Obama Will Speak To Students On September 8th (Psst… I added a Visual)

Filed in Delaware, National by on September 4, 2009

At 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET), September 8, 2009, President Barack Obama will deliver a national address to the students of America. (Please note that this is a change from the originally scheduled time.) During this special address, the president will speak directly to the nation’s children and youth about persisting and succeeding in school. The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.

Seems pretty benign to me, but, then again, I’m an Obama supporter so I’m biased.  That said, I’m all for anyone challenging “students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.”  I also support politicians speaking directly to students, instead of about them.  It’s for the kids, what about the children, and children are our future are the normal, meaningless phrases bandied about by adults to sway other adults into doing what they want.  These phrases usually have nothing to do with children… and the kids know it.

In the spirit of full disclosure, if George Bush was going to give a speech to students I would probably roll my eyes and make a joke about his habit to make up or mispronounce words.  Not very grown up of me, but true.  What I wouldn’t do is have a fit, threaten to pull my kids out of school, and scream brain-washing, socialist.  Welcome to the Right’s latest outrage.  (Anyone else having trouble keeping up with what outrages Republicans?  Seems being outraged is their normal state of being.)

Over at Fix Red Clay the outrage is thick on the ground.

Anonymous said… This is America not a third world country. Obama wants to be dictator.

Monica said… Let the brainwashing begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said… Why does he need to disrupt the school day with this unnecessary address? He’s got some ego.

Its for the Kids said… Red Clay should immediately post or phone message parents of their agenda for Tuesday so that parents can decide whether or not to leave the students for the program or pick them up.

And my personal favorite.  (Notice how Christina pretends not to have an agenda while pretending to be civil.)

Christina said… First of all, we all should agree to disagree and stop the insults.

We live in America; the land of the free. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. From what I have learned over looking through the comments on this blog and other blogs, the liberals are not going to change to conservatives and vice versa.

I am not a political person, and I usually base my opinions on politics as issues arise not as a liberal or conservative.

That being said, my children will not be watching Obama on Tuesday if Red Clay decides to show the speech.

I feel that Obama has been sneaky about this speech. I have not been able to find a real agenda about the speech, and I do not appreciate that I have not been informed on whether or not the school will be showing the speech.

I do agree with above that this has a ring of socialism to it.

And I would not compare Obama to the Pope.

If Obama needs to address my children, it will be with me present and with full knowledge of his agenda.

We cannot simply trust an individual with our children because he is the president. He needs to earn our trust, and he is not earning mine by putting us on the road to socialism.

On the road to socialism?  By giving a speech challenging kids to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning?  Luckily, there are a few level heads over at FRC.  But here’s my question:  What exactly do these socialist-fearing commenters think Obama is going to say in his speech?  At best, he may inspire some students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. (I really can’t say that sentence enough.  It could have been ripped straight out of the Republican handbook.)  At worst, kids will be bored.  Either way, I’m not seeing a new world order emerging.

When all’s said and done, I like John Cole’s idea… “If all the wingnuts are pulling their kids out of school because the President is going to speak for fifteen minutes, can we teach evolution the rest of the day?”

Obama_school_WEB

h/t Cassandra for the funny!

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About the Author ()

A stay-at-home mom with an obsession for National politics.

Comments (67)

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  1. Kilroy says:

    Obama should be giving this speech at time all stakeholders can view. Parents are the key to their childrens’education and are also the cause of some of the roadblocks. I repsect his efforts and feel nothing is worn with him or any president addressing students. There are a few states uncluding Virginia that will not take part.

    Many times students fail because parents fail and we need to educate parents on the importance of education and thier role in helping their children to be the best. So why not givet this speech at a time all stakeholders can view?

    Hopefully Obama won’t bring up health care or Ted Kennedy! But I do hope he takes the time to talk about the Swine Flu and how students can protect themselves and others.

    FYI, when is Jason coming back??

  2. All I can do is roll my eyes. Some people in this country have lost their ever-loving minds.

  3. cassandra_m says:

    All of the stakeholders are not sitting in classrooms all day to hear messages passed on to them by the grownups around them. I fail to see how one high-profile grownup encouraging kids to hard work, responsibility and staying in school could be so controversial. From where I sit, these “stakeholders” don’t spend nearly the same amount of time scrutinizing –say, the TV that their kids plop themselves in front of most of the day. And here is precious little about that media consumption that tries to encourage kids to stay in school.

