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Did you hear Sarah Palin mention "HOMESCHOOL MOMS" in interview tonight?


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After 79 posts I'm editing my own thread here -

PLEASE NO MORE POSTS TO THIS THREAD

 

I did not intend this thread to be political, and I apologize. I thought the interview comment was a positive for homeschoolers, and after reading many of the posts here, I regret posting it.

 

Please just let it die!

Edited by Alaska Mom
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Nope. I don't watch Fix Noise. And since the McCain camp has said that the only tv appearances Palin can do are those in the sympathetic camps of Fox, I don't guess I"ll get to see or hear much of what she says.

 

That said, I"m with Elizabeth on this one. I prefer to be ignored by politicians.

 

Astrid

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Wow, I have to say I'm stunned by the lack of response from this forum.

 

Obviously my perspective is different, possibly attributed to being from the state where home education has the highest government support and the least regulation.

 

I think it's great that as governor she is a homeschooling supporter. I hope she continues the strong, vocal support for the rest of her term. AK is lucky to have that kind of support, though I can't imagine that an AK governor would have a different position.

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I didn't watch the interview (don't have cable). What did she say? I would think all politicians in AK support homeschooling. How many students there are homeschooled?

 

It was a brief mention in the opening 60 seconds or so of the interview. When asked something regarding the demands on her, she replied with a comment about how much homeschool moms do. I personally thought it was impressive that she would have homeschool moms come to her mind in giving that response.

Edited by Alaska Mom
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I was actually under the impression that she homeschooled, until I heard her mention in her debate that her kids go to public school. Not sure where I got that impression......but maybe she did at one time and that's what I heard about?

 

astrid

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I just watched the you tube video. It was very cool how she mentioned homeschool moms in a positive way. And it wasn't part of political rhetoric, just an off the hand comment about how hard we work. It's nice to be recognized. :001_smile:

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Wow, I have to say I'm stunned by the lack of response from this forum.

 

Obviously my perspective is different, possibly attributed to being from the state where home education has the highest government support and the least regulation.

 

*shrug*

 

I think the McCain camp has probably decided that mentioning homeschooling would appeal to the religious right that they brought Palin in to woo. It's certainly nice to hear if you're part of that group but there are a lot of people who equate homeschooling with conservative christianity and for that reason oppose it and Palin's mentioning it would only reinforce their conviction.

 

Not that she shouldn't have, just that a politician mentioning it, even in a positive light, can have negative repercussions.

 

I definitely favour letting politicians forget we're here for the most part.

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Yeah...I prefer to be ignored by
. :001_smile:

 

:svengo:(This is for the youtube speech)

 

"I definitely favour letting politicians forget we're here for the most part."

 

Well, apparently both sides know we're here and aren't going to forget us. I'm glad we were mentioned in a positive light by at least one side.

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The way she leaned forward and her face lit up when she mentioned homeschool moms, as if she remembered that was something she should bring up given the opportunity.

 

Yes, I think that it was pandering, but it was okay.

 

No, it didn't bother me.

 

I don't get all excited when candidates bring up homeschooling. I don't think most Americans will even pick up on it.

 

I think Governor Palin is very good at speaking to her intended audience, which is what I think this was.

 

I'm still voting for Obama. lol

 

 

*shrug*

 

I think the McCain camp has probably decided that mentioning homeschooling would appeal to the religious right that they brought Palin in to woo. It's certainly nice to hear if you're part of that group but there are a lot of people who equate homeschooling with conservative christianity and for that reason oppose it and Palin's mentioning it would only reinforce their conviction.

 

Not that she shouldn't have, just that a politician mentioning it, even in a positive light, can have negative repercussions.

 

I definitely favour letting politicians forget we're here for the most part.

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I find it refreshing to have politicians acknowledge homeschooling in a positive light, for those of you wanting to be under the radar..well, take note..others are building relationships with their representatives (county, city, state, federal)...my son is a Boy Scout and for his citizenship in the community, nation, world we have sought out communication with leaders.

 

MANY have skewed views of homeschooling, when we sit down with a county commissioner and we have a long discussion about topics we are concerned about and ask how WE can help (because WE do have time for service projects)..the LAST topic we're usually asked is "Where do you go to school?" I let my son answer for himself and you should see the eyes open wide, you can see the chinks of misunderstanding about 'homeschoolers' being chipped away...they are hearing from the school administrators how homeschooling is FAILING...because they only know of the families that dump their kids back into public school having really taught them nothing...and the schools have to work hard at pick up. So, I feel it is my DUTY to be involved in civic issues and get the perception of homeschooling corrected...down the road, legislation will be passed and I'll have already built a relationship with these leaders and it'll be easier for them to defend our right to teach our children.

