Transcript of Smerconish: Democrats rip page from GOP playbook and put patriotism front and center

You could say that Democrats raise the flag in Chicago. I have a question for you. When you see an American flag flying, do you make an assumption as to the politics of the owner? I don't mean an F-150 with a Brandon bumper sticker. I mean in a residential setting. I've often had this conversation with radio listeners, many of whom tell me they tend to associate the flag with Republicans, MAGA Republicans. There's some support for that in the data. 92% of Republicans Republicans have a favorable view of the flag compared to 77% of Democrats. That's according to Ipsos. Only 3% of Republicans have a somewhat negative view of the flag as opposed to 13% of Democrats. The flag, it turns out, is a proxy for their view of America. According to Gallup, 59% of Republicans reported being extremely proud to be an American as compared to just 34% of Democrats and 36% of independents. You can hear this divide in our music as well.

If the flag still stands for freedom, and they can't take that away.

Lee Greenwood's God bless the USA has become a Republican mantra. It's walk-on music for Trump at his rallies. It was performed live, which you're watching at the RNC. It's a song that could make an atheist cry.

Until now, Democrats haven't had a good response, sometimes going with Woody Guthrie's, This land is your land.

Republicans have effectively been making the patriotism play since I've been paying attention. I was an elected alternate delegate at the 1984 Republican Convention in Dallas. Age 22. Look at all that hair. I remember then the launch of what would become a legendary campaign commercial, Morning in America, because of its blend of nostalgia and optimism.

Nearly 2,000 families today will buy new homes, more than at any time in the past four years.

More than 30 years later, historian Michael Beschloss wrote, It may be hard to explain to younger Americans how a single commercial made a difference in the 1984 presidential campaign.

But the DNC this year was different.

The GOP might have Lee Greenwood, but Democrats had Beyoncé's Freedom Anthem. I break tears above myself. Freedom is usually what Republicans tell. Consider that George W. Bush used the word 27 times in his second inaugural address. Tmz may have blown the report that Beyoncé would be there herself, but her song was omnipresent. And so too were chants of USA, USA, and lots of American flags. There was a lot of talk of family and football. Even country music, another staple of the Republican playbook. At the last in-person DNC, back in 2016, there were performances by pop stars, including Debbie Lovato, Lenny Kravitz, Lady Gaga, but there were no country acts. This year, there were three. Here's another indicator that Democrats are no longer ceding patriotism to the GOP. The reverence shown toward those who've worn the uniform. On night four, elected Democrats who've served their country paraded on stage. When on the final night, the vice President took the stage, she said words that if you read them, you could be excused for thinking they'd come from Bush 41 or Bush 43.

Fellow Americans, I love our country with all my heart. Everywhere I go, in everyone I meet, I see a nation that is ready to move forward. I see an America where we hold fast to the fearless belief that built our nation and inspired the world. An America where we care for one another, look out for one another, and recognize that we have so much more in common than what separates us.

Democrats work hard this week to take some ownership of patriotism. That's a good thing for all of us. The vice President was right in saying, We have so much more in common than that which separates us. Amur Patria Doucet, Love of Country, leads.