Kerry's Defeat

I'm disappointed in Kerry's loss - I was hoping for Congressional gridlock as the best way to control the deficit. And I was hoping the GOP would punish and expel the rabid neo-Jacobites who want to rule theworld.

It seems to me that Kerry was done in by the same old charges against liberals:
1. "Soft" on defense/foreign affairs.
2. Socially "liberal" - families and the federal courts are at stake.
3. Economically socialist - Many Americans, rightly or wrongly (I'm not starting a debate here) prefer markets and low taxes over government programs. Even after the last four years, Bush was still seen by many as better than Kerry on this score.

I don't know how the Democrats can change their message while remaining Democrat. Clinton had the advantage of having no major crisis in 1992 or 1996 and a split vote on the right (he never did win a majority of the popular vote). The Democrats seem to be falling into permanant minority status. Their methods, their message, or their leadership must change.