Michelle Obama's Anti-Americanism

Here's the video of Michelle Obama's recent statement that “for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country":

Captain Ed's got a good discussion of Mrs. Obama's anti-Americanism, citing John Podhoretz's essay at Commentary, suggesting the "pseudo-messianic nature of the Obama candidacy":

This problem occurs with Michelle Obama much more than with her husband. He has focused on positive themes of hope and change. Mrs. Obama has focused on how great Mr. Obama really is and how fortunate we are to have him. If she left it at that, it would be unremarkable; the job of spouses on the stump are to convince people that they have married the smartest and most reliable husbands or wives possible, and if we knew Hubby/Wife like they knew Hubby/Wife, etc.

Unfortunately, Michelle Obama has a habit of going much too far in promoting what is becoming a personality cult. First she explicitly says that only she and Barack can diagnose the condition of our souls, a highly arrogant claim and one that casts Obama as some sort of secular Messiah. Next, she informs us that we cannot take pride in America unless Obama wins the election. The purpose of the entire country, it seems, is to hoist Obama on our shoulders, and anything else would be what -- shameful?

America has done plenty over the last 26 years to make its citizens proud, as well as much open to criticism. Podhoretz notes some of the accomplishments in which all of us can take pride. Our relentless opposition to the oppression of Communism freed half of Europe from its forty years of darkness. We liberated Kuwait from the depredations of Saddam Hussein's regime. Both as a government and as a people, we responded to the tsunami in 2005 and helped rescue millions of people from disease, famine, and death.

But we've done more than that. We've raised the standard of living so that even the poor in this nation own their own homes and live better than the average person in many European cities. We have freed information so that everyone can access it on the Internet, which has become a means to fight oppression around the world. America has plenty of accomplishments in which our citizens can take pride, if one bothers to look.

Perhaps Michelle Obama might want to take a look at the country she wants to help lead before staking a claim for her husband as President.

Of course, Michelle Obama's sentiments aren't really all that out of line with contemporary radical left opinion on the country, the war, and just about anything else.

See also Cindy McCain's response to Michelle Obama's anti-Americanism (at CNN).

Hat Tip: Memeorandum