The Blog

Obama's Patriotism

5:28 PM, Apr 7, 2008 • By MICHAEL GOLDFARB
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It seems to me that Obama interprets patriotism not that differently from Joe Klein--or perhaps Klein has created a new definition of patriotism that better suits this particular Democratic candidate. Either way, in this view patriotism hinges on a general optimism about the power of government to fix all of our problems. From a speech Obama gave in Montana this weekend:

That is the country I love. That is the promise of America. And in this election, if we can shed our cynicism and our doubts and our fears; if we remember that we rise or fall as one people, and that we can meet any challenge that comes our way if we meet it together, then I believe that this generation will do its part to perfect our union and keep our promise alive in the twenty-first century. Good night, God Bless, and as they say here in Butte, "tap ‘er light."

Again, Obama believes government can do anything...except secure victory, stability, and democracy in Iraq. To believe that the government could do that is false patriotism, like wearing a lapel pin.

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