I posted another link related #1214762 to this demonstration of one politicians lack of understanding of the very words of the Constitution earlier. Tom Woods also had some good thoughts on it.
From Tom Wood's Newsletter:
They sure don't make 'em like they used to.
U.S. senators, that is.
Read the debate between Senators Robert Hayne and Daniel Webster in 1830, or the lesser-known but equally valuable debate between John C. Calhoun and Daniel Webster in 1833 (featuring the latter's speech "The Constitution Not a Compact Between Sovereign States") and you'll say to yourself: I realize our senators today could never carry on debates at this level, but I'd be content if they could at least understand them.
We cannot set our expectations too high for a man who ran as the vice-presidential candidate with Hillary Clinton, but I think most people would not have expected his comments last week.
Kaine said:
The notion that rights don't come from laws and don't come from the government, but come from the Creator — that's what the Iranian government believes. It's a theocratic regime that bases its rule on Sharia law and targets Sunnis, Bahá'ís, Jews, Christians and other religious minorities. And they do it because they believe that they understand what natural rights are from their Creator. So the statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.
What can surprise us at this point?
John Locke's argument, echoed by Thomas Jefferson, was that rights preceded government, and that the purpose of government was not to grant rights, but to protect pre-existing rights.
(Whether governments do a good job of that in practice is of course not the point here.)
Tim Kaine wants you to believe that our rights "come from laws" and "come from the government" -- because what government gives you, government can also take away.
That's why Americans have been rather more fond of the idea that we possess these rights already, and do not merely enjoy them at the good pleasure of United States senators.