As Barack Obama moves closer to the Democratic nomination, you can see the opposition gearing up for this smear campaign a mile away.

His refusal to wear an American flag lapel pin, a supposed photo of him not putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem and other inconsequential events will lead many to question his patriotism.

Michelle Obama, too, has sparked controversy in recent days.

Last week’s Michelle Obama quote that she’s really proud of her country - for the first time in her adult life - drew ire from many conservatives, and even a public rebuke from Cindy McCain.

Warranted or not, these issues could be an issue for Obama in the general election if he wins the nomination, especially against Sen. John McCain.

Proving that you can do no right under a microscope, Barack Obama has also taken heat for skipping the State of the Black Union event in favor of campaigning in states holding critical March 4 primaries.

The horror. He’s black! He’s not attending an event about blacks? Maybe he’s trying to be the American candidate, not the black candidate.

It’s the patriotism charge more likely to dog him, though, and few know more about that than one of his prominent endorsers, Sen. John Kerry.

Opponents of Kerry proved in the 2004 election that voters are sensitive to suggestions that a candidate is not sufficiently patriotic.

The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth started as a relatively small TV ad buy but exploded into an issue that dogged John Kerry for months.

The Massachusetts senator has conceded since losing to George W. Bush that his lackluster response to the group likely cost him the election.

The term became part of the political lexicon — swift-boating (used by some to describe the New York Times‘ piece on John McCain last week).

But it’s Obama that’s likely to be swift-boated if he wins the nomination, conjuring up memories of Kerry’s downfall and reminding us that the worst parts of the system Obama wants to change are very much alive.

The remark by Michelle Obama, while a poor choice of words given the political atmosphere in which she must survive, was a case of hyperbolizing in a speech to emphasize a point. Nothing more.

Barack Obama not wearing an American flag pin? In our opinion, he should be lauded for such a stance. Like the word patriotism itself, the American flag has been hijacked by the GOP as a political tool.

Boy, George W. Bush sure does love that pin. But does it make him any more of a patriot than Barack Obama? A more devoted citizen of the U.S.? A better person? More qualified to be president? Please.

This is not to diminish John McCain’s remarkable service to our nation. As Barack Obama himself notes in every speech, John McCain is, without question, a true American hero.

But there’s also question in our minds that Michelle and Barack are good, patriotic citizens in the truest sense. They appreciate our freedoms, values and everything else America represents.

And unlike many of their critics from the conservative wing, the Obamas actually want to give all Americans a fair shot at their dreams.