There’s way too much to say to not have a local forum in which to say it. Tom Menino, Elizabeth Warren, Deval Patrick…
And certainly people must have thoughts on Michelle Obama’s and Bill Clinton‘s and Barack Obama’s words.
by Nathan Phillips | Sep 6, 2012 | Newton | 12 comments
There’s way too much to say to not have a local forum in which to say it. Tom Menino, Elizabeth Warren, Deval Patrick…
And certainly people must have thoughts on Michelle Obama’s and Bill Clinton‘s and Barack Obama’s words.
September 13, 2023
Men's Crib September 13, 2023 5:20 am
I’ll throw out the first comment for Barry Cohen to object to. Scott Lehigh’s column in today’s Globe made an interesting point contrasting Michelle Obama’s speech with Ann Romney’s:
I didn’t understand why people were so charmed by Ann Romney last week. Clearly she loves her husband and family, but I was offended by her story about having to eat tuna fish sandwiches and using the ironing board as a table. They had to sell stock so they didn’t have to work. If she can get up on a national stage and think she’s relating to middle America by telling that story, she clearly doesn’t get it.
Michelle Obama, on the other hand, told the story of her husband not being able to attend college without financial aid. That is someone who understands what it’s like to live among the masses.
Thanks for remembering me, Gail. So, I’ll respond.
The entire Democratic convention is about vicimization. And about the US government coming to your aid, regardless of what it costs. They’ll really never accomplish it, but like “a chicken in every pot” from the past, they can tell you whatever you want to hear. It’s not about personal accomplishment. It’s about dependence on government, with all its waste and dishonesty in every program they attempt.
I don’t care about their personal lives, honestly, except if it reflects what they might do as president. What their wives say is totally irrelevant. I care what skills, intelligence, and organizational capability they’ll bring. The big things that they’ll have to do are unpredictable today, lie 9/11 or the Arab Spring.
I believe in what Obama said in 2008. We need change. I can’t be sure what Romney will be like, although I think he has those characteristics that would make for a good president. Obama clearly came in without them, and in his isolation from all but a few fawning advisors, he hasn’t developed them. I’ve seen 3 1/2 years of failure from Barack Obama. And I think we need to try something else.
And for anyone who cares about Israel, which admittedly is not the only issue on the table, the vote on Jerusalem was very telling. Villaraigosa had no idea how to deal with the voting, so he ended up cheating and passing what was really not passed.
There’s a lot more to say, but this is a start.
Barry,
The politically correct will indulge you to a point so they don’t try to appear insensitive to other opinions. I don’t suffer from that affliction.
Victimization? Here is the deal Barry. You just aren’t very smart. Like, Mitt Romney is smart. Condoleeza Rice is smart. Barry Cohen is a moron.
Did anyone notice that after Deval Patrick’s speech criticizing Mitt Romney, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley followed him and opened his speech by noting that Maryland has the top schools in the nation for the fourth year in a row?
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/pressrelease_details/2012_01_12
Massachusetts, at least under Governor Romney and prior, used to have the top ranked schools. One thing I noticed is where before we used to rank an A in Standards and Accountability, we now are essentially in the middle of the pack, barely above Rhode Island:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/qc/2012/16src.h31.html
We don’t seem to be headed in the right direction on this front.
Anil, I hope that you understand that if schools were better before and during Romney’s one term, his term marks the start of the decline.
Mr Adyanthaya — I’m seeing MA 2nd from the top w MI above RI.
@Hoss: please see the Standards, Assessments and Accountability measure (there’s a pull down menu above the map). That was what I was referring to.
@Sean: I’m not following your point. Gov. Patrick has been in charge for 6 years. Are you saying Gov. Patrick has done nothing but manage a declining public education system?
Anil chooses an odd measure to leverage his argument that MA schools are in decline since Myth Romney flew the coop. In Standards, Assessments and Accountability, MA gets a “B,” which is still well above the US average. Moreover, MA ranks No. 1 in Chance for Success and K-12 Achievement, which, arguably, is more important since it is based on outcomes not testing. And MA still ranks 2nd overall close on the heels of MD. When you look at all of the data, what really jumps out are three things: (1) with respect to standardized testing, the rest of the country is finally catching up to MA, which passed Ed Reform in 1996, (2) MA still ranks at or near the top on outcomes and overall, and (3) the “red” states rank mostly in the bottom half overall.
I beg your pardon: MA gets a “B+” on Standards, Asssessments and Accountability. Not exactly a precipitous fall from an “A”.
I dunno Anil — what’s important is the actual score. MA’s 88.4 on Standards is way above their overall score, and that overall score was 2nd in the nation.
@ Barry Cohen – I only saw last night’s DNC coverage so I can’t speak about earlier in the week. The speeches I saw last night (Biden, Michelle and Barak Obama) had virtually no “victimization” talk in them. Obama’s speech in particular focused on the shared responsibility of all citizens for the welfare of the country.
Jerry,
“Shared responsibility”? It’s the same thing. He’s saying that we need to transfer money from the rich to others to satisfy the things they desire. The earlier speakers, like Elizabeth Warren, paved the way for some to resent others for what they have. Shared responsibility is great, if it’s voluntary, through charities, religious institutions, etc. It’s not the government’s function or responsibility to be a charity. In times of severe need, like Katrina, the government has the resources to respond quickly and help people. As an ongoing function of income redistribution (I know that’s a Republican catchword), it doesn’t belong. You need to listen to all the Democratic rhetoric. Warren says things like “I know you’re hurting, and the deck is stacked against you.”