"There is a yawning gulf between what the Democratic candidate says and how he has acted. That's why the race is so close."

Gerard Baker, The London Times Washington correspondent and keen neutral observer of our politics, has a most interesting column in the Times explaining the misconceptions of the British regarding our Presidential/Vice-Presidential candidates and his analysis of why the race is so close.

His critique of Obama is quite accurate and I believe all his supporters should take heed of Mr. Baker's comments on the disconnect between his talk and historic actions.

The following paragraph is the finest summary of the Democrats true goals I have read:

"One is a simple political-cultural one. This election is a struggle between the followers of American exceptionalism and the supporters of global universalism. Democrats are more eager than ever to align the US with the rest of the Western world, especially Europe. This is true not just in terms of a commitment to multilateral diplomacy that would restore the United Nations to its rightful place as arbiter of international justice. It is also reflected in the type of place they'd like America to be - a country with higher taxes, more business regulation, a much larger welfare safety net and universal health insurance. The Republicans, who still believe America should follow the beat of its own drum, are pretty much against all of that."

American exceptionalism. How can we throw that aside?

An important analysis to read and ponder.