Santorum Accuses Obama Of ‘Elitist Snobbery’ For Wanting Every Child To Go To College

[one_voice]

President Obama has laid out an ambitious agenda for America’s high school students, stating that by 2020, he wants the United States to be the world’s leader in proportion of college students. At other times, he has said he wants every student to graduate “college and career ready.”

To many, that would seem an effort to improve America’s lagging educational stature among the world’s largest countries. To former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R), however, that is a sign of Obama’s “elitist snobbery.”

While talking about education during a campaign stop in New Hampshire today, Santorum stated that Obama “said every child should go to college,” then declared, “What elitist snobbery out of this man!” The claim drew cheers from many in the crowd.

Santorum explained that if any of his seven children wanted to become an auto mechanic, he would encourage him to do so and to become the best at it. Why he is ardently opposed giving every student a chance to go to college, however, is unclear.

http://thinkprogress.org/education/2012/01/07/399915/santorum-elitist-snobbery-college/

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[iamtechus]

1. Is that a form of "uppityness"? /nt

[kestrel91316]

10. Why yes, yes it is.......

[Dirty Socialist]

2. Right Wing Dog Whistle

"Elitist Snobbery" is right wing dog whistle talk. Just say "elitist" and cons foam at the mouth.

Strange that the GOP uses this term when the the Republican Party is, by DEFINITION, elitist.

[AtomicKitten]

3. Reminds me of a quote.

"As people do better, they start voting like Republicans - unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be too much of a good thing." * Karl Rove

The Republicans like their voters dumb, the dumber the better.

[marmar]

4. Slick Rick knows that too many educated students reduces the potential Santorum voter pool.

And yes, it is a dog whistle and the dogs howled their approval, apparently.

[baldguy]

5. That's not "elitism", Dick. That's "egalitarianism" - which used to be an American value.

"Elitism" would be to say that some people shouldn't and can't go to college. Which side do you come down on, Dick?

[DesertFlower]

6. santorum has a masters and a law degree.

dana milbank said yesterday "he's not dumb -- even though he looks a little like howdy doody". +

[immoderate]

9. Howdy Doody wasn't dumb! He looked even more like Howdy Doody!

Which one is Howdy Doody? Which one is Frothy Doody?


--imm

[kiranon]

16. Next, he'll advocate education only through the 8th grade. Cheaper that way.

And only for boys.

[immoderate]

19. I want to add that Howdy Doody boasted he had 48 freckles -- one for every state!

And he didn't make a statement when Alaska, then Hawaii, were admitted. Rumors of a mental breakdown were never confirmed.

But sign didn't go unnoticed, and signaled the end of Howdy Doody in politics.

--imm

[City Lights]

7. Ricky, are you trying to say in Bushspeak that you want to make the pie lower?

Keep talking, Jerk. The more America sees your inner ugliness, the better it is for us.

[southernyankeebelle]

8. Gee what nerve Obama wants all the kids to have a chance to go college. That is

some nerve that uppidity Obama. This man has nerve talking about being uppidity. His kids were home schooled while they were living in VA on the taxpayers dime in PA. Talk about an education and elitism, right on Sandy.

[madrchsod]

11. to become a auto mechanic today requires a whole lot of education

this guy is so far out of touch with the real world. those who cheered him are brain dead.

[yellowcanine]

26. Exactly. Diagnostic Computer skills are a must - which you can get from a community college.

And Obama said "College and Career Ready". So Ricky is straw manning it anyway.

[Pacafishmate]

12. There is a limited amount of money. Sending EVERYONE to college is a bad idea.

Not all people have equal abilities. Send the most qualified and those most likely to succeed to college. Some people are not intellectually qualified to do more than work service positions. I know because I deal with such people on a daily basis.

[baldguy]

17. The annual operating cost for a carrier strike group is upwards of $2 billion.

We have 11 of them, with at least 3 more planned.

$2 billion would pay for 1 year of college for 200,000 students (@ $10,000/yr).

---------------------------------

The problem is: by saying we "can't afford it", it's only because we've chosen not to. Not because there's not enough money available.

And to simply say "some people aren't smart enough" ignores the fact that some people who are unsuited for college do get in - simply because their parents have the money for it. And it ignores the fact that some people who are suited for college don't get in - simply because their parents don't have the money.

A good college education should be free to everyone who wants to go. Period. Otherwise, the poor & uneducated will remain poor & uneducated generation after generation.

[Trekologer]

18. Clearly everyone couldn't go to college

But those who are qualified and want to go should be able to do so.

[immoderate]

21. Everyone doesn't have to get an MBA, but...

Everyone should have a chance to improve their skills and learn something new. I think the general benefits to society of free education would be immeasurable, nevertheless, vastly positive.

You would not believe how much a course in how to make sushi can change your life.

--imm

[rhyannon3]

22. Semantics

President Obama wants every child that WANTS to go to college, to have the OPPORTUNITY to go to college. For Santorum to spin this into his wanting to force all children to go to college is bull. He is either stupid or intellectually dishonest.

[yellowcanine]

27. Pointing out again that Obama said no such thing. He said "College and Career Ready"

That includes Community Colleges where you can get courses in auto mechanics - the career Santorum cited. It also includes work service positions. Maybe Obama should have said "College OR Career Ready" but that is a feeble quibble, imo. And "College and Career Ready" is the accepted term used in the educational community so Obama is using terminology well understood by educators but apparently not Rick Santorum.

[IcyPeas]

13. Santorum's education:

(from wikipedia):
Santorum earned a B.A. in political science from Pennsylvania State University in 1980 and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981. In 1986, Santorum received a Juris Doctorate degree from the Dickinson School of Law, was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar, and began practicing in Pittsburgh at the law firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, .... Representing the World Wrestling Federation while with K&L, Santorum argued that professional wrestling should be exempt from federal anabolic steroid regulations because it was not an actual sport, rather, entertainment.

is he saying he is pro drugs for professional wrestling?

[themonster]

14. ?

People do go to college to become mechanics.

[Blue Owl]

15. In related news, anus leaks

n/t

[whatchamacallit]

20. Sanatorium

What a loon.

[lpbk2713]

23. Yeah, somebody has to bus the tables at Olive Garden.

Oh wait, some of the bussers do have college diplomas.

[LynneSin]

24. And does Rick Santorum know that many community colleges teach Auto Mechanics

Wouldn't a person who graduated from a college with a certificate in auto mechanics training be a much better person to hire than someone who just fiddled around with the junker car they drove in high school?

What bothers me is assholes like Dick Santorum assume that colleges are some uber snobby preppy school. To me, colleges include local community colleges and trade schools - a chance to learn beyond high school to make you better prepared for life.

Dr. Jill Biden is a major advocate of community colleges because they are an affordable way to give every child a chance to attend a college and get additional education. She could have taught anywhere in Delaware but choose to teach at Del Tech because she wanted to promote community colleges as great opportunities for high school graduates. After her husband became the Vice President, she took another job at a community college in the DC area again, so she could help promote community colleges.

Maybe Dick Santorum should meet with Dr. Biden and get a better understanding that colleges come in all shapes and sizes.

[yellowcanine]

25. Of course Obama said no such thing. He said graduate "College and Career Ready"

That includes ready for vocational training in my book. And many Community Colleges have vocational training programs. Ricky Santorum is such a narrow minded person I guess he doesn't see that. Besides, what is wrong with having an aspiring auto mechanic graduate from high school college ready? Wouldn't accepting less than that be the soft bigotry of low expectations? Obama didn't say Harvard. He said college. Ricky is way off base here.