Posts with the tag Education

Education Plan

Democrat in Euclid, OH — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:12:14 EDT

The Learning Theory and Methodology of Teaching

1.Learning objectives should employ a psycho-social approach in line with educational psychology learning theory. In other words students should be taught subjects relevant to employment objectives in secondary and desire to know must be the priority in choosing curriculum with the child and parent.
2.Elementary learning objectives should adhere to stages of development as well as desire to know as motivation with positive regard to facilitate psycho-social and moral development. Emotional support must be provided throughout the process, with positive encouragement to extend and reach beyond normal age expectations, without pressure.
3.Enrichment activities should always be provided from the cultural community so that they will gain by experiences that are not neighborhood bound, and or culturally expected.
4.The wider the range of intellectual stimulation for the student; the greater the positive outcomes in the learning environment.
5.Testing and assessment will complement and guage not be the primary focus. An effective measurement of skills, encorporating principles of engineering, math, and sciences, cultural anthropology, and world economics all along the way.
6. No learner should lack computer skills or access, because we can provide them plastic lap tops like "One Lap Top per Child." It may even help others to offer them.

Nuclear Engineering Creates Jobs That Stay In America

Democrat in Pleasant Hill, CA — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:30:48 EDT

The promise of new jobs is one of the main points for transitioning the US economy toward self-sufficiency. "Green Jobs" as they are called, are going to power the new economy. This all depends on how and what information you might be looking at of course.

Manufacturing jobs are highly subject to energy costs and labor costs. Where labor and energy can be had for less, the likelihood those jobs can move elsewhere is highly probably as we've seen in the past few decades. Service and engineering jobs that are location dependent are more likely to endure.

It is without debate that the nuclear energy industry will continue to expand and advance, if not in the United States, then elsewhere in the world. An adversarial business atmosphere toward nuclear energy will prompt the industry to do what all global businesses do -- go where the money is.

It would be a great tragedy indeed if the recent tide of change in the nuclear industry was reversed and America's intellectual base for nuclear energy was lost to China and France.

The recent article in USA News and World Report (http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/2008/08/14/the-new-hot-job-nuclear-engineering.html) covers the resurgence of nuclear engineering students in universities. This is encouraging news as it shows that young people now see the potential of nuclear energy to contribute toward a thriving economy and career opportunity.

The article makes this point in closing:

Even if the American nuclear renaissance isn't fully realized, universities have a role to play in the burgeoning global market for nuclear energyâ€"a force even the U.S. political machine can't stop. The United States still has some of the best training in nuclear safety standards of any country in the world, and foreign students comprise almost 50 percent of the enrollment in some U.S. engineering departments. These international students are expected to return home with some of world's top training.

In my opinion that is the whole point of the article. We must recognize that peaceful civilian nuclear energy is here to stay. The less we understand, accept, and embrace that reality, the more economic uncertainty and loss of scientific credibility we will risk.

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

Frank Lynch — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:23:35 EDT

A few days ago I criticized the Repub for defrauding investors for permiting trading in the stocks of Fannie mae and Freddie Mac.

http://www.democrats.org/page/community/post/franklynch/CxMV

Today its was announced that 9 percent of mortgages are late or delinquent. Astoundingly, One of eleven mortgages are bad.

When those people become homeless, things will get much worse.

The cost to the economy and to us taxpayers for all the bank bailouts that will follow will place the US on the verge of bankruptcy.

Homeprices are going to continue to decline, which means more mortgages will be upsidedown (where the mortgage is larger than the home value). That will result in even more people walking away from their mortages, and HOME PRICES WILL DECLINE EVEN FURTHER

for years. . . .

and revene from property taxes will continue to decline, robbing our already short-changed schools of much needed revenue, so our children will pay the price of government lack of regulation

Today Is A Very Special Day for Me

Frank Lynch — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:20:24 EDT

see why http:www.fluni.com

New Orleans Hurricane

Frank Lynch — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:15:44 EDT

Yesterday, watching those poor people lining up for buses to yet again flee a hurricane, my heart broke.

With all our riches how can there still be people in America who are so obviously so impoverished and helpless?

Unfortunately, it is because our system of education is broken, failed, shameful.

