Last evening's defeat for the Democrats in Massachusetts is a perfect example of how straying from the core narrative can leave you lost in the dark. Perhaps the party has been too blinded by the bright lights of success after this year, unable to stand back and focus on the fundamental steps that led them astray. So, what are those fundamentals:



1. Focus on the short-term without long-term set clearly in the horizon is a sure sign of SB (social blindness).

2. The inability to develop a solid coalition willing to make sacrifices for the common good remains a major obstacle, with the party still divided into sub cultures that have lost their cenergy.



3. there still lacks no clear consensus of voice within the party, beyond that of the White House.



For the latter, perhaps it's a sign of the ongoing battle between young and old progressives. Boston is truly a city with two tales. On one end, there is the established bedrock of democrats who have led not just the state but the nation for the past five decades. While on the other end there is the mass onslaught of young progressives who flood the city's streets at the end of each summer.



Boston is a strong witness to just what the Democratic party needs to accomplish if it wishes to win in 2010. Young progressives can be engaged by a presidential race, but they have not the experience to sustain momentum into midterm elections, at least this one will be the first real test for Generation M. It's the bedrock who comes out in force during the midterms and off-election, as witnessed last night, a very different arrangement than the presidential election which took its energy from independents and young progressives.