Posted on 11/09/2008 7:19:04 AM PST by GOP_Lady
Red, white and true blue: City hoists Old Glory Stores see star-spangled sales
Thursday, November 6, 2008 Last updated 12:05 a.m. PT
By ANDREA JAMES AND KERY MURAKAMI P-I REPORTERS
Barack Obama's presidential win held a poignant significance for liberal Seattleites: This is their America, too.
The feeling was evident in jubilant partying in the streets, in quiet moments of reflection and in blossoms of red, white and blue.
With newfound patriotism, Seattleites want to wave the flag, hang it from their homes and stick it on their cars.
"The thing that's kind of astounding to me is I never ever would have cared to own a flag," said Rosemary Garner, 42. "This is the first day in my life I actually feel this funny sense of pride about my country. It's a very foreign feeling, but it's a good one."
Garner, a self-described "flag virgin" who lives on Capitol Hill, bought eight flags Wednesday -- some to wave and others to stick on her car to "mix and match with some nice Obama and peace signs. Then I bought a couple of flags for some friends who wanted to hang them from their truck along with their biodiesel stickers."
How does Seattle feel about the election?
The answer is in the numbers: King County voted 72 percent for Obama. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Jim McDermott, whose district includes Seattle, won 85 percent of the vote.
The answer is in their words:
"I'm finally proud to be an American again, after eight years of being ashamed," 66-year-old Mark Lowney said, ticking off a list of complaints, including the Iraq war.
"It's just a rare feeling to feel that type of, I don't know, national connection," said Noah Kriegsmann, a 33-year-old builder from West Seattle. He feels that Obama's win will help America's standing in the world, and he bought a flag to fly on his truck, though he admitted it felt strange to see the flag in his hand.
"I have just historically felt shame for what the symbol of this country is internationally. Being in someplace like Morocco, and Canadians have their flag on their backpacks -- I would never ever do that," he said.
Sitting at Angie's Tavern in Columbia City, Ted Cock, 74, a retired airlines ramp worker, said, "I think everyone in here would say the same thing. We're grateful." Cock, who is African-American, said having a black president was meaningful, certainly. But he was grateful mainly because all the candidates he supported had won.
Cynthia Cohen, owner of Surplus Too Army Navy, summed it up this way: "You can almost just feel it in the air. I think we have a happy world today."
Republicans looked to the future as well.
"I'm very hopeful; Obama seems to be very positive, and he seems to listen to people," said Barbara Fruhling, a Republican, reflecting on the election while walking her daughter's dog in Maple Leaf on Wednesday.
Fruhling said she and her husband worry about the economy, and aren't thrilled about potential tax increases. But still, "I'm a great believer in Thomas Jefferson, democracy, small government, so when I woke up this morning I realized, I'm living in the Democrats' world. But this country was built on the ideal of equality, that people should be judged not by the color of their skin but the cut of their jib, their abilities, so for that, I'm very proud of us as a nation."
The return to business-as-usual felt good.
"I got so tired of all the rhetoric, I stopped listening," said Alison Jaeger, "a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat" who supported Obama. "I'm really glad it's all over and, from my point of view, settled in the right direction."
She and a friend of 20 years, a Seattleite and John McCain supporter, walked around Green Lake on Wednesday. They chatted about everything but the election.
"I voted for McCain, but I'm not sour grapes," said her friend, who did not want her name used. "I've tried to be supportive of all our presidents, whoever it is. It is a hard job -- and worthy of respect."
The answer is in their spending:
At All the King's Flags in Ballard, people have been snatching up American flags.
Mike Kane / P-I Anna Gonzalez shops for American flags at All the King's Flags in Ballard on Wednesday. Gonzalez said Barack Obama's victory inspired her to buy flags for her and her daughter's lawns. "Just today I've had a noticeable rush on U.S. flags," said James Sawyer, assistant manager. "I had a lady come in and she said she's happy to be an American again, that's why she was buying a flag."
Of a dozen customers, one had supported McCain and worried about rising taxes, but everyone else was upbeat, manager Alex White said.
