Tara has finished her new book! Under God: George Washington and the Question of Church and State (with co-author Joseph C. Smith, Jr.) may now be ordered from Amazon or Spence Publishing.    Tara and Joe recently spoke at a book event hosted by the Heritage Foundation. Watch the event here.

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Believing in the Shining City on a Hill DallasBlog.com August 22, 2008 By Tara Ross In the week following Rick Warren’s interview with the presidential candidates at Saddleback Church, much has been made of the candidates’ respective views on abortion. Others have talked, at length, about how Barack Obama’s professorial, nuanced style plays against John McCain’s straightforward, blunt approach.   But few commentators have noted another contrast: A difference in where each candidate believes that evil resides. One finds it in Americans.  The other in non-Americans.   Warren asked each candidate, “Does evil exist? And if it does, do we ignore it? Do we negotiate with it? Do we contain it? Do we defeat it?” Obama briefly acknowledged “evil in Darfur,” but then expanded on evil in America, noting that “[w]e see evil, sadly, on the streets of our cities. We see evil in parents who viciously abuse their children. I think it has to be confronted.” Of the three evils that leapt to mind for Obama, two are found among Americans. Shockingly, the evil perpetuated by anti-American terrorists was nowhere on his radar screen. Well, except for a concluding reference to the fact that “a lot of evil’s been perpetrated based on the claim that we were trying to confront evil.”  Again, Obama thinks of American “evil” (presumably the Iraq war) first, and non-American evil (terrorism) as only secondary.   McCain, by contrast, thought exclusively of evil non-Americans. He immediately responded, “[M]y friends, if I have to follow him to the gates of hell, I will get bin Laden and bring him to justice. . . . [W]e are facing the transcendent challenge of the 21st century—radical Islamic extremism.” Later in his answer, McCain acknowledged evil in America, but it wasn’t because he suddenly thought it important to discuss those Americans who face various criminal charges. Instead, he spoke of the evil perpetuated by those non-Americans who live in America but work for al Qaeda.   The two answers present a sharp contrast. They suggest that, of the two candidates, McCain is quickest to believe the best of Americans. Such a characteristic should be deemed essential for a President of the United States.   Indeed, Obama has often had to fight the perception that he does not believe the best of Americans.   His recent speech in Berlin was hailed by many, but it was not as pro-American as it could (and should) have been. He repeatedly emphasized global goals and deemphasized American contributions and successes. He decided that a foreign venue was a good place in which to speak of an America that “has not perfected itself.”   On other fronts, Obama attended the Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s church for 20 years. Wright, of course, is known for his many anti-American statements. In an April 2003 sermon, he repeatedly noted that his congregants should sing “God damn America” instead of “God Bless America.” On other occasions, he accused the American government of “inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color.” Obama, of course, claims that he was unaware of much of this anti-Americanism by Wright. But it’s hard to believe that a person could attend a church for so long without realizing such tendencies of a preacher.   Moreover, Obama’s associations with other anti-American individuals has been questioned. He had a close relationship with Frank Marshall Davis, a member of the Communist Party USA, during his years in Hawaii. He tries to downplay  his relationships with two terrorists, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, despite launching his political career with an event at their home. Perhaps Obama has reasonable explanations for these questionable relationships.  But after a while, one starts to wonder if all the smoke indicates the existence of a fire underneath.   Then there is Michelle Obama’s infamous statement that “for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country.” Mrs. Obama is 44-years old.  Now, perhaps her husband does not agree with her that America has more to be ashamed of than to be proud of.  But that would be a rather significant difference to have with one’s life partner.   Does Obama love America? Presumably. But he sometimes seems to see an America that is different than the country that most of us know and love. Rather than a “Shining City on a Hill,” he sees an imperfect America that must apologize for its transgressions.   What a terrible characteristic for an American president.