That being said, I don't think that it's totally out of the question. Especially if they receive a drubbing at the hands of the GOP two years from now.
I think the key to breaking the ironclad grip the radicals established after the '68 debacle and which has tightened incrementally during every succeeding election lies in greater turnout among those Democrats who have heretofore felt completely disenfranchised by the power brokers within their own party.
They need to cobble together a coalition from the ninety percent of black voters who comprise the Democratic base and the other faith-minded minority voters-who are still receptive to a populist, Dem. message-and join them to the remaining white Democrats who have been excluded from the nomination process up to this point.
If the Democrats can approximate the numbers that were reflected in the ballot initiatives/referenda dealing with gay "marriage", I think that they'll have a chance to resurrect their party.
I think that we Democrats can start winning again, but it will take some change.
I encourage people, especially conservatives, to stay in the party (or join it) and do exactly that. I don't envision a future Democratic party that would be a clone of the Republican party. Because the Republican party already exists.
What I do envision is a Democratic party that truly embraces minorities within the party (e.g. pro-life, anti-tax, religiously devout, etc.) and acts as a loyal but vigorous opposition to the Republicans. I think a sort of libertarian/moderate left/religiously tolerant/ constitutionalist party is well within the realm of possibility. I also think it could be a winner.
Unfortunately, I also think that a far more radical/ socialist Democratic party is within the the realm of possibility as well.
Let me leave you with this to think about. The future of the Republican party is tied to that of the Democratic. Many of the problems that the Republican party has (e.g. RINOs) stem from some of the ongoing problems that the Democratic party is contending with.