"What's missing here is a rallying place/person to be a magnet for getting ourselves righted and organized. I mean organized in the Paul Wellstone sense of the word. Because if we don't . . . well, I can't bring myself to think the thought through, much less say the words."

I think it's called leadership, sorely missing in the good ole US of A. Clinton, the first, for better or worse, and I think better, had it.
And can we talk about the final -- er, latest -- Rovian jujitsu flip of having Bush/Cheney, who weaseled out of the disatrous Vietnam war, turning it into a morality tale for Iraq? See, we left Vietnam and now?? Uh-huh? It's thriving and we go there as tourists and they've fogiven us and want to be like us (uh-oh) and trade with us and they're still Commies but it's not so bad, at least from our safe -- er, sorta safe -- shores.
Criminy.
As for all black/white with Repubs, well, not quite fair. I mean yeah, the loudest squawking ones, but I do know some who were pro-choice, moderate and reasonable and they've been drummed out, and I think to be honest we have to say that there are plenty on our side equally unable to see anything in greys. And while I'm one of them, according to my husband and right-wing Strib readers, I do try to see the bigger picture and understand why someone voted the way they did.
That little doily politely put forth, let me say that most of the braying right wing goons hellbent on dismantling gubmint and currently passing themselves off as Repubs are just as you say, and without any redeeming qualities other than being some poor mother's son or daughter.