    More evidence, really, that the Republican Party doesn’t give a damn about anything other than their ideology.

  4. Kilroy says:

    “PTA council president Cara Mendelsohn said Obama is “cutting out the parent” by speaking to kids during school hours.”

    “Why can’t a parent be watching this with their kid in the evening?” Mendelsohn said. “Because that’s what makes a powerful statement, when a parent is sitting there saying, ‘This is what I dream for you. This is what I want you to achieve.'”

    Shows you how out of touch Liberals are! I hate to say it, without Jason DL has past far left and now equals those on the far right,
    out of touch! What next keeping fathers out of delivery rooms!

  5. June says:

    I am so sick of all this. There are just too many hateful people in this country. It looks to me like the right wingnuts of the Republican Party aligned with the Fox news hate-mongers and Rush Limbaugh are winning. I have very little hope left for our country.

  6. Delaware Republican says:

    Perhaps Obama can explain why he hates low income minority children? At least the ones in DC who had a chance at a good education but now will be thrown out of the private schools because of Obama.

    You know, the same schools Obama, the man of the people, sends his kids? Public schools are not good enough for his kids but for the others, suer thing.

    Any parent who listens to Obama on education needs an education.

    Mike Protack

  7. Kilroy says:

    Mike Protack
    “Any parent who listens to Obama on education needs an education.”

    Mike old pal you are moving too far to the right! What next Mike, if you are a member of DSEA you’re a no good teacher? Get back to center fast! What about George Bush’s NCLB and his father’s “thousand points of lights”?

    Parents need to be educated about their role in their childrens’ education and lawmakers need to enact laws making parents more accountable.

    Obama will give a fine speech and if he inspires one child it was all worth the effort. However, it’s better to inspire parents and children together!

  8. pandora says:

    “Why can’t a parent be watching this with their kid in the evening?”

    Because they’re too busy watching American Idol, Kilroy.

    And, once again, Protack: The Glenn Beck of the Delaware Blogosphere.

  9. X Stryker says:

    Ronald Reagan gave a speech to schoolchildren promoting his tax policy.
    George W. Bush gave a speech to schoolchildren promoting No Child Left Behind
    But Obama gives a speech telling kids to stay in school, work hard, and get good grades – AND THEN PEOPLE SUDDENLY FREAK THE FUCK OUT.

    I loathe the purveyors of this nonsense – there is no shred of honesty or decency whatsoever among them. Vile, vile people.

  10. pandora says:

    True, X. And… “According to press secretary Marlin Fitzwater, the speech was broadcast live and rebroadcast by C-Span, and Instructional Television Network fed the program “t o schools nationwide on three different days.”

    Even ABC notes that the event has:

    “…some historical precedent for presidents speaking to students in nationally televised addresses. President George H. W. Bush did so in 1991 and President Ronald Reagan even talked politics with students in 1988.”

  11. Kilroy says:

    “But Obama gives a speech telling kids to stay in school, work hard, and get good grades – AND THEN PEOPLE SUDDENLY FREAK THE FUCK OUT.”

    If John McCain would have won it would be the same but coming from the left. My opinon is not driven by the politics just the fact I believe parents need the wake-up call! Surely 20 years from now we’ll hear someone tell us how Obmama’s speech impacted them.

  12. nemski says:

    Okay . . . if you are against the President of the United States asking children to work hard and stay in school, you are an idiot. Seriously, a whack job moronic idiot.

  13. callerRick says:

    I wonder why BO doesn’t send his kids to NEA-run state schools? After all, D.C. has among the highest per-pupil spending rates in the nation.

    Oh, I forgot; he’s an oligarch.

  14. nemski says:

    And you, cR, are a liar.

  15. pandora says:

    I already said how I would react, Kilroy.

    In the spirit of full disclosure, if George Bush was going to give a speech to students I would probably roll my eyes and make a joke about his habit to make up or mispronounce words. Not very grown up of me, but true. What I wouldn’t do is have a fit, threaten to pull my kids out of school, and scream brain-washing, socialist.

    And, seriously, if parents are this concerned about their kids listening to a 15 minute speech, then they have bigger parenting problems they should be focusing on.

