The 2010 election is seen as a pivotal elections where the Republican'ts took back the House and also several state governments and local offices which then allowed them to gerrymander the Democrats into a minority in each state for the next 10+ years. All this was accomplished while the press was complaining about lack of "Democrat" bipartisanship and unreasonableness... oh, and AUSTERITY!
They did this by doing one thing and one thing only, "Getting more voters to get off their asses and vote than the Democrats." Democratic powers-that-be, DFA, DSCC, et. al. picked some real yawner candidates and generally piddled around here and there but did not have a sustained message that moved voters enough to get off their butts and go out and vote, much less turn out to canvass etc.
Things changed after the 2010 rout when the Republican'ts in the states and national level cracked down on Unions, Women's rights and Voting rights of anyone not the right color or demographic persuasion. Why, the press even finally noticed after their noses were repeatedly rubbed in it by bloggers and a few MSNBC and Comedy Central news shows. People got PISSED that the Republican'ts were killing their unions, stealing their voting rights & lady-parts freedoms. They got, what is sometimes called, MOTIVATED.
The only formula that wins elections is turning out more voters that vote for your gal/guy than the other one. The national Democratic Party Apparatchiks seem to have forgotten that fact in the rush to be everything to everyone: whether it is to say you are going to close Gitmo even if you know it's going to take Congressional OK [unlikely] to do that, or to try to be appear, sound and BE "reasonable" when dealing with the unhinged Republican House and Senate members and then allowing them to block everything that you propose doing without the backup needed in the Senate of filibuster reform.
It appears that the Democratic National and State party higher-ups are not really interested in winning but in fielding the "right" candidate as blessed by their apparatus and backers. Is there any hope that they will wake up and field candidates with actual Democratic/Liberal/Progressive agendas instead of republican-lite that has been the main course for too long?
Maybe mention a way to remove the debt using the Progressive Caucus' budget instead of starting with John Boener's budget.
I will look for any ideas along these lines at NRN and see if any show up. I can hope that there may be a few new Elizabeth Warrens and Alan Graysons out there but I am not holding my breath.