Seven months after vowing “I won’t wear that pin on my chest,” Barack Obama has resumed wearing an American flagon his lapel in a sign that he considers the primary election over.
Saying he wants “the issue taken off the table,” Obama also sought to head off general election questions about his wife Michelle’s patriotism by warning critics to “lay off my wife.”
This pivot to the center comes as Obama all but declares victory against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary cycle, which is dominated by liberals, and sets his sights on Republican John McCain in the general election, which is dominated by moderates.
“Obama has now almost completely pivoted from Clinton to McCain,” said Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. “Part of that pivot means that he must — and can — moderate his image and views.”
On Oct. 3, two months before the first primary, Obama revealed that shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, “I decided I won’t wear that pin on my chest,” because it “became a substitute for I think true patriotism.”
But last week, Obama resumed wearing the pin.
“I’m happy to wear a flag pin,” Obama told ABC in an interview that aired Monday. “It’s something that I’m proud to do.”
Obama explained that supporters asked him to don the flag, “not because I think they wanted proof of patriotism, but they wanted the issue taken off the table.”
Obama madeclear that he also wants the issue of his wife’s patriotism taken off the table. He said it was “detestable” and “low class” for Tennessee Republicans to create an ad showing Michelle Obama remarking that “for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country.”
“If they think that they’re going to try to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they should be careful, because that I find unacceptable,” Obama warned. “These folks should lay off my wife.”
