American Exceptionalism

by Keith Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, February 3, 2011


The State of the Union address is always examined for its relevance and its meaning. The president orating is judged more closely by his words in this annual speech than by his actions and statements at any other time of the year. The mere fact that the political party not controlling the oval office begins preparing its response weeks before the speech is given illustrates this fact.

Last week, it was no surprise that Representative Paul Ryan echoed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell by rephrasing the word “investment” as “spending” (a term approaching obscenity status in conservative circles) and called for smaller government and a repeal of the administration’s health care reform act. These are agenda items that have been in the G.O.P. playbook all along. No matter what issues or points Barack Obama would have covered in his address, the Republican Party was prepared to tell you why we need to make him a single-term president and work to return the government to their control so they can fix the damage done by the Democrats.

Ryan told the audience (that stayed tuned for his response) that there was still time, but not much, to right the wrongs committed by the Obama administration. Of course, this fear and rage tactic has always worked to rally the conservative base, and in the furious climate of the Tea Party era, it is even more effective.

Tea Party favorite, Representative Michele Bachmann, continued the theme with her own response (a G.O.P. two-fer), aired following Ryan’s rebuttal. During it, she laid the ballooning deficit, unemployment and the nation’s collective economic woes at the feet of Obama. This was typical and expected, even though it was deceptive in its targeting of the current administration while ignoring the fiscal irresponsibility of the previous. She also ignored the fact that we are currently spending hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars in Bush’s two protracted wars, even as she complained about $100 million worth of government spending.

This fear mongering reminds me of a favorite quote from the movie An American President, in which Michael Douglas’s character, President Andrew Shephard, says of his opponent’s interest in problem solving that he is interested only in “making you afraid of it and telling you who’s to blame for it”. He goes on to say that that is how you win elections; it seems to be a favorite political ploy in the perpetual election season that has consumed our government. I’m not sure if art is reflecting life or vice versa.

In the days after the State of the Union there was no shortage of commentary about the content of Obama’s speech. Every pundit chose portions to highlight and to support views about the direction he was moving or taking the country. There was the inevitable dissection of phrases like “win the future” or terms like “competitiveness”. There were analyses of ovations and of how well or poorly his jokes were received.

Nearly every news show or news channel had a theory about what the atypical seating arrangements (with Democrats and Republicans sitting side by side and intermingled throughout the chamber) meant for the tone of politics and partisanship in Washington. None of this speculation added to the national discussion that is vital in times of great trials, as we are facing.

I was pleased with the eloquence with which the speech was presented but I didn’t find myself wowed or inspired by this State of the Union address. There was tiptoeing around topics that opponents were sure to jump on. There were the requisite statements that amounted to the political positioning that is necessary to prepare for the 2012 presidential race.

One thing that did strike me was Obama’s discussion of the United States as exceptional. I have been criticized in the past for disputing the blind American exceptionalism that proclaims America the greatest country in the world while denouncing policies and programs that would make us exceptional. Some conservatives who criticize Obama for failing to believe in American exceptionalism are now criticizing his focus on new technology, education and repairs to infrastructure that would put us on par with other nations.

I have to admit that I am skeptical about the actual results we can expect from the promises outlined in Obama’s speech. I would feel better if breaks given on corporate taxes were contingent upon domestic hiring. I am afraid that while reforming the corporate tax code may draw corporate headquarters to locate in the U.S., the nation will still fail to compete in the global job market. I have a feeling that plans to invest in green technology that establish us as a world leader in the field, or in desperately needed infrastructure projects that would create real jobs, will be defeated in a climate hostile to government spending.

As much as I caution against blind exceptionalism, I do believe that our nation can and should be exceptional. The United States should be a land of opportunity that shines as a city on a hill. The U.S. should continue to do big things. We should all live up to the expectations of our children. That is the only way we can win the future.