 

I just wish more would get out from under the radar...so for Palin to acknowledge homeschooling in this way shows that SOMEONE has helped solidify her view of it...perhaps family/close friends or just other families like me who communicate with our leaders.

 

Tara

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Nope. I don't watch Fix Noise. And since the McCain camp has said that the only tv appearances Palin can do are those in the sympathetic camps of Fox, I don't guess I"ll get to see or hear much of what she says.

 

That said, I"m with Elizabeth on this one. I prefer to be ignored by politicians.

 

Astrid

 

Sincere question: do you watch NBC or MSNBC? Would you watch Keith Olbermann or Chris Matthews interview Barack Obama?

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As much as I don't like her, I am glad that both she and Obama have said nice things about homeschooling. I do believe she did it as an appeal to the religious right. I doubt she would be in favor of MY homeschool. I worry that since she mentioned it, homeschooling will be seen in a negative light now- the whole stereotype about it being a religious thing for ultra conservatives that want to shelter their kids. In no way does Palin represent academic excellence.

Edited by Academy of Jedi Arts
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Obviously my perspective is different, possibly attributed to being from the state where home education has the highest government support and the least regulation.

 

I'm curious---what does Alaska do that constitutes the highest government support and least regulation compared to other states? I know that it doesn't require any notification at all, but neither do TX, NJ, CT, IN, ID, OK, MI, IL, or MO.

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I feel the same. Not only does she not represent academic excellence to me, she seems to wrap herself proudly in her "Joe Six Pack" mentality. I think she's an embarrassment to the entire country, one more joke the rest of the world will laugh at. To paraphrase a quote I saw recently-- Elite means a search for excellence to some, to the ignorant it means arrogance.

 

You know, I 'm attempting to give my children an "elite" education at home. I am not anti-intellectual at all. For many of us, it is the "if you are not East Coast and Ivy, you are ignorant and a redneck" mentality that drives us up the wall. I resent insinuations that I am ignorant because I am religious and own guns. I resent the notion that "flyover" country doesn't matter, and has no wisdom to add to our country's problems. Attitudes like that make me want to use the "redneck" label for myself, as a tongue-in-cheek back-at-ya rejection of that type of cultural snobbery. As a bookish nerdy idealogue, I recognize that an elite education does not always result in wisdom. Sometimes the smartest people fall for the biggest scams. Remember the intelligentsia's love affair with Stalin before World War II (and some of them remained willfully ignorant after the war)? Remember the blind men and the elephant.

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I feel the same. Not only does she not represent academic excellence to me, she seems to wrap herself proudly in her "Joe Six Pack" mentality. I think she's an embarrassment to the entire country, one more joke the rest of the world will laugh at. To paraphrase a quote I saw recently-- Elite means a search for excellence to some, to the ignorant it means arrogance.

 

Ouch! Your ability to stereotype is amazing...You can not measure one's academic excellence by one debate or interviews that are chopped up and pieced..but interestingly, there is a research group that takes sentence structure and use of vocabulary to determine what grade level one is speaking on..

 

Grade level

 

CNN is reporting that a language monitoring service concluded that Palin’s remarks on Thursday were ranked at a higher grade level than Joe Biden’s. She spoke at between a 9th and 10th grade level while Joe Biden spoke at about an eighth grade level.

 

Your quote actually fits my position quite well. I have NEVER attacked Obama on anything other than FACT...if you had facts to prove your statement of academic levels...then I might give your comment more validity..

 

I'll also add that I can relate to the Robin Williams RV movie where a homeschooling family is assumed to be uneducated because of their 'folksy' ways, when in fact they went to Stanford...sure that's the movies, but I grew up in the South and had a strong southern accent and quite the folksy attitude...I ranked 4th in my class, majored in Pre-Med/Chemistry at a major university, and scored extremely high on the MCATs and SATs...so don't go around judging academic excellence until you know a little more about your subject.

 

Tara

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I really don't want to debate, but want to put this out for some "food for thought". This is something that has been on my mind for quite awhile, but I try to stay out of the political threads.

 

Sarah Palin said something nice about homeschool Moms. She said that by being a Mom and teaching our kids, we are busier than she is while she is running for Vice President. There is nothing evil or dangerous in her remark, there is nothing that would harm anyone. Whether or not you agree with her politics, it was at least a verbal pat on the back for homeschooling Moms.

