This is really what the fear is out there in GOP land. Obama, it seems, is just too smart, to convincing, too great a speaker to be allowed to talk to children. Children! Innocent and locked into their public schools where the President can talk to them without their PARENTS standing ready to clamp hands over their tender ears should the President sound too convincing. The horror of having elected someone who can speak! Why, the world has not seen anything like him since... well, since we started electing people like the last one. Clinton could talk up a storm, only he tended to like his own voice a little too much. Doesn't the GOP remember "The Great Communicator?" Reagan also gave a talk to kids in school.
Here is a clip from the cable news where a Republican strategist lays out this line of argument. Just listen to Joe Watkins and decide for yourself. If you are a Republican, can you really believe that the Nation does not deserve a President that is intelligent, passionate, and convincing? If you're from any other political side... just listen and shake your head.
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2 comments:
I do think the rebuttal could have been better.
Watkins maintains that he agrees with Obama's speech. It's that "slippery road" we'll go down if we let such an effective and persuasive speaker have direct access to our kids.
As if Obama's next address within the confines of our schools will be to get kids to extol the virtues of the public option in health care.
The President is hardly addressing the nation's kids on matters of policy nor the great issues of our day. Even in this speech to our schools he's not addressing educational reform.
It's simply a "pep talk" to our kids to do their very best and never to give up their quest for an education.
Watkins is far too worried about the 'potential' for undue (and by implication unfair) influence from such a gifted speaker.
He ignores a cardinal political rule: kids can't vote. So their is little incentive for any President to address our kids on matters of policy.
But since the GOP is increasingly becoming the party of fear, how about this: We might want to worry more about how competitive America will be in the 21st century with a 30% high school drop out rate.
Good points. Anyhow the influence that one 20 minute speech in the middle of the first day of school might have is not the point. The point is that young people seem to respect this President, which undercuts the fear tactic.
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