Crewcuts, Crosses, and Cops: Testing the Next Democratic Brand

MONTANA – If the Democrats take over Capitol Hill three weeks from tonight, the pundits will most likely cite the Iraq War, Foleygate, Abramoffgate, and the tepid approval ratings of President Bush and the Congressional Republicans on about four dozen additional issues ranging from the economy to health care as the source of an increasingly Blue political map.

At The Political Brandwagon, we have a slightly different take. All politics being local, we think think that this year's political gestalt represents a weird confluence of "Throw the bums out" national sentiment -- and some very subtle rebranding among Democrats in the vast sea of glowing, Red states and counties from California to South Carolina.

To us, year is all about Crewcuts, Crosses, and Boots -- and the willingness of Blue State Democrats to accept the cultural differences of America's non-urban, non-metropolitan, non-secular land mass. From crew-cutted senate candidate Jon Tester of Montana to pro-lifer Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Indiana Sheriff Brad Ellsworth (IN-08), the brand of the Democratic Party is quietly returning to its populist roots -- and starting let regional differences define its shade of Blue.