I think that the Democrats lose because they are so arrogant. It takes brass balls to tell the American people how greedy, bloodthirsty and rude they are and, then, expect them to vote Democrat. The posts, on this forum, are replete with stereotypes of Southern and Mid-Western white males, corporate arch-criminals and everyone else who doesn't vote the Mudcat way. When the candidates start listening to the voters, instead of lecturing them, they will run stronger campaigns.
Democrats do very well in local and state elections. That is because they have to deliver services and they are subject to closer scrutiny. Republican "free enterprise" and "rugged individualism" have little mening when it comes to picking up the garbage and running the schools. Even cities in red states, have blue administrations. It is in the larger, more philosophical areas that the voters seem to choose what they believe to be the American Dream.
The Democrats, relly, dropped the ball after 9/11. They, seriously, misjudged the mood of the country. They missed the fear, the panic, the anger. The left was so bust defending the "innocent" Arabs and telling us that we were to blame for what happened that day. Oh yeah, that's gonna play well in Podunk. It is astounding that the Democrats, occasionally, win.

                   Mike