It seems like Democrats are being beaten by their own game. For years they insisted on mobilizing the non-voters, which tended to be white and middle-lower class, on the assumption that this crowd would favor them over the Repugs. What they underestimated is the fundamental irrationality and bigotry of this segment of the U.S. population - manifested in their eagerness to support any asshole willing to make the show of dragging select members of "cultural elite" (the Kennedy family, "Fonda Jane," Bill Clinton) through the mud and publicly espousing jingoistic, racist, sexist and homophobic views.
The Repugs understood that mentality well, and beat the Democrats in their own class war by running assholes publicly pandering to these redneck values but who pursued policies that benefited the cultural and other elites that the rednecks despised. While I do not endorse these policies, I think that the Repugs have done a marvelous job here by making the stupid fucks (apologies to Michael Moore) love the hand that generously feeds their class enemies.
In this light, I think that the 2004 presidential election has already been decided - Bush/Cheney won.
Wojtek