How can any politician believe that property taxes from impoverished areas can pay for world class schools and world class teachers?

A factor in our broken system of education is that first, teachers are underpaid so that schools for teachers "sometimes" fail to attract the most talented people.

Second, the curricula are not teaching prospective teachers how to really teach.

I want every teacher in America to receive the same starting pay as computer programmers and engineeers.

I want better curicula for preparing teachers.

And I want 3,000,000 more, high paid, talented, dedicated teachers who are fully prepared to teach THE LOVE OF medicine, bioscience, math and engineering, starting in the first grade.

Let us all work for an America where everey child has absolutely equal and excellent education, so that in the future no American is so unprepared for life that they end up helplessly standing in line for buses to flee for their lives.

Please donate, tax deductible, to these goals at http://www.fluni.com

I cannot think of anything more consistent with the core values of our Democratic Party.

Iraq Betrayal?

JoeBill — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:53:21 EDT

Many months ago Senator Obama stated that if elected he would start removal of combat troops from Iraq in 60 days at a rate of about 2 Brigades every 90 days. Has anyone heard what the latest Obama Iraq plan is? All I am hearing is crap on the media channels available in my area. At least I know what McCains plans are, four more years of the same. It sure would be nice to know what future Obama has in mind, before the election since Oregon mails out the ballots about October 21. Seems like the lights are on but no ones home.

Education Strides

Miguel Martinez — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:29:54 EDT

In School District 6 in Manhattan, the focus has been allocating the necessary funding to ensure that technology programs, education supplies, and extracurricular activities are funded. The youth of our communities deserve an education and access to the premier supplies and educational tools that facilitate success. It is therefore essential that money be allocated to fund these initiatives, and I am proud to report that since Fiscal year 2002, I have allocated over $7 million dollars in capital funding. Schools such as John F. Kennedy High School, IS 319, and MS 328 have received funding to directly aid in the advancement of our youth's education. It may sound cliche, but the youth really is the future and I remain committed to doing whatever is necessary to give them all the opportunities to succeed.

Your Choice - Education or Athletics

JoeBill — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:49:16 EDT

A few days ago I received a letter from our local school board. Due the increasing cost of fuel for the buses, and everything else as a result, to cut expense the board has decided to cut a few teachers, teachers aides, and a janitor. Under the Oregon Department of Education rules school athletics and extra-cirriculum activities are not required for a school district to remain certified, yet no school in Oregon will dare cut expense in these two areas. Why not???? Our classes are too large, yet we cut the number of teachers. Our students score low on their tests so we grade on a curve and give passing grades to those who score 58 out of a 100. Starting in the local middle schools students are identified as college material, jocks and others then teacher set priorities to help the top college and jock types and shun the others. Why???? Why are members of the wrestling team taught that anerexia and bolemia are ways to maintain their weight?

NYS Assembly Candidacy

Miguel Martinez — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:29:13 EDT

I am currently running for the NYS Assembly, District 72, which covers areas of Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill. This is my district, having been a resident since my childhood, and serving as the Councilman for the area. I know the area, I know the people, and I too am affected by the concerns of the residents. I wish to be a part of the solution and I believe that my accomplishments as a Councilman will only be furthered as an Assemblyman. I will continue to fight for the most pressing issues in the area; affordable housing, access to economic development funds, and education.

If elected, my effort will be tireless, and I will maintain the personal ties to the members of my community that have allowed me to accomplish so much as an elected official. I will not forget the constituency that has supported me for over seven years, and most importantly, my neighbors. It is the community that matters most to me, and that is why I strive to represent them to the best of my ability as a NYS Assemblyman.

(Forum on Sexism) "The Bravest Woman in the World"

D. Tree — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:23:38 EDT

In my previous post ruminating on the connection between sexism and terrorism, a couple of comments very correctly pointed out the importance of women's education in this equation.

Those comments reminded me of a news story I read a few years back. The story of Mukhtaran Mai, an honor rape victim from Afghanistan: She successfully sued the perpetrators, and used the money to open a school for girls! She is such a hero.

