Politics and Culture

Obama:

Don't do anything. You can pass health care reform, but just reform the broken stuff. Don't build a new system from the ground up, in three months, based on a book by a college professor, supported most fervently by graduate students in sociology. Don't do anything on education; I guarantee it will make things worse. Don't fix immigration. Avoid any bill containing the adjective "comprehensive." Don't give speeches. Don't declare war on the culture. If we want the culture changed, we'll do it ourselves. Just go home, host Easter egg hunts, play basketball. Leave us alone.

Republicans:

Don't do anything. Don't gloat. All victories in a democracy are temporary. Don't declare a revolution. Please don't say anything about ethics or "the tone." Roll back the dumb stuff. Say "no." We don't want new stuff. No new wars, taxes, forms, programs. When you get back in power, just go about slowly scaling back government. Start with a freeze perhaps. People like the word "freeze." It makes them think of how they handle their own money, "OK, we'll eat out twice a month, but no more, and we won't order soda."

We live in a great and prosperous country. People want to be left alone to watch 24. Let them. Be like the guy who monitors the water meter. The less we notice you, the happier we are.

Culture battles only cross people's lives in schools and on TV. One's local and the other's market-driven.