"American exceptionalism" was once a rather obscure and academic concept, but in the 2012 presidential election campaign the phrase attained unprecedented significance in political rhetoric. President Obama's conservative critics-most notably Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and Mitt Romney-accused the president of disbelieving in American exceptionalism and thereby offending the nation's civil religion. This creed traditionally has included the notion that America is a political "new Israel" called by God and guided by His Providence to be the exemplar, vanguard, and champion of liberal democracy...