She is also known as the "Bravest Woman in the World"

From her Girls International Award:

Defying social stigma and the culture of shame surrounding rape victims in Pakistan, she not only spoke out about the assault, but in a valiant move, took the perpetrators to court and won. She then used the money she received from her court case to open a school for girls in Meerwala and enrolled in the school herself. This school is the first girlsâ�� school ever to exist in her village and the closest one for miles. The school has 5 classrooms, 5 teachers and nearly 200 students - all female. According to Mukhtar Mai, helping other girls and women gives her a reason to live and her school is indeed a testament to her courage.

Want to really make progress in ending the long term terrorist threat? This simple action will do more to transform the middle east than any army could accomplish in a lifetime.

Educators for Obama Magnets

Armen — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:15:02 EDT

So this is a local issue for me, but my county is setting itself up to be knocked down again on another school board bond issue. This one is to help repair the elementary and High schools in the area. In the last three elections voters have voted against a bond measures or tax increases to help schools and I am sick of it.

We need a new system that allows the federal government to help schools more so we don't have to rely on the greedy citizens that don't want to help other peoples' kids. Anyway, if I was a teacher I would start putting these magnets up in my classrooms to help drive home the fact that Obama is the only one that seems to have real education funding on his mind. So get the magnet and help fight the apathy towards the education system.

Educators for Obama Magnet
by

HarryTerry

photo magnets At www.Zazzle.comSee other United States Magnets

Articles - Breaking Through To Reality

Ray Pairan — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:57:12 EDT

Blind Acceptance of Unjust Economic Society
http://structuraleconissues.blogspot.com/2008/07/blind-acceptance-of-unjust-economic.html

We've all been blessed with the ability to rationally discern reality from illusion propped up by an aesthetic orthodoxy of economic fundamentalism. What do we realize when we arrive at a gas station to fill our car up with gas, visit the grocery, receive a bill from a hospital that shows a $200,000 balance that our insurance didn't pay, open the mailbox and find a foreclosure notice on our home, get the news that our office or factory is closing and moving overseas, or we find ourselves unable to send our child to a university because the cost is now beyond our comprehension? Are we then struck with a profound belief that the 'free market' coupled with 'globalization' will continue to provide us with economic security or does reality grasp us by the neck demanding our recognition.

We all know far to well what is transpiring globally - a select group of oligarchs (the business elite) that comprise less than 5% of the population have setup a system (totalitarian economic society) that ensures them ultimate power over the 95% of us that fall under their crushing 'boot'. Within their society we're continually bombarded by the frantic ranting of fanatic experts espousing the omnipotence and infallibility of the 'free market economy'. They've even instructed the most intellectually pliable among us in the fine art of simultaneously reconciling a multitude of contradictions into unquestioned compliance and acceptance of their orthodoxy. Essentially, all it requires is a citizenry that is indoctrinated into thinking in terms of proffered processes and dissuaded from deep thought.

When you can rob someone of all pretenses of personal power over their lives and instill in them a sense of hopelessness in the face of forces seemingly beyond their control you've essentially anesthetized them from taking meaningful actions at understanding the reality of their situation much less directly acting to change their condition. Feelings of "that's just the way it is", "we've done it to ourselves", "there's nothing we can do about it", and "we'll just have to adjust", begin to permeate the collective consciousness.
...

The 'Free Market' Guise Is "Big Brother"
http://structuraleconissues.blogspot.com/2008/07/free-market-guise-is-big-brother.html

Funnel everything back onto the adaptive, receptive masses of the global citizenry instilling in them a feeling of inferiority whereby all their actions have and will be perceived to result in a continuing deterioration of their economic situation. It is a perversion of thought pandered through the totalitarian economic society that every injustice or inequality committed by the business elite is ultimately our fault due to our inherent inferiority. We are to blame for not adequately educating ourselves, for over spending, and generally not adjusting to the new world economic order.

In order to effectively perpetuate this ball-faced lie the media is used by the business elite to manipulate not just public opinion but thought itself. There now exists correct and incorrect thought and incorrect thought is portrayed as deviant thought to be identified and ultimately vanquished within our current authoritarian society. Thought is always constrained to only those ideas and concepts acceptable to those who wield power within a strictly regimented hierarchical society. Therefore within the totalitarian economic society complete uniformity of opinions throughout the entire global citizenry is a goal strived for constantly by the elite.

