History Repeats Itself

 

 

I’m writing this as I’m finishing listening Mitt Romney deliver his acceptance speech.  I’m reflecting on the total message of the Republican National Convention.  The specifics of the speeches are very different than the speeches of the RNC in years past.  But, there is one convention of the past where the similarities of the theme is unmistakable.  While the personalities are greatly different the task is exactly the same. 

In 1979 it wasn’t about political parties.  Today, it isn’t about political parties.  It isn’t about personalities.  It wasn’t then either. 

The delineations then are exactly the same as the delineations back then.  (Heh, I just heard Mitt reference Carter.)   While the economy is the major issue today there is a much greater underlying issue.  And this issue is what destroyed Carter in the election and it is the same which will destroy Obama. 

It is about Americans unwillingness to accept mediocrity.  While this characteristic rarely endures Americans to foreign entities, Americans have a certain swagger and pride they carry with them.  We regard ourselves as uniquely exceptional.  We consider the United States as the greatest land in the world.  Not just for today, but in the history of the world the United States shines like a beacon on a hill.  Our land is full of hope and promise, prosperity, and liberty.  We don’t accept the constraints many of this world have accepted.  We make the seemingly impossible happen.  We see it time and time again. 

I won’t bother with the history lessons we’ve seen.  This post would be too long if I were to make such an endeavor.  But, when we were confronted with an energy crisis, the answer wasn’t to simply turn down our thermostats in the winter!  We went through the problem, we didn’t simply accept the problem.  Just a few years ago, we were told we couldn’t just drill our way out of our oil trade imbalance.  Today, we don’t just see this as a possibility, we see that we absolutely can do this.  It may not be the conventional way it was thought, but we see that we can do this! 

Naysayers, cynics, and others of less character tell us we can’t solve our budget problems without increasing taxes.  Today, we have plans which will absolutely do this.  People tell us that we have to abdicate our international leadership role.  We know and understand that not only that we don’t have to but, it has disastrous effects when we do abdicate our leadership role, just look to Iran.  Many tell us we have to accept China as the new economic leader in the world.  Americans will not accept such a preposterous proposal.  We don’t bow to other nations, we exist as an example to other nations. 

And, this is what this election is about.  I’ve a cousin of whom I’ve a lot of admiration.  He’s very fond of saying “ ‘can’t‘ never got anything done”.  This is the embodiment of the American spirit.  This is the exceptionalism Americans embrace.  We don’t want to hear what we have to accept.  We insist on our leaders inspiring us to greater heights.  We don’t want to hear about new international market realities.  We are the new international market reality.  We don’t have to accept economic mediocrity.  We expect and demand economic excellence.  We don’t accept the divisive nature of our leadership.  Excuses are for losers.  We don’t tear down other people’s accomplishments, we aspire to soar higher.  We don’t solve people’s poverty by throwing them more food stamp money.  We demand solutions to their poverty.  

The history of America has been only to identify a problem and it gets fixed.  America demands and deserves a leadership which will work through our problems not affix blame to the problems.  We don’t get mired in all of the reasons why something won’t work.  We conquer the constraints.  America has always extolled the virtues of individualism and exceptionalism.  We reject the notions that government can affix a one-size-fits-all solution to our problems. 

We deserve better, we demand better than the performance of the present administration.  This is the promise and hope the Republican National Convention brought America.