Barack Obama Won’t Wear American Flag Pin

Ken McCracken • October 6, 2007

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.
“Instead,” he said, “I’m going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism.”

A little puzzling, I guess. I certainly don’t think Obama has to wear an American Flag pin in order to be considered patriotic, but saying that you won’t wear a symbol of your nation on your lapel because of the war in Iraq is bizarre, and indicative of a larger mood of liberal American self-loathing.
After all, most liberals consider our country, and the fact that we’re not more like Europeans, to be the real problem with the world. This seems, to me at least, to be a symptom of that attitude.

Tags: Asshats, Politics, The Loony Left

http://www.afadaproject.com/ puckalish

rob, you’re gonna love me.

his comments strike me as somewhat cogent.

he didn’t say “i’m not wearing the pin as protest against the war in iraq.” he said, more or less, that he felt the pin was being worn as a proxy for more substantive demonstrations of patriotism.

i read what he said as that the pin was getting cheapened as a symbol of patriotism, in a sense… that he felt that the pin was a shield for people to hide behind rather than taking stances – on any side – on issues of national security.

mind you, i don’t think he was saying that everyone wearing the pin avoided wearing their values on their sleeves in more substantive ways, but that many politicians were, in effect, hiding behind the pin.

in barak obama’s own words:
“After a while I noticed people wearing a lapel pin and not acting very patriotic.”

“My attitude is that I’m less concerned about what you’re wearing on your lapel than what’s in your heart. You show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow Americans, especially those who serve.”

whether you agree with him or not, that logic seems to hold pretty well. screw fashion – candidates should have to demonstrate their patriotism by where they stand on issues, not apparel.

how did george soros enter this conversation, by the way? he endorsed obama back in january and this flag pin garbage is only coming up in october… was he really nine months ahead of the curve on this news?
http://www.valleydeals.com/cgi-bin/board2/YaBB.pl Kevin

Maybe Barry O can find an African pin to wear.
The Victor

ever see him in his little muslum outfit? He’s not about to wear our flag. Get ready to convert
Neiman

Maxwell:

I guess it’s his way of protesting the U.S. occupation that is certainly becoming less and less popular across party lines.

We are still in Germany (Actually most of Western Europe), Japan and South Korea, if you are to be intellectually honest and consistent you must call our presence in those countries an occupation as well.

Our occupation of Germany and South Korea are very unpoplular in those countries. Not much protest here about those occupations, but they were wars under Democrat Administrations and that makes everything okay, right?

Had Osama bama never worn a flag on his lapel I doubt there would be much of a flap now, but taking it off now makes it only appear like an appeal to the anti-war Left and George Soros.
http://crossroads-max.blogspot.com/ Maxwell

Neiman:

The world has long looked to the U.S. and its military power to serve at all corners of the globe. I expect that much of world has come to count on that fact.
Politics in general and all the posturing and promising that goes with it turns my stomach.
I embrace all the freedoms we enjoy and wouldn’t trade this country for any other.
I supported military action from the start and still believe it necessary to maintain order and reduce risk at home. That being said, I am anxious about the nature of this adversary. We are up against a large population of extremists that have little desire to gain an understanding of western culture.

The hatred runs deep and I don’t know how we’ll ever be able to say that our work here is done. This situation is quite different from other military situations. The enemy looks forward to death. I am more frustrated than anything else. I think about our soldiers and the lives lost and wonder if their sacrifices will be too high a price.

Obama is making a statement, one that is certain to alienate a large portion of the citizenry.
Politically speaking, it’s a strategic error.
http://crossroads-max.blogspot.com/ Maxwell

Interesting thoughts on Obama. I would say that he put together a curious explanation.
I guess it’s his way of protesting the U.S. occupation that is certainly becoming less and less popular across party lines.
If he is interested in securing his party’s nomination he’d better take care not to give the voting public any extra reason to doubt his patriotism. There are still plenty of people that feel strongly about the stars and stripes. I’d have Old Glory in full view.

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