Comments on: An Education President

By: Obama’s Pastor’s Timely Teachable Moment « On the Tenure Track

Obama’s Pastor’s Timely Teachable Moment « On the Tenure Track — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:08:44 +0000

[...] student teacher, teachable, the, timely, wright For the moment, I don’t care about that speech. I’m listening to [...]

By: Benjamin Baxter

Benjamin Baxter — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:26:41 +0000

Now, don’t get me wrong, but no candidate’s education policies are all that solid. Of all of them, Huckabee was probably the most comprehensive, but the evolution-denying candidate is out.

Barack may act like a educator, but he sure doesn’t focus on education.

http://awaitingtenure.wordpress.com/

By: Meredith Broderick

Meredith Broderick — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:42:43 +0000

These guys are politicians, not teachers and they are making the same moves I have seen all politicians make my whole life. At best it is a game of one-upmanship, and Barack is winning. Great speeches are written by thoughtful people often natural teachers, like Lincoln, who wrote some of his own speeches.

The thing is that major corporations and the media elects the president, or now the media/major corporations/internet-media elect presidents. In many ways it is a horse show, not a horse race, the whole process is about “appearing a certain way to gain favor, it is never about who the men are, or how intelligent or capable they are. Bill Clinton, who like President Nixon was one of our most thoughtful and intelligent presidents, but that is not why he got elected. He got elected because he can handle a crowd, like he is Jack Nicholson at the oscars, not because as Alan Greenspan pointed out in his auto biographyhe had more thorough knowledge of economics than anyone he knew in the field. That did not get him or keep him president, He was cool , as in Marhall Mcluhan cool who said some thing like with TV (or youtube) it is not so much the message as the sender that is
“sent.” and recieved. And yes Obama I think is “Marshall Mcluhan” cool,
like Kennedy, Clinton and Nicholson. He also reads other peoples carefullly crafted words, rather well. I am not sure about much else .

By: Clint

Clint — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:19:14 +0000

I know my posting of my opinions on this “left” page was not going to be taken well. However, the fact that I care about Obama not taking a side on important issues is proof that the issues DO matter to me. And please don’t feel sorry for me and people like me for having an opinion that may be different from yours. Thats is the beauty of our country; The fact that we can have different opinions and still live and work together is what makes this country what it is. I appreciate and respect your opinion, a. woody, but would also appreciate it if you would respect mine as well.

To expand on the teacher/leader issue: If teachers were the epitome of leaders, (and some of them I admit are great leaders aside from their teaching) then there wouldn’t be administrative personel at schools because the school would be led well by the teaching staff. Just a thought.

By: mike

mike — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:59:00 +0000

question who would vote for someone who never attended college,never joined a church,served eight years in state government and two years in congress? I wonder if the 16th president of the u.s. asked himself that question?

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:17:02 +0000

Will,
I agree with your analysis of Barack’s speech the other day. What appealed to me is that he presented the complexity of the issue and did not take one side. I believe our nation has become so polarized. Issues have been black and white for too long: you are either pro-choice or pro-life, you are for gun control or against it, you are either “with us or against us”. It is time that we realize the complexities of these issues and we search for common ground as citizens concerned about our nation and not talking points to justify the “side” we have selected to support. It is that, the common ground, that I feel Barack Oboma truly is searching for. I think that is a great characteristic to have in a President and a role model for our young generation.

By: a. woody delauder

a. woody delauder — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:17:43 +0000

Clint,
You mention that Obama has no history of making decisions on issues that matter. I would imagine that these issues don’t matter to you.

I just wrote a post about the State of our Country… http://edumorphing.blogspot.com/2008/03/mr-richardson-has-done-it-again.html

It’s a shame that many Americans share your point of view. Instead of looking at what our Country needs to become One Nation, you tend to think about what is important for you. This is unbelievably UnAmerican.

I’m a registered Independent, and Obama has my vote. I’ll let you figure out the parallels between Teachers and Leaders on your own.

By: Clint

Clint — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:44:37 +0000

I’m sorry but we don’t need a teacher as president. We need a leader. Teachers are for classrooms, leaders are for presidencies. Someone can be very well spoken and eloquent but fail to make the right decision when it comes crunch time. Obama just has no history of leading a group of people. He has no history of making decisions on issues that matter. In his speeches that, I admit, are very eloquent, he remains vague about any issue that may cause him to lose votes. “hope” and “change” are the most vague terms to use in a presidency. Of course people want hope and change. He says this becuase he knows most of the country will agree with him on this point and then mindlessly follow him on whatever he decides as being the “hope” and “change” our country needs. Instead of writing eloquent speeches, he needs to get off the fence and start spending his time researching and deciding what will make our country better. Last time I checked, a speech is just words. Show me some action.

By: a. woody delauder

a. woody delauder — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:40:57 +0000

Gary,
All campaign speeches are written by committee. Every candidate has editors for their speeches. To assume that Obama has little influence on his own speech writing is presumptuous.

The method of delivery and the passion in his voice has the ability to motivate. In my life time, I haven’t heard any politician talk this way. It’s refreshing to at least think that he cares.

Thanks for making me think

By: a. woody delauder

a. woody delauder — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:23:09 +0000

I never saw Obama as such (a teacher), until you mentioned it. Many qualities in which I see in him, I see in many great teachers. The ability to motivate is crucial in both professions. It’s about time someone is talking about real change. Thanks for the post.

By: Will Richardson

Will Richardson — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:51:22 +0000

I think effective. And that last question gets to the heart of the matter right now, I think. Doesn’t matter what you think or believe, there is always a supportive community to nurture you. That, obviously can be good or bad. But I’m thinking we do have to get beyond that if things are going to get unstuck in this country.

By: Roger Hiles

Roger Hiles — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:23:01 +0000

Wasted in the sense of not being effective or persuasive? Do you think there was just too much that conflicted with strongly held beliefs?

Part of the effectiveness of the fireside chats, I expect, was because they were not followed by an instant rebuttal explaining that everything the president had just said was wrong, wrong, WRONG! Today, the possibilities for rebuttal are endless.

How can the next president get people to change (or even question) their beliefs, given the constant re-enforcement possible for all sides in every debate in today’s world?

By: Will Richardson

Will Richardson — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:09:47 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Roger. It’s a valid point. Let me just emphasize that in that “teachable moment,” one in which I was very ready to listen and to be lead, begging for it almost, I think the opportunity was wasted. Certainly, I’ve learned a great deal in the six years hence.

By: Roger Hiles

Roger Hiles — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:43:38 +0000

Thanks for a thoughtful post, although at the end you undercut your point a bit with a swipe at the current president.

If that comment about shopping was the only thing you’ve heard in six years of public discourse about the war, it’s a reminder that for learning to occur, you don’t just need a good teacher, you need willing students. And students don’t have to agree with everything the teacher teaches, but they do have to listen.

There are all kinds of prejudices we have to be prepared to give up to move forward as a nation. One of them is deciding that those we disagree with are not worth listening or talking to.

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:59:40 +0000

Gary, I still see evidence of critical thinking and deep thoughts in the content. the expression is the speechwriter’s arena, but I still feel that the thoughts are there.

You are right, though, that we do need to go below the surface of what everyone knows about race and gender relations. Only then will we get to a deep understanding of where we are and where we’re going. The only way to do this is by interaction…breaking bread and the like.