  16. feelinghelpless says:

    Of course he’s going to try to inspire the children to stay in school. How else are our children going to repay all the debt that he has racked up since he’s been in office? These little ones are the vital part of his plan. By the time my kids are grown adults, at least 40% of their pay check is going to be taxed to pay off the debt and to support all of the people who don’t want to work. So far that is all I have seen, rack up debt and figure out how to support those who don’t take responsibility. Hey, don’t want to work for a living? Just live in America where those who have a sense of self-worth and resposibility will be forced to support those who “just don’t wanna.” And the biggest irony of it all…I voted for Obama!

  17. edisonkitty says:

    This is enought to make your head explode. Apparently the people objecting to this don’t understand what irony is. Obama is like the poster child for ‘stay in school, study hard…’ He goes from being on welfare to an Ivy League education, then becomes President. Oh, yeah, I think he’s like the first black guy to do something like this. Talk about the bully pulpit. So he wants to encourage kids to succeed in school, and he thinks maybe he is a good example. And despite all this, and the precedent set by several others before him, some folks want to object. Give me a break. Your ideology blinds you.

  18. nemski says:

    I’m really surprised that Kilroy does not support this . . . absolutely surprised.

  19. pandora says:

    He must be a Republican this week! 😉

  20. My students will be at recess at that time. ‘Nuff said.

  21. Von Cracker says:

    “These little ones are the vital part of his plan. By the time my kids are grown adults, at least 40% of their pay check is going to be taxed to pay off the debt and to support all of the people who don’t want to work.”

    Yup, it was soooooooooooo much better back in my grandparents’ day under Eisenhower when the tax rate was above 70%!

    Know your history before you spout-off; it makes you appear dim.

  22. Maria Evans says:

    The original plan was this:

    “The lesson plans, available online, originally recommended having students “write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president.”

    I wouldn’t have wanted my kid to write a letter to himself about what he could do to help Bush or Clinton, either.

  23. Scott P says:

    You know what I think it is? The right wingers can’t bear even the thought of admiting that Obama and his life story might be the least bit inspiring to their children. They have such a misplaced hatred for the man personally, and don’t want their kids to see he’s actually a good role model as a man. The talk itself will probably be fairly vapid — just the usual benign “Stay in school. Work hard. Mmmm, drugs are bad, mmmkay?” The only reason for him to spend his time on it is that he, personally, might be the positive message for kids. Even with all politics aside, that thought scares the hell out of some people.

  24. Kilroy says:

    Comment by nemski
    “I’m really surprised that Kilroy does not support this . . . absolutely surprised.”

    I do support it 100% but preferred it be at a time parents with their children can view. Does this suggest he realizes many parents don’t get a shit and just take the message to the kids? For minorites Obama’s victory is a clear indication that you can be what you want in America.

    Mike Matthews don’t be surprised if the schools schedule is changed to accommodated which is should be if the school elects to participate. What message would it send to have some students watch and others not?

    Pandora, re: Republican I am and confused I can be however, being a hardline Liberial Democrat is no different that a far right Republican. I am for healthcare reform but cash for clunkers was a big mistake.

    Comment by edisonkitty
    “Oh, yeah, I think he’s like the first black guy to do something like this.”

    Bill Cosby tells black parents to get off their lazy asses and he is booed! Sharpton is sucking up at Obama and Arne Duncan and turns a blind eye to resegeration using charter schools as the means.

    Let’s not undermine educators who send the same message as Obama will. Words are wonderful be deeds are more inspiring. Obama will be judged just like all presidents on deeds not words.

    Always remember, serving the poor is an industry even in education.

  25. pandora says:

    You’re right, Scott. But even more… the Right can’t admit that they agree with Obama on anything! They’re afraid of having to tell their kids that they should listen to the socialist/fascist/communist/Hitler anti-christ.

  26. nemski says:

    Kilroy wrote I do support it 100% but preferred it be at a time parents with their children can view.

    Kilroy, you have been involved in public education for some time now. What is the biggest complaint teachers and administrators have? You could answer money, but it is parental involvement. The only way to have public education succeed is to have parents involved, yet we know most are not. This is not a racial issue or economic issue, most parents are not involved in their child’s education. You suggestion would limit Obama’s speech to the ears of the children whose parents care. He is trying to reach out to the other children, the children who don’t have a voice in the education system.

