President Barack Obama is the Face of American Exceptionalism

Neoconservatives use the expression, "American Exceptionalism" consistently in their rhetoric; however, it is very doubtful, based on their wild perceptions of President Obama that they can actually recognize true American Exceptionalism when they see it.  They can't tell the difference between jingoism and exceptionalism, if they could, then they would recognize that President Barack Obama is the true face of American Exceptionalism. 

The lies and misconceptions that are repeated over and over on Fox and right wing talk radio have prevented neoconservatives from ever getting a handle on reality.  We can see how exceptionally talented the right wing is in duping itself in their strong belief in fake polling that showed Romney would win by a landslide.

What makes President Obama the true face of American Exceptionalism you ask? 

Put aside everything you think you know about the man for a second and think about this; he was born half-black, half white and grew up in a broken home.  His mother dragged him half-way around the world to a strange country at a very young age.  He then spent the remainder of his childhood with his grandparents, who were barely making it in their golden years.  When given the choice to live overseas or in the USA, he chose his grandparents' home in the US.

What makes Barack Obama exceptional is that he pulled himself out of a place that was on the precipice of poverty.  His values, his work ethic come from his family.  His mother's attitude was that you have to work hard in school to make something of yourself.  She not only taught him that, she set the example.  Even his estranged African father's example gave him the message that education was the key to the future.  His mother's life work was to help poor women in Southeast Asia obtain micro-loans so they could set up shops and pushcarts selling wares on the market to make money to feed their families. 

Get it –  free markets, free enterprise?  If you stick your head in the right wing echo chamber, you get the delusional message that Stanley Ann Dunham was a socialist, and that Barack learned that from her, but her work tells us a different story.

His grandparents were part of the Greatest Generation who weathered the Great Depression and beat fascism during WW II.  His grandfather was in Patton's Army in Europe.  They bestowed on their only grandson the Mid-West values that they knew; get a good education, work hard, and don't let adversity get you down.  His grandmother worked her way up to become assistant manager at a bank.  Get it – bank, capitalism?  His grandfather was a furniture salesman.  Get it – sales, free markets?  There is nothing about President Barack Obama's past that would suggest he would entertain a socialist attitude.    

As an Ivy League graduate, Obama could have been a high priced lawyer, but instead, taking a cue from his mother; he wanted to give back to the community.  As a community organizer, he helped put together an employment exchange where people in the community could find jobs   he didn't look to government assistance for people.  His priority for people in the community was employment.  His priority for the little old church-going black ladies in their Chicago community where he worked was to challenge the city government to spend tax dollars in their neighborhoods on better policing, cleaner streets, and better schools. 

That's what our governments are supposed to do.  He didn't need to become state senator, US senator, or president.  He would not as likely become as rich as Romney, but he is certainly better off than the rest of us 99 precenters.  Obama came from nothing, overcame adversity, and made something of himself, and in the process, he is making America a better place.  That's why President Barack Obama is the face of American Exceptionalism.

What President Obama did in 2008, and repeated a few days ago in the election of 2012, is truly exceptional, and America has to look forward to four more years of exceptional leadership.