Matt from Santa Monica has a winner, I think.  Sets up a clear choice.  I think "positive-only" messages contain an implied critique, when that critique should be expressed.

"Making Government Good Again."

1. "Common sense for the common good."
Jason, Chicago, IL, Brenda, Wakefield, RI, and Robert, Timonium, MD

2. "The Democratic Party: People are our only 'Special Interest.' "
Stacy, Iverness, FL

3. "Working for millions of people, not millions of dollars."
Matt, Santa Monica, CA

Yeah, somewhat corny. But they compare pretty well to "flip-floppers", "tax and spend", and "weak on defense".

There's two tests for a "good" set of ten words:

Test 1. Would the other party say "yech?"

If the other party wouldn't go "yech," then the words don't differentiate us.  When the republicans say "small government," we go "yech," because we know the phrase means "eliminate social security and medicare."  That's why we refuse to call ourselves the party of small government.  So that, in turn, it what lets them claim that mantle for themselves unopposed.  These slogans do not trigger a "yech," so they would be instantly appropriated by the Republicans.

Test 2. Can you rephrase it in fifty ways and it still packs a punch?

An idea can be put into words a hundred different ways.  So let's take the Republican idea, "small government:"  you could also use the words "fewer bureaucrats," or "minimal government spending," or "make your own financial decisions."  They all mean the same thing.  We don't need pretty turns of phrase: we need concepts that unify us.

So here's a concept that once was used as a slogan by the Polish, and that does pass both tests: "solidarity."  It can be rephrased in a million ways: "standing together," "working as a team," "unity of purpose," and so forth.  So it really is a big idea, not just a turn of phrase.  And it would trigger a "yech" in a Republican, because it directly opposes their every-man-for-himself dog-eat-dog philosophy.

Dems have problems with organization, policies, discipline, and so forth.

But I think their most acute problem is with words, in all sorts of contexts, but certainly in slogans.

All of the ones listed are fine up to a point; but they suffer from a mixture of trying to fit too much content in, a goo-goo tone, lack of snap.

They're what Jon Stewart might suggest in a TDS segment on the Dems' - well, lousy slogans.

The GOP's smaller government, less taxes is so much better.

(It's a complete lie, of course; but this is politics we're talking about!)

Why doesn't the Dem alphabet soup hire some advertising professionals, at least to see what they come up with.

One superb GOP use of words, BTW, is in the name of the anti-Ford site, Fancy Ford. So many meanings, expressing all sorts of things that could not be expressed explictly, that will tap into the prejudices of TN voters.

(Parsing those two words the job of at least a thousand more!)

Why haven't the Dems got a Fancy Ford slogan about DeLay? Or Cheney? Or Bush?

"Restoring the American Dream"

... our would-be leaders are holding open casting calls for ideas.

Not really; they're actually holding open casting calls for soundbites.

That's not the same thing. We Democrats already know what we believe. We just don't know how to say what we believe in short, TV-friendly phrases that non-Democrats can intuitively comprehend.

Now, I do find it annoying that we live in a world that expects us to summarize our entire agenda in "ten words or less." But that's the fault of our media, not our "would-be leaders."

A while back someone started a diary with this slogan. It matches the mood of the American people in light of the collapse of the neocon impperial dreams, a healthy nationalism and populism:

"Take Care of America First."

If the Democratic Party was honest, they would even have to admit that those ten words define their real program. The Democratic leadership has utterly failed to boldly criticize the politicaly failure commonlyl known as the Bush administration, they have failed to offer the American people a positive alternative to the GOP's failure.

I didn't enter, but I've playing around with some ideas.  I'd like to communicate the ideas that we believe in that everyone should have an opportunity to succeed, that everyone has a right to their personal beliefs, but we also think that the a good society is a family that provides a safety net (social security, health care, etc.).  As progressives, we also think things can be better.  We're not satisfied with the status quo.

So, what do you think of something like this:

Equal Opportunity, Personal Choice, National Security, a Better Tomorrow.

A lot of my friends balk at national security, but I like the idea that it can refer to defense issues as well as health and pension covergae protection.  Communities look after each other, and that's a key progressive value.  I also like the Personal/National contrast in the message. It's not a contradiction, as it is truly liberating to know the community has your back no matter who you are or what you believe.

Feedback welcome.

Reading these actually made me think of a great speech by a great Republican President -- and I'm suprised nobody else thought of it, trite as it might sound.

"Government of the people, by the people, for the people"

This makes my eyes roll.  As if saying something makes it true.  We just went through five years of bull shit dressed up as truth; and of course, now the I am a Republican Democrats want to try it too.  Where are clean elections, single payer health care, freakin jobs, a movement FOR the middle class wages instead of amnesty for illegals.  They want 10 words.  Well here are my ten words for the current Democratic Party.

"For sale, just like the Republicans - only not as bad. "

My Favorites:

"The Democratic Party: People are our only 'Special Interest.' "
Stacy, Iverness, FL

I think this is perfect for 2006

"Common sense for the common good."
Jason, Chicago, IL, Brenda, Wakefield, RI, and Robert, Timonium, MD

As mentioned, this should be the 2008 rallying cry.  The ability to link McCain, Allen, Brownback, Tancredi and any other lock stepped Republican to Bush will be a big step in creating a CRUSHING defeat of the GOP presidential candidate... while just winning the Whitehouse is an admirable goal, I say shoot for the stars and give us an unrefutable mandate to steer the country BACK toward sanity and less selfishness.

Democrats are the "WE" party.  Republicans are the "ME" party.  These are my 10 words.

 Go on to explain what this means.  Most Democratic bills, very, very few of which reach the floor in this Republican dominated congress, are for groups of people: safety net policy, education, healthcare, etc.
  Most Republican bills usually benefit one group over all others.  Think tax cuts, medicare plan, energy policy(corps over general population), etc.,etc.  So many choices of corp over people, rich over poor, and most importantly, putting King George ahead of civil rights.

 Frame the political debate about Democratic values for all against the Repug philosophy of putting individual groups above the needs of all Americans.

 Forgot one of the most egregious of the Repugs putting one group above others in Legislation.

 All of the principals of separation of religion and government are being weakened by Republican pandering to the Religious Right, and stating that religious beliefs should be a part of government and legislation.
  The philosophy of the Religious Right of Catholicism is given more creedance and authority than liberal or centrist Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc.  1 group put above all others, the ME group.

• Smart growth
  
• Fair trade
  
• Common-sense security
  
• Government of, by, and for the people