Posted on 03/07/2011 9:48:33 PM PST by doug from upland
White House memo notes shortage of applicants for contest to have Obama to speak at high school graduation
The White House is ramping up an effort to promote a nationwide competition to decide which high school wins a commencement speech by President Obama.
An internal White House memo indicates that the White House is facing a shortage of applications less than a week before the deadline.
The competition was extended from the February 25 deadline until Friday, March 11 after few schools met the original application deadline. CBS News has learned a White House Communications Office internal memo dated February 22 noted "a major issue with the Commencement Challenge."
"As of yesterday we had received 14 applications and the deadline is Friday," the memo said. The memo also urged recipients to, "please keep the application number close hold."
A follow-up memo on February 28 reported receipt of 68 applications. Noting the competition among more than 1,000 schools last year, the memo said, "Something isn't working." It called on staffers to ask "friendly congressional, gubernatorial and mayoral offices" to encourage schools to apply.
"We should also make sure the Cabinet is pushing the competition out to their lists," the memo said. The note reiterated, "We do not want the actual application number out there (we didn't release the number of applications we received last year until after the submission period)-so folks should not use it in their pitches."
On Monday, officials declined to cite the number of applications received so far.
The president will travel to the school that is judged to best prepare students for college and careers. The competition is part of Mr. Obama's ultimate goal of making the U.S. the country with the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020.
Officials were unable to explain the reason for the apparent lack of interest, beyond pointing to possible procrastination by school systems.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan told CBS Radio News, "It's a huge opportunity for high schools to tell their story." Asked about the lagging application numbers, Duncan said, "Folks are working hard." He called on schools to "put their best foot forward and join the competition."
Education Department press aide Elizabeth Utrup said the deadline was extended "to provide an ample amount of time to reach out to schools from across the country." Utrup added, "Like last year, we anticipate the overwhelming majority will be submitted near the close of the Challenge."
The White House has posted on-line video appeals from President Obama and a student from last year's winning school, Kalamazoo (Michigan) Central High. Entertainers John Legend and Nick Jonas recorded their own videos for the challenge when they were in Washington for a recent "In Performance at the White House" event.
The exact deadline for schools to apply is 11:59P.M., Eastern Time, March 11. More on the application process is posted here.
Well, won’t that make choosing easier?
“Well, won’t that make choosing easier?”
You’d think for someone as indecisive as Obama, it’d be a good thing!
I just had a brilliant idea. Everyone from FR should apply for this. Make up a fake school, with a fake address in a vacant lot or something, and write the most impressive essay you have ever written. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have the president show up at a vacant lot to speak?
This guy needs to go. He is not Presidential matter period.
“Win a date with Barry!”
This cannot be correct. Everyone loves to hear Barry’s speeches where he uses the words “me” and “I” about a billion times while droning on and on and on.......
Education Secretary Arne Duncan told CBS Radio News, "It's a huge opportunity for high schools to tell their story." Asked about the lagging application numbers, Duncan said, "Folks are working hard." He called on schools to "put their best foot forward and join the competition."
Liberals are always dumber than dirt and are genetically stupid & incapable of understanding why others don't fall all over themselves, gushing to be chosen by the usurper-in-crap 0b0z0 the commie pig.
Hey you liberal dumb-ass turds! Even the young people are tired of 24/7 coverage of the worst pres___ent in history. Nobody wants to be associated with this narcissistic commie pig! Get used to it!
The problem is that the essays must be submitted in either Ebonics, Swahili or Arabic.
The unlucky school who gets the POTUS to visit should just request the script so they can hand it out and avoid Obama having to read it off the TOTUS.
I wouldn’t even want him in the same state for any important event in my life. It’s bad enough that he inhabits the same planet.
In principle it'd be an honor to have any president as a graduation speaker. I certainly never had anyone so notable keynote my commencements.
I think the huge drop in numbers is because the novelty of the "first halfrica-American president" in general and of Obama himself, in particular, has dissipated.
He's can invoke the name as often as he wants but he's no Ronald Reagan. Pres. Reagan had earned people's admiration while Obama is little more than a carnival curiosity. He's grossly underperforming.
If he wins a second term, I see Obama growing into an angry, frustrated man like some hollywood "overnight sensation" who believed their own "greatness" and can't understand where their fans went once the next big thing has come along. W was never that way. Even the adulation addicted Clinton never really believed his own hype. I suspect Obama just might.
LOL! This is more serious for his ego than his big ears!
Tell me this guy isn’t using TelePrompTers at school events!
Please anyone who was realistic would have never voted for this flim flam man the thought that he is our president
makes me want to throw up
He continues to degrade the office of the President.
Well, first you have to have schools that (a) want Obama and (b) have some graduates for him to speak to.
In two months I'll be attending the USMA commencement, where the speaker will be .... Biteme!
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