11/07/2008 09:11:19 AM EST

Being smart is the new cool

posted by chefdan

After watching the coverage of the election, I think that one issue has not been covered enough, being smart will soon be cool.

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I watched an interview with a mother talking about her kids and how she was going to make sure that they paid attention in school and really learned their lessons. I can't remember the exact quote, but was something like "the classroom is not the place for listening to music and goofing off, it's for learning." One of the hardest obstacles to overcome in much of the US is the fact that smart kids are not looked up to and are often picked on for being smart. Intelligence is not valued in the US. Think of all of the republicans who feel call Obama elite because he went to a good school, they mock those "educators" and "professors" as having chosen a field that is not worthy, only physical work that is done by "real" Americans is to be valued. It may take President Obama as a role model to some in poorer communities to think that the only way out your current situation in life is to be a pro athlete, actor, or musician. I say that this cannot come soon enough.  Kids competing for the spelling bee instead of the basketball court, kids learning about science instead of seeing football as their only way to succeed.  I just hope that people who excel in school will  replace the jock as the cool person in school (probably will never really happen), but at least more interest in being smart can't hurt. Can you imagine a bunch of young people inspired to speand hours learning instead of hours wasted on a basketball court or football field. We will always have athletes, our kids need something else to strive for, aim high...
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Being smart is the new cool | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
Well Said Chefdan (none / 0)
This is a recurring theme in Obama's speeches and was given little attention from muckraking "journalists" during the campaign. A terrific orator like Obama is really going to use his bully pulpit well. Just compare any sentence from Obama to any sentence from GWB and we can easily see why the country is in the crapper. Leaders inspire....and manage to get other people to do their work for them as well, ha.

by Verified1 on 11/07/2008 01:54:27 PM EST

EXACLTY (none / 0)

Yes,

Obama is seriously smart. Like SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY smart!!!

Apart from his truly remarkable books consider the whole arc of his carreer and campaign. Tme and again Obama was right and the pundits both right and left including even Cenk were wrong. Even his "mistakes" he turned to his advantage. Having a president who can articulate a coherent argument rather than govern by means of bumper sticker slogans will raise political discourse in the US slowly but surely to a higher plane. Clinton was a great politician and pretty smart too but his political speaches lets face it were ok and LOOOOONG but relatively empty. Obama's? Well consider this.

The fundamental way the repugs managed to dominate the agenda for the last 28 years was by division. Cracking opposition appart from real issues by exploiting wedge issues that were nowhere near the top of even their own supporters priorities. Even abortion as an issue for most people is about reducing abortion. The repubs twisted the issue into actually totally counter productuve "focus on the family" like anti reproductive rights agenda not actually supported by more than 13 percent of the population. They forced Democrats to fight these issues on their turf instead of from a practical standpoint that all could agree on.

Right at the start Obama realised that the fundamental issue was division. As Micheal Moore has pointed out on the actual ISSUES most americans are actually LIBERAL look at any poll on any of the issues for proof. MMs books are full of such polls. Yet MM is politically painted as a "FAR LEFT LOON".

Obama on the other hand went right to the heart in his first speach at the 2004 convention. saying effectively Look folks we actually agree on most things the issue is how we get there. Unite not devide.

This frame is unasaillable (though of course the repubs assailed it) The point is that they tried and failed to assail it. So much so that at the end their characterization of Obama as a "socialist" "Marxist" etc actually shoots them in the foot becuase it actually INCREASES Obama's mandate.

Consider also that far from being able to paint Obama as a political oppostunist and flip flopper. Obama's fundamental message has been utterly consistent from his first burst on the political scene in 2004  to his election. Americans are still so shell shocked from having a politician this consistant that they still can't really believe it but its true. 

Being smart will soon be really really cool. It is ALREADY cool in inner city schools lets face it who would you rather be a pimp or a president?  

by Scotty12 on 11/07/2008 02:23:28 PM EST

Being smart is the new cool | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
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