On Monday, during a speech to supporters in Milwaukee that addressed the progress of her husband’s campaign, Michelle Obama said, “for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country.” Later that day, in Madison, she repeated her sentiments, saying in a speech broadcast on C-SPAN, “for the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm really proud of my country.”

Naturally, commentators on the right were appalled that the wife of a presidential candidate would suggest that nothing that America has done in the last 26 years has made her proud of her country. Most were quick to highlight a lengthy list of proud American moments since 1982, including victory in the Cold War and the positive emergency and charity response of Americans in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The Obama campaign issued a statement which said Mrs. Obama was speaking about American politics, not America as a country, a dubious claim considering that she never articulated that she was speaking about American politics in particular in the context of either speech. Even if she meant to speak in terms of race and politics, for instance, surely the election of black mayors, congressmen, senators, and governors over the last 26 years would give her reason to be proud, bloggers and analysts have argued.

Because Mrs. Obama’s spoke the line in scripted speeches and repeated it at least twice, there is little doubt that she did not say what she meant. This admission of a lack of pride in America until American voters seemingly get behind her candidate husband illuminates a philosophical view many of the far left in this country hold.

The Left sees America as the ultimate project of social justice. To them, the United States and Americans have committed more wrong than right; from stealing land from Native Americans to slavery to the Vietnam War, America has represented the rich, bigoted, capitalist, war mongering white man. This is a source of unbearable shame for the liberal, who, in the last century or so, has taken it upon himself to “progress” beyond the evils of our sordid past.

Contrast this with the general view of a conservative or, I hope, any average American. The founding of the United States and its subsequent history are sources of deep pride because of the foundations on which our government was formed. The ideas of limited government, free markets, and freedom of speech, religion, and press were, up to that point, merely ideas. Powerful documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution reaffirm what Americans recognize as truths about the proper relationship between the government and the individual, and they made these ideas a reality. Conservatives honor and respect these American values.

One would be remiss not to acknowledge that America’s history is imperfect. Conservatives recognize the dark moments in our history, like slavery, racial segregation, and the Carter administration, as failures to live up to a standard of which we should be proud. Our friends on the left, however, see these as instances of how we are a backward people, unwilling and perhaps unready to progress to an undefined state of true social justice. The conduit through which liberals can achieve this state is, of course, the federal government. The aforementioned American values conservatives hold dear impede the progress of the Left.

This brings me back to Mrs. Obama’s gaffe. She certainly does not hate America, and her husband’s campaign has stated that only in this country could a story like the Obamas’ occur. Nevertheless, her words reveal the liberals’ deep-seated sentiment that what constitutes America’s greatness is its willingness to vote for liberal policies and politicians.

Of course, what Mrs. Obama said boils down to her belief that only by electing Barack Obama can America save itself from itself. Unfortunately, for the strict adherents to Obamamania, his election cannot bring about all the promised “hope” and “change;” the limited power of the president and the government slows the momentum of drastic reforms in either direction, left or right. If Obama wins in November, this is an aspect of American government we should all be proud of.