 

Why does there have to be negativity in every thread that mentions a political candidate? Why does it have to turn into a debate? It seems that this might be the kind of post where "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" rule might apply.

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I'd love to know what she said, though it appears positive. That's good. If a politician were opposed to it, I'd really have to doubt whether they have been paying attention to educational matters over the last two decades, and I would have to question their idea of liberty.

 

Public school is supposed to be something available for people to use -- available but not required. When a country forbids homeschooling, it reveals that they care more about controlling people that educating them.

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I really don't want to debate, but want to put this out for some "food for thought". This is something that has been on my mind for quite awhile, but I try to stay out of the political threads.

 

Sarah Palin said something nice about homeschool Moms. She said that by being a Mom and teaching our kids, we are busier than she is while she is running for Vice President. There is nothing evil or dangerous in her remark, there is nothing that would harm anyone. Whether or not you agree with her politics, it was at least a verbal pat on the back for homeschooling Moms.

 

Why does there have to be negativity in every thread that mentions a political candidate? Why does it have to turn into a debate? It seems that this might be the kind of post where "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" rule might apply.

 

:iagree:

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Any neutral or positive homeschool comments from either political party is great news IMO. It should be a freedom granted to all well intentioned parents. I would prefer to fly under the radar, but having governmental pat on the back is helpful. Instead of funding my kids education in ps, how 'bout sending some of those funds home for ever more field trips?;)

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Sincere question: do you watch NBC or MSNBC? Would you watch Keith Olbermann or Chris Matthews interview Barack Obama?

 

I watch a lot of CNN, and I also like BBC America. I'm in the car a lot, driving between my many adult education consulting jobs, so I listen to NPR in the car. I like some MSNBC stuff; lately I"ve been enjoying the new Rachel Maddow show. I also like "Morning Joe" on MSNBC but don't tune in very often.

 

But my comment was not about which networks lean which way, as I"m assuming your question was meant to point out. My comment was more about the tight leash the McCain camp has on Palin, only allowing her to be interviewed by "friendly fire" as it were, on networks where her incredibly negative and vitriolic rhetoric will be met with as much glee from the viewing audience as her public appearances seem to be---- "TERRORIST!" and "KILL HIM!" being the rallying cries of the party of late.

 

And no, I'm not suggesting that the McCain camp or the Palin camp has sanctioned these comments by whackjobs at their rallies. But they certainly have not come out and condemned these egregious words. And that speaks volumes. To me, that says that they're perfectly happy to have those words said and heard and reported, just as they're perfectly thrilled to have a uniformed policeman (dang, I hope he gets in BIIIIG trouble for this!) to introduce Palin as the person who is going to win over "Barack HUSSEIN Obama." DEspicable. All of them.

Just despicable. And to have the guy who so horribly attacked McCain and his family in 2000 advising Palin's campaign speaks volumes about the degree to which they will stoop.

 

But that's waaay more than you wanted to know, isn't it? Sorry.....I get on a roll with this negative campaigning stuff. Sorry!

 

astrid:001_smile:

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Astrid, I don't know for sure, but I have heard she plans to let Todd (isn't that her husband's name--forgive me, I may be thinking of the neighbor child on the Simpsons) homeschool her kids if she's elected.

 

Oh. Okay; maybe that's what I was thinking.

Thanks for the info.

astrid

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So, if Obama says positive things about homeschooling, it's "nice" but if Palin does, it's "pandering"?:confused::confused:

 

I think it's great that BOTH had positive things to say about homeschooling. However, Palin fits a stereotype and appeals to a faction of people that fit the homeschool stereotype. When Obama says something nice about homeschooling, he is appealing to a much different audience, a much broader audience IMO - especially since what he said was said outside of a Presidential campaign.

 

I seriously do believe that Sarah Palin would not have anything nice to say about my homeschool. Appropriate sex education is given starting before Kindergarten. Birth control, right to choose, right to love whom one chooses, among other things are taught as positivie things in our homeschool. I do not think people should be given state money to purchase religious curriculum materials, although I am very much in favor of programs like K12, where the kids get access to solid materials but the parents are held accountable.

 

Folksy ways, accents, where you come from, what college you went to, what job you hold have nothing to do with intelligence. Speaking intelligently does. Conducting yourself in an intelligent manner does. In my opinion, and it is just one person's -this person's- opinion, Palin has done neither of these things.

