Ronald Reagan’s love for the United States of America was both visceral and intellectual. He felt in his bones and he could articulate it with his words. He could tear up when at the sight of the American flag flapping in the breeze or at the sound of someone singing the Star Spangled Banner.
In words nearly everyone could understood, he could express what made this nation great, the ideals of its founders, the goodness of its people. Such expression does not come naturally to the man who currently occupies the office the Gipper once did. This is not to say Barack Obama doesn’t care for this nation — or even to suggest he doesn’t love it (as the title to this post questions), but simply to say that if he does love this country, he doesn’t make that passion as manifest as did the Gipper.
This question came to mind last night as I wrote last night about Jim Kessler’s contention that Democrats would do well in the 2010 election if they could just emulate the Gipper, particularly that Republican’s ability to offer a “ positive, powerful, muscular view of what this country can achieve“.
To which point, Paul Mirengoff responds:
But Obama doesn’t do “powerful and muscular” well, at least not in the same sentence as “America.” And for a good reason – he is ambivalent about such an America. Reagan’s belief in that American was not only genuine, but consuming. Thus, he could run that “play” in good times and bad. Obama might be able to run it semi-convincingly in good times, but not now.
In a similar vein, JadedbyPolitics served up this comment to my post:
Their problem would be that their “leader” does NOT believe in the AWESOMENESS of America. To be THE leader in the World economy and to sell that not only here in America but around the World, one must first suspend disbelief that WE The People are a good and great people!
Maybe Obama does love this country. If so, he needs to do a better job selling that passion to the American people.
Obama doesn’t love America and never has. Nor does he respect the people that make this nation great, those that cling to their guns and religions and oh yes, pay their taxes. He only loves himself and the educated idiots he surrounds himself with.
Reagan understood what made America great: human freedom, based on protections for individual life, liberty and property under the Rule of Law.
Obama doesn’t get it. Obama thinks all countries are basically the same and America is just another country for governmental/academic/bureaucratic elites to bleed or run into the ground, in their quest for… something or other.
Obama has never given any indication by word or deed that he loves America. Indeed, his words and deeds show strongly that he hates America.
SG, I disagree slightly. Obama “loves” America, to the extent America shows love for him. Obama loves America as a thing to be used; as a stage for himself.
Obama loves Obama. He’s a narcissistic sociopath. (Like most politicians.) America is just a glass for him to see himself reflected in.
Paraphrasing Skinner: That behavior which is rewarded is repeated. Check out his past behavior. Does that reflect love of country? Of course not. Was that behavior rewarded? QED.
Like other progressives, he only loves his idea of what America can –and needs– to be transformed into. The actual country and people, its messy and amazing history…nah, not much. We’re a sick patient who needs his miraculous ministrations so that we can become…France. Prior to 1965, everyone here was a racist, sexist, greedy, stupid, violent, capitalist, jingoist ignoramus (as a lot of us still apparently are in the progressive mind.)
President Obama doesn’t seem to love America by his actions and policies. He likes America but I don’t think he feels love for America and its unique exceptional-ism and national history.
Hillary loves America–and that’s the difference between her and Obama. The Democrats were idiots to nominate Obama. Hillary, for all of her flaws, loves this country and what it stands for and would fight to protect it. She might see it as a gameboard on which to play out her ambitions, but that’s true of any great leader. She would never bow to another world leader as President.
President Obama bashes America every time he gets–even on July 4th! He bashes America overseas in other countries. He is doing his best to destroy America from within. The Narcissist-in-Chief loves his reflection more than anything else.
I don’t see how Obama could sit for twenty years in Reverand “God Damn America” Wright’s black liberation theology church, which is essentially racist neo-Marxism, and not come away hating traditional America. As Obama himself put it, he wants to “fundamentally transform” America. In fact, I think all leftists hate America. That’s a big part of how they define themselves. They are pessimists at heart. They constantly point to social failures and perceived wrong-doing as reasons for change. To them, the primary reason why people are poor is because they’ve been oppressed. As Reagan put it once, when leftists see a fat man standing beside a skinny man, they can’t help but believe the fat man got that way at the expense of the skinny man. In their twisted mind, that any poverty exists at all is clear evidence of a societal failure that demands change.
