Two speeches Tuesday night: one by the son of a Kenyan father and American mother and the other by the son of Indian immigrant parents. What should we make of them?

Both are uniquely American stories. That’s why it is worth preserving the country that makes them possible. Bigger and more expensive government doesn’t create such stories. Individual initiative does. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal struck all the right Republican notes, but President Obama hit on several of them, too, including optimism and the “can-do” spirit; this, after weeks of talking down the economy and our circumstances.

The deficit will grow, many of the troops are coming out of Iraq and many more are going into Afghanistan. Terrorist suspects will be released from Guantanamo. Any of these are big issues, but taken together they are enormous challenges.

We know what got us into this economic mess and a lot of it has to do with politicians of both parties behaving irresponsibly. Politicians should change their behavior, even as we are forced to change ours. Given their track record, though, I am bearish on them, but I remain bullish on Americans.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.