Preface

In the United States, election years bring a variety of long-simmering issues to boil, as candidates try to win support from voters by appealing to what they perceive to be Americans’ deepest concerns, fears, and insecurities. With the incumbent president George W. Bush the Republican nominee in 2004, the job of raising those issues fell primarily to the Democrats, who wanted to win back the White House for their party. With the popularity of the war in Iraq waning, the Democrats believed their candidate, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, had an excellent chance to defeat President Bush, but there were other issues besides the conflict in Iraq that occupied the minds of voters. Many of these concerns are reflected in the speeches chosen for this volume.

Shortly before the New Hampshire Primary in January 2004, Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, in his pursuit of the Democratic nomination for president, began speaking of "two Americas"—one prosperous and one disadvantaged. The speeches in the book’s first chapter, "A Divided America," touch on this and similar issues, beginning with Senator Barack Obama’s keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in the summer of 2004. Obama discusses the significance of the American slogan E pluribus unum—"out of many, one"—in order to present Senator Kerry as the candidate who could unite the country as Bush never did. Reverend Kenneth S. Beldon, a Unitarian minister, next reflects upon the divisive nature of the election and encourages his congregation to abandon their anger towards the party opposing their favorite candidate. Former secretary of labor Robert B. Reich also laments the rise of America’s "culture wars" and urges the nation’s people to overcome their differences. The final two entries address the gay marriage issue, with a speech by Peter Sprigg against same-sex marriage and another by Evan Wolfson defending it.

The next chapter, "Church and State," covers a topic that was the subject of much debate in the United States throughout 2004 and 2005, as arguments for and against such issues as prayer in public schools and the display of religious symbols in or around public buildings continue to challenge its meaning. The first two speeches collected here, by Ronald B. Flowers and Nadine Strossen, consider the founders’ purpose in prohibiting the establishment of a national religion and look at events that have tested the separation clause in recent years. Bishop Donald W. Wuerl of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pittsburgh next examines the influence that religion should have in the political life of elected officials who consider themselves Christian. In the final speech, R. Drew Smith looks at the manner in which African American churches can influence government policy.

Another issue that came to the fore during the past election season was the growing importance of electronic media—specifically the Internet—in the dissemination of information and the shaping of public opinion, with weblogs, or blogs, emerging as a form of citizen journalism and an effective monitor of the mainstream press. In the book’s third chapter, "Established and New Media," Jan Schaffer, Alan Nelson, and Vin Crosbie explore the various ways in which daily newspapers and broadcast and cable news programs might utilize new forms of cyber technology to reach a more tech-savvy audience. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton also considers the myriad new electronic media, but from the perspective of a concerned adult worried about the influence of this technology on the younger generation.

Concern for the future of America’s youth was also stated as a reason for President Bush’s campaign to reform the Social Security system in 2005. While he insisted upon the benefits of personal retirement accounts for the younger generations of workers, others argued against privatization and claimed the system would not be as bereft of funds as the president argued it would be in the next 20 or 30 years. The fourth chapter, entitled "Seniors and Social Security," examines this debate and the people it most concerns. It begins with a speech by Mariah Burton Nelson, who encourages her audience to view the aging process more positively. Then, Peter R. Orszag discusses the long-term effect of the current U.S. budget deficit on younger generations as they age and begin to receive Social Security benefits. The radio address by President Bush that follows outlines his plans for reforming Social Security, while Mark Warshawsky, from the Treasury Department, presents a more developed explanation of the president’s agenda. Finally, the economist William E. Spriggs looks at the issue from a moral standpoint.

The book’s final chapter, "America and the New Europe," examines a subject that concerned many U.S. voters during the 2004 presidential campaign—repairing and strengthening America’s relationship with Europe after it was so badly damaged by the U.S.–led war in Iraq. Stephen J. Dannhauser looks at that relationship from a business perspective, arguing for a better understanding of European markets. T. R. Reid then considers the social and political gaps between Europeans and Americans. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice next discusses the importance of U.S.–EU cooperation in spreading democracy and freedom abroad, while Senator Richard G. Lugar suggests how the Transatlantic Alliance can win the battle against terrorism. The final speech, another radio address by President Bush, offers America’s sympathies to and solidarity with the people of Great Britain following the terrorist bombings that occurred in London on July 7, 2005.

We would like to thank all of the speakers who graciously gave their permission to reprint their speeches here. We would also like to thank Eugene F. Miller and Paul McCaffrey for their assistance in researching and producing this book.

December 2005