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With any luck, Bob Schieffer’s commentary at the close of Face The Nation will end all further discussion of lapel pins.
Finally, today, I watched the ABC debate the other night when that question came up again about why Senator Obama doesn’t wear a flag pin in his lapel. Since no one asked me, here is my thought on all that. I think it’s a nice thing if people want to wear a flag on their lapel. But I believe it more important to keep the flag behind our lapel in our hearts. I feel the same way about wearing my religion on my sleeve. It just fits me better on the inside. When I go to see our local baseball team, I do wear my Washington Nationals baseball cap. But am I less a fan if don’t wear it to work? The truth is I have been known to wear a red, white and blue stars and stripes tie on the Fourth of July. But am I less patriotic when I trade it for my Santa Claus tie at Christmas? Patriotism is no more about signs or pins than religion is about reminding others how pious we think we are. No, the proof in these puddings is not the signs that we wear, but how we act. Wouldn’t that also be a better way to judge our presidential candidates than by the jewelry they wear?
Are you listening, MSM? Let’s get back to the issues. Not the cult of personality issues, but actual issues facing this country and how we’re going to get out of the mess we’re in.
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Perfect!
When I go to see our local baseball team, I do wear my Washington Nationals baseball cap. But am I less a fan if don’t wear it to work?
Let’s keep this question rhetorical. I shudder to think what some sports fans might say. ;)
I have really begun to appreciate Bob Schieffer. When his show is on it doesn’t matter what I’m watching, the channel gets switched to CBS. It is so refreshing to see an adult interviewing. I’m sick of the screeching juveniles that are on so many news shows these days. CBS, how about giving him an hour or more?
Schieffer is so out of touch with mainstream America!
Well…obviously, Bob Schieffer hates America….
What about those Republicans who wear their patriotism on their ass?
Its funny how your patriotism is defined by wearing a flag pin on your lapel that is made in China. Thank god for Schieffer and actual old school journalism.
It was a half-assed way of telling his journalistic colleagues to shove their unprofessional behavior.
I’m not inclined to applaud him for it.
I first noticed the flag pin on the lapel trend after 9/11 and it made me think of how in Nazi Germany, every party member (that means everyone from teachers to businessman to politicians) was expected to wear a swastika pin on their lapel.
At the very least, the lapel pin smacks of a kind of ignorant nationalism. And that’s who these “patriots” really are…Nationalists.
The GOP and their noise machine the MSM will continue to bring this non issue up, because it works for non thinkers like Nash McCabe, who they believe makes up the majority of the American people. They have won in the past because they counted on the stupidity of people like Ms. McCabe. They are counting on it again this time.
This was great commentary but let us remember that the people that keep bringing up these trivial issues are not confused as to whether or not some is a patriot if they were a lapel pin. This is a ploy to reach the legions of people who aren’t smart enough to realize these fake issues are meaningless. Psy-Ops if you will.
Karen @ 2:
LOL!
Do we nor realize that by continually talking about this and not getting back to real issues ourselves we are, in a way, justifying ABC’s line of Questioning? I’m not saying that the MSM, or any media outlet for that matter doesn’t deserve criticism, but at some point posting everything mentioned about one incident becomes overkill, just like flag pins. There has been excellent coverage of government propaganda, healthcare, war, economy, etc. lately can we focus on these and lay off the orgy of pile on one Idiotic incident? I, for one, still need a lot of real answers.
One of our great patriots, Bruce Springsteen, has endorsed Obama, calling him “head and shoulders above the rest”.
http://music.guardian.co.uk/po.....44,00.html
It’s sad that some, um, less intelligent members of our journalist corps have managed to completely hijack the discourse regarding our Presidential candidates and turned it into such trivial issues.
Republicans NEED lapel pins and Reverent Wright because they surely can’t stand behind the many and catastrophic Bush/Republican/neocon failures of the past 8 years. As November approaches, ALL GOP candidates will start to shuffle closer to the Obama plan of getting the hell out of the mess Bush has created and wants to continue in Iraq.
