You've gotta hand it to the GOP. Their talking points rival mainstream country music in vernacular metaphor. Waffles are Belgian, don't they speak French? And no one likes flip-flops; they leave your heel with abandon, and force a funny walk. But I think really screwed the pooch with this week's talking point, the accusation that the DNC is undergoing an "extreme makeover". Namely:

Americans love extreme makeovers. America is about the extreme makeover.

Queer Eye, The Swan, Extreme Makeover itself. All hits. The Extreme Makeover is the American Dream writ on one's physical person. Reinvent yourself. Go west, young man. Run into a telephone booth and drop your mild-manneredness. Get serious. Beat Ivan Drago after a stirring Survivor montage. Fix up your boat and save your rappin' grandma's farm from the insensitive WASPs. Alex De Toqueville said it best:

Born often under another sky, placed in the middle of an always moving scene, himself driven by the irresistible torrent which draws all about him, the American has no time to tie himself to anything, he grows accustomed only to change, and ends by regarding it as the natural state of man. He feels the need of it, more he loves it; for the instability; instead of meaning disaster to him, seems to give birth only to miracles all about him.

And not only is this an inherent American trait, it's the keystone of the inherent liberalism of America. By drawing attention to reinvention, the talking points cadre unwittingly divorces enterprise from conservatism, and conflates stability with stagnation. So Kerry's moving to the center? Great! That's what most Americans want. Maybe Bush should try it himself. Carson?