MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Mitt Romney's "Patriot Dream" speech has become part of his rhetorical repertoire, enabling him to appeal to those who revere the spirit of the Founding Fathers while portraying President Barack Obama as anti-American.
I first heard it during Romney's Dec. 20 appearance at the Bedford, N.H., town hall and recently at his Dec. 30 stop in Merrimack. Romney also talks of his "Patriot Dream" in Iowa.
America the Beautiful
Using the song "America the Beautiful" as a touchstone, Romney spoke of how his parents inculcated a love for America in him during a cross-country drive when he was a boy. He told of a verse in the song that inspired him: "Oh beautiful, for patriot dream/That sees beyond the years."
"My parents helped me understand that the vision of the Founders, the patriots, was a vision not just of temporary duration but it would see beyond the years. That the principles that built America in the early days would be principles that would keep us great today.
"I believe in those principles," he said.
"When the Founders crafted the Declaration of Independence, and they said that the Creator had endowed us with our rights, that changed the world. That said that no longer was king or the state the sovereign giving us our rights -- no. Our rights came from the creator. We became the sovereign and the government -- the state became the servant."
An enthusiastic Romney said the inalienable rights enumerated in the U.S. Declaration of Independence -- life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- made Americans "free to pursue happiness as we choose." Not only do Americans enjoy political freedom, they have economic freedom, too.
Our founding principles give us the choice to chart our own course in life, he said.
"The circumstances of our birth would not define the dream we might pursue.
"We became a quintessentially merit based society, meaning by virtue of whatever education we could afford and get, and whatever hard work we could invest, and what risks we were willing to take, and dreams we have, we could pursue our own dreams and achieve great things."
Optimist
Romney earlier had contrasted his idea of a God-sanctioned meritocracy with the failed entitlement society of Barack Obama.
Comparing Obama to Marie Antoinette for his comment that the economy could be worse, Romney said, "I'm not a pessimist. I'm an optimist. I want to bring an optimistic president back to the White House who believes in America and who believes in the principles that made America and that will get America working again for all the American people."
Wrapping up his remarks in Merrimack, Romney said that politicians who "live with integrity" can heal America by drawing on patriotism.
America needs those "who understand the principles that make the American economy work, and our nation work. That if these people draw upon the patriotism of the American people, we can overcome any challenge we have."
Declaring, "I'm an optimist about America. I believe in America. I love America, and I hope to be your president," he was met with a standing ovation.
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