The totalitarian economic society can only effectively extend it tentacles of corruption, subversion, hate, and inequality into every crevice of existing equality through their complete obliteration of the self. Individuality is the enemy of the oppressor for it represents individual thought that disrupts the currents of illusion perpetuated by effective societal propaganda. In fact, the two primary aims of the totalitarian economic society is the complete subjugation of all global citizens under the 'heal' of the business elite and the maintenance of a perpetual vigilance targeted at rooting out and extinguishing all independent thought from whatever level of society it originates.
...

Not Inflation but Monopolistic Pricing
http://structuraleconissues.blogspot.com/2008/07/not-inflation-but-monopolistic-pricing.html
Inflation is an increase in prices that is triggered primarily from rising wages among the general population which in turn results in a significant consumption 'pop'. With more and more money flowing into the economic system from the acceleration in consumption spending by a citizenry flush with wealth - prices will trend higher. Companies realize that there are far more consumers that are willing to spend money on their products than products available to purchase - they therefore ramp up production to meet the demand. In the process, these companies will increase their prices for their products realizing full well that consumers that may never have purchased their products before may now want them given their new found wealth.

Prior to reaching an inflationary period the Federal Reserve will analyze trends in inflation indicators such as the M1 money supply and wage levels relative to worker productivity. If the money supply and wages start rising within an economy that has experienced negligible productivity increases this (along with other economic markers) typically indicates that an economy is moving towards an inflationary period. Wage increases within an economy that has experienced negligible productivity gains is indicative of a tight labor market and/or a well organized labor market that is in a position of strength relative to (capital) corporations. In the 1960's & 70's when the United States was at its economic nadir and labor unions represented a larger percentage of workers there were periods of inflation and one brief instance of stagflation.
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Wake up America - The Financial Pillage Continues
http://structuraleconissues.blogspot.com/2008/06/wake-up-america-financial-pillage.html

The U.S. dollar's fall against most of the major currencies is the result of a lack of confidence by speculators and governments in the future viability of our economy. We are a nation of debtors that produce very little of anything - not even our past ingenuity and technological base remains for it was erased by greed induced multinational companies scouring the planet in search of cheap labor. Why would anyone want to possess even one dollar bill since it represents a government in name only, a government that is completely beholden to special interest business elites that only use its shell to do their exclusive bidding. Therefore it is only logical that these same evil cloaked speculators realize that the United States is on the verge of a final pillaged by their fellow wicked business elite rulers. Why possess the paper money of a shell of a nation whose poor citizens are bleeding profusely on the pavement (from globalization) unable to muster any meaningful spending power without acquiring debt that they can no longer find or afford.

Only the special interests of a few well heeled business elites matter to our governmental representatives - you're of no concern to them, just a mere citizen. National interests are no longer relevant because nations are fast becoming just fascades that are used by the business elite to exact their complete control over every aspect of our lives - our wallets will be completely drained into the bottomless cauldrons of a seething greed that covers the entire financial landscape of this corrupt totalitarian economic society.
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The Human Toll of Our Economic Death
http://structuraleconissues.blogspot.com/2008/06/human-toll-of-our-economic-death.html

Sitting out in the car last fall waiting for Diana to step out of the last remaining department store in a dilapidated mall that had been dying slowly for a few short years, it occurred to me that the moment represented the collapse of our nation. This store was closing its doors forever, when the setting sun caressed it in shadows - there would be no returning. Looking over the quiet, dark, and desolate concrete that the encased towering glass opening one couldn't help but wonder what went wrong, for when it happened we were all in the midst of flying head first towards the payment with hair streaming back - there was no halting the terrible fall.

