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Flagging Enthusiasm

I don’t walk around wearing an American flag pin. I don’t particularly care if pols or TV anchors do.  But making a political point about one’s patriotism with its removal seems a little … I dunno … unpatriotic. Dawn’s early light shines on Obama, after mikejockey notices our flag is not there:

An eagle-eyed reporter for the ABC affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, noticed something missing from Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama’s, D-Ill., lapels.

“You don’t have the American flag pin on. Is that a fashion statement?” the reporter asked, at the end of a brief interview with Obama on Wednesday. “Those have been on politicians since Sept. 12, 2001.”

The standard political reply to that question might well have been, “My patriotism speaks for itself.”

But Obama didn’t say that.

Instead the Illinois senator answered the question at length, explaining that he no longer wears such a pin, at least in part, because of the Iraq War.

“You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin,” Obama said. “Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we’re talking about the Iraq War, that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security, I decided I won’t wear that pin on my chest.”

Let me get this straight. Flag is a substitute for true patriotism. True patriotism is not the flag, it’s Bush lied people died.  Flag, in fact, is a symbol of Bush lied people died. Turns out Iraq is exactly like Vietnam after all.  Great saying back in the day, I’m not sure it applied till now: America. Love it or Leave It.

Here’s another internationalist who finds flag-waving icky.

Topics: America, pols

  Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:32 am on Friday, October 5, 2007

18 Responses to “Flagging Enthusiasm”

1. The_Real_JeffS Says:
   October 5th, 2007 at 9:24 am

   Obama sounds like he’s seriously sucking up to the nutroots. Must be his poor polling against Hillary!

2. Banjo Says:
   October 5th, 2007 at 9:34 am

   Whoopi’s all right with it, and I bet Rosie is too. So what’s the problem?

3. tanstaafl Says:
   October 5th, 2007 at 10:43 am

   “But making a political point about one’s patriotism with its removal seems a little … I dunno … unpatriotic.”

   I thought it sounded a little…dumb.

4. Vanguard of the Commentariat Says:
   October 5th, 2007 at 10:57 am

   Yup, certainly don’t want to be visually associated with the kind of jingoistic rubes who actually like this country. C’mon people!.

5. The_Real_JeffS Says:
   October 5th, 2007 at 11:26 am

   I thought it sounded a little…dumb.

   tanstaafl, for some bizarre reason, this Obamaism reminds me of Kerry’s “magical hat” interview. I couldn’t figure out why, and now I know: both of those interviews were mind numbingly stupid in nature and content. Thanks for the pointer!

   Hmmmmmm……can we start thinking of Obama as the new Kerry? Or is it too early to tell?

6. tanstaafl Says:
   October 5th, 2007 at 11:40 am

   I keep trying to get there…all these small acts and cute stories these people use to demonstrate (make a show of) their small little version of world view.

   A very egotistical posture, from magical hat yuk yuk to self-righteous flag pin removal.

   AS IF “people” were supposed to give a sh!t.

   In the exact same vein as…all the people STILL (9 days later) taking their INTENTIONAL distortion of Rush Limbaugh’s point to the self -righteous max, HairReid, Weasel Clark, Harkin, Steve Israel, Salazar…calling for CHECKS ON FREE SPEECH in talk radio.

   And now the inimitable Elizabeth Edwards has weighed in (again) with some unbelievably ridiculous point about Rush Limbaugh’s 4-F military classification decades ago !

   Terribly arrogant. Terribly dumb.

7. RebeccaH Says:
   October 5th, 2007 at 11:49 am

   This guy can’t help digging holes for himself. So, yeah, in that sense he’s another John Kerry.

   I don’t own a flag pin. We do fly the flag from our porch on the appropriate holidays. I don’t really care what other people do to show their patriotism or lack thereof, and in fact, I’d rather they not make a big issue out of either. But I emphatically do not want the man who wants to be president to tell me in so many words that he’s basically ashamed of his own country. He might as well stand up and say clearly: “Don’t vote for me, because I won’t put your American security or interests ahead of the rest of the world.”

8. tanstaafl Says:
   October 5th, 2007 at 11:55 am

   “Don’t vote for me, because I won’t put your American security or interests ahead of the rest of the world.”

   That’s the internationalist posture favored by the liberal élite.

   Nation state borders are, you know, terribly banal.

   Which is precisely why the Supreme Court could (pre Roberts and Alito) turn to “European precedent” instead of (you know, their job, the Constitution) in formulating some of its rulings.

   Or why United States law should become subject to that (self serving) crowd over at the Hague operating under the auspices of “The UN”.

9. tanstaafl Says:
   October 5th, 2007 at 11:56 am

   “…crowd over at the Hague operating under the auspices of “The UN”.”

   The International Criminal Court.

   The people who couldn’t even get Milosevic tried in a timely fashion before he up and died on them.

10. steve Says:
    October 5th, 2007 at 12:04 pm

    This sounds like another Seinfeld moment for Obama–when Kramer wouldn’t wear the red AIDS ribbon.

