Obama, the new Kucinich
You may remember this: During his campaign for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, Dennis Kucinich (along with all the other candidates) was asked about his favorite song. Kucinich’s choice? “Imagine,” by John Lennon.
At the time, and still today, I thought that was a strange selection for a guy who wanted to lead the nation. Included in the song’s lyrics is this passage:
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Assuming that “Imagine” was Kucinich’s favorite song because he identified with its theme, then a natural question followed: Why would I vote for a guy to be president of our country when he wishes countries didn’t even exist? Lots of other voters either agreed or found parallel reasons to not take him seriously. Kucinich was an irrelevancy as a candidate, both then and now.
Barack Obama should keep that lesson in mind. When a TV reporter in Cedar Rapids, Iowa recently noticed that Obama wasn’t wearing his customary American flag lapel pin, the candidate explained it thusly: “You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin. 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, 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.”
I don’t wear a flag pin myself, so I don’t demand that Obama wear one. And like Obama, I also believe that vigorously debating an issue is an important part of the democratic process, and is therefore a patriotic act. Furthermore, I don’t confuse patriotism with automatic support of government policies. It’s possible to be both a patriot and an opponent of whichever administration happens to be running the country at the time.
But I can’t get past the fact that Obama has cast aside the flag of the very nation he wishes to lead. It’s a revealing and profoundly symbolic action. He could have simply said, “Some days I wear a flag pin and some days I don’t. But I’m the same true patriot every day, pin or no pin.” Instead, he declared that the flag has become “a substitute for .. true patriotism.” With that simple utterance, he tarnishes any display of the flag as something false and shallow, and makes the shunning of the flag a gesture of his patriotism.
I’m generally not a single-issue voter. But my one non-negotiable demand of a presidential candidate is that the symbols of the nation he or she seeks to lead be honored.
October 11th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
That comment was the end of Obama’s campaign in my mind. It would have been so easy to just say that “my actions are the best way to judge my patriotism and not whether or not I wear a flag pin”. However, he had to go a step further and essentially imply that anyone who wears a flag pin is using it as a substitute for true patriotism (his).
As one who wore an American flag pin on my lapel as I traveled through over 40 countries over the past decade I too would like for my President not to feel uncomfortable wearing our flag as well.
October 11th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Great post!
October 11th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
My comment is “awaiting moderation”?
I’d rather make my own changes, thank you very much.
Try this: I’ve read and reviewed your posting and will take it under advisement.
Sincerely,
Dr. Hackenbush
October 12th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
You can choose to demand that presidential candidates make a show of honoring the symbols of the nation.
Or you can choose to demand that your candidate honor the fundamental, non-negotiable principles the symbols are meant to represent.
Perhaps Obama, like so many other Americans, is uncomfortable with the fact that gratuitous flag-waving has become the emblem of those whose patriotism stops short of things like equal protection, due process and liberty and justice for all.
October 12th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Kamikaze,
Some people who wear flag lapels may not meet your definition of patriotism and some may indeed fall short of the principles of the country, but that fails to address the simple fact that the American flag, as a symbol of the US Presidency, may be rather difficult for Obama to discard or avoid. Suggest he embrace the symbols of this country and by his actions he can convey what he believes that means.
To denigrate the legitimate and historical symbols of the country and the people who wear them does not advance anything.