This had mall been just a reflection of the general capital destruction (both material and human) that had been occurring even prior to the 'Great Fall' which happened in just a few sharply defined months. Through a combination of factors both inherent to the distorted economic society and symptomatic of the resulting consumption crisis that grew unabated as real wages steadily dropped lights everywhere started their crescendo of darkening.
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Consumption Crisis Resulting From Distorted Economy
http://structuraleconissues.blogspot.com/2008/06/consumption-crisis-resulting-from.html

Everything that transpires on our planet cycles within one of many natural loops given that the entire biosphere is our self contained spaceship hurtling us on its elliptical track around the Sun. Space engulfs this living organically lush planet reaching around it with a cold vacuum of nothing other than plasma energies that race across the poles ebbing from our pulsing star. All the various natural systems stabilize across a range of dynamic spectrums merging, mingling, and converging across boundaries that are in a constant state of flux. Nothing is at any instant in a state of equilibrium but only continually approaching a natural steady state. The key word is approaching, since the planetary events are like a boiling pot of water vigorously active but never so stimulated to exceed the natural limits placed upon their expanding volume of molecular excitement.

Chaotic systems both natural and artificially induced (like our contorted, manipulated economic society) always involve the excitement of a multitude of variables that operate within a unique closed system. It is still a system even though most of the variables have been distorted in order to bring short-term gain to a few at the expense of those many who continually grope for income with outstretched hands. Any one of the perturbed variables may tilt the entire system towards temporary instability. Granted a multiplicative effect of income generation is possible by generously infusing the system with income but only through meaningful production either creative or actual transformation of material into useable capital is unperturbed economic steady state migration possible.
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Caress Us with Lies from a Corrupt System
http://structuraleconissues.blogspot.com/2008/06/caress-us-with-lies-from-corrupt-system.html

The cackles can be heard coming from behind every wall of this 'windowless dirty room' that where trapped within - with little or no hope of escape. Don't worry every now and then they'll throw us a dark moldy piece of stale bread from that opening in the wall to our far right. Word is that those on the other side who call themselves 'controllers' have nightly banquets within crystal palaces. The controllers belong to a select group of privileged citizens who are the lobbyists, business elite, corrupt elements of the intelligentsia, and least we forget the governmental representatives that have been 'body snatched' by the business elite through their lobbyists.

We've been dropped here because when we were working outside within their society we had the indiscretion to engage in wasteful spending. Not just your average supplementing of our paltry subsistence wages through excessive borrowing (credit card, and 2nd mortgage debt) at their financial 'company stores' but the heinous act of causing a correction within their economic society. We neglected to cut back our daily meals from 3 to 1 in order to save some of our meager income at their banks.
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Oil Block Induced Profit Inflation - Crumbling Economy
http://structuraleconissues.blogspot.com/2008/06/oil-block-induced-profit-inflation.html

Immediately nationalize all the oil companies whose corporate offices reside within the borders of the United States. Seize all assets belonging to the oil companies and their associated oil block (OPEC, oil speculators, and oil companies) thieves' intent upon exacting a short term extraction of available income from every sector of our dying economy. The consuming nation-states should use any and all means at their disposal to ensure that an adequate oil supply is maintained. We cannot afford to idly watch while the entire contrived totalitarian economic society swirls into an income drain gasping with flailing arms for consumption that is mostly chocked off through artificially imposed oil company profit inflation, and speculator income extraction enhanced through OPEC production limits.

Stop the profit inflation spurred on by the oil 'block' intent upon financially razing each and every global citizen leaving behind a barren economic landscape incapable of sustaining consumption spending. With the consumption 'machine' already sputtering from lack of any real wage growth among the working class (even during a period of unprecedented productivity gains) the assault by the oil 'block' on the wallets of this most important group of citizens further erodes their already strained ability to spend. With each and every day the erosion of potential spending from this majority of the citizenry is spilling every additional dollar of potential spending into an encroaching sea of oil profits.
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Many more articles that break through the wall of illusion...
http://structuraleconissues.blogspot.com/

Why I am a Veteran for Barack Obama

Caballeroesmeralda2812 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:18:45 EDT

I was inspired as a youth by John F. Kennedy and resolved to "Ask not what my country could do for me, but what I could do for my country."

States Refusing Abstinence-Only Grants

4u2love — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:58:47 EDT

Last April, Emily Kronenberg posted a blog that reported on hearings held by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about the effectiveness of abstinence-only education. Yesterday, MSNBC reported that the number of states refusing abstinence-only grants is increasing because abstinence-only education is so ineffective in preventing teen pregnancy.

