Listening to the Democratic nominees during the 2004 presidential campaign, it often seemed as if they were ashamed to belong to their own political party. In his acceptance speech, John Kerry boasted that he “broke with many in my own party” to support a balanced budget and ridiculed the idea of “Democratic values” and “Republican values.” John Edwards gave a rousing concession speech -- but didn’t even bother to invoke the party’s name.
The other side never makes that mistake...

my favorite ideas from the article are:

A reborn Democratic Party would draw ideas and energy from states and local communities, enlisting candidates and organizers who share the values and language of the people whose votes they’ll be seeking. It could sponsor comedy nights and dance parties and debates about whether one can support gay marriage and still be a good Christian; throw street festivals at which every immigrant society, sportsmen’s club, church, temple, and mosque feels welcome;