Obama Faces Test in Asserting His Own Brand of Patriotism

Barack Obama, with a giant flag at a North Carolina Democratic Party event Friday in Raleigh, has been criticized by some for not pinning a tiny one to his lapel. (By Mark Wilson -- Getty Images)

Democrats marvel at Obama's assertiveness. "He has a willingness to confront a theme that has traditionally been a real liability for Democrats," said Jim Jordan, who ran the early part of Kerry's 2004 campaign. "He talks about love of country in a more convincing and natural way than most Democrats do, than we've seen in a long time."

That has not stopped the attacks from coming. Karl Rove, President Bush's former chief strategist, recently chided Obama for his flag-pin decision, accusing him of declaring that if you do wear one, "you're not a true patriot." Republican pollster Whit Ayres called Obama "George McGovern without the military experience." Setting up a contrast, a recent McCain ad declared the Republican candidate "the American president America has been waiting for."

Pressed by Clinton at the Philadelphia debate, Obama said he expects "all kinds of attacks" but has confidence he can "talk to the American people honestly and directly about what I believe in." But he appeared flummoxed, as if unsure of how to handle insinuations about his patriotism from a fellow Democrat against whom he is more constrained in returning fire. And the hits have taken a toll. A poll released last week by the Pew Research Center showed that 61 percent of voters viewed Obama as patriotic, compared with 76 percent for Clinton and 90 percent for McCain.

At the same time, Obama has consistently scored better than Clinton on most other personal traits, pointing to another reason he may be able to weather attacks on his patriotism more successfully than past Democrats -- his congenial nature and skills as a communicator. But still, there may be limits, said Pew Director Andrew Kohut. "He has an ability to take a really bad situation and handle it," Kohut said. "The question becomes how many more he can handle."

Since the controversies over his wife's comments and the Wright remarks, Obama has imbued his speeches with an even stronger patriotic touch, including frequent mentions of his grandparents' contributions during World War II.

"You want to know about my patriotism?" Obama said last week in Chapel Hill, N.C. "My patriotism is rooted in the fact that my story, Michelle's story, is not possible anywhere else on Earth. That the American dream, despite this country's imperfections, has always been there. . . . That there are ladders of opportunity that all of us can climb. That we're all created equal. That we're all endowed with certain inalienable rights -- life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. . . . That we're willing to shed blood for those liberties, we're willing to speak out for those liberties. . . . That we can make this country more just and more equal and more prosperous and more unified. That's why I love this country. That's why you love this country."

Tad Devine, a Democratic strategist unaffiliated in the primary, said Obama's patriotic talk early in the campaign was a shrewd attempt to reshape the debate to guard against a future vulnerability. "In successful campaigns, you recognize your potential liabilities and figure out how to turn them into strengths," he said.

But David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist, said the candidate's patriotism has been at the center of his appeal since his 2004 Democratic National Convention speech, which Axelrod said laid out Obama's vision that "we have a stake in each other as Americans, that we have a great legacy that we have to rally around." Axelrod said the message would stand up under assault. "A campaign for president of the United States reveals who you are, and who he is is someone who has experienced the greatness of America," he said. "I have ultimate faith in the American people to judge him and others for who they are."

Jordan, the former Kerry aide, said that much depends on what McCain does, since he might not "be the kind of man who would play this kind of dishonorable campaign against someone." So far, the Republican has spoken out against several third-party attacks on Obama but has also sharply criticized Wright's comments and has cast Obama as the favorite of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Interviews with voters show that Obama faces a mixed landscape. In Missoula, Mont., Tim Ellis, a retired teacher, said attacks on Obama's patriotism will not fly. "I have more confidence in the American people than that," he said. "This guy is as solid an American as you'll find."

But in southwestern Pennsylvania, Cindy Valcheck, a customer service worker and Democrat, said she would not vote for Obama in the fall because he "doesn't even pledge to the flag." And in Reading, Pa., truck driver Chris Dietrich, 37, a Democrat, said he is still bothered by Obama's link to Wright. "I don't like all of [Obama's] views, let's put it that way," he said.

In Kokomo, Obama leaped on the flag question. He again explained his lapel decision, saying he was put off by politicians who wore the flag pin but voted against funding for veterans, and described the national-anthem moment in Iowa, noting in a joking aside that many sports fans don't put their hands over their hearts during the anthem at games.

"This is a phony issue. . . . I've been saying the pledge since I was, what, 4?" he said to applause. "So I make this comment and suddenly a bunch of these TV commentators and bloggers say, 'Obama is disrespecting people who wear flag pins.' Well, that's just not true. Another way of saying it is: It's a lie. So . . . don't listen to them. Look at what I do and what I say and my commitment to making this a stronger country. I get pretty fed up with people questioning my patriotism, especially a bunch of folks who have instituted policies that have made America weaker. I am happy to have that debate with them, any place, any time. All right?"