Kamala Harris Is The Patriotic Choice For President

This is just part of an editorial by the New York Times editorial board: 

It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States than Donald Trump. He has proved himself morally unfit for an office that asks its occupant to put the good of the nation above self-interest. He has proved himself temperamentally unfit for a role that requires the very qualities — wisdom, honesty, empathy, courage, restraint, humility, discipline — that he most lacks.

Those disqualifying characteristics are compounded by everything else that limits his ability to fulfill the duties of the president: his many criminal charges, his advancing age, his fundamental lack of interest in policy and his increasingly bizarre cast of associates.

This unequivocal, dispiriting truth — Donald Trump is not fit to be president — should be enough for any voter who cares about the health of our country and the stability of our democracy to deny him re-election.

For this reason, regardless of any political disagreements voters might have with her, Kamala Harris is the only patriotic choice for president.

Most presidential elections are, at their core, about two different visions of America that emerge from competing policies and principles. This one is about something more foundational. It is about whether we invite into the highest office in the land a man who has revealed, unmistakably, that he will degrade the values, defy the norms and dismantle the institutions that have made our country strong.

As a dedicated public servant who has demonstrated care, competence and an unwavering commitment to the Constitution, Ms. Harris stands alone in this race. She may not be the perfect candidate for every voter, especially those who are frustrated and angry about our government’s failures to fix what’s broken — from our immigration system to public schools to housing costs to gun violence. Yet we urge Americans to contrast Ms. Harris’s record with her opponent’s.

Ms. Harris is more than a necessary alternative. There is also an optimistic case for elevating her, one that is rooted in her policies and borne out by her experience as vice president, a senator and a state attorney general.

Most Say Americans Are Less Patriotic Than A Few Years Ago

The chart above is from the Marist Poll -- done between June 10th and 12th of a nationwide sample of 1,311 adults, with a 3.6 point margin of error.

True Patriots Are Not Uncritically Devoted To America

Robert Reich tells us what true patriotism is: 

On Saturday, Donald Trump conducted the second formal rally of his campaign — in Pickens, South Carolina, where an estimated 50,000 turned up under the scorching sun to hear him.

There, he advanced his version of patriotism based on White Christian Nationalism.

He began by celebrating the town’s namesake, Francis Pickens, who was governor of South Carolina when it was the first to secede from the Union on the eve of the Civil War. Trump assured the crowd he wouldn’t let “them” change the town’s name.

He commended the Supreme Court for rejecting affirmative action “so someone who has not worked as hard will not take your place.”

He saluted the court’s decision to overrule Roe v. Wade so “radical left Democrats will not kill babies.”

He promised to stop “men competing in women’s sports” and prevent classroom teachers from teaching the “wrong” lessons about sexuality or history.

He condemned foreign governments that “send” over the border “people in jails and insane asylums” and promised to deny entry to “all communists and Marxists.”

And he declared America’s most dangerous opponents not to be Russia, China, or North Korea but “enemies within” America.

Rubbish.

The true meaning of patriotism is the opposite of Trump’s exclusionary White Christian Nationalism.

America's moral mission has been toward greater inclusion — providing equal rights to women, Black people, immigrants, Native Americans, Latinx, LGBTQ+, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, and agnostic.

True patriots don't fuel racist, religious, or ethnic divisions. Patriots aren't homophobic or sexist.

Nor are patriots blind to social injustices — whether ongoing or embedded in American history. They don’t ban books or prevent teaching about the sins of the nation’s past.

True patriots are not uncritically devoted to America. They are devoted instead to the ideals of America — the rule of law, equal justice, voting rights and civil rights, freedom of speech and assembly, freedom from fear, and democracy.

True patriots don’t have to express patriotism in symbolic displays of loyalty like standing for the national anthem and waving the American flag.

They express patriotism in taking a fair share of the burdens of keeping the nation going — sacrificing for the common good.

