I couldn’t agree more:

HAMPTON, Va. — President Barack Obama, addressing graduates at historically black Hampton University on Sunday, said that it is the responsibility of all Americans to offer every child the type of education that will make them competitive in an economy in which just a high school diploma is no longer enough.

Moreover, Obama said, the era of iPads and Xboxes had turned information into a diversion that was imposing new strains on democracy. “You’re coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don’t always rank that high on the truth meter,” he told the students. “And with iPods and iPads, and Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation. So all of this is not only putting pressure on you; it’s putting new pressure on our country and on our democracy.”

Obama told the nearly 1,100 graduates assembled in the university’s sun-splashed Armstrong Stadium that they have the added responsibility of being role models and mentors in their communities.

Obama said education can help them manage the uncertainties of a 21st century economy. For much of the last century, a high school diploma “was a ticket to a solid middle-class life,” he said. But no more, as jobs today often require at least a bachelor’s degree – or higher.

“All of us have a responsibility, as Americans, to change this, to offer every single child in this country an education that will make them competitive in our knowledge economy. That is our obligation as a nation,” the president said.

Obama said the graduates also must be role models and mentors in their communities. And they must pass the sense of an education’s value on to their children, as well as the sense of personal responsibility, self-respect and the “intrinsic sense of excellence that made it possible for you to be here today,” he said.

Obama has reached the 323 electoral vote total, which easily gives him the Presidency assuming the polls reflect the actual vote.  To win, a candidate needs to get more than 270 electoral votes, which Obama will clearly will, should the polls hold.  These numbers are based on recent state polls as of Oct. 24.

The latest polls for the presidential race show Obama continuing his lead.  The 3 big tracking polls still show an average leade of 9 pts: Gallup – Obama by 9 pts,  Zogby – Obama by 12 pts and Rasmussen by 7 pts.

The VP debate proved that Palin could hold her own in a debate format. And Biden was able to handle his side of the contest with a solid performance.

But as far as helping their Presidential running mates (a VP candidate’s real job) , you have to say that Obama won handily, and McCain lost another opportunity. Palin did a good job of explaining herself and appealing to voters, but she did little to take Obama down. On the other hand, Biden continually hammered on McCain about his views, his future plans, and most imporant, his claim as a “maverick”. Palin looked good, but McCain was not helped given the many attacks from Biden.

The real job was of the VP candidates was to elevate their running mates. On that, Biden did his job well. Palin helped herself in the debate, but did nothing to halt the momentum that has been going Obama’s way for the past two weeks.

800buzz.com

Review:

Here’s an article entitled: “Senator McCain – Enough with the Prison Camp”. The Author’s view is that McCain has overused his experience in a Vietnamese prison camp and needs to move on.

It’s true that McCain is a hero and suffered greatly during that War, but I have to agree. I think I’d like to hear a little less of the prison experience and a little more about the future. Not that the prison story isn’t important, it is. But most people know it by now and I think they want to here about the next four years. Any thoughts?

Here’s the article:

Senator McCain – Enough with the Prison Camp

“Yes yes, Senator McCain, you’re an American hero. And yes, you’ve suffered greatly for that, but seriously. Enough already with the prisoner of war story. Do you realize that you bring it up nearly every single day, in one way or another? We’re sick and tired of it, and we want to hear a much different story from you.

That was a long time ago, Senator McCain. We don’t really care about what happened way back then, because it doesn’t have any relationship to what’s going on today. You just keep harping on it, but you don’t tell us what it is that you’ve learned from it that will make you a better President. Or why it might be relevant to today’s issues. We don’t see any of that, and its something that we’d like to know.”

Read the rest of the article..