Leftists conveniently ignore that when other societies have stopped being poor, it is because they have emulated the traditional American policies that leftists like Obama hate so much. All you need to do is look at East Germany and West Germany. At the time they split, both countries had comparable natural resouces, similarly educated people, similar cultures, etc. West Germany structured itself to more closely resemble traditional America. It’s people prospered. East Germany chose the “compassionate” socialist model and impoverished it’s people. The other obvious experiment is N. Korea and S. Korea where the cultures, education levels, and resources were similar at the time they split. South Korea chose freedom and prsopered, while N. Korea remains impoverished. Chile liberated its economy 30 years ago and has flourished. Brazil and Argentina saw the Chilean economic miracle and liberated their economies and now they are fast growing, vibrant economies that have lifted millions out of poverty. Venezuela modeled it’s economy closer to the socialist model and the standard of living of its people is falling behind.
Sorry for the length, I got on a roll.
Ronald Reagan exemplified what it was to be an American and why America is great. He never apologized for it. Does Obama love America? If love of country can be quantified he doesn´t love it very much. How can he? When on the campaing trail he failed to salute the flag. While still a candidate Michelle, on the stump for Barak , said she never felt proud of her country. This should tell us what their private feelings were prior to his being elected. If he truly loved his country, he never would have submitted the sovereign State of Arizona to the UN as violating human rights. He believed in the greatness of America as in his speeches. In March 1983 he said.¨The United States remains the last ¡, best hope for a mankind plagued by tyranny and deprivation. America is no stronger than its people- and that means you and me. Well, I believe in you . . . ¨ Even earlier in 1973 ¨Little men with loud voices cry doom, saying little is good in America. They create fear and uncertainty among us. Millions of Americans, especially our own sons and daughters, are seeking a cause they can believe in. There is hunger in this country today- a hunger for spiritual guidance. People yearn once again to be proud of their country and to have confidence in themselves. And there is every reason to be proud. Some may have failed America, but America has never failed us, and there is so much to be proud of in this land.¨
Does Barack Obama love America? Are you kidding me? No, no, and again NO!!!!
No, Obama does not love America.Neither do progressives. When everything you do is an attempt to make America LESS like America and more like France (or Venezuela) its not America that you love.
OMG, where is Sarjex when you need her? She could illustrate the Democrats “love” for America as a couple — a donkey holding hands with Uncle Sam — telling him “you’re fat” “you’re stupid” “you’re greedy” etc — all things which Democrats admit they believe — and subtitling it “love?”
maybe uncle sam has a black eye and some bruises, a broken arm…
or maybe its not Uncle Sam, but lady liberty! oh I wish I could draw!….ok, I’ll stop now
AE, there’s this:
http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/03/22/grinding-liberty-or-making-sausage/
Let’s put it this way: Obama ‘loves’ America the way an abusive drunk ‘loves’ his wife.
I’d forgotten about that oneTGC. very good as always.
Obama doesn’t love America. He just says that to get into Americas pants. 😛
The simple truth is that Obama and the so-called “progressives” think that the problem with Fascism was NOT that Fascists felt they had the inherent right to command and control everything and everyone, but that they loved their country too much. As such, today’s “progressives” look down on anything that even hints of patriotism as “fascist” in favor of internationalism (environmentalism for example) and continue right along, convinced that they have the inherent right to dictate every aspect of life to everyone.
Does Obama love America, short answer, NO.
Remember it was Obama who didn’t want to wear an American flag lapel pin. His staff thought better of that.
Obama is trying to mold America into a country that he CAN LOVE.
It’s a work in progress. That is why conservatives are so uneasy.
Obama loves America like a cat loves playing with a mouse before he eats it.
I agree with the other commenters: Obama does not show a loyal respect or admiration for America, Her history or Her people. Obama only loves that America’s people voted for him, even while his policies stood between them and the American Dream.
Mmm, I think the best way to describe Obama and the Obama Party is, “Familiarity breeds contempt”.
