What can Democrats do to fix their Senate problem?

[Padfoot]

I guess the "duh" answer is that they need to win over or win back rural voters.  With the exceptions of Florida and probably North Carolina I would characterize all of the states you listed where they've lost seats as "majority rural."  Having a message that appeals to rural voters makes winning in the Great Lakes much easier.  They wouldn't even need to win a majority of rural voters but they need to stop losing them by 20+ points.  I am not an expert on farm policy but I think they could win on a rural platform with the following planks that could tie into some of their existing causes:

1. Saving family farms from corporate takeover
2. Guaranteed farm wages (basically a minimum wage movement for farmers)
3. Rural jobs/infrastructure programs