Obama Speech Echoes Teddy Roosevelt

Calls for fairer America, invokes TR's 'New Nationalism'
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 6, 2011 4:28 PM CST

President Obama's latest role model appears to be Teddy Roosevelt, observes both CNN and Politico. Speaking today in the same city in Kansas where Roosevelt called for a "New Nationalism," Obama encouraged Americans to unite despite differences. "I believe that this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot, when everyone does their fair share, and when everyone plays by the same rules," the president said. "Those aren’t Democratic or Republican values, 1% values or 99% values. They’re American values, and we have to reclaim them."

But Obama did point out his differences with the Republicans. "Their philosophy is simple: We are better off when everyone is left to fend for themselves and play by their own rules," he said. Roosevelt was known for standing up to Wall Street—and given that TR was a Republican as president, Obama has "almost found a transpartisan way to invoke this theme of ‘Who’s fighting for you, who’s standing up for you, who’s on your side,'" says a Democratic strategist. (More Teddy Roosevelt stories.)

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