    BTW, the private education system has the same problem.

  27. nemski says:

    And thanks Maria for bringing the original plan up. However, as misguided as that is, it is not the plan today. Get over it.

  28. Maria Evans says:

    I love an inspiring story, but I was at DSU when Michelle Obama spoke to a crowd of mostly college students, and she basically discouraged them from becoming lawyers:

    “See, Barack’s a lawyer I’m a lawyer everybody’s a lawyer, hopefully all you all won’t be lawyers, but everybody in this race is a lawyer.”

    “Hopefully” she didn’t “inspire” any of those students to drop their dreams of being lawyers.

  29. Maria Evans says:

    nemski and why did that “original plan” change? Oh yeah, because it was totally inappropriate.

  30. nemski says:

    Good gawd Maria . . . that’s what you got from Michelle Obama’s speech? Really, as much as Republicans hate lawyers, you can’t even agree with that? Good to see you got your hate on.

  31. nemski says:

    Yes it was inappropriate, I AGREE! It’s not the plan now, so please keep on bringing it up.

  32. cassandra_m says:

    Bill Cosby tells black parents to get off their lazy asses and he is booed!

    Booed only by some — and a pretty small minority, at that. And the biggest reason Cosby was booed was not that he was thought to be entirely wrong, but for airing dirty laundry. Not that I’d expect you would follow that conversation that closely.

    But what Cosby has to do with the idiotic spaz-out by the right — as I pointed out last night, a spaz-out by people who delight in inventorying the multiple ways other people are not working hard and being responsible are suddenly appalled by a President who wants to encourage working hard and responsibility.

    Glad you added that cartoon, Pandora — it is hysterical…

  33. cassandra_m says:

    And what does Michele Obama speaking at DSU have anything to do with it? More of the stupid deflection when the conversation doesn’t go your way.

  34. Maria Evans says:

    nemski don’t think you’re going to throw around the word “hate” to shut me down.

    Even YOU admit that Obama’s original plan, to have students write themselves letters about what they could do to help him was “misguided.”

    And no, I don’t agree with what Mrs. Obama said, if a kid wants to be a lawyer, the FLOTUS should never discourage that. Ever.

    Again, if Bush wanted to do the same thing, I’d be against it.

    Think about it, nemski, if this becomes the norm for every school year and in 2013 you wake up and Sarah Palin is President, how are you gonna feel about it? Would you be celebrating her making a statement to your kids, or how about Mike Huckabee?

  35. pandora says:

    I’ll answer that… let Palin and Huckabee talk. We don’t censor people in our house (or in schools). We discuss differing viewpoints. We aren’t afraid of them.

  36. cassandra_m says:

    And how afraid do you need to be of people encouraging kids to stay in school?

  37. nemski says:

    Maria, Bush and Reagan both addressed US students.

  38. cassandra_m says:

    And Bush I gave his speech to students as part of a propaganda push for some new War on Drugs initiative his administration started.

  39. nemski says:

    Thanks RSmitty for that link.

  40. Maria Evans says:

    pandora it will be happening in the schools, not our homes, so we really can’t say that “differing viewpoints” will be discussed at all.

    If a president wanted to address students in the evening, when they could watch with their families, I wouldn’t object.

    But when the President comes out of the gate with a ridiculous idea like children writing letters about what they could do to help the him, there’s going to be backlash.

  41. Maria Evans says:

    nemski that was pre-blogging for me, but I recall their addressing students, and I recall rolling my eyes at how stupid the entire concept was.

  42. shortstuff says:

    Boring… This is the same shit that they talk about all the time… Nobody wants to admit the fact that deep down inside, they’re just a f’in racist… First time I’ve ever written a curse word in this site but I’m just so f’in tired of people hiding behind “what’s right” to disguise and mask their absolute and unequivocable bigotry towards anything that isn’t the white guy preaching.

    Stop it already and just at the very least admit to your stance. Quit hiding behind the facade that this is because “you care” as a parent. No one gave a shit when Palin was calling him a f’in terrorist and no one ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ON THE RIGHT has YET to decry the fact that he’s been called a black nazi among other things.

