Sometimes I think the fact that Democrats always have so much difficulty in this area is a reflection of the fundamental differences between the parties. Republicans enforce strict message discipline because they respond well to a lockstep, monolithic ideology. The differences in the Republican party are usually shades on a theme. The Democrats, on the other hand, seem to be a looser coalition of diverse views. This may also have to do with why one party claims to champion diversity and the other tradition.

SOULS! If only Democrats could get their souls cut out like the Republicans, we wouldn't have this problem. (Do you think Cheney ever gives them back?)

Being fair-minded, taking the high ground - bah!

... one of the Democratic "troops." He's a self-interested talking head like the rest of the blowhards on CNN.

And Blagojevich, well, the fact that he's saying *anything* for the Obama campaign is a bit troubling, given his checkered history.

That would be the same Carville who's wife editied the Swift Boater Jerome Corsi's Obama Nation. He needs to be put out to pasture next to Leiberman.

Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher caught James Carville, of all people, playing defense for John McCain on CNN

Dude, where've you been for the last ten years? Mr Mary Matalin couldn't get his Village citizenship papers stamped fast enough. You don't lie in bed with Dick Cheney's flying monkey through White House Iraq Group, the smearing of Al Gore, of John Kerry, the sick exploitation of wounded Iraq vets who think they were fighting against al Qaeda if you have a shred of a soul, an ounce of conscience, a glimmer of decency.

Carville works for Carville-Matalin, Inc. That's all. CNN may ask him to speak for Democrats, I very much doubt if Barack Obama, or any Dem not named Clinton, would every ask him for anything.

and his great line, "The game is rigged."

with MSM tied up in Republican interests, the corrupt games the Republicans play, it doesn't surprise me that the Democrats crack. Sure they shouldn't, but I don't think they should be written about as if they and the Republicans were playing on an equal playing field, and the Republicans are masters of anything but corruption and deceit. That's just silly.

Maybe I'd react differently were I to see the video, but this doesn't sound like much of a defense of McCain. He's expressing disappointment in the McCain campaign.

I was raised a Catholic, as was Carville. Other Catholics or lapsed Catholics can recognize what's going on here.

Alex, go ahead and call Carville out (he deserves it), but you deserve to be called out for playing into the Republicans=United, Democrats=Conflicted meme.

this is nothing. if anything, listening to Carville gives the impression that, although deep down McCain's a real good guy, the fact is:

1. He's not in control of his team.

2. His team is slinging pretty ugly dirt.

#1 is a pretty harsh indictment on McCain. I don't think its the same as Carville simply giving McCain a pass regarding #2.

He's not a Democrat as far as I can tell. He's a convert to his wife and the only Democrat he would support has Clinton in their name.

The difference is Democrats have brains and can think for themselves. Sometimes, that results in different viewpoints. Kind of comes with the territory.

Meanwhile, the Republicans can't think for themselves, so they have a couple people in committee do all their thinking for them and then they just repeat it lockstep.

It is a burden we have to bear and overcome each election season. (Sigh.)

Unless you consider "Vote for us because Republicans Suck!" a message. "Change" is a campaign slogan, not a message, and it only works if the candidate actually has ideas that represent a significant change. Minor policy changes and campaign promises straight out of central casting won't work. The Dems want it all and they want it now. The right wing spent 20 years and billions of dollars crafting a message and convincing Americans that their message was valid. Government became the problem, not the solution. Taxes become theft of property instead of a civic duty shared by everybody. The left doesn't want to take the time to develop and articulate a message - they want to take a short-cut by promoting a candidate who is charismatic and will attract young and minority votes. But short-cuts don't work. Nothing worth having comes easily. If Dems want to achieve real change, they're going to have to stop trying to take short-cuts and start working the way the right did.

Democrats actually thinking for themselves instead of mindlessly obeying The One.

about message discipline is astute.

Also the article is a little silly based on the sources of those quotes and the fact the Obama has run an extremely tight ship. Those are not Obama staffers or surrogates. There has been nary a peep or a leak from his campaign.

It is kind of like the challenge that democrats have governing – things don’t surface unless they break but there pretty good at managing and preventing but it is hard to take credit for averting catastrophe because you can prove it would have happened. Republicans on the other hand have made a big business out of crisis and negativity. And because they run on a platform cynically decrying the ineffectiveness and corruption in government they have a built in excuse for their shenanigans. They get to laugh all the way to the bank. While the dems are still expected to give a shit and they then have to make things work again.

The question in this election has been – have the republicans screwed up enough for the Democratic Party to be they’re saviors. Something needs to change or we will continue to see the self justifying narrative unfurled by the republicans or if we can change the way things are viewed. That may take the actual splintering of the party or something of that magnitude for attitudes to shift.

In the meantime I’ll recommend again- The Wrecking Crew by Thomas Frank. It is a great read and one of the most important things is to understand just how much right-wing frames have sunk into our consciousness – witness this article – I don’t think it is intentional we just have gotten to the point where we believe that repubs are ruthless winners and the dems are hapless, spineless fools.