Obama & The National Anthem

Yesterday I received an e-mail with this picture from a recent Democratic event in Iowa.

OK, I thought. This snapshot could very well be taken completely out of context. For all I know, Obama could have placed his hand over his heart the second after this photo was taken.

Then a few minutes later, I received a second e-mail with a link to this urban legends website. It included a YouTube video (from ABC News) of the event in question in which all those on stage except Obama place their hands over the hearts for the National Anthem.

Obviously, Obama is free to do whatever he wants during the playing of the National Anthem. But at the very least, from a political standpoint, it's not very smart to stand on stage and at least appear to be less respectful of our National Anthem than your nomination rivals.

And it shows (at least in my opinion) a lack of understanding by Obama of the symbolic aspect of being President. The President represents all Americans, and when our National Anthem is being played, he ought to be the leading figure of respect, not standing with his holds folded in front of him like he's just waiting for it to be over.

Comments

Obama's pose makes me think of the Suburban Lawns song, "Janitor."

[Christopher H.]

comment #1

what ever happened to Su Tissue? Great comment, very funny.

Boom Boom Boom Boom, oh my janitor
(stuck in my head now for the rest of the day.. thanx)

[Andy Favor]

Jubal,

Thank you for posting this and moving the debate off of OC for a while. I think it gets boring talking about OC all the time.

I really cannot understand a candidate running for President of the United States not showing appropriate respect during the national anthem. Although I must admit that I have been a few seconds slow in putting my hand on my hart if I am deep in thought on something I am going to say. But that is not what happened here.

[Dan Chmielewski]

How true Matt, when someone who wants to be the leader of the free world fails to place his hand over his heart for the National Anthem or the Pledge, it's terribly unpatriotic and posivitvely shameful. http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/7/f/bush_tummy_pledge.jpg

Also, if you go to http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp you will see other photos of Barack Obama with his hand over his heart (scroll to the bottom of the post).

Can we post some useful video? Like all of Mitt Romney & Rudy Giuliani's flip flops or Rudy smooching Donald Trump in Drag.

Come on...... you Republicans can do better than this. You guys are grasping for straws. You guys (republicans) are not dead yet in this race.....close....but not quite yet.

[Jubal]

Can we post some useful video? Like all of Mitt Romney & Rudy Giuliani's flip flops or Rudy smooching Donald Trump in Drag.

I pointed out that things like this are politically stupid. And you respond by pointing out politically stupid moves by Romney and Rudy?

I hate to break it to you, Dan, but the vast majority of Americans are not left-left-wingers like you. They won't want to see their President doing what Obama did in this video. Am I claiming this would cost him the election? No. But surely you can make a concession to reality and admit he shouldn't ever do this again, and if he does it will cost him votes (at least, it will outside the Left).

[Christopher H.]

If Barak becomes president, we will all get to do the Hokey Pokey during the National Anthem (the Beyonce version)

c'mon everyone.. put your right foot in and shake it all about.

[Jubal]

Christopher:

Can you ind some poetry that doesn't have obscenities?

[Christopher H.]

Jubal,

I luv it when you censor me. Unfortunatly those were the words to a very well known and powerful song recorded on an album (proudly uncensored in the USA)a few years ago and registered with ASCAP. So, no I dont think I can just change them to suit you, but next time I will use my astrix.

Sorry to have offended.

When I perform it tonight, I will be sure to mention you and your thoughts and I will be sure to NOT SAY whatever it was that bothered you and see how it goes over in this land of the free. But Im not sure what was so offensive exactly. I think you are being a little uptight. My Neil Young song has a bad word in it too.

Oh Tipper Gore is on the phone. She said to tell you thank you. I have to go wash my keyboard out with a bar of soap now.

Oh, and I guess this means I cant date your daughter now :-(

[Dan Chmielewski]

"I hate to break it to you, Dan, but the vast majority of Americans are not left-left-wingers like you."

