What well known Colorado Springs Republican politician said:
“To continue to think that a college education is the only way to succeed in this country is just short of ridiculous,”
???
This just adds to the perception that we Republicans have become the anti-business anti-upward mobility party. While there are exceptions, people who want to live well and to do well in life get themselves educated. It has been that way since before I was born.
Of course that same politician and his colleagues in the legislature will be outraged at today's Denver Post report that one third of high school graduates don't meet basic requirements. It will be another argument, they will think, for vouchers:
This year, about 30 percent of the state's high school graduates who attended college had to take at least one remedial class in reading, writing or math. Among first-time students at community colleges, that number is almost 60 percent.
The Republican Party has no consistent message that voters can believe in. College is either important or it is not. If it wants to be the education party, it must agressively promote higher education for all, not just a favored few. Statements like the one above, in any context, damage the Republican brand.
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