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So, if Obama says positive things about homeschooling, it's "nice" but if Palin does, it's "pandering"?:confused::confused:

 

For me, it's about context. The way Palin kind of shoe-horned in that comment, with such emphasis, made it sound to me like she was just looking for an opportunity to do so.

 

The only comment I've ever seen that Obama made about homeschooling was in the larger context of writing about educational opportunities and options.

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My comment was more about the tight leash the McCain camp has on Palin, only allowing her to be interviewed by "friendly fire" as it were, on networks where her incredibly negative and vitriolic rhetoric will be met with as much glee from the viewing audience as her public appearances seem to be---- "TERRORIST!" and "KILL HIM!" being the rallying cries of the party of late.

 

And no, I'm not suggesting that the McCain camp or the Palin camp has sanctioned these comments by whackjobs at their rallies. But they certainly have not come out and condemned these egregious words. And that speaks volumes. To me, that says that they're perfectly happy to have those words said and heard and reported, just as they're perfectly thrilled to have a uniformed policeman (dang, I hope he gets in BIIIIG trouble for this!) to introduce Palin as the person who is going to win over "Barack HUSSEIN Obama." DEspicable. All of them.

.astrid:001_smile:

 

I disagree that Gov. Palin's silence did not equate with sanctioning the comments of the crowd. I strongly believe that Gov. Palin should have commented negatively against at least the "kill him" cry; it was a good opportunity to promote reason and working together to solve our nation's problems. Police have hauled citizens asking provocative questions out of buildings. Where were the police when the nut/s were yelling "kill him?" People have been forcibly removed from premises for accusing a candidate of lying and for far less offenses than yelling "kill him." Yet no one has stepped forward from the campaign to urge supporters to cease such outrageous behavior. To me, the potential damage of such hateful words cannot be ignored, and my heart aches for our nation.

 

Seldom do I post in political threads. However, imo, such actions transcend petty political bickering and mudslinging.

Edited by tibbyl
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I disagree that Gov. Palin's silence did not equate with sanctioning the comments of the crowd. I strongly believe that Gov. Palin should have commented negatively against at least the "kill him" cry; it was a good opportunity to promote reason and working together to solve our nation's problems. Police have hauled citizens asking provocative questions out of buildings. Where were the police when the nut/s were yelling "kill him?"

 

I think the FBI is investigating many of the incidents. I also heard that the FBI is investigating the Florida police officer who introduced Palin while in uniform.

 

astrid

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While McCain & Pallin were on FOX last nite, Michelle Obama was on Larry King. I was flipping between the two, and what a difference! The obviously phoney canned package of McCain (still pining for Lieberman, it seems) and Pallin. There certainly is no apparent chemistry or synergy between those two.

 

Michelle Obama was unfailingly civil and conciliatory. When asked whether all the negative attacks by Pallin & McCain supporters make Barack angry, she was so genuine in answering, oh, those things don't upset him or make him angry, but he does get angry when he thinks about his mom in bed with cancer and arguing with insurance companies. Anyway, I'm paraphrasing, but how anyone can flip between these two contenders and not see generosity of spirit, tolerance, commitment to finer ideals, trying to rise to a higher way of being coming out of the Obama camp--well, how good would someone have to be?

 

I used to have genuine respect for McCain. He was the one Republican candidate who appeared to me to have honor. No longer.

Danielle

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While McCain & Pallin were on FOX last nite, Michelle Obama was on Larry King. I was flipping between the two, and what a difference! The obviously phoney canned package of McCain (still pining for Lieberman, it seems) and Pallin. There certainly is no apparent chemistry or synergy between those two.

 

Michelle Obama was unfailingly civil and conciliatory. When asked whether all the negative attacks by Pallin & McCain supporters make Barack angry, she was so genuine in answering, oh, those things don't upset him or make him angry, but he does get angry when he thinks about his mom in bed with cancer and arguing with insurance companies. Anyway, I'm paraphrasing, but how anyone can flip between these two contenders and not see generosity of spirit, tolerance, commitment to finer ideals, trying to rise to a higher way of being coming out of the Obama camp--well, how good would someone have to be?

 

I used to have genuine respect for McCain. He was the one Republican candidate who appeared to me to have honor. No longer.

Danielle

 

I would be hard pressed to DISAGREE with you more. Michelle Obama is about the most phony woman in politics I've ever seen. She makes my skin crawl. To think she'll probably be the first lady when she's so anti-Amierican is just wrong.

 

BTW, I'm just stating my opinion while we're still the Land of the Free. I'm not in the mood to debate it.

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