This means paying taxes in full rather than lobbying for lower taxes or seeking tax loopholes or squirreling away money abroad.

It means refraining from making large political contributions that corrupt American democracy.

It means blowing the whistle on abuses of power even at the risk of losing one's job.

And volunteering time and energy to improving one’s community and country.

Nor is patriotism found in baseless claims that millions of people vote fraudulently. Or in pushing for laws that make it harder for people to vote based on the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen.

Patriotism lies instead in strengthening democracy — defending the right to vote and ensuring more Americans are heard.

Patriots understand that when they serve the public, their responsibility is to maintain and build public trust in the institutions of democracy. 

 

They don’t put loyalty to their political party above their love of America. They don’t support an attempted coup.

They don’t try to hold onto power after voters have chosen not to reelect them. They don’t make money off their offices.

When serving on the Supreme Court, they recuse themselves from cases where they may appear to have a conflict of interest. They don’t disregard precedent to impose their own ideology.

America’s problem is not as described by Trump and his White Christian Nationalism — that the nation is losing its whiteness or dominant religion, that too many foreigners are crossing its borders, that men are competing in women’s sports or teachers are not celebrating the nation’s history.

America’s problem is that too many Americans — including its lawmakers — are failing to understand what patriotism requires.

Republican Officials Claim To Be Patriots - They Are NOT

The following post is by Robert Reich:

Last Tuesday, House Republicans stood for a 43-minute recitation of the United States Constitution. This came just after Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee instituted a requirement to recite the Pledge of Allegiance before each meeting. Further pledges, flag salutes, and Constitution recitations are planned. 

Why are Democrats allowing Republicans to blanket themselves with conspicuous displays of patriotism, especially when the GOP has become the party of traitorousness and treachery?

Recall that eight Republican senators and 139 Republican representatives objected to the certification of electors in the 2020 election, based on no evidence. Many continue to deny the outcome of that election. Several are still repeating Trump’s Big Lie that the election was stolen from him.

Last June, Rep. Liz Cheney charged members of her own party who continued to support Trump’s Big Lie with “defending the indefensible,” warning that “there will come a day when President Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.”

Well, Trump is now almost gone. His nascent presidential campaign is sputtering. But instead of ostracizing them, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has given those who defended Trump plum seats on congressional committees. 

Democrats should repeatedly speak out against these Republican traitors. 

Democrats should also criticize Republican lawmakers who are equating patriotism with white Christian nationalism. 

In a recent speech, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis — whose popularity in today’s GOP rivals that of Trump — called on Americans to “put on the full armor of God. Stand firm against the left’s schemes.” DeSantis has prohibited the teaching of Black history, prevented teachers from discussing gender identity, and made it easy for parents to remove books from schools. He is now asking state universities for the numbers and ages of students who have sought or received sex-reassignment surgery and hormone prescriptions.

Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado says she is “tired of this separation of church and state junk” and “the church is supposed to direct the government.” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says, “we need to be the party of nationalism and I’m a Christian, and I say it proudly, we should be Christian nationalists.”

Democrats should make clear that Christian nationalism is the opposite of patriotism. America’s constitutional and moral mission has been to separate politics from religion — providing equal rights to Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Mormon, atheist, and agnostic. Real patriots don’t fuel racist, religious, gender, or ethnic divisions. To the contrary, patriots seek to confirm and strengthen and celebrate the “we” in “we the people of the United States.”

Nor do patriots ban books or prevent teaching about the sins of our past. 

Democrats must also remind the nation that patriotism requires taking a fair share of the burdens of keeping America going — sacrificing for the common good. Paying taxes in full rather than lobbying for lower taxes or seeking tax loopholes or squirreling away money abroad. Paying America’s debts rather than using the threat of national default to extract political concessions from the other party. 

Above all, Democrats should be saying that patriotism involves strengthening our democracy — defending the right to vote and ensuring more Americans are heard rather than claiming without evidence that millions of people voted fraudulently. True patriots don’t put loyalty to their political party above their love of America. True patriots don’t support an attempted coup. 

