Damned if Survey USA hasn’t already done a poll of Ohioans (who usually pretty closely reflect overall American opinion) on this burning issue ( http://www.surveyusa.com/breaking.aspx , Poll #12738). Short version: 22% of them think that not wearing a flag pin makes you less patriotic. In short, we have reassuring confirmation that only 22% of the American people have lost their minds. Which makes it an even more staggering commentary on the nature of modern American political reporting that our reporters have decided to try and turn this into a major controversy.

Obama has obviously decided to try basing his campaign on the assumption that American voters are grownups. This may not be wise; an awful lot of past candidates have come to grief on that assumption -- but it’s always an interesting experiment.

Meanwhile, Ron Paul is now defending him: http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/_ron_paul_says_obama_shouldnt_be_condemned_over_flagpin_flap.php . Since it's a safe bet that almost all of those 22% who think that pin non-wearers are unpatriotic are among the 32% or so of the electorate that still call themselves Republicans -- so that their support is still critical to actually winning the GOP nomination -- I can hardly wait to see the comments on this issue at the next GOP candidates' debate.

Posted by: Bruce Moomaw at October 6, 2007 05:07 PM | Permalink to this comment

Greg,

Take their pins from them? There are a great many people in this nation, who, if they could, would want to tail gate parties and watch the war. This is there 'bet'...this is their way into the fight....be on the team. This IS their contribution!

Posted by: jonst at October 6, 2007 06:21 PM | Permalink to this comment

Too good to be passed up: http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=8811 .

"There's no business like show business, Irving Berlin once proclaimed, and in 1940 he may have been right, but not anymore. Nowadays every business is like show business, including politics, which has become more like show business than show business is...

"Few public spectacles are more entertaining than Congress hitting the hallelujah trail... For connoisseurs of the art of flimflamming the rustics, a writhing mass of Congressmen in the throes of uplift cannot be beat."

-- Russell Baker

Posted by: Bruce Moomaw at October 6, 2007 08:15 PM | Permalink to this comment

I just don't do jewelry.

Women do jewelry, and I understand that. Well, I don't really understand it; I get that women need to impress other women, and there is tradition to consider, but jewelry still seems a lot of trouble and expense to go to. Plus, there is some jewelry that can only be worn if metal first pierces human flesh. I don't even like to think about this.

Suit pins are sort of borderline jewelry. They're usually cheap, removing what is probably -- deep in my innermost heart -- my biggest objection to ornamentation of this kind. But I only wear a suit some of the time, usually for important business meetings and social events involving some preparation. Pins are just one more thing to remember, and if I misplace some pin I don't want to have to spend hours searching my residence for fear of being seen to make some kind of political statement if I can't find the thing. If I'm not wearing a suit, the only way to apply a pin is by sticking it through my shirt. One can only do this so many times before having to discard the shirt, which seems a waste especially (another confession here) to one who regards shopping for clothes as one of life's less pleasurable activities.

There is finally the fact that no one can talk to me for more than about ten seconds without pegging me as an American. The great majority of people with whom I interact professionally and otherwise are also Americans. And only the seriously obtuse can enter in to a discussion of world affairs with me and not notice that I am by habit and conviction the Yankee-est of Yankees. All these things combine to make wearing an American flag pin somewhat superfluous.

But I cannot speak for Sen. Obama. Speaking hypothetically, if he did not share my objections to wearing jewelry and had any reason to think that his somewhat exotic name might lead to some people mistaking him for a foreigner -- a significant disadvantage for a Presidential candidate -- he has done very well in his fundraising, making him able to hire people to keep him in flag pins. And he wears a suit more often than not. So for all I know Obama does in fact have a political agenda signified by his going pinless.

Posted by: Zathras at October 7, 2007 03:17 PM | Permalink to this comment