Obama Stakes Out Bold New Education Position(s)
Last week, I argued that the only really important thing about the two education position papers that were released was to wonder which one Obama would support (Which Manifesto Would Obama Have Signed?).
In that post, I guessed that Obama, moving as he has been to the left, would have supported the Bigger, Bolder One. Boy, was I wrong.
Now, EdWeek's Hoff does that journalist thing (making phone calls) and tells us that Obama supports both positions (2 New Coalitions Seek Influence on Campaigns).
We also learn that it was just coincidence that the highly organized education groups came out with big announcements one day apart from each other. Go, education groups. You make us proud to be working in the same field.
It's a brave and visionary position for a politician to take, siding with both sides. Few politicos do it so well as Obama. In so doing, Obama joins just one other figure, Chicago superintendent Arne Duncan.
Alexander,
you are lost in the ozone again.
I thought you said yesterday that these were two "unimportant documents." Now you refer to them as "big announcements" made a day apart and needle Obama (your McCain colors are showing again) for finding something to support in each. You seem to have gone from being completely underwhelmed to overwhelmed in 24 hours, trying to understand these two supposedly meaningless pieces of paper. Maybe you should read them and try and understand the critical points of debate as well as unity between the two and the oppositional forces within the Democratic Party that Obama is trying to bring together. You are the waverer--not Obama.
Posted by: Clyde | June 17, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Because it's impossible to support both charter schools/accountability AND an acknowledgment that we need to do better for kids' health care and after school activities. It's crazy talk to think that someone could support both those notions.
Posted by: Je | June 17, 2008 at 11:14 AM