I have been looking over the comments online discussing last nights Democratic debate and one thing sticks in my mind. Almost universally Democrats are pissed because of the moderators focus on less substantive issues like Obama’s refusal to wear a flag pin and his affiliation with a member of a 60’s terrorist group instead of focusing on wonky policy questions.

The Obama supporters, who had no qualms when such attention was turned on Ms. Clinton in previous debates, are obviously furious over what they see as MSM bias and a waste of everyones time. It is similar to the outrage and scorn heaped by the Clintonites when their candidate was the front runner receiving the blows.

To both groups and to Democrats in general, I offer this word of advice. Democrats have now lived through two election cycles where they have been pummeled by a mix of fluff and a deconstruction of their candidates character, which they perceived as fluff. How could party loyalists not see this coming?

From Al Gore’s robotic nature to John Kerry’s windsurfing flip-flopping, the electorate was turned against both candidates not because of their detailed policy positions, not because of their stances on ethanol or the line item veto, but on character/values issues and their ability to connect with voters on the bigger picture and issues that hit the gut rather than the brain.

Like it or not, issues of character and connection are important to voters. When Republicans attack Democratic candidates for being “elitist” it isn’t because of their pocketbook or their education, instead it fits into an overall idea that Democratic candidates aren’t interested in the same issues, desires, ideals, values and beliefs that the voters are.

Yes there may be a realistic idea about wearing a flag pin for example. It does little substantive to further the cause of our military in terms of strategy or putting machinery on the ground. It is a symbol though and it represents a value by those who wear it.

Senator Obama has spent months discarding that value. He has said to voters essentially “I don’t object to wearing one, I just think the message has been co-opted, it isn’t substantive to wear one, etc.” It is an intellectual argument that comes from one’s brain. Meanwhile, voters who believe in and identify with the symbolism, who feel in their gut a connection to something, are offended by someone who seems like they are belittling their experience and values. This is the perception of elitism and like it or not, liberal Democrats must come to accept that their way of arguing these points won’t work with moderate and conservative voters.

Elections are, honestly, rarely about anything substantive and when they are its more about the perception of what is real over reality itself. Was George H.W. Bush really that terrible at managing the economy? Was Jimmy Carter really that inept dealing with the Iranian hostage crisis? Did Ronald Reagan single handedly save America and destroy Communism? Did Bill Clinton truly revolutionize the economy?

Elections are often about seemingly trivial issues that paint a larger picture of the character and ideals of a candidate and how they are connected with voters. In the last two presidential elections, the Democrats went out of their way to ignore this truth, believing instead that detailed and thoughtful explanations would get them past voters doubts. They were wrong and the perception of reality turned their candidates into unappealing, disconnected and out-of-touch caricatures.

For the first time, after months of the perception of Senator Obama as a populist ready to lead a revolution, the same old image of an out-of-touch, long-winded, elitist liberal has emerged in its stead. For over a year now I have warned Democrats against maintaining an assumption that there was no way they could lose this election, from driving their candidates to the far left and believing the country had shifted fundamentally away from some of their more conservative values.

Now I warn them again, don’t discount these issues that may seem trivial. Don’t discount Rev. Wright, a flag pin, a sixties radical or any other issue that surfaces. To liberal Democrats I say, the issues that make your own stomachs turn are the ones that need the most attention because they undoubtedly are the ones most important to the rest of America, the media and to the minds of independent voters you need to court in order to win.

Figure out what went wrong in the previous two elections and act different, think different, fight different or you can guarantee a third crushing defeat.