Symbolism Over Substance

It's standard operating procedure that Conservatives use "symbols" of American culture to stamp the label of "Anti-Americans" on those that they don't agree with.

The latest such predictable claim alleges that the DNCC is "throwing flags away".

An anonymous source from the DNCC stated:

All of the flags at Invesco were picked up and put in bags and into storage, along with the unused flags and campaign signs. The flags were going to be donated, and the signs were going to be sent out to be used elsewhere

Here is a picture of the bags and flags in question.



More at The Huffington Post.

Here's something quite obvious to note.

Look at how neatly the flags are placed in the bags. Now if someone just wanted to throw-out a flag, why would they be neatly rolled in bundles?

Ed Morrissey and many commentors over at Hot Air are doing their best to spin this into mcuh more than it really is.

At best, they can claim that the "bundling" process doesn't match up with what the Flag Code recommends. These are only recommendations, as each segement of the Flag Code - if broken - is not punishable by law.

The only real mistake the anyone from the DNCC made is not putting the flags in a box. Though, it would be a fair assumption that it wouldn't matter what they were placed in.

This story, along with the "Barack Obama doesn't wear a flag-lapel-pin" schtick is a favorite tactic of the conservative-right. Use symbolism to show that you are better than someone else.

In more ways than one, the Republican party ( right-wing conservatives specifically ) are more concerned with the image versus the action.

If you have a giant flag and you wave it higher and faster than anyone else, that just means that you have a big flag and a sore arm.