I was also interested in this opinion piece by Thomas Frank. Frank has been making the rounds, advancing a theory that I believe is not without merit. It's that the Republican Party courts votes and wins elections by pounding the idea that they represent "traditional American values" — pro-gun, anti-abortion rights, anti-gay, protect the flag, Mom, apple pie, etc. — but that these are not the true values of the Republican leadership. The argument is that they gain power via those issues but then use that power primarily to push a pro-business agenda.
I think Frank may be overstating his case. Certainly, there are Republican leaders who push those "red meat" issues for real, and you can't expect either party not to put on a little show for its base in an election year. But I don't think it would hurt the Democrats to remind people that being able to get a decent job and health coverage are also "traditional American values."