Flag Pin Just One Symbol Embraced By Obama

CBSNews.com Reports: The Illinois Senator Has Reached Far And Wide For Imagery To Define His Candidacy

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli.

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Last fall, Barack Obama explained why he hadn't been wearing an American flag pin on his lapel.

"I won't wear that pin on my chest," the presumptive Democratic nominee said. "Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism."

What a difference a presidential campaign makes.

Obama, who suggested back then that the flag pin "became a substitute for I think true patriotism" after the Sept. 11 attacks, now regularly sports the patriotic symbol at campaign events.

He has given high profile speeches in symbolic locations, among them Unity, New Hampshire (on Democratic togetherness), Independence, Missouri (on patriotism) and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - also known as the city of brotherly love (on racial division).

He has peppered many of those speeches with references to symbolic moments from the American past - mentioning, for example, Abraham Lincoln's "House Divided" address during his formal announcement of his presidential run. (Obama gave the speech at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln gave that very address.)

He even briefly employed a campaign seal that looked a lot like the official presidential seal, the symbolism of which was hard to miss.

For a candidate who took an early stance against what he seemed to characterize as an empty symbolic gesture, the heavy use of symbolism in Obama's campaign has been particularly hard to ignore.

"All politicians, especially presidential candidates, traffic in symbols all the time," said Rutgers historian David Greenberg. "But Obama has given special care to his symbolic statements."

Image makers have long understood the importance of creating powerful symbolic associations for their candidates. A good photo of a politician gesturing confidently, a row of American flags behind him, can convey leadership ability and competence; a poor one, like the infamous shot of 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis in a tank, can have the opposite effect.

"We live in a visual society, and you want to make the picture tell a story," said political analyst Laura Schwartz. "There are certain things when you're running for political office that you do have to wear on your sleeve."

John F. Kennedy ushered in the modern period of symbolic image making, argues Montana State University historian Joan Hoff, former president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency.

"His family life was portrayed over and over," she said. "It was all touch football and family gatherings and the children, and it was all on television." (Obama's campaign has been receiving informal advice from Kennedy speechwriter Ted Sorensen, and Obama's speeches have sometimes echoed Kennedy's.)

Ronald Reagan's image makers, who have been lauded for their success in creating strong symbolic associations with the candidate, strove to "make sure the pictures are powerful enough that people will connect him with patriotism and leadership and making the country look good again," according to Republican political consultant Ed Rollins, who was Reagan's political director.

Obama's decision to begin wearing the flag pin, despite his comments last fall, may have grown out of a pragmatic calculation that he needs to engender similar associations. (He even sports one in his first general election television ad.) Polls show that more Americans see presumptive GOP nominee John McCain as patriotic than see Obama as such.

"It's a little thing but it means a lot to certain people," said Rollins.

Image-making can be a delicate business: The Obama campaign's misguided attempt to roll out its too-presidential-looking campaign seal fed into the notion that the presumptive nominee arrogantly already believed the presidency to be his. Republicans quickly turned the now-retired seal into a joke, with the McCain campaign rolling out a video suggesting that Obama might next put his face on the Statue of Liberty or Mount Rushmore.

Greenberg argues that Obama "tends to emphasize the symbolic over policy detail" in his campaign - a tendency reflected by his reliance (especially early on) on vague notions of "hope" and "change."

"Bill Clinton used a lot of symbolism too, but he also ran with policy as his centerpiece," said Greenberg. "[Former Clinton advisor] George Stephanopoulos argued that 'specificity was the character issue,' and they made that a focus. That's not really what Obama is doing. It doesn't mean he hasn't thought about policy, but he isn't making it the central focus of his campaign."

McCain has also been able to rely on symbolism, thanks in part to his military service and time as a prisoner of war, which has invested the presumptive GOP nominee with credibility on national security. (It's no coincidence that the McCain campaign has often featured McCain's time as a POW in campaign videos.)

The symbolic power of McCain's service goes a long way towards explaining why Obama surrogate Wesley Clark's comments on "Face The Nation" Sunday - he said "I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be President" - met with such strong resistance from Republicans this week.

But it is Obama - who, as the first African-American candidate with a legitimate chance at the presidency, is himself a powerful symbol - who has been most aggressive in pushing symbolic associations with his candidacy.

"Periodically, when things are going badly, you get charismatic rhetorical presidents like FDR, Kennedy, Reagan," said Hoff. "Obama is one of those, the type of candidate whose iconic representation is ultimately this message of hope and change. In that sense he's not unique."

[raoul12-2009]

Posted by S_Temper at 04:39 AM : Jul 06, 2008
_________________________

Your blatant racism repulsive to any intelligent people. Your kind of ignorance died out with Jesse Helms and you are just a vestige of a horrible era in America. People like you should just crawl into your hole and remain there for the rest of your life. Both McCain and Obama are better than you. I know you must be a failure and because of that, you are looking for someone to look down upon. I suggest you look in the mirror to see a complete failure.

[oldwhiteguy1]

This flag pin thing is retarded and so are the people that keep bringing it up...go back and check pics from the early primary debates, out of fifteen contenders only three wore a ''flag pin''. Obama wasn''t one of them BUT neither was Hillary OR McCain. No one every mentions that...
If you don''t want to vote for Barack thats fine, just admit you''re racist, but stop using a stupid pin as the reason. When you trade your blue collar for a nice suit and a night out is your sacred ''union button'' on your lapel? I doubt it.

[samsel3]

McCain rarely wears a flag pin. Look close at his TV ads you probably won''t see one !