While flag waving is normal in some parts of the country, the Stars and Stripes haven't been so ubiquitous in Seattle.
"People around here don't fly flags like they do on the East Coast," said Seattle flag maker Carol Anderson, who hails from Rhode Island but has lived in Seattle for seven years.
The Star-Spangled Banner should transcend political party, said Anderson, who supported Obama.
"I don't care whether it's the Fourth of July or whatever. This country's at war. You'd think that you'd see a few American flags flying. Were they not flying the flag because they don't like George Bush? I mean, give me a break. It should represent more than who's in office. The flag itself to me has always represented an honor."
A New England upbringing has led Briggs Hause, a cashier at Magnolia Ace Hardware, to frequently fly the flag. But she disliked President Bush's leadership so much that she couldn't.
"I haven't the last eight years because I was very depressed with it," said Hause, who gave her age as "in my 60s." "It wasn't my America. I didn't put out one (a flag). Refused to. But now I will."
Seattleites aren't showing their true colors just with flag purchases. Life-sized cardboard cutouts of Obama sold out early on at Champion Party Supply in lower Queen Anne.
As of Wednesday, Vice President-elect Joe Biden was the only cutout left, on sale for $15.
"Poor Joe is a little lonely," said Elizabeth Powell, associate and manager. "McCain sales didn't pick up until the end. ... Most people wanted (Sarah) Palin for joke, that was why she was a big sell."
At Display & Costume in Northgate, Democrat-donkey-themed plates and napkins outsold GOP-elephant ones, said Bill Case, store manager.
"There was definitely a lot more excitement this year," Case said. "We were selling out of the Obama masks and stand-ups before Halloween even ended."
Obama, he said, was the "rock star of the election."
And at Simply Seattle souvenir shop, "Obama cappuccino mix" sold out early on, said Kuniko Nobori, sales associate.
But "McCain mocha" didn't sell even when marked half off. On Wednesday, Simply Seattle was giving the cans away.
RESPECTFULLY DISPLAYING THE FLAG
Display from sunrise to sunset. If shown at night, it should be illuminated.
The flag should be placed in superior prominence to other flags.
The union (blue part with stars) should be at the highest position and on the upper left as viewed by the observer. Flags in windows should be placed as if the person on the street is the observer.
The flag should hang free, not be used to drape something.
The flag should not touch anything beneath it, such as the ground or water.
Flags should be clean and not tattered. Worn out flags should be burned.
Source: U.S. Army, U.S. Department of State, U.S. General Services Administration
I’m planning on taking mine down on January 20, just for the sheer theater of it.
God bless you conservatives in Seattle. :-)
I don’t know how you do it.
How are you, my dear? This is TOTALLY HILLARIOUS.
I hope it gives everyone a good laugh.
Did these people EVER love America?
I think we know the answer to that.
Bear in mind that their sense of “country” is that of a global enterprise, a subject of the UN, a nation without sovereignty and one that promises to cripple both individual liberty and the free markets...all so that the rest of the leftist world loves us.
Their sense of “patriotism” is little more than fitting in and being accepted by others, which is why they are liberals to begin with.
Moving out of Seattle was the smartest move I ever made.
Notice at the end of the article they had to post on how to respectfully display the flag.
Of course, they had to be Vichy Republicans.
Liberals are always hilarious.
And the left gets pissy when someone calls them for what they obviously are: anti-American.
Oh, let’s care about the flag now that our guy won the presidency. Morons.
Okay, now this story makes me want to come up with a new flag. I could just hang ours upside down I guess. To me, when I saw Old Glory flying it meant pride in our country for what it was to the Founding Fathers, to these liberals in Seatlle it means something entirely different.
Moonbats would be adorable for their antics—if just they weren’t so dangerous!
I laughed so hard at this article, my side hurts now. LOL. Yeah, libs are always that way. Kooky.
Fly it at half mast
Touche!
IF Democrats are FINALLY PROUD of this country, then I guess a MIRACLE DID happen!
I know what you mean. I'm going with these for now...
Unreal...no words can describe how I feel right now.
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