    For someone to imply that he’s SOLICITING for his political stance when the f’in message is stay in school goes to show how much of a f’in retarded stance some of you people have. I’d have a hard on too if he was “reviewing his economic plan with 4th graders” but it’s not that. Let’s not make our children think that being black or a minority in this country is ok and GOD, GOD forbid he/she f’in makes it to the Presidency… OOOOOOOOOOoooo…. It’s the minorities trying to brainwash the F’IN MAJORITY… F’in Retards….

    It’s a stay in school message, yea, he’s brainwashing your kids to stay in school and “achieve their dreams”, that’s one f’in nazi way of getting the young to get in line. Hey, it’s ok to be smart~ f*** that message too! Be a dumb ass instead and go run for VP and just go along with “Dontcha know” and you’ll be fine… Get over it and go find something else to blame him for.

  43. cassandra_m says:

    Post of the day, shortstuff.

  44. pandora says:

    Maria, if all your side was doing was eye-rolling there wouldn’t be a problem. You guys need another tactic besides the “sky is falling.” Honestly, Republicans have only one setting – total outrage.

  45. Kilroy says:

    Comment by nemski
    “This is not a racial issue or economic issue, most parents are not involved in their child’s education.”

    Unfortunately high poverty students whom most are African-American represent the majority of students failing. Being poor doesn’t make one stupid however, the social economical condition within poverty stagnates achievement. But the biggest barriers are many poor parents are high school dropout themselves and sadly are comfortable living off of public assistance. Poor children see this as a normal way of life and the cycle continues. The cycle of poverty can only be broken by education. Obama message will be great and he’ll deliver a meaningful sermon. Not raical ? Don’t kid yourself as he is not speaking out to the affluent that majority are white. The message will be broad and the interpretation will vary with in each student. However, through the eyes of a poor black child his message will get hope and perhaps inspiration. He will not inspire successful students as those students already know how to be successful.

    Not a political shot here but Obama fails to realize teachers and educators everyday send the same message to students. I am sure our good friend Mike Matthew will also encourage children to be successful. Obama undermines public school teachers by sending in Teach for America as if they are going to do a job public teachers are failing at. Sadly pumping more money into community outreach would be a failure because the so-called righteous community leader where some think they are civil rights leaders feed off the handouts and will never allow the community to be successful. So maybe Obama message is the only hope for children of poverty. But just like Martin Luther King’s message, Obama’s will fade. It will once again classroom teachers trying to mend the pieces at the same time be kicked by politicians who fail to enact laws holding parents more accountability.

    “You suggestion would limit Obama’s speech to the ears of the children whose parents care. He is trying to reach out to the other children, the children who don’t have a voice in the education system.”

    THANK YOU ! Now why don’t they have a voice? Where are our legislators and where are the righteous community leaders and those who work in the name of civil rights? Delaware public schools have become day treatment center for dysfunctional children of dysfunctional parents. There are a few of us who crossed into the dark side of education who know the power, ego, money and politics within. Black and white educators turn a blind eye and fear speaking the truth because they would be blackballed. I know a dear wonderful caring educator who has sincerely love and compassion for all children and the ability to respect all parents affluent or not. It hurts me to see this person get kicked around.

    “BTW, the private education system has the same problem.”
    Perhaps they need to visit Charter School of Wilmington to learn how to be more effective in cherry picking.

    Sorry to rant but I would rather have a politician who had better listening skills than speaking skills.

  46. Maria Evans says:

    Way to pull the “racism” and “nazi” card in one post, ss.

    The originally released plan included students writing letters about what they could do to help the president, which was officially called “inartful” but face it, it was just plain stupid. Basically what it did was it made the whole idea smell of politicization.

  47. pandora says:

    And it was changed, Maria, and yet, the outrage continues – louder than ever.

  48. On the side-rail of all of this, I ask: when does ss get lambasted like Donviti did a while back for free use of the word “retard” in an intentionally demeaning manner?

    Oh, on-topic, I roll my eyes, sure enough, over how polarized every little fucking thing has become anymore. This is everyone, too. If a Liberal were to sneeze, a conservative will probably try to kick his/her ass for making him/her sick. Likewise, if a conservative fell into a daydream and appeared to be staring at a Liberal, that conservative would be accused of plotting muderous violence against that Liberal. THIS shit is what is getting old. We’ve become (political) class-prejudiced against each other.

