In an attempt to “accentuate the positive,” the guys at Powerline detail exactly what they liked about Obama’s speech to school kids.
I ridiculed the Department of Education materials that accompany President Obama’s speech to American school children here, and I stand by the view that any self-respecting American schoolkid could only respond to such lameness with rebellion. But now I want to address the speech itself, which will mostly be good, if Obama sticks to the script. Consistent with this post’s theme, I’ll only mention the good parts.
Read their take on the positive aspects of the speech, with which I broadly agree.
And I have to say, Obama should be using his bully pulpit nearly every week to encourage poor inner city minorities to do the things that would improve their lives, and do less of the things that hurt them. What if, instead of making a speech, he actually went to a school and talked on camera to a group of students who were getting ready to drop out? Imagine if he supported inner city ministries whose entire mission is keeping black families with mothers AND fathers together? Then he would be acting like he actually believed some of the things he said in his speech. It would take courage for him to appear with someone like Jesse Peterson at an event to encourage black fatherhood. He might offend Jesse Jackson, who hates Peterson. But if Obama really wanted to “reach across the aisle,” that would surely be a very positive way to do it.
But I suppose he’s afraid of being compared to someone who has actually achieved something, like Bill Cosby.
