Mitt Romney Wades Into The Education Debate - There Is A Political Logic To His Proposals, But A Net Win For President Obama

Andrew Rotherham:

The long rumored Mitt Romney education doomsday weapon was revealed today. And it's basically President George W. Bush's education policy - but without the accountability.

Let's take the major parts quickly. The emphasis on school choice is politically smart but unlikely to have a big impact given how much it is fundamentally a state by state issue. Mostly, this will help Romney draw contrasts with the President, which will help at the margins with independents and certainly help with his base. In the early 1980s when Nation At Risk was being published someone told President Reagan that the report would outrage the teachers union and other vested interests. Another presidential aide apparently responded something to the effect of 'that's fine, the Democrats can have them, we'll take the parents.' This is an extension of the logic of those politics, leave Democrats with the stakeholder adults, take everyone else.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 25, 2012 1:06 AM
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