Kamala Harris’s Liberal Patriotism
The US presidential candidate's appeal to love of country is the right thing at the right time. Disregard the surfeit of flags and overwrought rhetoric: a healthy dose of patriotism is required to win an election, in the US or anywhere else, and it is – and should be – an essential component of liberal and progressive politics.
LONDON — There was not one American flag behind Kamala Harris as she accepted the nomination at the Democratic National Convention. There were six, draped from golden masts topped with bald eagles. As she finished speaking, red, white, and blue balloons and cutout stars fell from the ceiling. The aesthetic was more Trump Tower kitsch than San Francisco hip.