The Christmas holiday provides Americans a chance to put our political life in perspective and remember the special gift each of us has as a result of living in the United States. Despite its polarized politics, all its mistakes and shortcomings, the U.S. is the most creative, compassionate, innovative, productive and forward-looking country in the world. Its why people are drawn here. It’s what makes us unlike any other nation.

Since the first settlements in Jamestown and Santa Fe in the early 1600s, this land has welcomed to its shores discarded people of every kind from around the globe, including the poor and ne’er-do-wells, refugees and rejects, and given them a chance to live “the American Dream.” That phrase has meaning— work hard, have big ambitions, give back, accept responsibility and rise. Sometimes we forget how fortunate we are to have been born here or to have made our way here. Being an American is an immeasurable gift, one worth being grateful for. Happy holidays.

Washington’s Naughty and Nice List Carl Rove, WSJ December 25, 2025