Teachers are a significant bloc with the Democratic Party. Would teachers actually walk away?

[Orlandodem]

I have to say after the scapegoating of teachers by Duncan and Obama, I am not happy that I voted for him. I could be easily convinced to vote Green in 2012 and stay home in 2010. Duncan's response to the Central Falls High School teacher firings and Obama's Race to the Top have got me fired up! I know how important a child's education is. I am a teacher but more importantly I am a parent. I have no use for Duncan, Obama, or their agenda.

I hope the AFT and NEA put their endorsements in play this November and in 2012. If they don't hear anything good from Obama on education, and if the scapegoating doesn't stop I hope the NEA and AFT withhold donations and endorsements.

[Brickbat]

1. I hope all of labor takes a careful look about what they got during this time and have long, hard

talks about whether it's been worth it and whether they can count on more of the same. I would like to see labor withhold all endorsements, money and volunteer work in the 2010 cycle, frankly.

[Fresh_Start]

2. I think we'd be better off if the fractures

within the democrats and the GOP resulted in more smaller political parties.

[mike_c]

3. I already have...

...although in fairness my disillusionment with the democratic party began in 2000, not 2010, and Obama has only confirmed it, not inspired it. And really, I think the issues are much broader than just being education related-- all working people have been betrayed by the democratic party, IMO.

[Oregone]

4. Maybe...

They have no where substantial to go. From what I know of people from my hometown that are involved in education, they are not happy at all about this. They went from Obama loving, party line loyalists to angry within the last few weeks (though Ive warned them this has been coming)

[Supersedeas]

5. Where would they walk to?

[radical noodle]

8. They might not walk anywhere

but there might be no incentive to vote or contribute. Teacher bashing has become a national sport, and it's becoming more than tiresome.

[progressoid]

11. Yep. If Teachers and Union members just stay home the Democratic party is screwed.

The are a huge volunteer and infrastructure base within the party.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. Register as Independents and Greens - and vote accordingly?

I don't know about anyone else, but if my vote is not going to count for anything I'd rather throw it away myself in support of my beliefs and agenda than have some bureaucrat in Washington throw it away by ignoring what I support.

[Tesha]

12. A vote "farther left" than the Democrats isn't really thrown away.

Unlike a vote for (say) Scott Brown, a vote farther left than
the Democrats sends an unambiguous, impossible-to-
misconstrue* message to the Democratic big-wigs that
there are voters who support progressive and liberal
ideologies.

Tesha


* Even by Democrats, who don't seem to "get" messages
very well, especially when the message is "Go LEFT!"

[KamaAina]

16. That's just it. They're sure not gonna get all mavericky and endorse Palin!

Right? :scared:

[MadHound]

6. I'm already gone,

I don't see that there is going to be any sudden turnaround by the Obama administration in a number of key areas that I'm concerned with, education, the wars, civil rights, HCR, etc.

I would love to see the Dems and Obama do a one-eighty, but I doubt that it's going to happen, which means that I'll be going Green. I refuse to not vote, but I will now be voting for the candidate that I agree with the most, not just the one who is the lesser of two evils.

[FarCenter]

7. There is clearly a coming conflict between "taxpayers" and "public employees"

Teachers are just one part of the public employees.

The conflict is also between "taxpayers" and "unions" because 7.9 million union members are public employees. Many of the 7.4 million union members that are not public employees are seen to be employees of declining industries in need of taxpayer bailouts, e.g. the UAW.

[DirkGently]

9. I think they could

Teachers are not uniformly liberals or democrats to begin with, and publicly discrediting them, and supporting mass firings to hold teachers "accountable" for the failure of an entire school clearly suffering from a number issues, is not going to win many new fans. Teachers want to know who's got their back. This is not the way to demonstrate that.

[stray cat]

13. Republicans love teachers - just like they are the protectors of health care

Anyone who prefers the last 8 years under Bush should vote Republican then if it is a better fit for their total values

[Edweird]

15. That is a perfect example of the arrogance that will end up putting (R)'s back in power.

[frylock]

17. squawk

[stray cat]

14. Voters as voting blocks are no different than lobbyists - the teacher lobbiests

[madfloridian]

18. Maybe just stay home next time.

Lots of dreams and hopes going down right now. Probably just not bother to vote.

[donco6]

19. I'll never stay home.

But no one owns my vote.

[wcast]

20. I may stay home

I have said for a long time that NCLB was a raid on the teacher's union and collective bargaining, setting unrealistic goals. I teach in the state of Tom Ridge, who started this long ago in PA. Our pension is in danger due to Ridge not wanting to give small, realistic increases to the school districts, in the amount they contributed towards our pensions. They were paying zero at the time. Long story short,we are looking at 25% increases and everyone is looking to privatize. Tell me that isn't planned?

Now we have a Democratic President who takes the side of these people, who praises the firing of teachers without knowing or caring about the facts on the ground. I can tell you I'm disappointed. I believe in most of what President Obama is doing, but certain things, like his education policy, or what I see as kowtowing to the bankers and Wall Street, distress me. While I won't vote republican during the presidential election, I may not vote at all for that office.

I will vote for my two senators, Casey and Specter. I sent Specter a letter when he first switched, saying if he did not get on board with health care reform, he could not count on my vote. I believe many Democratic Pennsylvanians did the same thing. He seems to have gotten the message. President Obama needs to hear the same message, and realize that Democrats need to keep their base happy. Republicans never seem to have a problem with that.

[KittyWampus]

21. No profile Orlandodem? I'm sure it really is easy to persuade you to vote Green.

There are DU'ers who hate Duncan and the direction the Obama Administration is going on Education but at least they post pro-active stuff.

[amborin]

22. yes, when they're abused like that, why wouldn't they?