Patriotism means refraining from financial contributions that corrupt our politics. Blowing the whistle on abuses of power even at the risk of losing one’s job. Volunteering time and energy to improving the community and country.

And Democrats need to reaffirm that when serving in public office, patriots do not use their office to increase their wealth. When serving as judges, they recuse themselves from cases where they may appear to have a conflict of interest. When serving on the Supreme Court, they don’t disregard precedent to impose their own ideology.

In sharp contrast to the superficial demonstrations of patriotism now being utilized by the Republican Party, Democrats must remind Americans that one of the major responsibilities of lawmakers and other public servants is to maintain and build public trust in the offices and institutions they occupy. 

 

Now is the time for Democrats to reclaim patriotism and affirm its true meaning. 

Only 34% Of U.S. Public Says Trump Is A "True Patriot"

The chart above reflects the results of the latest Public Religion Research Institute Survey -- done between August 9th and 30th of a national sample of 5,415 adults, with a 1.86 point margin of error.

The survey asked respondents if they thought Donald Trump was a "true patriot". Only 34% of the public said yes.

Of course, Republicans (79%) and white evangelicals (68%) disagreed. It shows that a large percentage of white evangelicals -- and too many white mainline protestants (45%) and white catholics (45%) -- have abandoned their religion to politics, and are now members of the Cult of the Orange Demagogue.

Real Patriotism Is More Than Waving A Flag

Having just celebrated the birth of our country, it seems appropriate to examine what patriotism is all about. Too many Americans think superficial actions (waving the flag, reciting the pledge, singing the anthem) is all that necessary to show your patriotism. They are wrong.

The following post by Robert Reich at his website shows us what real patriotism is:

Many people believe that celebrating America means waving the flag or standing for the national anthem or shouting “America First.”

But that’s not what real patriotism is.

Real patriotism means sacrificing to keep America going.

It means paying taxes proportional to your wealth. I’m talking to you Jeff Bezos, and you, Elon Musk.

It means paying your workers a living wage so they can thrive. I’m talking to you, Walmart, and you, McDonald’s.

It means fully reckoning with how racial oppression and white supremacy have shaped this nation, not whitewashing our history and ignoring racism’s continuing legacy. I’m talking to you, lawmakers trying to prevent students from learning the role race has played in our history.

Real patriotism means protecting American democracy and our form of government, not trying to overturn an election that’s been upheld by 60 federal courts and the Supreme Court — or seeking to suppress the voting rights of people of color. I’m talking to you, members of Congress who refused to certify the 2020 election, and you, state legislators advancing nearly 400 voter suppression bills, and you — former guy. 

Real patriotism means not flooding our politics with big money, so the voices of the people can be heard. I’m talking to you, Charles Koch, and you, Michael Bloomberg.

And it means putting the interests of our country over partisanship, Mitch McConnell.

Finally, real patriotism means using your position of power in the media to inform and educate the public rather than weaponize lies and promote extremism to get more clicks. I’m talking to you, Mark Zuckerberg, and you, Rupert Murdoch.

Let’s commit to real patriotism. It’s not easy, but it’s the necessary hard work we must undertake to make this country better for everyone.

39% of Americans Consider Themselves "Very" Patriotic

 

The charts above are from the new Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between June 26th and 29th of a national sample of 1,500 adults, with a 3.1 point margin of error.

There's A "Patriot Party" In U.S. - It's Called Democratic Party

Donald Trump is demanding absolute loyalty from Republicans. And if he doesn't get it, he's threatened to start a new political party (and would call it the Patriot Party).

That would be a huge misnomer. His most loyal followers (those who would immediately join a new Trump party) are those people who believe President Biden was not legitimately elected, who wanted to overturn the votes of American citizens to keep Trump in office, and who participated in or try to justify the attack on our Capitol.