  49. cassandra_m says:

    Well only if you think that a President asking kids to stay in school, work hard and take responsibility as a way to help him and your country is a problem.

    And the “inartful” bit was removed pretty immediately. So you no longer have a complaint, right?

  50. Kilroy says:

    Maria Evans
    “The originally released plan included students writing letters about what they could do to help the president”

    And the plan should be a letter to their “parents” on what their parents can do to help them become more successful in school.

  51. shortstuff says:

    “Poor children see this as a normal way of life and the cycle continues. ”

    Wow Kilroy, thank God I didn’t abide by that standard, I’d be living off the system too… For the record, it was someone who actually did inspire me to achieve something more and it was one simple gesture that made the world of difference…

    We’re not debating the “value” of the educational system, we’re debating why people are up in arms about a speech of “STAY IN SCHOOL” and why “STAYING IN SCHOOL IS IMPORTANT” and what can possibly come out of “STAYING IN SCHOOL AND ACHIEVING THE HIGHEST OFFICE IN THE US”…

    There are plenty of parents who don’t give a damn about their kids and those kids need to hear that maybe, just maybe if you do the RIGHT THING and STAY IN SCHOOL, you can BECOME PRESIDENT TOO.

  52. Scott P says:

    The original plan was not “just plain stupid”, it was just not written and explained very well. The intent was to have kids write a letter saying how they could help the President in terms of lowering the national dropout rate, not passing climate change legislation or implementing a single-payer health care system. The only reason I can think of that conservatives would be afraid of the message of kids staying in school, is that better educated voters would be less likely to fall for the stupid crap they’ve been selling lately.

  53. shortstuff says:

    “And the plan should be a letter to their “parents” on what their parents can do to help them become more successful in school.”

    This is another b**sh** that pisses me off… Like no one ever wrote to the f’in President before when they were kids… PLEASE give me a f’in break already! IT WAS A SIMPLE TASK LIKE WRITING TO SANTA CLAUSE.

    While we’re at it… Let’s ban kids from writing to soldiers too okay… We don’t want them to think that the Military is a good thing. No, that’s bad, bad stuff… Let’s also— STOP THE PRESSES– ban kids from writing letters to their favorite music artist or ban them from being on twitter… THAT will certainly be bad for their education…

  54. shortstuff says:

    It’s ok if George Strait says stay in school or the f’in power Rangers or Britney Spears does BUT it’s bad when Barrack Hussein Obama the President of the United States says stay in school… WOW, I love our country… Thank God I served in the Military to protect this sh**…

  55. pandora says:

    You are on a roll, shortstuff! Keep it up… but, Smitty’s right, the use of the word “retard” is not nice.

  56. nemski says:

    Scott P wrote The only reason I can think of that conservatives would be afraid of the message of kids staying in school, is that better educated voters would be less likely to fall for the stupid crap they’ve been selling lately.

    Spot on.

  57. Kilroy says:

    “Wow Kilroy, thank God I didn’t abide by that standard, I’d be living off the system too… For the record, it was someone who actually did inspire me to achieve something more and it was one simple gesture that made the world of difference…”

    It’s a fact of life, the cycle of poverty! But many do rise above and odds and it was a teacher who was the inspiration. Obama will inspire and if only one child there effort was well worth it. However, the must be a means to break the cycle and though education is the asnswer the messinger must reach the community.

    My inspiration was Jason and you back-stabbing DL’s took him from me! LOL!

    BTW Pandora, great post!

  58. Kilroy says:

    Comment by shortstuff
    “PLEASE give me a f’in break already! IT WAS A SIMPLE TASK LIKE WRITING TO SANTA CLAUSE.”

    But Santa will come to your home with gifts! OMG, don’t tell ne Obama has another plan to give kids Cash for Toys? Last thing we need is feeding the toy factories in China. Just joking with you!

    If I write a letter to Santa asking him to return Jason to DL what do you think my chances are he’ll grant my wish?

  59. shortstuff says:

    Kilroy,

    man o man… You actually made me laugh… It’s all good, it’s really not meant to be mean spirited but I am tired of all the same rhetoric… If we disagree on principle that’s one thing and I can certainly live with that but this stuff is just along the same lines as the birth certificate thing and so forth.

