As examples:
Abortion and Gray Davis: even though a state governor can't do anything about Roe v. Wade; Davis may successfully scare tons of women into thinking that Bill Simon will take away their right to chose and interfere with their bodies. I know this sounds silly, but most voters can be swayed by such emotional rhetoric. Watch how this plays out.
Civil Rights and John Ashcroft: I'm constantly confronted by people who come close to proclaiming that John Ashcroft is the Anti-Chhrist. They say he is "scary". When I ask what in particular he has done to take away their Civil Rights, all they can do is cite general rhetoric that the spin-meisters have touted on TV or they go on-and-on about how he prays in his office. The whole thing is silly, but the smear campaign works with the uninformed (uninformed = a majority of Americans).
Social Security and old people: this is a classic "playbook" scare tactic of the Left. It's a classic because it approaches the elderly with emotional arguments and it works. With an increasing elderly population collecting SS and a more apathetic, non-voting, entitlement hungry, and uninformed class of youth nowdays, this may be the DNCs silver bullet.
As you can tell, I'm a pessimist by nature. But, hey, I live in Seattle so I'm looking right into the "heart of the beast" everyday.
i live in suburban Philly, so I know what it's like, but when left-wing liberals start spouting stuff like this it is, indeed, invigorating. Hang in there!