The broken dreams of Barack Obama

Obama may still believe in a truly United States of America. But his words today are far more fraught than those of the young idealist we once knew.

President Obama mourns all victims of violence.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Two great themes emerge from Barack Obama's most important presidential speeches.

The first is of America as an ever unfinished work in progress, a place where we draw strength from our ability to forever make our union more perfect. "What greater expression of faith in the American experiment [is there] than this?" he said in his speech at the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, perhaps the most important of his presidency. "What greater form of patriotism is there than the belief that America is not yet finished, that we are strong enough to be self-critical, that each successive generation can look upon our imperfections and decide that it is in our power to remake this nation to more closely align with our highest ideals?"

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.