By Anna Meany–
Rick Santorum tells Michigan gatherers that “President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college” and commented, “what a snob.”
While Santorum’s name-calling campaign tactics are totally expected, perhaps he should rephrase. Santorum sounds like a middle school girl whose lip-gloss was stolen.
Santorum’s campaign strategies portray Obama as an elitist, aligning his comments on college and excessive taxes – a technique all too familiar to Republicans when arguing against Democrats.
While Barack Obama’s claim that everyone should attend college is a bit pretentious, Santorum shouldn’t criticize his optimism. Ambitious and positive leaders are memorable for obvious reasons,; because if Obama was a realist and told the truth, he’d be voted out of office. Obama’s job is primarily to be a symbol of hope in American society – not the man who publicly denounces some people, calling them not college-worthy. Encouraging America’s youth is how Obama won the presidency four years ago. Isn’t it better to be over-ambitious that underestimate your administration’s legacy?
As stated before, I totally agree that not everyone will go to college. Capitalism thrives because of the divisions of lower, middle, and upper classes. Historically and before government financial involvement, only the most elite and rich families could afford to pay for student tuition. And one can argue that, in the midst of our economic recession, having a degree can’t guarantee you a job. What’s the sense in asking our government to pay more for schooling, resulting in more taxation, so that we can get jobs that didn’t require the degree in the first place?. Santorum is right in thinking that the President’s goals are outlandish, but is Obama’s determined claim that snobbish?
In fact, Santorum’s pretentious argument makes him seem like a total snob. Calling some Americans less than college-worthy is certainly characteristic of an elitist. Santorum attended college; is he the precedent for college admittance?
Maybe he should stop giving President Obama a hard time for attempting to raise spirits.
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Photo courtesy RickSantorum.com
