Like a lot of people, I've always been unclear about what exactly it is that Barack Obama stands for. I liked it when he was honest enough to point out that wearing a flag pin had become "a substitute for true patriotism," but in the grand scheme of things, how far does refusing to wear a flag pin go? He's been sold to us as a fresh alternative to the Beltway crowd, but he's given very little to back that up beyond having more more charm than his fellow Dems.