GOP Takes Aim At Obama's Education

Politico:

Even as Barack Obama takes eight days off from the campaign trail to vacation in Hawaii, where he lived for much of his youth, the Republican National Committee is again attempting to paint the Democrat as an out-of-touch elitist, this time in a mock "Barack Obama's Hawaii Travel Guide" tweaking the Democrat for having attended an elite prep school there.

"Barack Obama's Hawaii Travel Guide," e-mailed to reporters on Friday, lists four "destinations," among them the beach locals claim is the one where Obama was photographed in his swim trunks in a shot that ran in People magazine early last year, and "Punahou School, a coeducational college preparatory day school" that Obama attended "from 1971 to 1979. The school campus covers 76 acres at the edge of the Manoa Valley."

Obama, raised by a singe mother, entered the prestigious school at age ten on a scholarship. "No one means to demean the academic successes of Barack Obama or the schools he attended," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds. "The RNC and this campaign have sought to simply point out that on his Hawaii travels, there are certain landmarks reporters will likely see and this was a way to put those on the map."

Obama's elite schooling may prove a risky topic for McCain, who attended St. Stephen's, an exclusive school in Alexandria, Va., and then Episcopal High, a private boarding school in the same city, in the 1950s. The son and grandson of Navy admirals, he ended up at the Naval Academy, where, as he often reminds voters, he finished near the bottom of his graduating class.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[timbonotes]

here we go again...does anyone know how BHO got into Punahou Prep?...via a scholarship based on Merit, not because daddy and grandaddy were both distinguished alumni of this school, i.e. not the way of the Bushies and MacC's. He's attained his current elite status through hard work and superior scholarship despite his rather modest upbringing. McCain, like his god brother GWB were both born into privilege and have been on easy street from day one, albeit McCain's arduous stint in Hanoi. They are the true elite of the political class in America. Can anyone imagine either of these turkeys being elected President of the Harvard Law Review?

[teron678]

Repubs "Take Pride In Being Ignorant" .... so what's the fuss????

[helonias]

Who will empty his drool bucket?

[EarthToZoey]

It's not "genious", genius.

(Snarky, but I couldn't resist.)

[EarthToZoey]

Oops, this was meant for popey below.

[dadw5boys]

Mc Cain does much better as the opening act for Wet "T" Shirt contest why don;t he stick to that.

[xmw]

McMumbles is just too pathetic now for words but I guess there are Obama haters out there who eat this crap up.

[kellygrrrl]

there are. I know a few.
They say of MkKain: "At least he doesn't hate whites and Christians."

seriously!

[ScandalousCandice]

I love his afro.

[helonias]

Well what about all the great inventions and discoveries in science and religion dee students have made.

Probably as many as made by conservative christians.

[helonias]

So the guy with 7 homes, a private jet, $100mil blond wife young enough to be his daugter is calling someone else elite.

Beam me up Scotty, there no intelligent life here.

[Flagal]

Who in their right mind would want this sort of person running our country?\

Elitism is the belief or attitude that those individuals who are considered members of the elite — a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most weight; whose views and/or actions are most likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern [1]. Alternatively, the term elitism may be used to describe a situation in which power is concentrated in the

[mnash]

I think elitism fits Mc quite well. 100 million dollars, jets, 9 houses, $520 shoes, young wife. If anyone is elite, Mc is. I think the more he carries on with all this garbage, the more people dislike him. I wonder when the true story about him will come out.

[popey1234]

obviously, if you can be a "community organizer", well then you must be a genious. what an accomplishment!! mccain could never be a "community organizer", annapolis doesn't teach that particular course

[helonias]

how about beer bottle/floozie organizer

[justwaitandsee]

Do we really want to compare Senator O education level to Senator McCan's, do you really want to go there.

[ObserverinVancouver]

Unfortunately, it appears that the Republilcans think they'll net more voters precisely by going there.

[cindyw]

I wouldn't push that Annapolis line too hard. He got in because of family connections and graduated #894 out of 899. Not exactly a stellar performance.

[MissKaren]

I am guessing that the reason he didn't flunk out of Annapolis altogether was that his dad was an admiral. I wonder whether anyone else would have been bounced way before.

[EarthToZoey]

It's not "genious", genius.

(Snarky, but I couldn't resist.)

[foxbat]

As Obama has said, "It's like they take pride in being ignorant." This time that line seems to have found a real mark. It's a shame when you a made to be ashamed of being smart. No wonder the rest of the world is catching up and, in some cases, surpassing us in education.

Anyone who saw the recent CNN series, Black in America, knows that Obama has probably gone this path before. Black kids often get ostracized by both Blacks and Whites for being the "smart kid" in school. It's not like they are going to now strike a nerve with him.

Incidentally, I believe that much of this stuff where many look and say, "Is this all they've got" or "This is really thin" or "This crosses the line" or "Why doesn't Barack just point out x about McCain" will be addressed soon. Let them keep digging the hole. In politics, the VP nominee is often the attack dog, while the presidential nominee takes the high-road. All of these potential Dem VPs that have been quiet during vetting, will become like a hydra once the VP nominee is announced. Webb, Biden, Richardson, Bayh, Sebelius, Clinton, and any of those under consideration who don't get the nod will then be free to go on the attack with the VP choice and it will be quite interesting. I think that McCain, like Clinton, has underestimated Obama's quiet for weakness. Japan made that mistake with the US in WWII.

[Charmed]

So basically, McCain's camp is saying "we don't need to improve our education system". For years the thing from the Republicans have been "get a education, pull yourself up by your boot strings, work to get ahead" and when someone does get a education and work to get ahead, they say "oh you're to educated"....WTF

[WSAY]

To most Republicans, a good education at a good school is a bad thing. That is why they chose Bush, who was denied entry to many law schools before settling for a business school, instead.

[riverhouse]

You know there's something seriously wrong with a campaign when the best they can do is claim the other candidate is too smart to be president.

[justwaitandsee]

Exactly, so McCann’s campaign is asking Americans to vote for him because he is intellectually the opposite of Senator O, how amazing.

[shengirl]

and too popular, let's not forget too popular. Something sinister about someone who is smart and popular. Well, look at the example we've had for the last 8 years. Is our children learning?

[remc]

Their new slogan can be "vote for us, we're stupid and unpopular".

[bipa]

.......and too popular in forein countries!

[ObserverinVancouver]

Copyright that quickly.