According to Democracy Corps focus groups, the biggest problem for Democrats "is not Republican popularity -- indeed, most voters in these groups were tremendously upset over the current direction of the country and saw little difference between Democrats and Republicans in Washington."
The dissatisfaction with Republican leadership is overwhelmed by "the introduction of cultural themes -- specifically gay marriage, abortion, the importance of the traditional family unit, and the role of religion in public life -- which quickly renders
[Democrats] almost irrelevant in terms of electoral politics at the national level."
"Particularly among non-college voters, cultural issues not
only superceded other priorities, they served as a proxy for many voters on those other issues."