Nash McCabe: Obama's Flag Pin Questioner

McClatchy:

Nash McCabe is the voter from Wednesday night's presidential debate who noted that Barack Obama doesn't usually wear a flag pin and asked, "I want to know if you believe in the American flag."

ABC, which hosted the debate, had tracked her down after she was quoted in a New York Times story about white voters in small-town Latrobe, Pa., revealing her as 52, out of work and against Obama.

Read the whole story: McClatchy

Comments

[comingawakening]

Isn't it ironic that a question about a flag-pin proves Obama's bitter comment? McCabe clings to her patriotism while working 238 jobs and while her husband is suffering without health insurance and proper care. But she decides that the flag, which Clinton doesn't seem to wear too often, is her main concern about Obama. Really?

McCabe is a BITTER racist. She will vote for McCain when Obama wins the nomination. This is what the Republicans love - they have a monopoly on the rural BITTER vote and use religion, guns, and patriotism to achieve their goal.

[comingawakening]

Why would ABC purposely find someone who already showed an anti-Obama bias? McCabe is a jaded and bitter person who hates Obama because he had it better than she did. It's interesting how she assumes that Obama had it better than Clinton. This is what I call latent or passive racism. McCabe was/is/will look for anything to explain her reason to be anti-Obama. More interestingly, she's a liar. In her question she says "I am not questioning your patriotism but..."

Why would ABC do this? How is this not tabloid TV? How shameful.

I have an idea why and who's behind it but it's not me that I'm worried about.

[FedUpWithThisMess]

You know there's nothing worse than an uppity Black (sarcasm).

[PauletteRevere]

ABC News "tracked this woman down" after reading her anti-Obama stand in the NYT? Just in order to get her to ask Obama (yet another) hostile question at the debate?

That is yet ANOTHER incredible example of the shoddy state of ABC "News".

Of course, what would you expect of a network who would think it was "perfect" to use CLINTON'S "senior policy advisor" as one of the two debate questioners (the other, being an anti-Obama Republican)?

Neither Gibson nor Stephanopoulous showed the slightest grasp of good journalism. No wonder it seemed "fair and balanced" to find this person with an admitted bias against one of the candidates and have her repeat her inflammatory attack on television.

There are many people with hard-luck stories all over the country. Some are pro-Clinton, some pro-Obama, some pro-McCain. I think it is interesting that ABC felt it added something important to the debate to track down some random pro-Clinton / anti-Obama woman and give her the stage.

Worst. Disgrace. in Journalism I've Ever Seen.

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

I think this woman proves Obama's remarks about "bitter" voters to be 1000000000000% correct.

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

I am amazed that this woman, who has a terrible lot in life and plenty of reasons to be angry and scared, feels that a FREAKIN flag pin is the most important issue.

I hope and pray for the best for her and her husband but I also hope and pray for her eyes to be opened to reality.

[LiberalDemIda]

I don't have an ounce of sympathy for this blind, stupid woman who constantly votes Republican, finds her job, her money, her livelihood gone then turns around and blames "the darkie".

I've met people like this and they make me sick. She's the kind of woman who would go after her husband's lover instead of confronting her husband who is the one to blame!

Sorry YDiRC, I can't share your generosity in compassion for this woman. Of all people, *she* should know she's made her bed of thorns, no one else, and she should shut up and lay in it.

With the Internet(s) with so much information around us, there's no longer any excuse for dumb voters. If you don't like the way things are in your life OPT FOR CHANGE. But that dumb cow only points fingers while wailing about how bad she has it. Boo-f*****g-HOO.

I'm still looking for that "liberal-m­edia-bias" right-wing Repukes keep jawin' about. After last week's verbal lynching of Sen. Obama that was supposed to pass for a 'debate', ABC sure isn't a part of that elusive group that's for sure.

[Wolfgang]

There is nothing in that article that states that she votes Republican. Maybe she should have dumped her husband when he got injured. That is what someone like you would probably do.

[kellygrrrl]

it's good to see she has priorities

questions about health care - pffft
lost jobs - whatevs
war - get over it

WE want to know about that damn Flag Pin - we need to know

[kellygrrrl]

her biggest complaint about Obama is his "nonchalance" ???

would you prefer he threw a tantrum?

Gawd forbid we elect a President who can remain calm and collected when under attack!