Seriously. The Obama generation of leftists is a product of the Ayers, of the Kennedys, the Dohrns, and so forth — spoiled children who grew up with everything, never wanted for anything, and thus became accustomed to everyone dropping whatever they were doing to give them whatever they wanted.
You can see it in Obama’s speech today. Anyone from a party that tore Bush and Palin to shreds in the fashion the Obama Party did, in which Obama gleefully participated, has no business whining about how he’s being talked about. But Obama did, not because he isn’t aware of the fact that he did it, but because he simply cannot conceptualize not getting his way in every single fashion.
NO – he doesn’t even know what the REAL America is, so how could he ever love it. To him we are all rubes, clinging to our despised God and our guns, which he would gladly pry from our cold dead hands. He is Bill Ayers and Rev. Wright – two men who clearly HATE everything about America.
BTW – isn’t he the most pathetic President/person you have ever seen? It was just pathetic to watch him speak today at that union rally.
“Democrats would do well in the 2010 election if they could just emulate the Gipper, particularly that Republican’s ability to offer a positive…view…”
Remember Hawkeye Pierce saying “Sincerity. Yeah, I can fake that.”
“Hillary loves America”
No, she’s just better at hiding her true feelings…or else you memory has faded with time.
Do you not recall all the stories of how she treated ordinary White House workers (everyone from maintenance staff to military officers) like dirt?
And then there were snide comments about “I could have stayed home and baked cookies” which offered a glimpse of this Alinskyite’s attitude toward stay-at-home mothers.
And so on and so forth.
The conservative psyche must be flattered at all times of course. The United States can do anything… except look in the mirror. Any kind of self-criticism or thoughtfulness is to be reflexively scorned – conservatives want to have it all and not pay for any of it. Let’s pass tax cuts while we finance glorious wars of conquest and deny that humans are having an effect on the climate. This passes for being reasonable in a political movement supposedly committed to building a successful society?
A conservative is an adult-sized toddler that is having a hard time accepting a reality where God didn’t create the universe for Americans. How telling that the most fetishized figure in your movement was an actor – someone that was good at getting people to believe in a fantasy world. It’s all iconography and sloganeering and empty suits with you people, no matter how hard you try to pretend like you’ve really thought about any of this stuff. All you really need is someone to shout a bunch of sweet-nothings into a microphone while they’re in your town selling books or collecting exorbitant speaking fees and you’re all set.
Uh, Levi, the adults are talking right now.
Levi, its not a simple matter of self-criticism. Indeed, if you knew the slightest thing about our Constitution, and our system of checks and balances, you’d know that self-criticism is BUILT IN to the system.
America is founded upon a set of principles. The principles of self-governance, limited government, individual liberty and responsibility and inalienable, God-given rights.
Progressives do not criticize HOW we go about providing these principles, progressives criticize the principles themselves! As Obama stated that the problem with the Constitution is that it says what government cant do, not what it MUST do on your behalf.
Obama doesn’t want to improve the American idea, he loathes the American idea and wants to trash it for a Statist idea.
The most amazing thing about your vast ignorance is how willful it is!
As has been explained to you around a hundred-thousand times, Revenues went UP because of the Bush tax cuts. UP, as in the opposite of down. UP. UP. UP. President Bush was able to pay for MORE of the war than he would have been able to had he not cut taxes because his tax cuts freed the American private sector up to make more wealth.
Which is one of the major reasons Democrats went apeshit when he passed them. They had everyone believing for 50 years that you need to increase taxes and increase regulation during wartime, as FDR, the other Depression causing “progressive” president did.
Bush’s tax cuts showed that to be another “progressive” lie. What you want during wartime is NOT high taxation, but low taxation and high economic growth! Another nail in the coffin of your dead, failed ideology.
How telling that the most fetishized figure in your movement was an actor – someone that was good at getting people to believe in a fantasy world. It’s all iconography and sloganeering and empty suits with you people, no matter how hard you try to pretend like you’ve really thought about any of this stuff.
Unfortunately for you, little boy Levi, we have you on record PRAISING actors and their statements.
