Does Obama love his country?

Eugene Volokh:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he doesn't tell his wife he loves her any more, because "I love you" has become a substitute for "true love." The Illinois senator said he hopes to show his love by explaining his ideas about their relationship to her. Guess what the wife would think about that.

Of course, the story (from the AP) is a little different:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he doesn't wear the American flag lapel pin because it has become a substitute for "true patriotism" since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Asked about the decision Wednesday in an interview with KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the Illinois senator said he stopped doing so shortly after the attacks and instead hoped to show his patriotism by explaining his ideas to citizens.

"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," he said in the interview. "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 testament to my patriotism."
But the essence is similar: Wearing a flag pin is not supposed to be an explanation or an argument, just as "I love you" is not supposed to be an explanation or an argument. It's supposed to be a traditional statement of affection, powerful because it's cliché.

...
His message to me is that he does not want to defeat our enemies in Iraq. He does not understand how the people who attacked us on 9-11 have made Iraq the central front in their war against us whether they were there when we invaded or not.

Recall that in World War II when the US invaded Italy, we were mostly fighting Germans who came into that fight because most Italians had decided not to fight anymore. Al Qaeda made a similar calculation in Iraq after Saddam forces were defeated. Al Qaeda has never hidden this objective, although you would not know this if you listened to Democrats explain why they want to lose the war in Iraq.

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