Once again, one of the masters of the universe trotted out on MSNBC has discovered the cure to one of society's ills - more Obama.
Daily Voice editor and CNBC contributor Keith Boykin waved off the reservations of some parents about President Barack Obama addressing their children in the classroom. Boykin appeared on MSNBC on Sept. 3 in a segment about the classroom controversy and added his insightful commentary on the matter.
"So much of the debate about President Obama has been politicized in an effort by some to delegitimize his presidency," Boykin said. "This is clearly much ado about nothing. We're talking about the President of the United States speaking to school kids. Why wouldn't schools want this to happen? That's why our kids are so dumb today, because they don't want to have basic common sense in the classroom."
But it's not as if there isn't a precedent for politicos to target schoolchildren to push a certain issue or agenda. As Creators Syndicate columnist Michelle Malkin pointed out in her Sept. 2 column, there are a number of instances where this has gone on in the past:
The activist tradition of government schools using students as junior lobbyists cannot be ignored. Zealous teacher's unions have enlisted captive schoolchildren as letter-writers in their campaigns for higher education spending. Out-of-control activists have enlisted their secondary-school charges in pro-illegal immigration protests, gay marriage ceremonies, environmental propaganda stunts, and anti-war events.
Boykin dismissed those accusations for the bizarre reason that that very few if any of these schoolchildren were able to vote.
"These kids don't vote. I don't understand why parents are concerned about health care related to kids hearing a speech from the President of the United States," Boykin said. "They're 17 years old. Some of them may be able to vote, but the idea the President of the United States is giving a speech to thousands and thousands, or millions of school kids from the potential of reaching a few 18 year olds doesn't seem likely. I meant this is about basically encouraging kids to stay in school. It's a worthy motive. The idea that anybody would be opposed to it is ultimately about politics and nothing else."
Boykin might be correct - if there were an election tomorrow. However, there will be next presidential election in 2012 and there are 15-year-old school kids entering the ninth grade this year, that could potentially be eligible to vote in 2012 for Obama's reelection bid.
Boykin also failed to realize that what troubled many parents was not the planned speech, but the classroom activities that the U.S. Education Department suggested teachers use in conjunction with it. The "suggestions" (which were developed with help from White House aides) included having children "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president," and to discuss what "the president wants us to do."
According to a Sept. 2 report from The Washington Times, the White House has revised some of the language in the video address, which was said to include a message to "help" the President.
