Teleprompter Por Favor

Prediction:  As this Presidential campaign continues, Barack Obama is going to continue to get himself in trouble by being asked simple questions and making impromptu statements. In Georgia on Tuesday he gave us all some great advice on raising kids:

Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English — they’ll learn English — you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish.

Really?  Is that what we should be doing? Is that what you’re doing Mr. Obama? Do your kids speak Spanish? (Disclaimer:  Our kid is learning Spanish from her mom, but not because Barack Obama or any other asshat running for public office thinks it’s what we should do. It’s mostly so she and her mom can tell secrets and make jokes about me behind my back–at least that’s what the voices tell me.)

Seriously, what the hell does this have to do with running for President? Is this part of your platform–a mandate that everyone should teach their kids Spanish? Is this really part of your stance on immigration? Does it really consists of a component that tells parents which and how many languages their kids should speak?

Some advice–stop improvising and get back to your bread and butter–saying “change” every other word without any details about what this change will entail.  When you start going off on random tangents about trivial things like policy you just confuse everyone.

Anyway…

It’s not fashionable to say so in the circles that Obama travels in, but the power and universality of the English language confirm and strengthen America’s way of life.

Exactly. And Obama is actually right about one thing–immigrants to the U.S. should learn English. But not because of some moronic legislation, and not because some politician suggested it. They should learn English because doing so gives them an economic advantage.

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3 Replies to “Teleprompter Por Favor”

  1. It’s mostly so she and her mom can tell secrets and make jokes about me behind my back…let’s see…I think I would (correction…do) speak English when making fun of you behind your back. I’d speak Spanish when making fun of you to your face. Probably much like the missus’s family does when you visit.

  2. I have to grudgingly say that Obama made a good point about Americans being mono-lingual. I agree with you that he shouldn’t ad lib, because MSNBC, Fox News, and YouTube make sure that no mistake goes unpunished.

  3. HM, I actually agree with the point too, but only as a cultural choice. There’s no economic advantage for most Americans to learn German or French (Spanish, maybe). But Europeans have to all learn English because that’s the one language they all share–it’s the language of business.

    If he made the point that “Vista sucks” we’d agree too, but what does that have to do with anything?

    Shawn–I’m patiently waiting for the chance to call you fat again.

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