True then, even truer now

In his Democracy in America (published in 1835), Alexis de Tocqueville observed: “Among the droves of men with political ambitions in the United States, I found very few with that virile candor, that manly independence of thought, that often distinguished Americans in earlier times and that is invariably the preeminent trait of great characters wherever it exists.” On the importance of simple truths, young Mr. Tocqueville keenly wrote: "Generally speaking, only simple conceptions can grip the mind of a nation. An idea that is clear and precise even though false will always have greater power in the world than an idea that is true but complex.” That's something I hope Mr. Obama takes to heart.