Saletan....

Talking about values. I've been saying this for a while, and found Obama's speech compelling for just this reason---we have values. Let's talk about them. I'd rather finish a speech knowing how a candidate thinks and sees the world, than knowing her positions. (Though I'm a sucker for a well written speech). William Saletan gets it:

When leaders betray troops through bad planning and false pretenses for war, that should be your issue. When Republicans cut taxes for the rich while the nation is at war and the Treasury is empty, that should be your issue. When soldiers from poor families die while corporations skim from the war budget, that should be your issue. I've heard John Kerry talk about each of these issues separately, but each time, he sounded opportunistic. To be powerful, they must flow from a common message. That message is responsibility.
All the issues Democrats like to run on—education, the environment, the deficit, energy independence—would be vastly more powerful if united under a single theme. Clean up your mess. Take care of your children. Pay your debts. Stand on your own two feet. It all comes down to responsibility.

I'd add that we tap into the idealized notion of the small town. The center of the myth of small town America is shared values, and shared responsibility. I don't favor welfare programs as a giveaway--I just embrace a more full notion of community. There needs to be a way to talk about responsibility that allows for mutual respect.

So how should we talk about responsibility, values, and community.