Neither Democratic candidates, NOR REPUBLICANS (except Rudy), wear flag pins! (photos)

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: October 5, 2007
What’s on a Lapel?
By Farhana Hossain

Senator Barack Obama’s comments about the absence of an American flag pin on his lapel created dustup on the campaign trail yesterday. When asked why he wasn’t wearing a flag pin in a television interview on Wednesday he said he had stopped wearing one because he felt that the pin “had become a substitute for … true patriotism.”

So what are the other candidates wearing on their lapels these days? Lets take a look at a few photos from the most recent debates.

Only three of the Democrats attending the debate at the Dartmouth University in New Hampshire last week were wearing a pin on their lapels but none of them wore the American flag. A spokesperson for Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio confirmed that he was wearing the official Congressional lapel pin. John Edwards wore an Outward Bound pin from his late son, Wade, who died in a car accident in 1996. (As a matter of fact, Mr. Edwards is almost never seen without the pin when he’s wearing a suit). And we are still waiting to hear back from Governor Bill Richardson’s campaign on what the pin on his lapel represents.



Over on the Republican side, only two of the candidates were seen sporting a lapel pin on the most recent Republican debate attended by most of the candidates. Former New York City mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani wore an American flag pin and he is the only candidate from either party sport a flag pin consistently on the campaign trail. Representative Ron Paul of Texas wore the official Congressional lapel pin.



Most recent images of Fred Thompson, who has yet to attend a debate, from the campaign trail show the candidate with a pin-less and flag-less lapel....

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/whats-on-a-lapel/index.html?hp

[Hieronymus]

1. Thanks for this most revealing post.

[zabet]

2. If you look really close....

Rudy's flag pin has 9-11 on it.

[rusty quoin]

3. What about Hillary's pin? Looks like she has one.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. There does seem to be some kind of dot there? nt

[Sandaasu]

6. That appears to be her microphone

[DeepModem Mom]

9. Could be -- thanks, and welcome to DU!!!

[emilyg]

5. So unimportant.

[Hieronymus]

8. So interesting that only one of the republicans refuse to wear the

flag pin, that has become so common among neocons to "prove" their patriotism .. how silly. Such shows of nationalism are common in fascist governments.

[Sandaasu]

7. I recognize Richardson's

And he wins some brownie points with me for wearing it:

http://www.truemajority.org/

It's their government spending pie chart.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. Thanks, Sandaasu! nt

[LWolf]

11. Flag pins are irrelevant.

I'm sorry that any candidate decided to make it a topic of endless debate.

The whole debate is irrelevant, and the sooner it sinks, the better, imo.

I'm sorry I finally stepped in to actually kick a flag pin thread by posting, but there you go.

Let it sink.

[DeepModem Mom]

12. I thought this post confirmed its irrelevancy by pointing out that virtually none...

of the candidates wear the pins consistently. I agree with you -- I don't know why the reporter's notice that Obama wasn't wearing one EVER became a story, period.

[LWolf]

14. Probably why your's is the only "flagpin" post I replied to, lol.

We agree.

[Evergreen Emerald]

13. this is such a non-issue...like hair cuts

distract and demean. That is the goal of the republicans (and dems against Clinton)