To the surprise of some like Mike Antonucci at EIA Obama actually threw a couple of jabs at the NEA during his acceptance speech during their annual convention. Obama cushioned himself via satellite in Montana from the delegates and managed a couple of references to performance pay and charter schools. It was not quite a sparing match, but he did manage to stir up a few boos from the crowd.
Unlike some others, I was expecting Obama to play a little hardball with the NEA. Even though I disagree with Obama's positions because they are hyper-focused on large urban school failure and have the potential to further dismantle local control from the thousands of districts that are not named Baltimore, Chicago, etc..., I did feel that taking on the NEA would be a good political strategy in efforts to look more like a "tough liberal" (see below). Unfortunately, in the midst of taking some jabs at the NEA, Obama has managed to flip-flop on FISA and get bogged down in death penalty for child molester debates. Instead of looking tough, he looks more like a candidate who will do anything to win. He his starting to remind more and more of Jeff Merkley and less and less of the "change" candidate he purports to be.
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