As to the reach out to Democrats, I think this is simply smart politics and is the hardest sort of pragmatism.  Those of us that live in the political world tend to equate "Democrat" with Pelosi, Obama, and the fruit loops that populate sites like Daily Kos and DemocraticUnderground.  But, there are a whole lot more "Reagan Democrats" than there are left wing socialist nutcases.  

In this case, a Reagan Democrat is a guy that maybe works in the auto industry, possibly UAW, worried about his job and how he's going to pay the mortgage, watching empty houses pop up in the neighborhood while The Annointed One shoots hoops with NBA stars and takes a month off in Martha's Vineyard while running up trillion dollar deficeits.  This is the guy that listens to the Snyder message above and says OK, let's give him a shot.