Bob should also report a timeline of all of the shady criminal elements
throughout the world supplying arms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Bout
Bob should also remind the american people that the Bush Administration
just met with Gordon Brown.
20 Apr 2008: Investigators have identified a number of British arms supplying arms to Iran.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl.....trade.iran
“I disagree with Senator Clinton that lobbyists are part of the system,” Obama said. “I think they are part of the problem.”
Hey, they’re both correct! The system is the problem.
what? my patriotism isn’t determined by a piece of plastic? my goodness what am i going to with these 100 lapel pins i am wearing?
Corporate citizenship is the problem, K-street should be illegal.
WHY didn’t Obama explain in the debate why he doesn’t wear one? He explained it to a reporter and it’s on tape. It’s out there. Instead of repeating what he said to the reporter ON TAPE (hello!) he lied and said he’s never said he doesn’t wear flag pins.
This issue is not going away. It’s tied to Michelle’s comments and his pastor’s comments. And all he had to do was explain it exactly the way he explained it to the reporter - on tape. Instead, he fudged. WHY?
KT @ 15:
“The lowering of discourse is done with tenacity.”
– Jon Stewart on C-SPAN (10/14/04)
We’ll never get to “the issues” because Clinton and Obama are practically identical on the issues.
How can you not be? “War bad, torture bad, health care good, responsible government good.” Basically, Frankenstein, Tonto and Tarzan can run against the Republicans.
So what is left? Attack each other over nonsense. Heaven forbid we should be in agreement or focus on a nuanced discussion of specific plans. That might alienate voters!
Pathetic. If McCain wins, the Democrats will be responsible. You’re NEVER going to face a weaker more disorganized Republican party. If you can’t beat these yahoos this year, you got no business being in politics.
I am now officially ignoring the election until election day. Is there any other plan besides “vote against McCain?” Is anything going to happen between now and then that could change the plan? Is there any flag-pin-Bosnia-vacation-crazy-preacher thing that you could learn that would justify that kind of stupidity?
No. There’s nothing left to hear.
Just another example of how scared the Right wing and the MSM are of Obama. In this age of lunacy, a straight-talking issues-centered candidate like him will destroy them if they can’t distract the American people with this crap and avoid talking about real policies. After all, they can’t defend theirs.
I’m afraid these rediculous attcks will only get worse.
PatrickD @ 7:
Not only are the flag pins China-made, so are the flags.
The simple truth, spoken from the heart….
Look closely, he’s giving us the finger!
22 JasonS No. There’s nothing left to hear.
I agree with some of your sentiments, but would argue that there is plenty left to say. If we don’t allow ourselves to continuously fall into the same traps and keep pounding issues that matter to us, the candidates, media and those already in office have no choice but to respond. Putting pressure on government and media is not as hard they make it seem. They will respond, if for no other reason than to pander for votes or viewership.
I think everyone agree. As a Obama supporter, I think he has just flopped on his message the past two weeks. After the fact during rallies in PA he has been great. But on his initial reaction, he’s looked like a deer in headlights and has come off lame. The best response to being asked about his lapel pin at the debate would have been either “Where is your flag pin? Where is Hillary’s flag pin? I’m not calling you unpatriotic, but like most Americans, including myself, I choose to wear my patriotism on my heart and express it with my actions.”
So I hope someone is passing over these clips of Bob and Rachel Maddow so he know how to answer these questions against McCain. And he definitely needs to highlight the fact that McCain’s longevity is a product of government healthcare. He can’t talk about how good his shape and condition is right now without giving a thumbs up to government health care.
Clinton and Obama are not identical on the issues. Health care being number one. Obama is an enigma on a lot of issues and he has Reagan economic advisors. Two of his advisors have said, again, on tape, not to listen to what he says on the campaign trail. He’s already said he’s open to talking with creationist. How religious is he? He’s open to looking at vouchers. How religious is he?
We know for a fact if anyone tries to get through universal health care, the insurance companies only have to play his attack ads.
Everyone thinks he’s the liberal candidate; I think he leans center right. And he just might disappoint a whole lot of supporters who care about one thing and one thing only - the war.