Acting is the most revered occupation in America – and I don’t think that’s because you can be a mindless simpleton to do it. I think it’s a fairly safe assumption that usually the funniest people in any given room are also typically the smartest.
And what was it you were bragging at the same time?
I also can’t imagine what it must be like to realize that the engine of the culture that I lived in is almost universally and diametrically opposed to my own political thinking. That would be unsettling, and I would be very self conscious about knowing that all the funny and creative people are on the other team.
You were bragging about how actors, the people who you insist lie and make up fantasies and are all about iconography and sloganeering and empty suits to try to control the public, were all in the OBAMA Party.
And as your pathetic child’s meltdown and screaming fit on the podium showed today, that IS all that you and your Obama Party are about, Levi — lies, made-up fantasies, iconography, sloganeering, and empty suits.
No intellect. No intelligence. Just pathetic screaming and whining and crying fits by a little racist and his empty-headed talking points repeaters like you, Levi.
If you had any intellect, Levi, you wouldn’t have been so patently stupid to bash actors and call them all liars on the same website where you were bragging about them all being in your party and supportive of your ideals mere months ago. But simply put, you have no intellect, because you are a product of the Obama Party — you repeat slogans, regardless of whether they have a basis in fact, and are rewarded for mindless repetition.
It’s all iconography and sloganeering and empty suits with you people
Wow, he’s really got your number. Remember how Republicans got all excited about an empty suit candidate with no experience but slick iconography and a catchy “Yes, We Can” slogan.
Oh, wait, that wasn’t Republicans.
One begins to suspect there is much projection going on in the progressive left.
“It’s all iconography and sloganeering and empty suits with you people, no matter how hard you try to pretend like you’ve really thought about any of this stuff. All you really need is someone to shout a bunch of sweet-nothings into a microphone while they’re in your town selling books or collecting exorbitant speaking fees and you’re all set.”
The best description of the Obama campaign I have ever read. Thank you. Too bad it won’t fit on a bumper sticker.
I do feel a bit dispirited when my fellow Americans feel patriotism in the Office of the Presidency must be judged only by the yardstick of Ronald Reagan’s example. We have many other presidents whose patriotism shone forth throughout periods of glory and shame. Yet I have always taken heart in knowing that as individual American citizens we have many ways to display our love of country…and just as many ways to honor our flag.
Well, in keeping the measurement criteria fair, Obama’s yardsticks among the U.S. Presidents would necessarily be: Carter, Johnson, Roosevelt, Wilson, Cleveland and Buchanan. For details regarding these outstanding {b*llsh*t}men, do your own homework.
For a modern, contemporary worldview comparison, please see: Chavez, Ahmadinejad, Abbas, Correa, Jong Il.
Nice little fascist question you pose there.
It was my privilege to have been living in the USA during the period in which President Reagan was in the White House. On top of that it was my privilege to have been there during an election year (1984).
I can understand the love that so many people have for President Reagan. He was not perfect, because no man or woman is perfect. However, he achieved something that gave the world a real period of peace – the end of the Berlin Wall.
Does Øbama love the USA? The answer has to be about as much as Jeremiah Wright, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson love the USA – in other words, the love is missing.
I comment as a foreigner. What is obvious is that this man is a weakling. He is effiminate too. What is really damning is the way in which he failed to handle the clean up of the oil spill in the GOM including the way that he ordered the LSM not to cover what is going on down there. Do you really believe that the oil has entirely disappeared? I do not believe it at all. Also I remain concerned about the use of corexit to try and disperse the oil, especially the large quantities that were used. Wait there is more: the apology tour in my eyes has not gone down very well. I was shocked that he bowed to the king of Saudi Arabia and then he bowed low to the emperor of Japan. His actions went well beyond breaking protocol.
Øbama’s hatred of America is actually quite palpable especially when he instituted the moratorium on the oil drilling, as well as a number of other actions that he has forced upon all of you.
Sadly, Australia has been stupid enough to allow a Marxist to be Prime Minister. Julia-the-Marxist Gillard who stabbed the fromer Prime Minister in the back and then prostituted herself to the Independents in order to form govt. after a hung parliament resulted from our elections, shares many of the ideals and ideas espoused by Øbama.