How Dare you Talk To My Child Like That!

I guess that President Obama is going ahead with his talk to American students on Wednesday, the first day of school for many of them. As with most things in our current political climate, nothing is easy. The Republican wing of the political class is up in arms about how Obama will indoctrinate young minds to his socialist agenda. The Democratic wing of the political class has called this "silly season", stating that the President's message will be one of stay in school, study hard, and get a good education. If that is all his message was going to be, than I would probably agree with the "silly season" position. However, there are some other components of the whole talk to students event that are a little creepy in some ways and hypocritical in others. My thoughts:

• Part of the original plan was to have kids write letters to Obama describing things that they could do to help him. While this part has been changed to have the kids write letters to themselves about their goals, the original plan was not a good approach. First of all, the kids should not be helping Obama, he should be helping them by setting proper education standards, processes, and funding so that each American kid can grow up free to be all they can be and to help themselves, not devote time to helping a politician attain his vision. They should be focused, via getting educated, to attaining their own vision.
• When I originally heard about this part of the program, North Korea and its devotion to its tyrannical ruler came to mind. Fair or unfair, I immediately thought of Kim Jong II and his cult of personality ruling of North Korea, a country void of any type of freedom. Maybe I am too sensitive to the issues of liberty and government, but I get really suspicious when someone tries to put themselves at the center of America. The basis and success of America has always been the individual's vision, not any leader's vision. North Korea is a great example when we worship and focus on a leader and his personal vision.
• As someone who despises both parties, I am pretty sure that if George Bush had put this exact same program in effect a few years ago and asked students to write him letters on how to help him implement his vision of America, the Left and Democrats would be in a similar uproar. I really have no patience for hypocrites and that is what the Democrats are being in this case while the Republicans are being a little over the top.
• In fact, from what I can gather from various sources on the Net, the first George Bush spoke to students in a nationwide broadcast in 1991 and the Democrats went off, claiming it was an unfair and inexpensive way to do political advertising. However, the one thing that Bush did not ask for was an organized letter writing campaign addressed to help him, he suggested a voluntary campaign, something a little less intense than the Obama plan.
• But let's be clear, there is a much larger dynamic here than a 15 minute speech to American students about the merits of education. The political class has caused this nation to devolve into warring camps, pitting one group of Americans against another. Do we really think that these two groups of politicians can get anything of merit accomplished in this country when 1) they cannot even be civil to each other about a simple 15 minute Presidential speech and 2) they cannot execute a simple rebate program like the Cash For Clunkers program (see a previous post about the details). Do we really think they can modernize and economize the American health care system with the way they disrespect each other and those that do not agree with them? Do we really think they can solve the drug addiction problem, failing public schools, bankrupt bound Social Security and Medicare, etc. when name calling and mistrust his their MO. They brought this infighting on themselves and we will suffer for it with either poor governing or no governing worthwhile.
• Finally, there is one aspect that no one has been talking about to my knowledge. It reminds me of old skit that comedian Paula Poundstone did in one of her stage shows. Basically, she recalls about how when she was young, adults would always ask her what she wanted to be when she grew up. As a kid, she thought they were interested in her goals. Turns out, the adults could not care less about the kid's goals, they were looking for ideas for themselves. Could it be that the President is actually in need of some new ideas and is turning to the kids for the answers?????? Lets see what he has accomplished in the first 17% (assuming he is in office for 48 months and about eight months are already gone) of his Presidency:

1. We are still in Iraq and will be for a while despite his campaign pledge to get us out quickly.
2. He is still using the Bush Mideast Road Map for peace in the Middle East, not his own plan, and we are no closer to peace there than when he was elected. All he has done is tick off most Israelis and not produced anything for the Arab world to get excited about.
3. He has talked about closing Guantanamo but does not appear anywhere close to doing so.
4. The economy is still in the trash heap despite spending trillions of dollars on ill advised bailouts that began under Bush.
5. Afghanistan, his "good war", is not going well, despite increased US troop strength.
6. Many of his appointees were tax cheats.
7. He reacted poorly and non-Presidential when he called the Cambridge police "stupid" without knowing any of the facts in the Gates arrest situation.
8. He allowed the Democrats in Congress to write the health care legislation, resulting in at least four different competing health care bills bumping into each other and lost the battle to present a coherent and sensible plan of reform (i.e. there isn't any).
9. His White House staff asked Americans to forward emails from friends and family that did not support his health care plans, very Big Brother-like.
10. He has made America more divisive, angry, and suspicious despite his claim of being a uniter during his campaign.

Do I think McCain/Palin could have done any better? Probably not. They should have asked kids for ideas also, they just should have done it before the election!