Bob Schieffer is the shief! Good for you, Bob. CBS should show Katey the door and replace her with you. I’m more comfortable getting the news from crusty old guys who at least try to appear neutral.
He’s a SCUMBAG REPUG ENABLER, but I must agree with that particular statement by Bob Schieffer today. Just this once, anyway.
General_Rennenkampf @ 24:
good old free trade agreements, eh?
the repugs have outsourced partiotism!
What I’d like to know is why no one notices that neither John McCain or Hillary Clinton wears flag pins and why no one says anthing about it?! After all, flag pins are supposed to tell others how much of a patriot one is.
Like the ribbon symbols pasted on car bumpers for several years, the lapel pin craze will eventually fade as some other inane fad seizes the american public. As for Obama not really answering why he doesn’t wear the pin, it’s his usual long winded avoidance of the issue.
jmac @ 20:
so your saying Obama endorses hitler?
#27 - Obama can’t say to anyone “where’s your flag pin”. McCain and Hillary didn’t go into detail about why they don’t wear one, he did. If you’re going to beat a dead horse, you can’t ignore the fact that he’s on tape explaining why he doesn’t wear a flag pin.
I think it should be dropped. But it will be back in the general. And the next time, he needs to explain instead of lie that he never said he wouldn’t wear one. He did.
Sneering men in blue suits and flag pins. A privileged 5% minority who’s private ownership of the means of life for us all enables their sociopath, privileged positions to ensure they profit royally from exploiting the labors of the dispossessed 95% majority.
c. atrox @ 6:
You missed the Republicans who keep their flag pin
in their ass along with their head. :-)
Kelvin Phillips @ 32:
only the democratic frontrunner gets the real vitriol. until Barack passed Hillary, she was the favorite target. now, he’s the frontrunner, so the assholes attack both dems in the “debate”, but concentrate most fire on Barack, even digging up Miss Pennsylvania to ask the flagpin question, and NOT question Barack’s patriotism.
the people are getting turned off now. I can’t wait until the dem candidate is chosen. THEN you’ll see the msm start with the howitzers.
L.A. Confidential @ 36:
slight adjustment for additional factual content.
I could never get into political lapel pins. Every time I see them, no matter what nationality the flag, I’m reminded of the Nazi Party pin which had to be prominently worn by good Germans.
What I’d like to see is some journalist ask a Republican why he wears an American flag lapel pin, because aren’t lapel pins so small? From a distance you can’t tell if it’s a pin or a noodle with some sauce that happened to fall from the Republican’s fork during lunch.
I mean, if the Republican really gave a damn about America and really loved his country, wouldn’t he wear a big-ass ball cap that had the flag on it, and an XL tshirt that showed Old Glory a-flapping in the breeze? And maybe a pair of red, white, and blue trousers?
Why do Republicans hate America by not boldly wearing the flag so that someone at a great distance, or someone with poor eyesight, can tell what it is?
I ask rhetorically … and yet, if suddenly everyone began wearing lapel pins, does anyone here doubt that Republicans would then have to raise the bar, as it were, to prove that they were better than the rest of us?
Symbolism
http://tinyurl.com/5387er
jmac @ 35:
what he said was that he did not have to wear the pin to prove his patriotism. there’s a difference since you’re sooooooo into parsing.
PassedPawn @ 40:
or the star worn by the jews.
jmac @ 20:
Why? Probably because there are important issues to focus
on. Then. Important issues don’t register with American voters
like a flag pin. In other words you focus on bullshit so congrats.
You are part of the majority. Fill it up. :-(
That’s it folks, keep up the mindless drivel… yer dooing us proud.
He said -’…not the signs that we wear, but how we act’. That is subtly different from ‘patriotism’.
In my world, the government serves me (and my neighbor). Patriotism implies loyal service by the citizen.
When a government serves the citizen - you have (potentially) democracy. When the citizen serves the government - you have Mussolini style fascism.
Be careful how you use the word ‘patriotism’. Expectations of loyal behavior are - to my mind - inappropriate in a healthy democracy.