Mrs. Obama: FINALLY Proud of Her Country?

Care to elaborate on that?
What perspective should one have, and why?

Why?
Again I ask, pride in what sense?
Inventions, forged frontiers, what?
And what sort of pride?
That of a parent, a child, the vicarious cuckhold-like pride of the spectator?

I'm doing my part in November to hand it to him too. My kid is old enough to vote this time too, but hard to say how this will go.

Try again. Even if you're accused of terrorism, you'll still get your day in court and your rights as an American citizen will remain intact. Even Jose Padilla got to argue his position before the courts.

But it's a lie they love. Don't take it away from them.

They're stuck in a loop. Apparently the new DNC talking points haven't arrived yet.

Looking over this thread - some of you are the whiniest goddamn bitches in the world. It comes across as little babies who have their arms crossed and are pouting no matter what flavor lollipop we stick in front of you.

I can't answer "should." I can only say that I'd be a little leary of making someone Commander-in-Chief if they felt no pride in at least some of our institutions. Less still if I believed they despised them.

Just as an American. I suppose I feel an attachment to the country--the country, mind you, not the government--that many folks nowadays just don't feel.

How can I put it? For me, America is like this grand epic movie, and there I am for a few frames during reel four. I don't have any lines and my name won't appear in the credits, but I am part of the story.

The only thing that seems to be whined about in this thread is that there is an American in the public spotlight who isn't living up to the expected expressions of amore.

If you're nothing but proud of your country, there isn't much motivation to change anything about it.

So the absence of a public statement is the only way you judge?

Not at all. I don't demand any protestations of love for the country by Mrs. Obama.

I'm just a little taken aback by her statement that she has heretofore NEVER been proud of it. That statement seems to betray a deeper, more negative attitude toward the country.

Just the opposite. I can only judge based on what she actually said.

Well, nothing was said of institutions.
That's a big leap you've made there.

And even so, should one LOVE them?
And if they don't, they DESPISE them?

I see nothing but simplistic knee-jerk in your so-called reasoning here.

Just a feeling then.
A special magical feeling.

Pretty much a faith appeal.

...okay, more unreason.
Ducky.

And also a flat admission of the love of the spectator should be respected as a kind of patriotism.

Yet you hold in disregard those who don't share in this admitted act of unreason.

Well, keep digging. I'm sure you'll eventually find something genuinely scandalous. Maybe she killed her fiance in an auto accident or something.

Some of it is good. Some of it bad.

Better than most regardless.

Anybody that can't find a single thing that's good about it is most likely a self-loathing tool anyway. Fuck 'em.

Hmmm.... We can be proud of our country even though it's done some bad things in the past. All you Yankees better remember that the next time we refight the Civil War here.

On topic - this doesn't surprise me at all. I don't think it was a slip of the lip but a planned statement, playing the race card.

Supporters of his should be ashamed. He's been trying to run a race-blind campaign and this comes out now? He's ahead. He doesn't even need to.

The other explanation is that this is sincerely how he and his wife feel. Given their church's stated goals, I'm inclined to feel that they're true believers in this nonsense.

And garamet, you of all people should be upset with the plagiarism. Same as in school, it's wrong to take someone else's words without attribution. Ya gotta wonder if he's really the great orator or if he's done any more stealing.

Hillary's team is definitely scoring some hits with these latest stories.

No go, Elmer. My post precedes yours. It's incumbent on you to prove I don't.

Or just go shoot something.

What do you consider good or bad?

Nobody expects anyone to be pie-in-the-sky busting out in song with pride, but come on....as a potential first lady you damn well better be very proud of the country your husband could be leading!

Whatever...I'm proud of this country because we allow bonehead statements like this to boomarang as they may.

Yeah, I know. No one's every used "We hold these truths..." before.

If the biggest problems Hillary or right-wingers can find with Obama is speeches and pride, then that really says more about them than it does about Obama or his wife...

Like I said before, if she looks at the sum rather than trivial details, then that can't exactly be a surprise. Not everyone's American Revolution came in the 18th century, nor was everyone free upon being free of Great Britain.

Nevermind the "finally proud of my country" part. What is "it feels like hope is finally making a comeback" supposed to mean? It sounds like nonsense.

Hardly. His other shortcomings have been well-documented. This is just the latest.

The McCain camp has already jumped on this:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/19/cindy-mccain-michelle-obama-in-patriotism-flap/

Then the Obamas are definitely playing to their audience.

Nothing encompasses a lot.

I love individual freedom and limited government. I really do. It is not so important to me if you (or Joe or Billy Bob or whoever) doesn't. But it's vitally important to me that I believe that the President does. It'd be hard for me to vote for a candidate who said, "You know, I'm really not all that fond of the Bill of Rights."

Opinions and values don't rest on reason, else everyone would have the same outlook. Prove to me--using reason--that individual liberty is a better value than collective security.

A respect for certain values and institutions that I believe have been tremendously good for Americans. But when I hear that someone does not share at least some of the pride I have in these, I start to wonder: what are their values?

I can argue you with you why some of this institutions and values are good--and I think you would even agree with many of them--and so, if it's reason you want, I can deliver it. But that isn't my point.

My point is that Mrs. Obama has said she takes pride in NOTHING about this country. NOTHING. That suggests she is, at best, completely indifferent to values and institutions that I believe are and have been highly beneficial.

You actually expect his slogans to make sense?

B. Hussein's whole campaign is built on a foundation of vapid nonsense.

Well, it's not like he's given anything else.

Oh, yeah, Hope and Change.

Considering the misrepresentation and overstatement that John McCain's "100 years" comment has received, one would expect McCain to know better.

Until now; now it's all hunky-dory.

Suggests.
Critical thinking reveals otherwise.

So, that's all we got there is a bunch of....


And that's how your typical voter thinks, but yeah, fulla pride I am.
Best country ever.
Really.

A local talk-show host today described Obama as Prince Charming and a Government Check all rolled into one.