No Child Left Behind Act-Obama's Version

faithful_democrat — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:31:56 EDT

I was reading what Obama's stance on the "No Child Left Behind Act" This one is important because I felt from the get go that this act would fail and guess what? it has....

Evidence "Education" has Resurfaced as an Issue

BobBl — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:37:00 EDT

Friends:

I, for one, am glad that we finally have two "presumptive" nominees.

Now maybe our Nominee and his representatives can finally begin atriculating and defining where our candiates stands on important issues; like for instance... EDUCATION!

There is limited evidence supporting the notion that "Education" is surfacing again as a national issue:

From eSchool News (6/6/2008): McCain, Obama reps discuss education

In the piece from eSchool News, some good ideas are attributed to Jeanne Century, director of science research at the University of Chicago's Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education,

Unfortunately her ideas are presented "third hand" and probably lost lots in translation. I'd like to hear more from Ms. Century, but in her own words!

Unfortunately, eSchool News is a venue supporting (and supported by) large, "corporate" interests, with much to gain financially from increasing broadband access to all the schools.

I don't and WOULDN'T EVER argue against increasing broadband access for the "have not" schools as a policy objective. The "Digital Divide" is alive and well; paricularly in the "Great City Schools" in cities like Chicago; despite good ongoing efforts by the CPS Chief E-Learning Officer, Sharnell Jackson.

However, the message needs to be spread through information channels that are less alligned with corporate "vested interests" than this one. Letting a source like eSchool News promote the message is functional equivalent to taking donations from an eLearning industy PAC!

Can't the DNC and Obama campaign staff do a better job controlling the venue for information releases relating to Education and Educators?

BobBl

(I'm back!)

Issue Time

JoeBill — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:36:16 EDT

Now that the longest primary season in history is over it is time to return to the issues, and since the start of the primary season things have changed night and day.

Michelle Obama Visits The Nurturing Center in Kalispell

Progressive Democrat — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:31:00 EDT

Michelle Obama Visits the Nurturing Center in Kalispell
by Caitlin HarveyMonday, June 02, 2008 at 07:07 PM

This afternoon, Michelle Obama stopped by The Nurturing Center in Kalispell, Montana, where she read several books to local children, including Green Eggs and Ham.

After the books were finished, the children lined up to each give Michelle a big hug!

Stay tuned for more coverage of Michelle's visit to Kalispell, and remember to vote tomorrow if you live in Montana! Find your polling location here.

And if you don't live in Montana, help make calls to undecided Montanans before tomorrow's election!

Fewer Choices for Vetrans

smffy — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:08:31 EDT

McCain is against a measure that would fund education for veterans, proposing legislation that would provide less money to encourage venterans to re-enlist.

The original GI bill sent thousands of WWII veterans back to school and in doing so strengthend our economy and built the economy by fostering an educated workforce which made us the econmic force in the world that we have been.

The veterans are returning home, many with severe injuries they would not have survived in other wars because of cutting edge medical care in the field. These disabled vets deserve everything we can provide for them.

Many of those who are not physically injured suffer from post traumatic stress and there is a high suicide rate among returning soldiers.

Recurring deployments are taking a toll on the military. Trying to divert them from education to continued combat service is inhumane.

McCain, for all his military experience, has delivered a blow to veterans.

Another look at "Elite"

Liz — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:36:27 EDT

Stanley Crouch also wrote a great article titled “Enemies of “elite” Barack Obama show contempt for education.” It appeared in today’s (May 12) edition of the Daily News.

“It has become commonplace for the predictable millionaire puppets of Fox News and their conservative talk radio counterparts to present themselves as the voices of the working class in combat with an educated elite from places like Harvard.But beneath those cliches fester ideas that are deeply anti-democratic.

They are anti-democratic because they scoff at this basic truth: Education is the key to social mobility in our countryAnd we should be ever suspicious of anyone or any group that scorns education, that pretends to believe that only the simple and the uncomplicated can express the national ethos.

The presidency is not an Academy Award for Best Performance as a bowler, a fast food gobbler, a whisky and beer guzzler, a hard-hat-wearer or a hunter. We ought to know how far leadership capabilities are from surfaces, slogans and costumes.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/05/12/2008-05-12_enemies_of_elite_barack_obama_show_conte.html