For several times in this presidential campaign, the Obamas have been caught seeming rather embarrassed about their country and old-fashioned patriotism.

And it’s not by happenstance or accident. Barack Obama, the rock-star who sets crowds of young philistines swaying who are too young and too ignorant to know who Che Guevara was but who thrill to the coolness of revolution, purposely disdained wearing the American flag symbol on his lapel because purportedly patriotism is too intrinsic to be worn as an ornament. He has been photographed many times during playing of the national anthem with his hands at his side rather than his hand on his heart as candidates for office have been doing for decades. When questioned: oh, patriotism is too precious to be trivialized in this way. One time in a debate he seemingly let slip a view, but he caught himself, that at last he can be proud of his country—but the view was cut short and inconclusive.

But the idea at last we can be proud of our country because voters elect him or voters are worked up about universal health coverage is part of political scat talk that substitutes for issues and hard thinking in the Obama camp. Imagine: at last we can be proud of our country because of Obama. How shallow a token tribute for a country which has become the epicenter for freedom, decency and moral probity around the world. The country John McCain sacrificed five years of his life for and endured beatings from jail guards is all too-too sacrosanct to be glorified by candidates wearing the flag in their lapel. Uncool.

Political scat talk from the Obama side—similar to the decision to diss wearing the flag symbol or to refuse to place your hand on your heart as the anthem is played —is equated with being cool. Now Michelle Obama has become the first to let the idea completely slip out. In Milwaukee on Monday, she said: “Let me tell you, for the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well but I think people are hungry for change.”

This political scat talk from the candidate’s wife is the semi-pornography that has passed as substitute for sentiment since the Obamas became a national phenomenon. It is mindless, yes, thoughtless yes and as shallowly self-centered…all about Me…as the campaign itself. About as logical as the thought enunciated by The Pope of Hope that “you”—the people—“are the change.” Well if the people cheering him as the change and they are all around this Matador of Self-Indulgence, what has taken so long for the “change” they think they want to come? Political scat talk.

If anyone is spoiled from excess advantage either from affirmative action or condescension from guilt-ridden white know-nothings because of the supposed “infirmity” of being born black and female in a white man’s world it is this pampered and over-lavished Princeton undergrad, Harvard Law grad who has been needlessly revered, overpaid and overhyped not because of what she has done but of her race card playing with adroit aplomb. Not to be proud of your country for any reason other than certain cult liberals swaying to her husband’s political scat talk says it all. These are the words of an over-pampered celebrity who has become obsessed with her own importance. Her acumen is on par with her legal scholarship which she demonstrated by defending her husband’s opposition as a state senator to allowing babies born from a botched abortion to continue life.

The time is coming when this scat talking duo start understanding that the change in their lives will come, all right…and is about due to hit…when Late Night talk show hosts plus John Stewart of The Daily Show start playing verbatim transcripts of the mindless Barack scat talk nonsense and making justified fun of it. Obama’s brief explanation “what she meant was, this is the first time she’s been proud of the politics of America.” REALLY? Yeah. “Because she’s pretty cynical about the political process.” REALLY? Does she think she hasn’t benefited from it or her husband from a process that elevated him from a law firm to the state senate to the U.S. Senate before he was 45? What—too slow for her?

Poor baby. Get the hook. It’s about time to subject the two pampered rock stars and their scat pol talk of exaggeration and hype to the criticism every other candidate gets…so she gets a taste of what some of the others less pampered are going through.

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Thomas F. Roeser is chairman of the editorial board for The Chicago Daily Observer.