Uh well its undefined nature allows us to continually craft it to our own will, and politicians to perenially cite it, regardless of the different directions.
The dreams ambiguous, but it falls under the massive umbrella of being able to truely get whatever you want. Its not always for yourself, a lot of the time the dream depends on offspring.
I'm a big fan of the old money/yankee culture but I'm eternally far away from it. Just the same I could live to see my children make it in the upper echelon and part of that ideal is the american dream.
Despite what the political nerds on this board will say its highly attainable and still very much exists.
I read an amazing Article in Vanity Fare not so long ago (
Rethinking the American Dream | vanityfair.com)
and it went on to say, and I agreed with it, that the American Dream has little to do with being rich. If you read the article it talks about how modest the means were. The point about Norman Rockwell's paintings were amazing.
Its about being able to have what you want, and at one point in time not so long ago, that wasn't a material idea. Family events, hanging out in the neighborhood, Your parents (or dad) had a job. Life was good.
I love this place for that idea, and sadly America's been alligned with a material dream that we all sorta went along with. Its depressing really.