Loving America

If you want to see an example of the worst of partisanship on the part of (in this case) a right wing pundit, watch this clip from Verdict with Dan Abrams on MSNBC.

The context: Much has been made of Michelle Obama‘s statement during a speech in February, in which she said (most likely misspeaking her true intent), she was proud of America “for the first time in her life“.

The Verdict staff uncovered a quote from John McCain that he’s used several times in his campaign, including March 13 of this year on video tape, in which he says “I really didn’t love America until I was deprived of her company”.

Now, the context of his comment relates to his war service and how being a prisoner of war changes you. Still, if we’re going to take Michelle Obama at her word that she was saying that prior to February, she had never been proud of America, then we also have to take McCain at his word that before he was a POW he didn’t love America.

Now, for me, I’m not overly into such stupidities. I think it’s perfectly possible to be ashamed of the behavior of your country and to want to see it returned to its former greatness without being a bad or even unpatriotic person. I think it’s reasonable to understand why a black person might not feel particular pride in America for much of their life. I think it’s reasonable to understand why a young man might not really understand the depths of his love for this country until he saw what it was like elsewhere. I also think McCain uses the word “love” when he should use the word “appreciate”. It is perfectly possible to appreciate America and to feel fortunate to be able to live here while at the same time not being particularly proud of the things we (in the form of our leaders) are doing lately.

But anyway, the two statements are clearly similar, with the larger of any accrued negativity going to McCain (since he spoke it himself) rather than to Obama (since it was not him but his wife who spoke it).

Nevertheless, watch the video. It’s entertaining, watching the right wing pundit twist and spin, trying to justify why Michelle Obama’s statement makes her a horrible, unpatriotic human being while McCain’s are the good and worthy and justified statements of a war hero. And yet, had the comments been reversed, there is no doubt in my mind that he’d be spinning how “you don’t always have to be proud of your kids, but you always love them.”



Liam.