Our Protectors are still around

First, this description of how people behave:

A "normal distribution curve" can be used to describe the behavior of people. People normally fall into one of three categories, according to the behavior they exhibit.

1. Protective behaviors (20%):

Protective people spend most of their time complaining or rationalizing to protect themselves. They’re good at explaining, rationalizing, or even lying to justify their position. By complaining, rationalizing, or putting others down, they avoid doing what is expected of them, and they divert your thoughts from the task at hand. If anyone tries to do something positive, they are convinced that the only reason is to make them look bad or create more work for everyone. They’re easy to spot – they spend more time in the teacher lounge than others and can be heard complaining and moaning about everything on the school grounds.
Protective people form their own group at school, although they will deny it. They can usually be found sitting in the back row of meetings, in the lounge complaining, or at association meetings filing grievances.
Protective people are self-defeating people. Because their behavior can spread, they can cause an organization to defeat itself also.
Typical comments: "The kids can’t read." "The administration is not supportive." "The young (old) teachers don’t know anything." "In-services are boring, they’re a waste of time." "The new program will never work. I tried it years ago." "Where does it say that in the contract." "Do I have to do this."

2. Maintenance behaviors (60%):

Maintenance people spend most of their time coping and hoping that life and work will improve. They are good survivors. The don’t complain, rationalize, lie or put people down most of the time. They cope and survive. They hope to win the lottery one day. They are primarily concerned with themselves and their own survival, safety, health, and welfare. Maintenance people are the hardworking backbone of society. The do a lot of wishing (new car, new husband etc.) but because they are maintainers and survivors, they do nothing to rock the boat ("Go with the flow").
The most vulnerable people on the staff are the maintenance people, the middle 60 percent of the curve. They know that they should be enhancing lives, first their own and then those of the people they teach. They know that they should work cooperatively with the enhancement people of the staff. But at faculty meetings, the protective people stand up and start to shout about the pay, the conditions, the parents, the students, and the crummy administrators. The needs of the people with a maintenance behavior to survive are so great that they decide to follow the protectors. Because maintainers do not choose, they go through life vacillating, one day deciding to follow the enhancers and the next day deciding to follow the protectors.
Maintenance people are coping people. The don’t destroy an organization like protective people do, but it is necessary to light a bonfire under these people to get them to contribute to and be a part of an organization.
Typical comments: "If only I could make it through the week." "I need a raise, newer materials, less work, more help…" "I wish I had a different principal, different coworkers…" "I wish I had the materials to follow this program properly." "People don’t understand or appreciate me." "I’ll just go with the flow and do what the group wants to do."

3. Enhancement behaviors (20%):

Enhancement people spend most of their time participating, learning, and growing. People who use enhancement behaviors are "we" people. They enjoy participating, so they go to conferences, conventions, and meetings. These are the people the protectors and maintainers wish would just sit down, rest, and smell the roses. People who use enhancement behaviors are leaders and professionals. They are the active people at school and in the community. They get the work done, and they make contributions to society. They are achievement oriented and have vision. They enhance the lives of the people around them.
Typical comments: "May I share this article with you?" What can I do to contribute?" "I volunteer." "Let’s work on this project together." "Tell me about your new idea." "We need to constantly strive for excellence." "I want to learn."

If you're wondering about the heavy presence of teachers in the above, it's because this comes from Harry and Rosemary Wong's book "The First Days of School". The quote below comes from the same source.

"The Most Vulnerable people on the staff are the Mainenance people, [from] the middle 60% of the curve. They know that that they should be enhancing lives, first their own and then those of the people they teach. They know that they should work cooperatively with the Enhancement people on the staff.
But at the Faculty meetings, the protective people stand up and start to shout about the pay, the conditions, the parents, the publishers, and the crummy administrators (remember, protective people need to blame others to protect themselves). The needs of the people with the Maintenance behavior to survive are so great that they decide to follow the Protectors.
Because Maintainers do not choose, they go through life vacillating, one day with deciding to follow the Enhancers and the nest day deciding to follow the Protectors.

Now, forget for a moment that all this is refering to Teachers, and instead apply it to America. Does this sound familiar?
We seem to have switched over to following an Enhancer for now, but for how long will it this last?

Dont count the Republicans out yet.