Letters to the Editor
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Bryan Hurst
No, this is what I'm saying. Republicans have reduced the flag to an idol to worship when in reality it is what the flag is intended to stand for that is what deserves our respect and attention. This woman clearly confuses the two, latching on to the image instead of the substance.
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Nash McCabe
Sadly, this is the type of person who decides the fate of our nation. This is the type of person who preferred George Bush over Al Gore and John Kerry because they seemd snobby and smart instead of...well whatever it was they saw in Bush (his bbq-abilty? that "he sounds stupid like me"?).
People can debate and dissect and discuss the policies and positions of the candidates, but in the end its in the hands of the Nash McCabes of the nation to chose the President. That's both sad and frightening.
That ABC would court and encourage someone like this woman does nothing but make the problem worse. Ten million people watched that debate. It was an opportunity to illuminate the real differences between these two candidates (and the Republican as well). But instead, ABC chose to encourage and elevate the lowest common denominator.
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The Notorious W.E.S.
When, precisely, was he hanging around with "Weather Undergound terrorists"?
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St Ronnie
Obama's answer was fine for people with a functioning brain. For the others, it is moot. But I wonder why they don't mention that this is a recent trend. Not only didn't George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson or Abraham Lincoln wear a flag pin, but neither did Reagan, GHW Bush, or Ford.
On the other hand, google produces lots of images of Nixon, Haldeman and Liddy wearing them.
What can a Republican say when St Ronnie didn't wear one (at least in any pictures I could find)? I think Ronnie knew that it screws up the suit fabric and looks stupid on a nice suit.
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She's left with no one to vote for...
Will someone please tell me then how Ms. Nash McCabe will be able to vote for Clinton or McCain? Neither of them wear the flag pin either. How has this become Obama's issue? I sat there during the dabate while Obama was forced to defend his patriotism, spending the entire time staring at Clinton's empty lapel, and thought WTF?? There are pictures on the internet of McCain at today's prayer meeting, and guess what? No lapel pin! How Americans seriously think one's patriotism can be determined by wearing something that was most likely made in China is beyond me.
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So "Electable" now means "Panders to the Morons"
This whole "electability" debate is a good one, but unfortunately it's being waged on two fronts... one is a more intelligent level, where we really look at which Democrat is more likely to win over moderates/independents and unhappy republicans to ensure a general election victory; and then on another level where we debate which candidate is better at playing the dirty politics and which one plays most cautiously so as not to insult voters like Nash McCabe. Well, I'm sorry, but Ms. McCabe is perhaps the one most in need of some critical (but loving) attention.
It's even more shameful for ABC that they sought this woman out to pose that question during the debate.
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@Nebulous WES
So you take no issue with the fact that this was raised, nor how it was raised?
Also, can you explain what relevance there is to Obama's patently trivial association with Ayers- a University of Illinois professor who worked in a high profile role for the mayor of the second largest city in the United States?
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Once Again
Samuel Johnson's dictum that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel comes to mind. I have never checked, but I'll bet the Cheney, Lay, Libby, et. al. are of the flag pin elite.
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Oh, the irony!
While not wearing a flag pin, not mentioning to George that he was not wearing a flag pin, and also passing on alerting Senator Clinton of her flagpin deficiency, Charlie Gibson asked "a question that 'goes to the basic issue of electability,'" to Senator Obama, and by proxy at that, through someone who they had to track down for her previous published comments on the issue. This of course being a question asked and answered repeatedly to and by Obama in previous appearances.
Here are URL's to pictures of John McCain since 9/11 without a lapel pin. In fairness, he looks pretty spiff in a couple of these, and a flagpin would likely detract from the look.
http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/mccain.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2154/2071606587_ab93109392_o.jpg
http://www.goodtimeoldies.com/Files/john.mccain.jpg
http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/files/images/john-mccain-3.jpg
And one from before 9/11:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2007-10/33131290.jpg
Flagpins are for golf holes.
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Majorajam
The guy stocked up Obama's campaign coffers with cash....For all we know, Obama took that money and donated to Wright's church.
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Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
-- Samuel Johnson (Boswell's Life of Johnson)
and a nice discussion of the quote is at:
http://www.samueljohnson.com/qotw02q2.html#0630
From Bartleby's I found this nice addition that I was looking for:
H. L. Mencken added this to Johnson’s dictum: “But there is something even worse: it is the first, last, and middle range of fools.”—The World, New York City, November 7, 1926, p. 3E.
http://www.bartleby.com/73/1306.html
I just love H. L. Mencken. Of course you can't say that as a candidate but there is no better place for a scoundrel to hide than behind the flag.
This administration has done many partisan things in the name of patriotism. I don't believe that partisanship and patriotism can coexist. You can't serve two masters (that is loosely quoted from the bible ;-) ).
Or more accurately:
King James Bible Matthew 6-24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
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Oh wes
You buy into all the propaganda. And you still can't tell yesterday from today. That or you just don't understand English very well. Here's a little lesson for you.
When you say "You're hanging out with" it implies an ongoing condition. Of course if you said "When you used to hang out with" then it makes the correlation much weaker and increases the nonsensical nature of your already admittedly farcical comments. And you don't even have strong evidence of "hung out with" as opposed to "associated with" or "worked at the same place".