Outside the Beltway

Preserving What is Good

Sad and strange circumstances have forced the Democratic party to become the conservative party now. It's important to remind ourselves of what is good in our lives and what is worth defending. 

Michael Bailey · Tuesday, March 25, 2025 · 10 comments

Conservative intellectual hero and political philosopher Leo Strauss once wrote that all “political action aims at either preservation or change. When desiring to preserve, we wish to prevent a change to the worse; when desiring to change, we wish to bring about something better.” The traditionally conservative party in the United States, the Republicans, have long been associated with the former attitude: preservation—of preferred strains of culture and custom, existing law, and, arguably, certain interpretations of the Constitution. This inclination toward political action in the name of preservation was pithily captured by mid-twentieth-century self-described conservative public intellectual William F. Buckley, who memorably described a conservative as “someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it.”

The other party, the Democrats, were devoted to “bringing about something better.” It was left to the Democrats to hold that change is good, that the arc of the moral universe is long but bends towards justice as defined and executed, naturally, by Democrats holding office in the seats of government.

Things are reversed at the moment.

Today, it’s the Republicans who are eager to move at blitzkrieg pace to achieve their vision of the future, whatever that may entail.  Apart from involving acts of retribution against President Trump’s perceived enemies, that vision is far from clear (at least to me), but it’s plain as day that getting there, like the historical blitzkrieg, involves a lot of intentional destruction. It requires eroding, when not laying waste to, institutions, long-established political processes, and once-shared understandings of public purpose, constitutional guardrails, and self-restraint. And so now it’s up to Democrats to preserve existing public goods.

But while this is a new situation for the Democrats, it’s not to be lamented, at least not altogether. For one thing, the Democrats have long faltered in articulating a coherent vision for our collective future. Their philosophy seemed to be summed up in a philosophy of more—specifically more diversity, more equity, and more inclusion. These are admirable goals, but they are vague and share the same fate as other vague goals like the war on poverty or even the war on terror– they offer precious guidance for recognizing when those goals are achieved.  Democrats insist that we’re far from the promised land, but they don’t yet provide much clarity about what the promised land should look like.

This may be a good thing for Democrats in the long run. Taking a defensive posture toward preserving existing goods means first taking stock of what we value most.  The task of preservation may be new, but it’s a venerable endeavor. Strauss is right that there are good things worth preserving just as there are important changes worth making to improve our lot. Moreover, the good things worth preserving these days are obvious and continue to have widespread public appeal. To hear Buckley’s perspective, being a mid-20th-century conservative was a lonely affair that required heroic convictions in the face of public outcry.  Standing up for the well-being of those to the manor born was hard work.  Much of what Democrats today wish to preserve requires no such heroism but only a little backbone. Their opponent is loud, aggressive, and enjoys inflicting cruelty on his opponents, but his devout followers do not constitute a majority of the populace.

Democrats need to think through what they value most.  So what follows below is admittedly a little exercise in corniness. Here I list just a handful of some good things about the United States that I personally believe are worth celebrating, championing, and defending vigorously where possible. I hope the Democratic Party would stand up for these goods along with a host of others.

Open elections: We have a lot of elections in this country, perhaps too many. But it’s far better to have too many opportunities to vote than too few. Our frequent elections are a testament to our commitment to rule by We the People. They are also a straightforward check on political abuse. Throughout our history, countless individuals have stood up for the right to vote. Accusations against them of being impolite or rude or unruly—always the argument of the privileged and entitled—did not stop their work, and they risked life and limb to earn us this vital condition of political freedom. Their dedication to democratic principles is a cornerstone of our nation’s identity. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stated in 1957, “denial of the sacred right to vote is a tragic betrayal of the highest mandates of our democratic tradition.”

First and Fourteenth Amendments: As Saul Goodman reminds us, “Did you know that you have rights?” It’s true! When our country is true to its calling, you can worship freely, speak your mind, publish your thoughts, assemble, and protest against your rulers without fear of prison or other legal repercussions. These freedoms are fundamental, and when they are threatened, we have every right to raise our voices—or more, as circumstances dictate—in self-defense.

Judicial Due Process: Everyone claims to appreciate due process, but nearly everyone is lying. Due process is a huge pain in the neck to any people in a hurry because it means following what feels like countless formalities.  Justice delayed is justice denied, right? We often believe, though nearly as often without good reason, that we know what a given verdict should be. Why all the delay? Judicial protocol seems in feels arbitrary and bewildering.   Fox News host Greg Gutfeld’s recent comments in favor of impeaching judges standing in the way of Trump’s agenda gave voice to the thoughts of millions of similarly minded people.

“When there are rapists and murderers invading our country, maybe a guy in a robe in D.C. can follow all the protocols, but Trump is the effing president of the United States who protects 300 million plus people…He is a leader who does not have the luxury of opening up his little books to read.”

However due process may be derided—whether labeled as reading little books or following technicalities or getting mired in red tape—its ultimate aim is fairness. There’s a good reason that most of the rights in the Bill of Rights (Amendments 4-8) spell out judicial safeguards of the people against their government. Current day attacks on judges and lawyers to limit political opposition are not an example of a regime tiptoeing to tyranny on the horizon; they are tyrannical actions. Full stop. Whether or not they are broadly accepted as such doesn’t affect reality, though it certainly affects how to respond.

That it would be tempting for our rulers to control lawyers and judges was widely understood in our early republic.  Alexis de Tocqueville warned us in the 1830s,

“I am aware that a secret tendency to diminish the judicial power exists in the United States… I venture to predict that these innovations will sooner or later be attended with fatal consequences, and that it will be found out at some future period that the attack which is made upon the judicial power has affected the democratic republic itself.”

A Healthy Environment: I could live twenty lives and never tire of exploring the beauty of this glorious nation. As Woody reminds us, from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters, the sheer variety of landscapes in this nation is breathtaking. The diversity and beauty of California alone rivals most nations of the world! Our rivers play a crucial if unheralded role in shaping our country. Democrats cannot take credit for God’s handiwork, but we can certainly commit to preserving it for ourselves and our grandchildren.

Unmatched Universities and Colleges: Our educational institutions are world-renowned, attracting top talent from around the globe. Despite acute domestic contemporary resentment against universities among some conservative segments of society, the international community recognizes the excellence of our universities. Their ongoing vibrancy makes them the hub for the world’s most cutting-edge scholarly pursuits. China may be a rising giant, but it’s a giant who seeks its education in our universities. Great universities are not necessary for a democracy to exist, but they are necessary for a democracy to thrive. They are well worth defending. 

This list is incomplete, almost comically so.  So very much more of our shared life is worth defending.  It’s also idiosyncratic to my own preferences and not especially partisan.   But it’s important to remind ourselves of what is good in our lives and what is worth defending.  Sad and strange circumstances have forced the Democratic party to become the conservative party now. Because Democrats such as I love the United States, it is time for us to determine what is worth our collective energy.  Though I am a Democrat, frankly I’m a lousy Democrat, so I leave it to better Democrats to articulate a more complete list of public goods. I invite you to consider this little list as a prompt for you to join me thinking through what, in fact, is worth fighting for.