Obama Likes Flags
The Washington Times accuses Barack Obama of a sudden “flag frenzy.”
Oh, say – can you see? Look. It’s President Obama, and he’s surrounded by American flags.
They’re on the dais in star-spangled glory. They’re at the town-hall meeting and the news conference, in bold folds of red, white and blue. The White House has rediscovered – or possibly reinvented – the patriotic cachet of Old Glory as a perfect frame for the new president.
That’s the same president who once would not wear an American flag pin. Things have changed.
This insightful analysis is followed by experts telling us that people often use flags when decorating settings for presidents and the likes of Michael Savage noting that dictators like flags, too.
Sigh.
I wasn’t upset when candidate Obama refused to wear a flag pin and, like Steve Benen, don’t find this in the least problematic. Presidents and flags go together like firecrackers and the 4th of July.
Even the sainted Ronald Reagan:
Presidents are, like it or not, a national symbol. In addition to being the nominal head of government, they’re also the figurative head of state. Flags and 21-gun salutes and other pageantry go with that.
About James Joyner
Well of course when GWB does it, it’s flag waving and to be frowned upon.
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[...] Washington Times is really upset that Barack Obama has surrounded himself with U.S. flags.I mean, who does the guy think he is, the [...]
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The Frontline on the credit crisis had a funny image of Paulson coming out into a room with 2 flags, but the hallway he came from was nothing-but-flags.
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[...] Benen and James Joyner both comment on this jaw-droppingly loony Washingon Times piece accusing President Obama of — [...]
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As long as he manages to stay out of flight suits I’m good with it.
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Far more problematic was Obama’s decision not to be near the flag during his first new interview, that with Al Arabiya. Far more significant when the President as national symbol doesn’t want to be associated with the flag.
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Right. Because absent the flag, some viewers might have thought that he was the president of Canada or England or maybe Costa Rica.
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[...] the other side you have the Times complaining that a President of the United States is appearing for photo-ops surrounded by . . . American flags [...]
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Right. Because absent the flag, some viewers might have thought that he was the president of Canada or England or maybe Costa Rica.
You’re way behind on your nutty right-wing slurs. He’s a Kenyan.
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Forget the flags. Can they surround him with 10-12 more Bidens?
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