We old ,white guys (speaking for myself of course)ought to style ourselves as cutting edge, in that we do understand, somewhat, the Constitution and what it’s about. They used to say, prejudicially IMHO, that “Nobody knows if Christianity works, because it’s never been tried.” It has never been more imperative to force public policy arguments to be framed around the Constitution because there’s never been, again IMHO, a President more focused on underminihg it.
You have really nailed it. It has been a long time since the Constitution as adopted has been in force. I suspect that the over-extension of democracy, wherein “dependent persons” have been allowed to vote, in contravention of the Founders’ intent, is the root of most ills. Imagine what the media would do with that inconvenient truth.
As part of the OWG minority, I have wondered: do I appreciate the Constitution as written because it was created by OWGs like myself (except wiser) to secure the advantage of IWGs? Or is it because the alternatives to free markets, the rule of law, a vibrant civil society, individual initiative and responsibility, etc., bring economic ruin and tyranny? We have to explain somehow that “sustainable compassion” requires big-picture, long-term thinking powered by enlightened self-interest.