The things liberals worry about
E.J. Dionne:
The Flag pin controversy is not so much about Obama's patriotism as it is about his denigration of those who express their patriotism with flag pins. He is calling them disingenuous and not "true patriots." That they might take offense at this challenge to their patriotism on its merits and not on the race of its speaker seems to have eluded Dionne.
Lets talk about John Kerry's service. We gave it the same respect he did. When he got back from the war he accused himself and his fellow servicemen of engaging in war crimes on a daily basis. Why should such service be honored? It was his conduct when he came home that denigrated his service and that of other Vietnam veterans. That is what the Swift Vet ads were about.
When John McCain came home he did nothing to denigrate the sacrifices of his fellows in arms. One reason why he would be a better commander in chief than Kerry, is that when he came home, he went to the Navy War college instead of to a protest of the war. He chose to study warfare and how to win rather than rooting for us to lose.
Obama on the other hand has exhibited an ignorance of warfare and history that is profound. He is even ignorant of the everything about the current war that happened after he stated his opposition to it. His statements on the Anbar awakening are embarrassing for a serious candidate for President. He has been dead wrong about the effects of the surge and he should pay a political price for that this fall when the reality of our success in Iraq sinks in. He deserves to lose because of his poor judgment not because he thinks losing is patriotic.
If the 2008 election is to be a debate about the true meaning of patriotism, then bring it on.Patriotism would be a covert way to raise the matter of Obama's race? That may be the single dumbest thing I have seen written by a serious person in this years election. It falls in line with liberals using Obama's race as an excuse to lose this year. They will not be willing to accept that he is simply wrong on the issues in the minds of many voters.Ever since Barack Obama took off his flag pin, Democrats and liberals have had a queasy feeling that talk of patriotism would be a covert way to raise the matter of Obama's race; to cast him as some sort of alien figure ("You know what his middle name is?"); and to paint him as an effete intellectual out of touch with true American values.
I have no doubt that all these things will happen. Moreover, John McCain's sacrifice for his country will be a central theme of the Republican campaign. And why not? Yes, many Republicans refused to honor John Kerry's service during the campaign four years ago. But McCain wasn't part of that, and his service deserves the praise it gets.
The Flag pin controversy is not so much about Obama's patriotism as it is about his denigration of those who express their patriotism with flag pins. He is calling them disingenuous and not "true patriots." That they might take offense at this challenge to their patriotism on its merits and not on the race of its speaker seems to have eluded Dionne.
Lets talk about John Kerry's service. We gave it the same respect he did. When he got back from the war he accused himself and his fellow servicemen of engaging in war crimes on a daily basis. Why should such service be honored? It was his conduct when he came home that denigrated his service and that of other Vietnam veterans. That is what the Swift Vet ads were about.
When John McCain came home he did nothing to denigrate the sacrifices of his fellows in arms. One reason why he would be a better commander in chief than Kerry, is that when he came home, he went to the Navy War college instead of to a protest of the war. He chose to study warfare and how to win rather than rooting for us to lose.
Obama on the other hand has exhibited an ignorance of warfare and history that is profound. He is even ignorant of the everything about the current war that happened after he stated his opposition to it. His statements on the Anbar awakening are embarrassing for a serious candidate for President. He has been dead wrong about the effects of the surge and he should pay a political price for that this fall when the reality of our success in Iraq sinks in. He deserves to lose because of his poor judgment not because he thinks losing is patriotic.
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