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Opinion L.A.

Opinion: God made America, according to Mitt Romney

By Michael McGough
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It isn’t surprising that Mitt Romney played the ‘American exceptionalism’ card in his first major foreign-policy address. What was startling, given Romney’s even temper and moderate leanings, was that he credited God for that exceptionalism.

‘This century must be an American century,’ Romney said. ‘In an American century, America has the strongest economy and the strongest military in the world. God did not create this country to be a nation of followers.’

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This takes the invocation of the Deity a step further than George W. Bush’s much-criticized 2003 State of the Union address, in which he said, ‘The liberty we prize is not America’s gift to the world; it is God’s gift to humanity.’ Bush’s line is actually anti-chauvinistic, whereas Romney is claiming a divine blessing for his assertion that ‘We’re No. 1.’

But that makes sense. God is an American, isn’t he?

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-- Michael McGough

Opinion L.A.
Michael McGough

Michael McGough is the Los Angeles Times’ former senior editorial writer, based in Washington, D.C. He wrote editorials for The Times from 2006 to 2021. Before that, McGough worked for 30 years for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as a reporter, editorial writer, editorial page editor and Washington correspondent. He wrote about law, national security, politics, foreign policy and religion. McGough is a graduate of Allegheny College and also attended the University of Kent at Canterbury in England and Yale Law School, where he received a master of studies in law degree.

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