Obama loves this country-BUT-he tempers his view with nod toward the uglier parts of our history

[kpete]

The Past Perfect
It’s absurd to question Obama’s patriotism. But Rudy Giuliani is right that
Obama isn’t like his predecessors.
By Jamelle Bouie


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...... Compared with the visions of his predecessors, his is less triumphant and informed by a kind of civic humility. “I believe in American exceptionalism,” he told Roger Cohen of the New York Times while still just a candidate, but not one based on “our military prowess or our economic dominance.” Instead, he said, “our exceptionalism must be based on our Constitution, our principles, our values, and our ideals. We are at our best when we are speaking in a voice that captures the aspirations of people across the globe.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/opinion/10cohen.html?gwh=5E699017F5570A8928F006C64191D406&gwt=pay&assetType=opinion

As president he echoed this during a now-famous (perhaps infamous) 2009 news conference in Strasbourg, France, where he elaborated on his sense of exceptionalism:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=85959#axzz1tdE2dfXh

“I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” Every nation has a sense of its unique place in the world. Even still, Obama said, there are things especially exceptional to the United States. “I think that we have a core set of values that are enshrined in our Constitution, in our body of law, in our democratic practices, in our belief in free speech and equality that, though imperfect, are exceptional.”

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....... there is absolutely nothing he has said or done to make anyone question his patriotism or his love of America. As a president from black America, Obama carries this with him, and it comes through in his sometimes less-than-effusive vision of national greatness. He loves this country, but he also tempers his view with a nod toward the uglier parts of our history.

This isn’t the exceptionalism of the Republican Party or much of the national mainstream, and it can alienate Americans not used to a more critical eye—it’s why Mitt Romney chose “Believe in America” for his 2012 election slogan. But it is as authentically American as any other. And while Obama is far from a perfect president, I’m at least glad he’s here to give it a greater voice.


http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/02/rudy_giuliani_says_barack_obama_doesn_t_love_america_that_s_absurd_but_the.html

[on point]

1. Sounds correct to me. Reminds me of the old westerns, big rancher bad guys against law and order

Conservative exceptionalism is the outside bully big rancher, who doesn't think the law applies to him, in fact he thinks he makes the law. And takes what he wants, whenever he wants

Obama exceptionalism is about the towns marshal trying to apply the law to the rancher so that they are no longer taking form small ranchers and townspeople. They are part of community and cannot prey on everyone around them.