ArcaMax

Sen. Tim Scott left the door open for a future presidential run with his announcement that he is withdrawing from this one.

I hope it's the case. Although Scott's presidential campaign never ignited, his presence and campaign contributed immeasurably to our national politics, and perhaps this first experience of his in the national spotlight will make him that much more effective the next time around.

I would summarize Scott's unique and critically important message as follows:

Race matters. But not for the reasons that those on the left say.

For Scott, race matters to the extent his personal life story matters.

Born in poverty, raised by a single mother, Scott's turning point came when the light of faith ignited in his soul at age 18.

Beginning at that point, his life was defined by faith, meaning, work and personal responsibility. These are the values that lead him from poverty to the U.S. Senate and to a presidential campaign. And these are the values, per Scott, that define what America and freedom are about.

During the last Republican debate, Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker questioned the most basic premise of Scott's campaign in her online debate commentary: "Sen. Tim Scott must recognize that America is not exclusively a Christian nation. How can he sell himself to a diverse country if he's only willing to address Christians?"

The answer to Parker is that Tim Scott is not trying to make every American a Christian, any more than Ronald Reagan was, whose message Scott used as the model for his message that America is a land of hope and opportunity.

Freedom, per Scott and Reagan, is about every citizen taking personal responsibility for the outcome of their own life. This, Scott would say, is impossible without faith to get you through the hard times, to give you assurance that your struggles have meaning, and eternal values that respect life and property.

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