American Exceptionalism: Sorry, No Rabbit In This Hat!

It's time to Break It Down!

As the dust settles from the recent 2010 mid term elections, the truly ambitious are gearing up for 2012. While there are rumors and innuendo suggesting President Obama may face a intra-Party challenger, what is known at this time is there will be an all out Festival of Lights among Republicans and the Tea Party to identify the White Knight that will champion the conservative cause in the race for the White House.

Nothing gets such a grand adventure underway like identifying the one undeniably unifying theme that all adherents may cleave to, even while maintaining their individual differences. At the moment, the GOP-T Party’s political Wheel of Fortune seems to be stuck on American Exceptionalism. This quaint, esoteric concept, has been pulled out of moth balls, and is being used as the hand grenade of choice to lob at President Obama.

First of all, the trouble with the term American Exceptionalism is there is no standard, or universally agreed upon definition. Even before President Obama, there were many variants of the expression, and numerous pros and cons held, based upon specific assertions of what it meant. In a most amusing irony, the term itself is thought to have been coined, not by an American, but by Alexis de Tocqueville, a Frenchman.

Tocqueville and Gustave de Beaumont, two French Aristocrats, were commissioned by the French government to study the American prison system in 1831. They spent nine months traveling about the country and taking notes on all aspects of society. Both penned books about the experience; Beaumont wrote a novel about race relations in the United States, and Tocqueville authored an analytical political and social commentary, loosely translated, Democracy in America (De la democratie en Amerique). The latter became widely popular in Europe and the United States. Given the era, not surprisingly, Beaumont’s work is less well known.

So what is American Exceptionalism, and why is President Obama perceived (by his opponents) as its enemy?

One view of the term is:

• American Exceptionalism refers to the opinion that the United States is qualitatively different from other nations. Its exceptionalism stems from its emergence from a revolution, becoming "the first new nation", and developing a unique American ideology, based on liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism and laissez-faire". This observation can be traced to Alexis de Tocqueville, the first writer to describe the United States as "exceptional". Although the term does not imply superiority, some writers have used it in that sense. To them, the United States is a "shining city on a hill", and exempt from historical forces that have affected other countries.

For President Obama’s part, he has weighed in on the subject and (part of) his statement is used as kindling for the wildfire that has become the revival of American Exceptionalism. In response to the question of whether, like his predecessors, he believed in American Exceptionalism, Mr. Obama began:

"I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism."

While this egalitarian reply seemed to give credence to his recognition that many abroad hear talk of American exceptionalism as worrisome jingoism, his detractors took that as an indictment that the President of the Country lacked pride in America and “the American Way.”

Of course, such a leap ignores the fact there was more to Mr. Obama’s answer. The President added, in the same response:

“In addition to the world's largest economy and its mightiest military, we have a core set of values that are enshrined in our Constitution, in our body of law, in our democratic practices, in our belief in free speech and equality, that, though imperfect, are exceptional."

He closed by adding:

“I see no contradiction between believing that America has a continued extraordinary role in leading the world towards peace and prosperity and recognizing that leadership is incumbent, depends on, our ability to create partnerships because we can't solve these problems alone."

A number of Republicans presumed to be at least considering a Presidential bid in 2012 have invested personal capital in the new hot stock of political topics. Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Mike Pence have each waxed poetic…or rather, political, about the idea. It is early, but if the craze has the staying power to last until the heat of the campaign, American Exceptionalism may replace the GOP’s 2008 toxic “He is not like you. He is not one of us” as the reigning catch phrase to emphasize to specific voters that Mr. Obama is “Other;” not like us.

This observation is not designed to paint Mr. Obama’s challengers, or the voters, as racists. It is intended to underscore and amplify the simple fact that the notion of American Exceptionalism is a straw man; a diversion; meant to steer voters and the debate away from substantive issues and a meaningful exchange of ideas.

The reality is if all the GOP-T Party candidates were gathered in a room, they would be hard pressed to reach consensus among themselves on a working definition of American Exceptionalism. Moreover, the variations among them would likely be greater than with that of the complete statement made by the President. In short, as fodder for Presidential debate, American Exceptionalism is both disingenuous, and vacuous. Certainly, upon deeper reflection, the ruse should be readily apparent…"American Exceptionalism: Sorry, No Rabbit In This Hat!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/28/AR2010112804139.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Alexis_de_Tocqueville

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/11/american-exceptionalism-does-t.html

http://gingrichforpres.blogspot.com/2010/11/lefts-problem-american-exceptionalism.html

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/3328/gingrich_on_obama%E2%80%99s_%E2%80%9Ckenyan,_anti-colonial_behavior%E2%80%9D_and_%E2%80%9Camerican_exceptionalism%E2%80%9D

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/opinion/25Cohen.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hpYHDdQHK8

http://www.periscopepost.com/2010/11/the-myth-and-reality-of-american-exceptionalism/

http://mikepence.house.gov/index.php?Itemid=71&id=4392&option=com_content&task=view

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/American-Exceptionalism-A-Nicer-Way-to-Say-Obama-Isnt-One-of-Us-5955

http://www.gop12.com/2010/08/president-of-us-or-world-and.html