    It’s too bad there aren’t two effeminate style Nazis to accost Obama as happened Kramer during the AIDS march.

    “Who doesn’t want to wear the lapel flag?”

    “Who?”

11. Vanguard of the Commentariat Says:
    October 5th, 2007 at 1:12 pm

    I don’t personally care if he wears one either. But I would prefer he not besmirch it.

    I do think Obama ought to get out more. If he mingled with the “little people” he might notice something he can’t fathom: many people fly the flag. In fact, some of the meanest hovels and most decrepit mobiles in America have flags flying in front of them

    I think there is a lesson there for various class warfare and redistribution enthusiasts running for high office, but it may not be nuanced enough for them to pay attention.

12. steve Says:
    October 5th, 2007 at 2:55 pm

    This is a telling move on his part.

    I’m sure George Soros liked hearing this. Soros is very eager to knock America off its position as the sole superpower and to establish a UN type body of equal nations haggling ineffectively over the world’s issues while tyrannies act with lethal precision.

    The “globalists” version of “patriotism” means you are loyal to the planet and other nation’s sovereignty: even if that other nation’s leader is a genocidal terror sponsoring tyrant like Saddam Hussein. “He’s got sovereignty and we’ve got to work within the framework of the UN to deal with him”. Relativism reigns supreme with a globalist like Obama having “walked barefoot in Indonesia”.

    Obama is playing to the snarky liberal elites who still think everyone overseas hates America. Chirac, who coddled tyrants and terrorists and blocked America at every turn, is gone. Al Qaeda has been thoroughly rejected by Middle Eastern states and culture. Iran and Syria are isolated and nearly friendless. The tide has changed but Obama would rather not admit it. It would not play well to his base.

    American soldiers are fighting and dying side by side with Iraqis for the same cause. American soldiers obviously have the primary purpose of fighting for our national security but there are no end of stories coming out of Iraq that transcend “Americans fighting for American interests”. How about talking about that, Obama?

    America is being seen for its strength and virtue in the Middle East like never before, this should be trumpeted. But left is making U-turns back to Rumsfeld’s mistakes and Abu Grab. The left’s glory days of 2003 and 2004 can be relived at your local theater in “no end in sight”.

    There is video up now at RCP of Dan Henniger from the WSJ describing people in Europe telling him how “unpopular your government is”. He deduces this is blowback for the Iraq War policy. But deeper than that, Iraq War opponents in America and Europe are repudiating the principles of the Bush Doctrine—the idea to spread democracy, freedom and individual rights around the world. In doing so, the opponents of Bush have ended up demoting democracy.

    “The Bush Doctrine Fallout” RCP videos

    Democracy is now being attacked as bad idea in places like Burma and the Ukraine. The monks want democracy. The Ukraine’s Orange Revolution is alive and moving forward. People hate Bush so much for the Iraq war they want do discredit these very ideas that make up his doctrine. This is very dangerous and immoral. Lebanon was able to break free of Syria due our presence in Iraq.

    Pull you head out Obama.

13. saltydog Says:
    October 5th, 2007 at 3:44 pm

    Obama asserts that he will not wear a flag pin and that his patriotism speaks for itself.

    He’s right. It does. Loud and clear.

14. Don Surber » Blog Archive » Quick hits Says:
    October 6th, 2007 at 10:55 am

    [...] 1. Jules Crittenden weighs in on Barack Obama’s latest stupidity. [...]

15. Old War Dogs Says:
    October 6th, 2007 at 1:47 pm

    2007.10.06 Politics and National Defense Roundup

    [Updated frequently throughout the day. Please come back often.] Ben Stein - Real Stars A big helmet tip goes out to The Gray Dog for making sure I knew about this: 25th Vietnam Wall Memorial Dedication Anniversary A Political and

16. Gerard Van der Leun Says:
    October 6th, 2007 at 2:13 pm

    Two minds with but a single thought.

    Obama: The 9/10 "Patriot" @ AMERICAN DIGEST

17. Nozzle Says:
    October 7th, 2007 at 7:11 pm

    Obama is trying to play well above the rim…I suspect gravity is getting to him and we will hear more silliness from him in the future. Also, he has probably put the final nail in his own coffin with respect to a possible VP slot. He would bring in black votes but Hillary will get that anyway.

    Steve, I concur and enjoyed your comments. I would add that the Euros played their hand and lost in the last century so why do we care what they think? Old Europe has enough of their own problems with Islamists. As well, they are toying with the idea of letting Turkey into the EU which will bring 70 million of Islam’s finest into the their midst. Old Europe will truly have died if that happens. In the nearterm, the weak dollar will threaten to bleed them white as their exports are so expensive. Tsk Tsk…

18. Jules Crittenden » Say Che Says:
    February 12th, 2008 at 9:09 am

    [...] question: If wearing an American flag pin is an unacceptable “substitute for true patriotism,” hence no Obama pinnage, then what is hanging a Cuban “Che” [...]

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