Actually, yes they are.... this from an article in the most recent edition of National Review:

Pollster Scott Rasmussen has found that the percentage of Americans who consider themselves Republicans declined steadily from 37.1 in the 2004 election to 30.8 in May of this year. ... Other polls have had more ominous numbers. In a Pew Research Center poll earlier this year that asked people which party they identified with or leaned toward, Democrats led Republicans 50 to 35 percent.

It's almost impossible to exaggerate the Democratic advantage on domestic issues: If it's an issue, they lead. According to Rasmussen, they lead as the party that people trust more to handle health care by 32 points, Social Security by 16 points, education by 13 points, and government ethics by 8 points. The Democratic lead extends even into traditional Republican territory. In a July Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, Democrats had a 25-point advantage over the GOP on cutting deficits, 16 points on controlling spending, 15 points on dealing with the economy, and 9 points on taxes.

[redperegrine]

Maybe he's praying. A lot of Americans like that.

[Christopher H.]

Dan,

Jubal said "left-left" not just "left". (And by the way, I consider "left-left" to be a very bad word.)

My Mother dates a far right-right republican regional director of the US Department of something or other (his email ends in .gov) and he agrees with you Dan, he was elected to his position in the Reagan era and said the statistics of Americans who are even moderate right are less and less.. you are either Right-Right or kinda left.. or so he said. Then he said "Kid, get me a Fresca"

He just had outpatient rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder.

[rebecca]

This is idiotic. You put your hand over your heart for the pledge, NOT for the national anthem. For the anthem, all you have to do is rise. Perhaps you've heard the announcement at Angels games: "Please rise for the national anthem." It says NOTHING about hand and heart. Made up nonsense, as usual.
Yawn.

[Tom Kaptain]

I sure hope nobody follows me around with a video camera at sports events. I usually go so far as to sing the National Anthem, but every once in a while I will mess up. Obama has a crazy schedule as a candidate and clearly messed up once. Long before this came out, I can remember seeing Obama salute the flag at public events and no one has shown a photo yet of any other event where he didn't salute it, so I think it's a case of someone making a one time mistake on an issue that I don't think should be very significant. I will add that I got the same email and I didn't like the stress put on the fact that Obama's middle name was "Hussein". I guess I am sensitive to the idea that anyone should be criticized for a name their mother gave them, but that is just me.

[No excuse]

This speaks louder then words to me. Many have fought and died for this great nation. When it comes to patriotism for the United States of America, brain farts are not allowed. To me, this just adds to Obama's lack of experience to lead our nation.

[Dan Chmielewski]

well no excuse, then how do you feel about W placing his hand over his tummy for the National Anthem? Obama has about as much experience as an elected official that Bush had when he ran for president in 2000.

And Rebecca, in the days before WWII, school children wuld pledge to the flag with a salute that features a hand extended straight towards the flag; a little too Nazi style, so it was abandoned. Just Google the "Bellamy Salute"

[No excuse]

Dan,
Had it been W in this video, my comment would be the same.

[Jubal]

I think you are being a little uptight.

Thanks for telling me. I'm sure that will keep me up nights.

[Jubal]

By the way, asterisks aren't good enough. The rule is simple: no obscenity or profanity. If you cannot express yourself without resorting to either one, then you have bigger problems than me being "too uptight."

[Christopher H.]

It's true. I do have bigger problems. I apologize. Your blog, your rules. Could you please delete all my posts. I am in shame. If I could have deleted my posts, I would have.

[Jubal]

And Dan, as for your contention that the vast majority of Americans are left-left-wingers like you...

I read that dKos post, too. You're comparing apples and coconuts. You are using partisan affiliation and political philosophy interchangeably, and they aren't interchangeable.

And a seven point drop in GOP voter self-identification -- while bad for the GOP -- hardly means the vast majority Americans are lined up with you to the left of Ted Kennedy (your self-description).

Polls over the years have consistently shown more Americans to the right-of-center than left-of-center.

an AP poll from March 2007

showed this break-down:

Very liberal (that's you, Dan): 6%
Somewhat liberal: 15%
Moderate: 34%
Somewhat conservative: 27%
Very conservative: 14%

A Rasmussen poll from last month breaks it down according to fiscal and social issues and still shows more Americans are right-of-center than left-of-center.