A Flag Pin Flip Flop?
Much ado has been made over Sen. Barack Obama’s failure to wear a flag pin on his lapel during this campaign. (We have to wonder, however, why Hillary Clinton doesn’t get the same treatment over her lack of patriotic pantsuit pinnage.) Obama apparently drew a larger target on himself by saying that he wore is patriotism in a different manner. It was noted today by Scared Monkeys, though, that the Illinois Senator showed up with just such a pin while out on the campaign trail.
Obama, the very candidate who created the flag pin wearing controversy and said he does not wear a flag pin because he lets his ideas show his patriotism is guess what? Obama now is wearing a flag pin on his lapel while campaigning in West Virginia. So now Obama has had a change of heart and wears the flag pin when he feels the need to pander to voters. So what is Obama’s real position on patriotism?
By making his previous statements about letting his ideas demonstrate his devotion to America, has Obama created a flytrap of his own making? Scared Monkeys may be correct in pointing out that, had the Senator simply brushed the question off in the first place, his decision to so adorn himself is now put into play whenever it happens.
Hopefully we can all agree that some sort of tie tack or cuff links are not the final arbiter of one’s love of country. But a seasoned pol would likely not have allowed themselves to be pinned under such a question in the first place. We’ll have to leave it to the voters to decide how well this was handled or if it was a legitimate issue in the first place.
9 Responses to “A Flag Pin Flip Flop?”
“So what is Obama’s real position on patriotism?”
When I hear questions like that I just have to wonder about the intelligence of the person who would ask it. Gee, since he's running for president I'd have to guess he's pretty much pro patriotism. Its sorta like getting yetlled at by fellow sportsfans because you didn't show up in full team color body paint.
In fact, because Obama doesn't walk around in red white and blue undies I'm pretty sure he's a communist. Altho thats just what those sneeky communists would do to blend in. You know what this really reminds me of? Jennifer Anniston getting chewed out by her boss in Office Space for not wearing enough flair. Are you wearing your patriotic flair? True Americans wear 15 pieces you know.
“So now Obama has had a change of heart and wears the flag pin when he feels the need to pander to voters. So what is Obama’s real position on patriotism?”
So now that he decides to wear a flag pin he is somehow less patriotic because he is seen as pandering to voters? If that's the case he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
But a good point is raised about Hillary not wearing a flag pin or some other adornment to signify her patriotism…
This just shows that some people will stoop lower than the devil to smear a candidate they do not like, while ignoring all reason and brushing off any possible hypocrisy or double-standard.
Slamfu: “Are you wearing your patriotic flair? True Americans wear 15 pieces you know.” LOL! I wouldn't even know what 15 pieces I could possibly wear. Maybe I need to go out and get my ears, nose, eyebrows and other parts of my body pierced so I can wear 15 pieces of patriotic clothes and jewelry.
I totally agree with your post- thanks!
So what if he does or doesn't wear a lapel pin? That's about as important as whether he wears boxers or briefs. There's no great symbolism there. He is neither more nor less patriotic because of it. And frankly, raising a flagpin as an issue about any candidate is a fruitless, idiotic waste of time considering the actual troubles we face.
Just presenting both sides of the debate, folks
This is why the country elects people like George W. Bush.
Olbermann noted this is not the first time, and that he wears a pin somewhat like we might fly a flag: flag day, veterans and memorial days, and when addressing veterans as he was in this case. It's a supportable position, but as noted and noted above, who cares? The new litmus test is the support our troops decal on the car and for extra patriotism credit, the radio antenna flag.
I still view this flag-pin stuff the way I did from the start: it reminds me of the scene in Solzhenitzyn's “Gulag Archipelago” with Lenin giving a speech, followed by applause that would not end, not end, not end, for everyone applauding was worried what would happen if he were the first to stop applauding; that person could be arrested! Finally someone stopped applauding, and he was arrested.
The worry is similar to the silly worry about appearances with the flag pin.
If I remember the original response correctly, Obama never said he didn't wear a flag pin. He said that he doesn't always wear one. This “flip” is manufactured garbage. I can't believe I'm even still reading about this.