They are NOT patriots. Their actions show them to be closer to traitors -- people who do not believe in our democracy, and would overturn it.

But there is a party for patriots, and it already exists. It is called the Democratic Party!

Here is part of an excellent article in The Hill, written by Jessica Tarlov:

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of a patriot is “one who loves and supports his or her country.” It’s vague, for sure. What defines love and support? And especially in these trying times, how much significance should be placed on how that love and support manifests itself? 

Considering the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, a lot of significance is the right answer.

Since it’s the stuff of fantasy to think partisans can agree upon a definition of “love and support,” I submit that the answer actually lies in public sentiment. For a term that is so malleable naturally, it’s logical that what constitutes loving and supporting the country would be up to the people. Through elections, the citizenry directs political decision-making. Their views are what informs campaigns and government decisions.

It follows that making good policy that appeals to the widest swath of Americans is a patriotic act. And by that definition, the Democrats are today’s Patriot Party. It’s not even close. 

A survey of key Democratic positions makes the case. 

President Biden gets high marks in his first month in office. His approvalstands at 54 percent in the RealClearPolitics average and his signature $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus proposal is favored by 83 percent of Americans. That includes majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents. Nearly two-thirds of Americans think Biden is doing a good job handling the coronavirus outbreak. When it comes to the vaccine itself, though 60 percent think the rollout has been too slow, 73 percent believe the process has been fair, including majorities of minority and low-income Americans.

Combatting COVID-19 has become the dominant health care discussion, but it is important to highlight that support for ObamaCare has been growing since Biden took office. The latest Kaiser Family Foundation poll finds 55 percent support, the highest rating for the law since it was signed a decade ago. Twenty million Americans have coverage because of the Affordable Care Act and the Biden White House just extended the health insurance enrollment period to give more Americans access to quality, affordable care.

“We’re back.” Those were President Biden’s words last week about his decision to reenter the Paris climate agreement. World leaders breathed a sigh of relief that the U.S. no longer would sideline climate matters, but they weren’t the only ones. Americans are relieved, too. Nearly three in five support the move. Two-thirds want the federal government to do more to combat climate change and, crucially, 60 percent see climate change as a “major” threat, compared to just 44 percent a decade ago. The same can be said of Biden’s decision to rejoin the World Health Organization.

There’s unanimous agreement that a federal minimum wage of $7.25 isn’t enough. Eighty-three percent of Americans say minimum wage earners need a raise, with 35 percent supporting $13 to $15 an hour, 29 percent at $10 to $12 and just 13 percent for over $15 an hour. We have yet to see if a hike in wage will make it into the COVID-19 package, and whether it will stay at the $15 level that progressives champion — but the GOP position that the federal minimum wage doesn’t need an increase is wildly out of step with Americans.

When it comes to immigration, Biden’s policies are aligned with public sentiment. Sixty-five percent support restarting the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, 53 percent want to stop wall construction at the southern border, 52 percent want an end to the ban on travel from some majority-Muslim countries, and 56 percent want noncitizens included in the U.S. census. Further, nearly 70 percent favor a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and 64 percent support stimulus checks for households with mixed immigration status. 

There are other positions that support my argument, such as support for access to abortion, though with some restrictions, and that the laws covering the sale of firearms should be stricter.

I have long bemoaned the fact that Republicans have successfully portrayed themselves as the party of service and love of country with bunk arguments over kneeling during the National Anthem and the number of flags on stage at an event. There is an evergreen opportunity for Democrats to talk about their service, which they have done more of since the attack on the Capitol. 

But there is an even bigger opportunity to make noise about our patriotism from a policy point of view. It doesn’t matter if you stand for the anthem if your agenda hurts Americans’ chances of succeeding. That’s especially true as we face unprecedented challenges.

The Democratic Party is the Patriot Party. Time to own it and embarrass any Republican, especially Trump, who tries to claim the mantle.