The essential (and exceptional) American

From Newt Gingrich on Human Events on Dec. 1:

It has been said that times of great challenge reveal the great character of our nation.

This observation is typically used to highlight the extraordinary sacrifices and heroics of the American people. Time and again, whether we have been tested by war or great tragedy, the American people have revealed their fundamental bravery, compassion and honor.

But the statement can also be said to be true in another sense: Times of great challenge for America often cause us to reexamine our nation’s policies and priorities, measuring them against the founding principles of our country.

This year, as part of the American Solutions Real Jobs Tour, I had the opportunity to meet with Tea Party leaders across the country. I was amazed at how many of them were leading reading and discussion groups on the Constitution and learning more about the Founding Fathers. It became clear to me that the energy and drive of the Tea Party movement was not an allergic reaction to the radicalism of the Obama administration, as it is so often dismissed in the mainstream media.

It was, in fact, a response to the huge challenges facing our nation, and evidence of the revival of an old idea: American Exceptionalism.

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