William Galston: Has Obama Convinced Americans About the Importance of Community?

The New Republic:

While neither political party has a monopoly on “community,” in recent years Democrats have been more inclined than Republicans to invoke it—none more conspicuously than Barack Obama. In the peroration of the 2012 State of the Union address, he declared that “No one built this country on their own. This nation is great because we built it together. This nation is great because we worked as a team.” A month earlier, in the city where Theodore Roosevelt delivered his landmark “New Nationalism” speech, Obama argued that “Our success has never just been about the survival of the fittest. It’s been about building a nation where we’re all better off. We pull together, we pitch in, and we do our part.”

Read the whole story: The New Republic

Comments

[AndyWright68]

10:46 AM on 02/26/2012

Government is what destroys communities here and abroad.

If politicians cared at all about communities they would shut down their lousy system, quit and go get real jobs that actually produce something.

[Obama for Change]

07:33 AM on 02/26/2012

Importance of community is one of those nebulous things that sounds good in a speech but doesn't require any action on the part of the president. The president is more focused on fundraising.

[Paul Sta]

07:18 AM on 02/26/2012

All we have is community, as Govt has failed Main Street.

[1differentdrummer]

06:50 AM on 02/26/2012

It's the American tradition. Once we had barn raisings and volunteer fire departments. Seems to me that should appeal to the Rs.

[PeterNPaul]

05:31 AM on 02/26/2012

Community begins with the immediate family community. You take care of your children, your grandchildren, your elderly, your spouse, and then yourself. You can't give back unless you can do the basics.

What the President does not understand is that you cannot do that if you are taxed, inflated, mortgaged, restricted, and warred into taking care of everyone else's in the world too. His idea of community is bettering the communities of the Middle East and Asia, rather than the communities of America.

[AZreb]

08:10 AM on 02/26/2012

fanned - now we have the G20 meeting in Mexico that will discuss, among other things, GLOBAL GOVERNANCE. Does that ring a bell? Sure sounds like a catch-phrase for the "New World Order".

[PeterNPaul]

10:36 AM on 02/26/2012

Of course that would be held in Mexico, home to some of the most flagrant human rights abuses on the planet, fully supported by this administration.

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2011/11/09/neither-rights-nor-security

[Sundae Driver]

04:48 AM on 02/26/2012

Republicans don't want to know from "community." Its only two-letters off from "communism," and they aren't bright enough to understand the difference.

[Hoodooman]

03:31 AM on 02/26/2012

President Obama has cemented the belief by many, that it does not matter which letter these clowns have next to their names.

[hrpmap]

03:28 AM on 02/26/2012

Of course he's the community orginizer in cheif, and the class warfare pusher in cheif, and the devider in cheif, and the etc etc in cheif.

[Sundae Driver]

04:49 AM on 02/26/2012

San torum's "blah" in Chief too.

[Anonisan]

02:32 AM on 02/26/2012

When he bowed to the Muslim extremists and apologized for something he shouldn't have to apologize for , whelp thats the straw that broke the donkeys back .I'm done with him .

[Hannah Garrett]

06:08 AM on 02/26/2012

So you would rather that we go to war? Brilliant thinking...........not. How do you propose to pay for it considering we are still in debt due to the last two instigated by Bush? Bill Maher is right, Americans are stupid.

[Anonisan]

06:46 AM on 02/26/2012

Wait wait wait wait . You think we would go to war if Obama didn't send an apology to extremists ??? If that lead to a war , I'd have to say good riddance to those islamic terrorists . Yeah some Americans are stupid , some are sheep , and others such as myself like to think ourselves and not be fooled by talking heads on the TV .

[dawn2dusk]

06:17 AM on 02/26/2012

wow, ignorance is painful. It is very appropriate for national leaders to apologize, even to our enenies, for the desecration of religious tombs and artifacts. I'm sure there is some savage community somewhere that would love to have you. I bet you wanted binladen dragged through the streets, too

[Anonisan]

06:38 AM on 02/26/2012

Well , when I hear an apology from the leaders in Egypt , Pakistan , Malaysia , and Iran for the burning of churches , the rape of Christian women , the thousands of murders . You go ahead and bow and excuse yourself to murderers I keep my dignity .

[USADragonRev]

02:07 AM on 02/26/2012

nope. too put it simply, Utopia/Zeitgeist, total pipedreams. never will happen. humans haven't done it since recorded history and we're in a state of devolving, not a state of reaching higher consciousness.

[budanatr]

01:29 AM on 02/26/2012

The right wing in America has destroyed any sense of community and thus is destroying America. See all the posts from gopteapartyfascisttrolls here and you see the illness afflicting America.

[hrpmap]

03:30 AM on 02/26/2012

And your post is any better? LMAO!!

[budanatr]

07:13 AM on 02/26/2012

It was not a call for community. It was call to wake up to the threat. LMAO!!!

[AZreb]

08:16 AM on 02/26/2012

Since you are a "US Expat in EU", how are you involved in the US "sense of community"? If you care enough about this country, why are you in the EU? Why aren't you here and working for a greater sense of togetherness?

[budanatr]

12:24 PM on 02/26/2012

It really is none of your business.

[Moti]

01:03 AM on 02/26/2012

What a mind numbingly stupid headline!

[1mansvoice]

12:16 AM on 02/26/2012

Was he supposed to?

Is the President supposed to do EVERYTHING for us?

I thought the citizens are supposed to play the driving roles in free societies....

[dawn2dusk]

06:18 AM on 02/26/2012

sooooooo true!

[AZreb]

08:17 AM on 02/26/2012

Now it is the PACs and the "Citizens United" ruling that are playing the driving roles in our society.

[1mansvoice]

02:37 PM on 02/26/2012

clearly the fingers of money run deep, but only as deeply as we the people allow. society can always be steered by the active over the inactive.

I would argue a representative form of government is a form of outsourcing. No company outsources it's most vital functions, so on some level, we consider governing a necessary evil as opposed to a vital function of our society.

[Bishop999999999]

12:04 AM on 02/26/2012

Community is important, but not as important as personal liberty. Why does the Left keep forgetting this?

[Rodeo Sweethart]

11:57 PM on 02/25/2012

Hey Obama, where is that algae gasoline? Gas was $5 here again this morning.

[Moti]

01:04 AM on 02/26/2012

There isn't enough algae available, it's all going to Soylent Green production.

[hrpmap]

03:33 AM on 02/26/2012

Algae as fuel research is subsidized, by the DOD look it up. Expensive even though we are subsidizing it.

[Hoodooman]

03:37 AM on 02/26/2012

If he truly cared about the "working class" he would propose a plan to cut the excise tax on fuel, and encourage the states to do the same.