Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Penn State students disagree on Obama's decision not to wear flag pin
By Allison Jackovitz & Jim Warkulwiz
Daily Collegian (Penn State)
10/16/2007

(U-WIRE) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Despite Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's decision not to wear an American flag pin on the lapel of his jacket, some Pennsylvania State University students said they feel the decision will not affect his White House bid.

After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, presidential candidates sporting an American flag pin on their lapels became prominent.

While campaigning in Iowa recently, Obama said he stopped wearing the pin years ago because he believes it has become an idle substitute for patriotism.

"Barack Obama's trying to play this 'I'm above politics' game. He's doing his own thing," Bill Hilferty (sophomore-film) said. "People looking for Obama are looking for change anyways."

Enrique Ortiz, College Democrats president, said Obama's public refusal to wear the American flag pin "gives off the wrong impressions."

A large part of the discussion as to how Obama's actions will affect the election is because of the lack of agreement about what the pin symbolizes.

Brian Cohen, owner of Jack Harper's, 114 W. College Ave., said lapel pins are usually seen as more of a fashion statement than a reflection of personal beliefs.

Cohen said he doubts Obama's decision will affect the election and suspects the majority of Americans won't even notice Obama's lack of the patriotic pin.

"I'm in the clothes business and I've never noticed whether or not candidates wear pins," Cohen said.

Alex Weller, College Libertarians president, said the effects of Obama's refusal to wear the pin will be short term, adding that the issue has been pushed by conservative media outlets such as Fox News, which have covered Obama's actions in Iowa at length.

But Ortiz said Obama "needs to replace [his] top media and campaign advisers."

"Republicans will paint the party as anti-military and anti-American" because of his actions, he added, even if Obama does not win the Democratic nomination.

Brandon Means, College Republicans chairman, said he was unsure of how people would use the Obama controversy in the long run. People should judge a candidate "on what they do and not necessarily on what they wear," he said.

With Obama already behind in the polls leading up to the primary elections, it is unclear whether his bare lapel will help him or hurt him.

"It's a polarizing thing," Mike Allegrezza (sophomore-biochemical and molecular biology) said. "People already in support will support him more, and people against him will use this against him."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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