The American Dream is one of being a productive citizen and getting rich off hard work. At the very least, work and create a comfortable lifestyle for oneself.
I had noted for some time that Democrats didn't seem to acknowledge the American Dream, certainly not as I had always understood it. Only greedy fatcats and the winners of life's lottery realized the dream. The average joe didn't have a snowball's chance in hell.
At this point, I'm not sure if the Democrats like the idea of a societal safety net because it catches all the joes who need help, or whether they are so attached to the idea of a societal safety net that they need a certain number of failures to serve as an reference point for the need. I believe that there has been an evolution from the first possibility to the second.
The one consistent facet of the rhetoric of the Demos is need. They need to be needed. There are many people who need help. Want, desire or self interest simply does not fit in with the worldview of the Demos. Because they focus on need so much, they view themselves as the more pragmatic and practical of the two major political parties.
A lot of people are turned off because their idea of themselves as a future success or a future rich person is counter to the message of the party.
The Democrats need failures, not successes.