Notes from the Heartland: It's Alabama in between Philly and Pittsburgh

Well, there was a debate a few nights ago on ABC, maybe you heard about it. If not, here are the highlights via TPM:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_Koq6-UlLvo

The woman who cares about flag pins so much is Ms. Nash McCabe, 52, of Latrobe PA. (Sweet Jesus -- a cowboy's name, a baby boomer, and she comes from the city of Rolling Rock Light Beer!) The weird thing is that she was tracked down by the NYT, which reported this exchange, on APRIL 4:

"How can I vote for a president who won't wear a flag pin?" Mrs. McCabe, a recently unemployed clerk typist, said in a booth at the Valley Dairy luncheonette in this quiet, small city in western Pennsylvania.

Mr. Obama has said patriotism is about ideas, not flag pins.

"I watch him on TV," Mrs. McCabe said. "I keep looking for that lapel pin."

It's interesting that she was the ONLY outside questioner from the entire ABC debate. Did some producer from ABC see the NYT story, track Ms McCabe down, and have her ask the question? Of course they did.

At least Jake Tapper of ABC.com posted a follow up.

The whole thing is pathetic.