Patriot Games

I read that some in the Republican Party are looking to make Barack Obama's patriotism a big issue in the fall campaign, presuming, of course, that Obama is their opponent.

The two big issues are this. He was no longer wearing a lapel pin of the American flag on his suit jacket and there are pictures of him not holding his hand over his heart for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Let me make a point of clarification. None of this is coming from the McCain campaign. I do believe that John McCain is a serious man running on serious issues and I can't imagine him making an issue of lapel pins and hand placement during the Pledge of Allegiance.

I also cannot believe that most Republicans are going to vote based on this kind of nonsense. There are, of course, more pressing issues facing the nation.

Having said this, if people really are pursuing this as an issue and if we see TV ads challenging the patriotism of Barack Obama I think I'll fall off the couch.

Here is a first thought. People who serve as President and people who run for the office of the President are patriots. The whole lot of them. They are willing to put themselves out their for public display and often ridicule. The ridicule, even when deserved, is difficult to endure and has to be painful. Of course there is the other issue of the fact that people who are or run for President put their lives at risk every day. John Kennedy observed that if a person was willing to lose his or her life then they probably could kill a President. It is eerie and frightening. These are people who put their lives in danger each and every day. I consider ALL of them patriots, even the ones I do not like.

But I digress. My main point is one of gravitas. This is a serious election. We are at war and our troops are spread out in two nations. Whatever one may believe about the merits of the war in Iraq, we cannot remain there forever----at least not at the level we are at present. We need a President to address this.

Economically we are struggling. The real estate market is awful. Fuel prices are way too high. Health care is a front and center concern for people. We have serious economic issues to face.

This is not to mention all the other crises that can help in the nation and the world.

One can only hope that the election is not going to be about lapel pins or hand placement during the Pledge of Allegiance. Anyone with an IQ beyond that of an artichoke can see that. I hope.