No, the Other Guy Is the Mindless Declinist
President Obama called for a new "American century" -- then repeated the phrase seven more times -- in his commencement address to graduates of the Air Force Academy Wednesday. But Romney and Obama have been fighting over who's the forward-looking American optimist and who's the un-American defeatist for months.
President Obama called for a new "American century" -- then repeated the phrase seven more times -- in his commencement address to graduates of the Air Force Academy Wednesday. Obama's vision of unmatched American military and economic power came after a subtle dig at Mitt Romney: "Let's start by putting aside the tired notion that says our influence has waned, that America is in decline. We've heard that talk before." This is correct: We have heard all of this talk before, from Mitt Romney. Just six months ago, Romney said, "Obama thinks America's in decline. It is if he's president. It's not if I'm president. This is going to be the American century." Romney and Obama have been fighting over who's the forward-looking American optimist and who's the un-American defeatist for months.
Romney titled his October 7, 2011 foreign policy speech "An American Century: A Strategy to Secure America’s Enduring Interests and Ideals." In his address, Romney said, "This century must be an American century. In an American century, America leads the free world and the free world leads the entire world." But a couple days later, on October 11, Obama reclaimed the rights to the "American century." In a speech about his jobs plan in Pittsburgh, Obama said, "If we want to compete and win in this global economy -- if we want this century to be another American Century -- we can’t just go back to an economic model that's based on how much we can borrow, how much debt we can rack up, and how much we can consume."
At a December 15 debate, Romney complained of Obama's declinism, predicting an "American century":
In his own widely-broadcast television appearance in January, the State of the Union address, Obama then insisted, No, no, no, Romney's the declinist: "America is back. Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn't know what they're talking about."
"[Obama] believes America's role as leader in the world is a thing of the past. I believe a strong America must – and will – lead the future... He doesn't see the need for overwhelming American military superiority. I will insist on a military so powerful no one would think of challenging it...
If you want to make this election about restoring American greatness, then I hope you will join us."
I firmly believe that if we rise to this moment in history, if we meet our responsibilities, then—just like the 20th century—the 21st will be another great American Century...
I see an American Century because we have the resilience to make it through these tough economic times...
I see an American Century because you are part of the finest, most capable military the world has ever known..
I see an American Century because we have the strongest alliances of any nation...
I see an American Century because no other nation seeks the role that we play in global affairs, and no other nation can play the role that we play in global affairs...
I see an American Century because more and more people are reaching toward the freedoms and values we share...
I see an American Century because of the character of our country—the spirit that has always made us exceptional...
Of course, neither Romney nor Obama made up the idea. Here's Bill Clinton in 1999:
"Let us lift our eyes as one nation, and from the mountaintop of this American century look ahead to the next one."
And here's Bob Dole in 1998:
"You are the ones who will make the 21st century the next American century."
"This is not merely a call for new government initiatives, it is a call for new initiative in government, in our communities, and from every American to prepare for the next American century."
"I ask you to share my vision of a third American century in which the individual, not the government, makes personal choices. I am confident that the American spirit that brought us to our 200th birthday has produced men and women who are determined to prevail over the agencies and bureaus of government that would reduce human beings to computerized abstractions."