In early July, if I was told that Democrats would be screaming and chanting “USA! USA!” at the Democratic National Convention and ferociously waving their American flags, ecstatic to support their nominee, I would have thought that pigs could fly.  

It looks like there has been a rather obvious shift in the Democratic Party, not exactly the party known for its flag-waving, red, white and blue-wearing American pride, since Vice President Kamala Harris has stepped up to the nomination.  

Quotes from Harris during her DNC speech such as her description of “the greatest privilege on Earth: the privilege and pride of being an American” are astonishing to hear within the political party typically geared to be critical of their country.  

According to Gallup, “Republicans’ pride in America has consistently outpaced that of Democrats.”  In a June 3, 2023 poll, Gallup reported, “59% of Republicans, 34% of Democrats and 36% of independents say they are extremely proud to be American,” but clearly Harris’s campaign is trying their best to change this. 

However, Americans need to keep themselves in check, and ensure they are embracing constructive patriotism. This is a positive association with one’s country that, unlike pure nationalism, does not see it as flawless and instead recognizes the issues within the country and strives to resolve those issues.  

According to the report “Constructive Patriotism Predicts Voting Intentions” within the Journal of Social and Political Psychology, being both constructive and patriotic, as opposed to simply patriotic or nationalistic, is more effective and “emphasizes the belief that individual efforts should be made to actively contribute to and benefit the nation’s goals. Moreover, people high on constructive patriotism are willing to criticize the country’s current state, which might motivate them to engage in political actions.”

In short, people who see a nation as ultimately good but still flawed are more likely to be inspired to change it than people who blindly support their country, or nationalists who view their country as supreme.

Harris is encouraging an optimistic side of the Democratic voter base that has gone untapped for years.  These patriotic themes within Harris’s campaign will likely increase enthusiasm for it, especially following the stark lack of enthusiasm for President Joe Biden’s campaign.

There is also a less-intentional, identity-based enthusiasm.  Americans are getting excited about the prospect of a female president, a biracial president who is the child of immigrants, an HBCU-educated president, a younger president, the list goes on.  Where Biden struggles with public speech, Harris is quick on her feet with years of speaking under pressure as a former defense attorney under her belt.  

But when it comes to policy, she is difficult to put in a box.  While some see her as soft on crime, others see her as a ruthless cop.  While some see her as a radical progressive, others see her as moderate.  While the patriotic spirit in the air right now is exciting and motivating, we as Americans (and as voters, potential voters or future voters) can’t let ourselves get lost in the festivities.  

As explained in The Voyager’s Staff Editorial in this issue, Trump was and will continue to be a threat not just to the American people, but to the institution of democracy if he is reelected, and it is every eligible person’s moral obligation to vote for Harris-Walz Nov. 5.  But, as we all witnessed with Biden’s failed 2024 campaign, this does not mean that we should not have standards for who we are choosing to elect to the highest office the American people influence over.  

To win over Pennsylvanians, Harris has changed her position on fracking–she is now a vocal proponent.  She also has said, on record, that her handling of the Israel-Hamas war will be extremely similar to that under the Biden administration.  

Americans have every right to embrace Harris’s campaign messaging and wave their flags loud and proud, but cannot be blindly proud.  We need to continue to constructively and critically support Harris and what she brings to the table to strengthen her road to the White House.