Dems own both the status quo and change. Republicans neither.

[gulliver]

Given the Bush years, it can sometimes amaze us Dems that people who supposedly want to preserve the good things about the American status quo nevertheless vote Republican. In fact, notwithstanding the Republican Party's lip service to the contrary, the GOP deserves to be considered the worst enemy the status quo ever had. America was in Zero G free fall when George W. Bush finally left office. Nothing that seemed solid and reliable when Clinton left office, indeed nothing that had been solid and reliable for decades was left unshaken by Bush and his fellow Republicans (some of whom now call themselves Tea Partiers to evade justice). The Republicans have given the world and the science of history a lesson on good government through counterexample. They are not to be trusted with power tools, much less the American status quo.

Dems need to embrace and claim both the status quo and change. We need to realize that the majority of the status quo is good. All people, liberal, conservative, or whatever they choose to call themselves need constancy just as much as they need change. That fact is so obvious, I assume there is no need to argue the point. What may not be as obvious is that the Democratic Party is (and should portray itself as) the rightful steward both of change and the status quo. There is no need to make a partisan dilemma out of it. The Republican Party has no credible claim to either.

For example, when a liberal policy promotes the upward mobility of the poor, that creates change, but it also strengthens the status quo. Both aspects should be emphasized. The change provides a better life for the poor, of course, but what is the benefit for everyone else? I think we need to make sure everyone understands what that is. Investing in upward mobility for the poor creates a supply of prosperous citizens and residents. These are the people whose demand will raise the value of our homes, whose enriched talents will strengthen our businesses and stock portfolios, whose tax contributions will pay for the upkeep of our infrastructure, and whose Social Security contributions will fund our retirements. These are the people who won't be going into the taxpayer-funded criminal higher education system known as prison. The "hopey changey thing," as in most cases, nourishes the "keepy things the samey thing."