[FedUpWithThisMess]

He should be humble because "America" a la White people gave him what he has, thus he should know his place; hold his head down when Whites pass by, never look them in the eye, lest he be accused of being uppity a.k.a. nonchalant.

[bibimimi]

This woman's life is in the crapper and she's obsessing about how Obama treats the laundry. A below-average American. I hope she and Lloyd enjoy their trip to Epcot!

[nunzia]

bibi - she's not below average.
She IS the average American.
Look at tv, look at the past 8 years,
the state of health care, the economy, education
housing.
Those are the results of average American choices.

[MrHumidty]

This is a great article, because it reveals the disingenuous nature of this question from Ms. McCabe: " it's not really about the flag pin, she said in a telephone interview Thursday." That disingenuous quality is true of everyone asking it, including Charlie "What about my taxes" Gibson. Their real concern is using a symbol to hinder Obama's campaign and furthering the cynicism of the American people. (BTW, I'm a veteran of War on Terror, so save me any of the patriotism party line.)

"It's no Hawaiian prep school and Ivy League story, unlike Obama's." What an incredibly disingenuous characterization of Obama's upbringing, ignoring that he was raised by a single mom with the help of her parents and that he earned a scholarship to the Ivy Leagues, unlike other politicians.

All said, I do feel for the McCabe's suffering. I feel for all of our suffering.

[Birdman]

In Clinton, she sees someone who has struggled for years, just like her, and has earned the right to be president.

I think this person feels Clinton is like her, not sure why she thinks that, She was having to struggle to survive al he rlife and Clinton well she is essentially a millionaire. I fail to see the connection. The flag question is simply misplaced, someone who loves the country realizes that the flag is nothing more then a symbol of the country and has nothing to do with how a person feels about the country . All someone has to do is look at how many politicains who wear lapel flags have destroyed this country, and have engaged in all kinds of corrupt activities to enrichen themselves at the expense of this country. So wearing a flag pin means nothing if the actions are sinister like Bush and his crew of republicans.

[dadw5boys]

BUSH would wear one just to get votes!

[Lisette]

NASH McCABE SHOULD KNOW THAT HILLARY HASN'T STRUGGLED WITH ANYTHING.

HILLARY HAS LIVED IN A BUBBLE FOR 35 YEARS

NO COOKING

NO GROCERY SHOPPING

NO PAYING OF BILLS

UNLIKE YOU, HILLARY HAS LIVED A CHARMED LIFE MRS. McCABE
I THINK YOU ARE A RACIST

[sherbug]

She sounds like one of the people Ed Rendell made reference to. She wouldn't vote for Obama if he had flag pins growing out of his butt. She won't vote for him because he's black. It would be so nice if people would just say that and stop trying to manufacture reasons.

[Maifmart]

What a patriotic person, with her hand out? I would wager all those clerks in the welfare and disability offices who kept turning her down were Afro-Americans.

[JoInCalifornia]

It makes me uncomfortable to attack someone who asks a question, just because we don't like the question. That's what fascists always do (slander in an attempt to silence their opponents, rather than answer or discuss or reflect upon the question itself.) Clearly this woman wanted to ask this question and she did.

[shockmagog]

It would make me uncomfortable as well, if only for the reason you just stated. Unfortunately, it's not "because we don't like the question." The question is intrinsically offensive on its face (as I'm sure you already know), but what is the reasoning behind staging this person and her question? This is the question that should be asked. Slander? No. Please take time to read some of the studied and reasoned posts here.

[tbone99]

The real question is how did she get chosen?

[Hallucinocynic]

The question had no weight. ABC's managing editor had to weigh the value of that question within the context of the debate. The problem was, there was no context, and preproduction scripting was geared toward the possibility of sensation. That is a craven position to take when you've (the network) been mandated to create a rational forum where issues can be discussed. So, McCabe's contribution was simply as inane as was the entire exercise. IMO, ABC has no credibility.

[Brettster]

This woman is painfully dumb. I just can't believe that people who know better in the media actually give credence to these kinds of asinine "flag politics" that mean absolutely nothing. She was mad "to no end" at Obama for turning around before the pledge was fully over. I mean seriously??? There is absolutely no intelligence to that. And when has Hillary Clinton "struggled"? This article is like a campaign piece.