For a piece the aim of which is to pull all us Democrats together, Tomasky's essay in the American Prospect is an untidy bundle. He takes a few potshots at multi-culturalism, re-tells the history of the twentieth century Democratic Party as the story of why his big framing idea is the one that works, and clutches to his breast cherished ideas of patriotism, self-sacrifice and community-spirit only a real ogre would cavil at.
People on DKos have been writing about this essay like it's the second coming. To me, it's straight from the paint-by-numbers of school of Democratic Party ideology. It's the remarketing of rhetoric we've all heard before. It's really very tired. And it leads straight to electoral Dukakisville.