[raoul12-2009]

IF YOU LIKE THIS ECONOMY;

IF YOU LIKE THIS NEVER-ENDING WAR;

IF YOU LIKED HIS VOTE AGAINST A GI BILL FOR IRAQ VETS;

IF LIKE PAYING HIGH GAS PRICES;

IF LIKE THE TAX BREAKS FOR THE RICH;

IF YOU CAN''T WAIT TO INVADE IRAN;

IF YOU LIKE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT;

IF YOU LIKE A PRESIDENT WHO VOTED AGAINST EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN;

IF YOU LIKE A PRESIDENT WHO VOTED AGAINST MATERNITY LEAVE FOR WOMEN;

IF YOU LOOK FORWARD TO THE END OF ROE V. WADE;

IF YOU LIKE THE UNFAIR TRADE POLICIES THAT SEND JOBS AND TECHNOLOGY OVERSEAS;

IF YOU LIKE A GOVERNMENT THAT PRACTICES TORTURE;
IF YOU LIKE A GOVERNMENT THAT SPIES ON ITS OWN CITIZEN;

IF YOU LIKE THE FACT THAT THE US IS ONE OF THE MOST REVILED NATIONS ON THE PLANET, THEN YOU''LL JUST LOVE McCAIN.

[raoul12-2009]

It makes me sick when I saw Obama weared the flag pin and stand in front of the flags

Posted by USA-No1 at 12:37 AM : Jul 05, 2008
______________________

I think you are sick - and unable to spell.

This country is not about a flag pin; it%u2019s not about a flag; it is more about a citizen%u2019s right to burn that flag in protest if they disagree with what this country is doing. Anyone who thinks wearing a flag pin makes them patriotic is sick. It%u2019s like a baby that cries, not because it hurts, but because it wants others to think it hurts. This country is about the right of a person to get up and put forth an opinion that others might totally disagree with, and you have the right to protest it . That is what America is about; that is what we should celebrate. It%u2019s called freedom of expression as provided for in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution: The right to express ourselves any way we wish. Our military risk their lives so that all Americans can enjoy the rights provided for in our Constitution, whether their manner of doing so is popular or not.

[raoul12-2009]

get some help before you really become a burden to our society.

Posted by USA-No1 at 09:02 PM : Jul 05, 2008
_______________________

I''m only a burden to your mother, but I''m usually done in about 15 minutes.

[raoul12-2009]

Sorry to hear that my typo confuses you%u2026%u2026most people can put 2 and 2 together.
______________________

Your idiocy could confuse a genius!


Posted by USA-No1 at 09:02 PM : Jul 05, 2008

[raoul12-2009]

SENATOR McCAIN SAID TODAY: %u201CI AM GOING TO CAMPAIGN IN ALL THIRTEEN COLONIES. MY CAMPAIGN WILL EMPLOY ALL THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES: THE TELEGRAPH, THE CARRIER PIGEON AS WELL AS THE PONY EXPRESS.

[raoul12-2009]

LET THEM KNOW YOU WANT HILLARY!!!!!

Posted by JTait2 at 07:54 PM : Jul 05, 2008
__________________________

GUESS WHAT, IDIOT, I DON''T WANT HILLARY!

[raoul12-2009]

LET THEM KNOW YOU WANT HILLARY!!!!!

Posted by JTait2 at 07:54 PM : Jul 05, 2008
______________________

Forget Hillary, she''s dead meat! Get that through your thick skull.

[nanc12]

BlackShaft - do not share Your black thoughts - who cares about your madness!
Posted by lordmi

BlackShaft is not black, he''s a white racist who goes by about 10 different names. Feel free to ignore him.

[raoul12-2009]

(SURA 8:12) AKA GOD D-A-M-N america! Its the humane way to have Hussein name!

Posted by BlackShaft at 05:49 PM : Jul 05, 2008
___________________

You idiot! You wouldn''t know Sura 8:12 from your mother.

[raoul12-2009]

raoul12, nobody can be this stupid.
Did something happenned to you?

Posted by USA-No1 at 06:06 PM : Jul 05, 2008
-------------------------

Not sure; ask your mother. Also, learn how to spell - ******.

[lordmi]

BlackShaft - do not share Your black thoughts - who cares about your madness!

[lordmi]

to JTait2 - Wake Up! We are in ANOTHER centure already.
Calm down and do not mess with our goal to take White House from Bush and McBush.

[blackshaft-2009]

Our agenda will be put towards america where the sun does not shine? Just look at my name and you will know what I mean!

Its the Wright way to have Damnation through Obamanation by the Muslim way of decapitation yes! (SURA 8:12) AKA GOD D-A-M-N america! Its the humane way to have Hussein name!

[lordmi]

shame on all of us, if PIN is in such importence!
Someone wants us to discuss this in stead ot issues and OUR problem.
That is McBush and who is for him. Cause this old liar can hardly follow his own thoughts. let him "eat" his money from Cindy and retire. Let''s make it for him

[raoul12-2009]

SENATOR McCAIN SAID TODAY: %u201CI AM GOING TO CAMPAIGN IN ALL THIRTEEN COLONIES. MY CAMPAIGN WILL EMPLOY ALL THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES: THE TELEGRAPH, THE CARRIER PIGEON AS WELL AS THE PONY EXPRESS.

[raoul12-2009]

McCain refuses to wear a flag pin. He says that is only for people who have a net worth of under 100 million dollars.

Posted by truthmatterz at 03:06 PM : Jul 05, 2008
________________________

Then I better go out and buy one. I understand that this symbol of American patriotism is made in China.

[dnsallday]

McCain rarely wears a flag pin. Look close at his TV ads you probably won''''t see one !

Posted by samsel3
******************************************************
McCain refuses to wear a flag pin. He says that is only for people who have a net worth of under 100 million dollars.