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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Obama Ed Policies Cause Blowback - What Will it Cost in the Election?

I gave generously in 2008. I will not give.
I walked miles and knocked on doors. I will not knock.
I will vote Green for President.
Betrayal by a friend is the worst betrayal of all. 
----Carol Burris, HS principal

Did you ever think that hundreds of thousands of teachers throughout the country are refusing to contribute as they did in 2008 because the Democratic Party, from the White House on down, has cynically blamed teachers for the nation's dismal record of poverty and inequality. ---- Mark Naison
A highly placed union official recently said that there is an expectation that teachers will vote for Obama despite the anger of so many at his deformed ed policies. But the worry was that they would not put themselves out in any way to actually work for him. I certainly won't be getting up on an early Sunday morning to drive to Allentown. (I’m going to Obama with a banjo on my knee). In fact I am voting Green, as many educators in NYC are.

Mark Naison posted:
To all the Democratic Party leaders and Move On organizers who are deluging us with emails complaining that Republicans are raising more money than Democrats- Did you ever think that hundreds of thousands of teachers throughout the country are refusing to contribute as they did in 2008 because the Democratic Party, from the White House on down, has cynically blamed teachers for the nation's dismal record of poverty and inequality. I know a lot of teachers who plan to vote for President Obama; but precious few who will campaign for him or give money until the Administration's education policies begin to change
 Carol Burris, one of the most respected voices in education, a high school principal of the highest level, won't vote for Obama and to me that spells trouble for the Democrats who have led the assault on teachers, from Rahm Emanuel to Andrew Cuomo.
I gave generously in 2008. I will not give.
I walked miles and knocked on doors. I will not knock.
I will vote Green for President.
Betrayal by a friend is the worst betrayal of all.
Educators in the know are pissed off and not willing to take it anymore. It may be a drop in the bucket but maybe not. My sense is that in a close election, educators may well say fuck it and go Green or even Romney, figuring how much worse can it be? I still think it would be bad but on the other hand if my pessimistic nature takes hold and as expected a Republican like Romney makes the economy tank, as we can expect, better he (Hoover-like) take the hit and that may lead to a more liberal alternative ala Roosevelt. Or it might lead to a far right-wing takeover (Hitler in the early 1930s where what was a fringe 10 years before became the government.)

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The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint them that way) of any of the groups or organizations Norm works with: ICE, GEM, MORE, Change the Stakes, NYCORE, FIRST Lego League NYC, Rockaway Theatre Co., Active Aging, The Wave, Aliens on Earth, etc.
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousWednesday, August 8, 2012 at 9:12:00 PM EDT

    "..Or it might lead to a far right-wing takeover (Hitler in the early 1930s where what was a fringe 10 years before became the government.) "

    Ever consider that we have already been taken over and that it does not matter who's at the helm, because the tyrants behind the scene steer both parties to do their bidding?

    "What has happened in the United States is that we have undergone a coup d'etat in slow motion" ~ Chris Hedges

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI9VzSJjXfg&feature=relmfu

    ReplyDelete
  2. ed notes onlineWednesday, August 8, 2012 at 9:17:00 PM EDT

    I am finishing up Hitlerland where 6 months after taking power the entire German population feared a knock on the door at night. And given the NYPD actions toward Occupy we are headed in that direction. We're not there yet but the coup in slow motion makes sense.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Teachers and Parents NOT Voting for Obama or RomneyWednesday, August 8, 2012 at 10:10:00 PM EDT

    For those parents and teachers who want to pressure Obama (or Romney)to change his education policies (heaven knows it works for other groups who tell Obama "If you want my vote, change your policy!!") there is a Facebook page called Teachers and Parents NOT Voting for Obama or Romney.

    Teachers who are afraid to stand up to Obama's policies will be banging their heads against the wall a year from now when Duncan's revised Education Program takes effect. One provision is to increase class size because great teachers can handle a mob of students.

    https://www.facebook.com/TeachersandParentsNotVoting

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousWednesday, August 8, 2012 at 10:23:00 PM EDT

    As much as I prefer to go Green for this election, I think that this election may very well be a landslide since Romney has been opening up his big mouth.

    Mitt is showing that he IS NOT Presidential material. He even ticked off the British after he criticized how they were handling security for the London 2012 Olympics. What gives Mitt the right to do that and make him the expert?

    After how he has been opening in the last 2 weeks, I think people are getting an earful. I hope he continues to run his mouth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JWThursday, August 9, 2012 at 7:53:00 AM EDT

      Any teacher who makes this a one-issue election and votes Green or Romney should take a deep breath and think Supreme Court.

      Delete
    2. redbeardThursday, September 6, 2012 at 1:55:00 AM EDT

      Every 4 years it's the court the court the court the court the court the court. Are we held hostage by this?
      It's not one issue. Education is only one. But how about the drone wars? How about the assassination of US citizens overseas? How about the more prosecutions against whistleblowers than all past presidents combined? How about forgiving the banks their mortgage fraud? How about expanding free trade agreements in Korea and Columbia and the really wretched TransPacific Partnership? How about repeated attacks on social security (by that I mean: a)the payroll tax cut which decreases SSI funding b) the offer to cut social security in the debt ceiling negotiations, even when the Republicans didn't ask for it c) stacking his "Deficit Commission" with known haters of social security, like simpson, boweles, and even RYAN!)

      It isn't one issue. Obama has furthered the rightward trend in US politics.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousThursday, August 9, 2012 at 2:54:00 PM EDT

    We are wrong as activists in MORE or in similar formations in teachers' unions across the U.S. if we are to vote for someone that has so actively (and vociferously through his proxy Arne Duncan) to aggressively destroy the teaching profession and teacher morales.

    The question for many teachers is not between Obama and Romney, but is a choice for president in 2012 between Stewart Alexander (Socialist Party) and Jill Stein (Green Party). For teachers in New York State, Illinois, the West Coast and most of New England, educators can safely vote their conscience without playing any spoiler role.

    The gamble Obama has taken has been to so nastily alienate supporters so that people will not knock on doors of do other local campaigning. A narrow loss in union-heavy swing states such as Michigan, Ohio or Pennsylvania could indeed be the chickens coming home to roost for Obama's take teachers for granted strategy.

    The DSCC used to call me, but I gave callers opinions similar to those expressed earlier. Guess what? they don't call anymore.

    ReplyDelete

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