    Pandora- I apologize for the re–** remark… It is mean spirited and I should be more pc about things.

    Marie E.-
    And for the record, I’m not pulling the racist and Nazi stuff… That’s been out there and I don’t hear anyone including you denouncing it. No one politicized this until the right declard it a war on everything they held dear. THAT smells of bigotry, THAT smells like politics, THAT is why I am no longer a supporter of the Republican party.

    Where is the Republican party that once held values…

  60. X Stryker says:

    If John McCain would have won it would be the same but coming from the left.

    Bull fucking shit. I would be happy if a Republican president told kids to stay in school and get good grades, even if I gave him shit over his plan to make that happen, I wouldn’t freak the fuck out about him encouraging students to study.

  61. Keep them talkin' points acoming.... says:

    Shortstuff – If this prez actually was Santa Claus, the right wing would become Jewish.

    This guy can’t win…BTW, did you hear: he’s black?

  62. Kilroy says:

    Comment by shortstuff
    “man o man… You actually made me laugh… It’s all good, it’s really not meant to be mean spirited but I am tired of all the same rhetoric”

    It’s all about pushing buttons! Those on the extreme left and extreme right live within their own fart bubble and if they smell shit that is not their own they have fits. I think it’s great the president addresses students about education but strongly feel he needs to do it so parents can view with their children. Is he afriad to call lazy ass parents out and remind them of their responsiblity? Just an honest opinion but I’ll be group together with the far right.

  63. cassandra_m says:

    RSmitty — Thanks for posting that link to Allan Loudell’s post — it is quite good, but I had an issue with one point and left this comment:

    I was with you until this:

    Bluntly, if President Clinton had tried to address school kids, I suspect he would’ve gotten the same resistance as President Obama. And if President George W. Bush had tried it, the same, but from the Left.

    There may have been pushback for both, but the real difference would have been the media attention to both reactions. The Right would have been disiplined and organized to get their message into the media narrative and that message would become the message of the Right. On the Left, there would have been a few on some blogs who would have gotten their knickers in a twist, but the media would not have reported their reaction at the top of every hour or gotten those views into heavy rotation on cable.

    Why? Because it is still known where the line between the Left and the Fringe Left is. And the media would not report the Fringe Left unless it was none of those faintly derisive stories that look to Show Just How Crazy They Are. For the Right –the fringe is pretty much all that remains, so this kind of stuff not only easily gets into the media narrative, but takes it over and helps mainstream that Fringe.

    Think about this in terms of the coverage of the folks trying to get single-payer passed. I don’t even think that they are a fringe element, but they are out working hard to get petitions signed, get people organized and to talk to legislatures about this option. Where is the coverage of all of this effort? On the other hand — the coverage of the Tea Partiers is pretty routine.

    Sorry to rant on here, but this Pox on Both Their Houses always strikes me as lazy thinking — that the Left and the Right are equally lunatic and that is not quite true.

    This is a really great post, though, Allan! Have a great Labor Day Holiday.

  64. edisonkitty says:

    Kilroy, I think you missed my attempt at snark. I meant to point out that Obama is the first black guy to become President.

  65. Norris Hall says:

    Reagan’s speech to students was much worse that what Obama has planned
    On November 14, 1988, President Reagan addressed and took questions from students from four area middle schools in the Old Executive Office Building. The speech was broadcast live and rebroadcast by C-Span, and Instructional Television Network fed the program “to schools nationwide on three different days.”
    In his speech to students and the question and answer session following Reagan

    1. stressed the importance of low taxes and free trade. Next he
    2. stressed the importance of religion in our nation.
    3 touted the economic achievements of his administration ,
    4.put in a plug for the line item veto,
    5. told the students that lowering taxes increases revenue
    6. boasted of his administrations aid to Negro colleges
    7. and told students that if guns were banned, burglars would be “celebrating forevermore”

    Don’t believe me?

    Go ahead. You can read the entire Televised speech to the students here at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library archives.

    http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1988/111488c.htm

  66. rationaljew says:

    the exec office should focus on 1) relationship to congress, 2) relationship to electorate. considering the original description of the intent of the ’speech’, it’s clear what obama was really up to. it was wrong when ghwb did it, and it will be wrong when bho does it.