Monday, February 27, 2012

American Exceptionalism Under Assault

By

In this election cycle, one noticeable phenomenon is how the Republican presidential candidates are emphasizing our country's founding principles -- liberty and freedom -- more than in any campaign in the modern political era. Each speaks often of the Declaration of Independence. Citing articles of the Constitution is commonplace.

The president's record of evoking such themes stands in stark contrast. In his State of the Union address, for example, our president made only one perfunctory reference to the Constitution and then went on to misquote it.

In his campaign speeches, the president carefully co-opts key Republican themes like reducing debt and deficits, exploiting natural gas, making teachers accountable and reducing regulation. Yet, in these acts of political triangulation, he sees no value in pre-empting Republican rivals on basic American principles imbedded in our founding documents.

Read more: http://spectator.org/archives/2012/02/27/american-exceptionalism-under

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