POTUS Knows Best

The controversy over Obama's address to school kids may be a little overblown. What's wrong with the president telling kids to stay in school, work hard and achieve? It is certainly a message that my wife and I send to our kids every day by valuing their education and taking an active part in it. I'm not sure it would do my kids much good to hear the president tell them that though. They listen to me more than they would listen to a celebrity talking head on TV. And therein lies the problem.

Obama's speech to kids is an end-run around parents. In true Obama fashion, he feels that it's his job to help raise our kids. And that kids NEED to hear from this president about how important school is.

Don't misunderstand, some kids don't have involved parents who value their education. And in those cases, the more people they hear encouraging them in school, the better. But they already get that from an endless stream of vapid celebrity endorsers. It's less about helping kids than it is about showing the world that XYZ celebrity "really cares"— it's pure public relations. And Obama's no different. Just in his case, there's politics involved. And good public relations affects polling.

If he wanted to really affect change in how kids view school, he'd preempt the football game on Sunday and address the parents directly. Or better yet, just roll tape of Bill Cosby.