Posted on 02/29/2012 4:47:06 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Rick Santorum is stretching his criticism of President Obama's advocacy of universal college attendance into a broader attack on college itself. Santorum has three college degrees, which provides a good indication of how seriously one should take his assault on what he is labeling as Obama's elitism. As with so many of Santorum's statements, this criticism contains a grain of perception smothered in reactionary dogma.
[BIG SNIP]
In a nation in which almost everyone aspires to upward mobility, how is this a winning political argument?
Sure, colleges are hothouses of liberalism. They have been for generations. And yet Americans of all political persuasions continue to send their children there en masse.
"Enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions increased by 9 percent between 1989 and 1999," reports the National Center for Education Statistics. "Between 1999 and 2009, enrollment increased 38 percent, from 14.8 million to 20.4 million."
Santorum's message to these millions of Americans and their families is: Suckers. You fell into Obama's indoctrination trap!
Instead of attacking college, Santorum should be attacking Obama. The president's college promotion scheme is vulnerable to two criticisms that seem to have largely escaped Santorum's notice because they don't fit his '80s and '90s-era conservative talking points on the subject of higher education.
The first is the cost.......
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
This smells like a Team Romney attack.
Romney-the-endless-Liar KNOWS Santorum did not say
or imply what this article purports.
___________________________________
Newt in response to a question about Santorum's "snob" remark: “I do think every American ought to get trained.. It doesn’t matter what your degrees are. It matters if you’re employable.”
There is also a follow up story on this at Politico. Newt received a number of praises for being truthful in what Obama said. Newt was right to disagree with Rick’s comments.
The media and their pudding brained followers are in full spin mode today. They’re trying to paint themselves as right but as usual they aren’t telling the whole truth.
Santorum has been right about all this stuff. Not every kid should go to college, not every person should own a home, and not every person can be rich. To say anything less is simply pandering.
Thank you sharing that video. He comes across as arrogant and immature; not presidential, using words like snob and the comments about JFK.
Sounds like an entree at Paula Deen's restaurant!
Newt addresses Obama’s “baloney” comment about not being able to effect gas prices, Santorum’s “snob” (education) and “throw-up” (Kennedy) comments.
obama is a snob.
Did you happen to hear Santorum say in his speech last night, that he was the one who began the welfare reform as though he, not Newt, should have the credit for welfare reform. My hubby said that he hear something to that affect. I didn’t hear the entire speech. I had to take a break because he is so boring to listen to. I will have to find the transcript to be certain since dear hubby was getting sleepy.
This is one of Santorum’s problems. He is right about this, but not smart enough to couch it in terms that is a winner, and he misses the main point about it to boot. He has really been awful on the trail lately.
Excuse the typos (heard something to that..)
Go Newt!
Obama is a snob and Santorum is right about college being an indoctrination camp.
That jerk Romney will never get my vote. He’s not interested anyway. He wants moderates and independents so let him have them. All moderates and independents flock to mush I suppose. I’m not the political expert, Romney is. In one of his three home states. That alone should tell people what a shallow opportunist this man is.
It's one thing to point out Bammy's shortcomings...and there is abundant material for that...but, the tense voice and tight pronunciation does not sound presidential, to me.
My comment was on how inarticulate Santorum was about this issue even though he had a point buried deep in what he was trying to say. He botched it. He is fatigued, understandably, and working with only a modest intelligence quotient in the first place IMO.
I was not commenting at all on Romney. If you are looking to debate a pro Romney guy, you’ll have to look elsewhere. I am not your guy.
As usual you attack Rick with vile personal smears and astroturf created and promoted by the Romney bot media pals and the Obama media !
Rick really threatens you !
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.