This is somewhat old news, but it’s new news for me. Just doing my morning browsing of websites and blogs and I came across several articles on Obama and school vouchers. This is a subject very dear to me because as a single-parent, I had a great desire to send my children to private schools. But because I couldn’t afford to, they ended up going to the problematic local inner city schools. If vouchers had been available, undoubtedly my children would have gone to schools of my choosing! I did not have time to wait on schools to get their acts together. Nevertheless, they went to their godless schools where they weren’t even allowed to say “Jesus” during the Christmas season.
Obama is chanting the “real change” motto for schools as part of his overall message of change for American campaign. He shares his desire for a better future for our children on his campaign website:
A World class education
“I don’t want to send another generation of American children to failing schools. I don’t want that future for my daughters. I don’t want that future for your sons. I do not want that future for America.”
But when it comes to school vouchers, Obama was skeptical but at least willing to try them to see if they worked. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, February 14, 2008 it says of their report on Obama:
He pronounced himself a skeptic of private school vouchers, saying: “My view is you’re not going to generate the supply of high-quality schools to meet the demand.”
Obama said he was surprised to learn from Gov. Jim Doyle that “there was no assessment process” for the Milwaukee program but indicated he might be open to supporting voucher programs if studies show they work.
“If there was any argument for vouchers, it was ‘Let’s see if the experiment works,’ ” Obama said. “And if it does, whatever my preconception, you do what’s best for kids.”
But over satellite, after receiving the endorsement of the 1.4 million American Federal of Teachers Association on July 13, Obama completely reversed his position on school vouchers when he addressed the 80th convention of AFT. He also chides McCain for supporting vouchers while denouncing it. The following is quoted from his own campaign website:
Of McCain he says:
Now, John McCain is an honorable man and I respect his service to our country, but he won’t even get us to that starting point. For someone who’s been in Washington nearly 30 years, he’s got a pretty slim record on education, and when he has taken a stand, it’s been the wrong one.
He voted against increased funding for No Child Left Behind to preserve billions in tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans - tax breaks he wants to extend without saying how he’d pay for them. He voted against increasing funds for Head Start, and Pell Grants, and the hiring of 100,000 new teachers again and again and again.
In fact, his only proposal seems to be recycling tired rhetoric about vouchers and school choice.
He then goes onto say of himself:
“But what I do oppose is using public money for private school vouchers. We need to focus on fixing and improving our public schools; not throwing our hands up and walking away from them.”
Flip-flopping or more political pandering to the powerful teachers organization? Whatever the case, this is even more disgusting to me and another reason not to vote for Obama. The hypocrisy of it all is that he sends his own children to private schools! (see American Thinker)
As I’m writing this post I am finding more and more articles reporting on Obama’s educational hypocrisy in his speech to the ATF. What do you all think and especially to what Obama says about McCain?
More articles that I’m finding as I write this article:
Obama and the AFT - New York Sun
Obama tells teachers unions he opposes vouchers - New York Sun
Commentary: McCain right, Obama wrong on school vouchers - commentary by CNN contributor Roland S. Martin
McCain tells NAACP he’ll back school vouchers - Yahoo News, Associated Press Writer Devlin Barrett
Change he can’t believe in - Steve Chapman, July 21, 2008, Reason Magazine
It is amazing to see how many times Obama has switched his positions. I know that politicians tend to do that but I think he has done that more than any I have ever seen. It will be interesting to see how the vote goes on 11/4. I plan on actually watching the Democratic convention to see if Hilary is really going to lay down and let him have the nomination. She has yet to release her delegates. Even with all the media coverage he was not able to get the nomination outright like John McCain did. If it turns out to be a fake lovefest I will stop. I’m just not convinced that this is over.
A lot can happen between now and the convention. It is almost a month away I believe (mid-August).
By: Pamela on July 24, 2008
at 6:09 pm
Pamela, Obama is staying true to himself by showing us he’s all about winning! His character is very foul to me right now but you’re right, anything can happen between now and November.
But if media attention and European enthusiasm was a tell-tale sign of how the election will go, then Obama would win.
But anything, anything can happen!
By: Carlotta on July 24, 2008
at 9:04 pm
Well from last week his polls numbers have dropped a bit. He is at a statistical tie with McCain.
I checked out Tyrone’s site today (Wake Up Black America). This is a hysterical satire about how Obama can do no wrong. PLEASE watch the video FIRST before reading his entry. It is a little over six minutes.
http://wakeupblackamerica.blogspot.com/2008/08/gospel-of-messiah-barack-obama.html
I’m still laughing.
By: Pamela on August 4, 2008
at 8:38 pm
I had seen that before being passed all around the emails. But to be honest with you, this is the first time I’ve actually looked at it.
It was kind of funny though…
Just feel bad for any of the presidential candidates that have to endure this kind of ridicule. Just glad I’M not running for anything!
By: Carlotta on August 4, 2008
at 10:44 pm
I guess political satire has been going on from day one. This is nice compared to what you read in the 1800s. Back then the back and forth at times ended up with guns pulled. Today we are a bit more ‘civil’ about it.
The candidates know what they are getting into, especially today. For a long time the ‘conservative’ side endured amazing ridicule, way more so than the ‘liberals’ did. Nowadays it is equal opportunity ridicule and sad to say demeaning. Again if you check out how it was at the founding of our country we would barely blink at what we see today.
By: Pamela on August 5, 2008
at 4:36 am