The idea of American exceptionalism doesn’t extend to Americans being exceptional. If you excelled academically and are able to casually use 690 SAT words then you might as well have the press shoot video of you giving the finger to the Statue of Liberty while the Dixie Chicks sing the University of the Taliban fight song. The people who want English to be the official language of the United States are uncomfortable with their leaders being fluent in it.

–Jed Bartlet on what Americans want

We’ve sent a message to the world that the United States is not like the terrorists. What we are is a nation that upholds values and standards of behavior and treatment of all people no matter how evil or bad they are.

That was John McCain speaking on December 15th, 2005. McCain just met with President Bush and got the President to support McCain’s call for a law banning torture. It was a huge win for McCain’s anti-torture stance and for the country’s image on the world stage.

Read the rest of this article