Manchester, New Hampshire (CNN) - Rick Santorum called President Barack Obama's education goals an agenda of "hubris" on Saturday, saying he is "outraged" that the president thinks "every child in America should go to college."
"The hubris of this president to think that he knows what's best for you [...] This is the kind of snobbery that we see from those that think they know how to run our lives," the former Pennsylvania senator said in a forum at St. Anselm's New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
Obama has repeatedly said he wants the United States to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. Earlier this year, while announcing plans to reform "No Child Left Behind," Obama also said he intends for every student to graduate "career and college ready."
But Santorum, whose children's education includes home-schooling, argued that not everyone is suited for a college education.
"I have seven kids. Maybe they'll all go to college. But if one of my kids wants to go and be an auto mechanic, good for him, that's a good paying job, using your hands, using your mind," he said.
Santorum calls for the federal government to have a "very limited" role in education, advocating for "flexible and personalized approaches to education for each child to best maximize their potential."
"We are leaving so many children behind because they're not ready to go to college - they don't want to go to college, they don't need to go to college," Santorum said Saturday.
CNN's Ashley Killough and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report.
Also see:
Poll: Romney in South Carolina surge
Paul disavows anti-Huntsman ad
Gingrich defends food stamp comment
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Should be scholarships for trade schools. Too many kids goto post secondary to learn useless degrees and end up with no jobs.
Why do I think it's someone else's children who don't have to go to college while Santorum's go?
So wait, he's complaining that Obama are trying to rule every aspect of your life, while at the same time he's promoting a Christian based law system, which would attempt to rule every aspect of your life?! This guy is a supreme example of hypocrisy! Hard lined religious persons are dangerous to our political system and liberty, PERIOD. Santorum is obsolete and will set the country back. He thinks it's okay to rule aspects of peoples lives only when he agrees with the rules. How conveniently Christian of him.
santorum is a hypocritical parasite who will say anything and do anything and destroy anyone and everything that gets in his way..........just to succeed. He is the most amoral 'christian' there ever was.
I'm pretty sure you have to go to college to be an auto mechanic.
If there is one thing the American Taliban doesn't like, it is education. Get's those young-uns thinkin' and that is never good.
"The hubris of this president to think that he knows what's best for you [...]"
Really Rick? Really? You seem to think you know what is best for the rest of us – ban birth control, ban abortion even for victims of rape, bring the church into politics, require school prayer, and ban anything that does not suit your core values – and I have no problem with your core values – just don't force them on the rest of us!
I think it is a rarely heard but good point. I think all kids should be helped to have the opportunity for college. But I don't think they should be coerced in any way. How many people went to college because they were "supposed to", went for something they were not suited for or interested in, and now find that they 1)can't find a job and 2) owe a ton of money in student loans?
OMG the snobbery of wanting to give all kids who DESIRE to go to college the opportunity to do so. The President isn't forcing or saying everyone should go...but everyone who wants to go should be able to in this country.. Are we supposed to forget your snobbery and forcing your beliefs on us in June 2011 saying access to contraception should be eradicated because it promotes "activities" that are meant only for marriage and procreation? Rick, you scare the bejeezus out of me
santorum is the biggest idiot! Why should we not encourage children to go to college. I guess they should all work at best buy!
I am anything but a fan of Rick Santorum, but on this point he is correct. Not everyone should go to college. The trades are a much better alternative for many people. I also do not agree that we should even have a Department of Education and I definitely do not think there should be public employee unions. Private sector unions, yes, public no. Don't vote for Rick Santorum, vote for preferably Paul, if not then Romney.
Santorum is such a clueless bas%$rd. Loser.
It's a good goal to educate children in America. Santorum sounds stupid, his usual M.O. Intolerant, narrowminded, he makes a a perfect Republican candidate !
Mechanic is good paying job ? REALLY ?
OMG HA HA HA ! Santorum charges Obama with "...thinking he knows what's best ... ?" while sANTORUM is so far up into my Uterus and knows NO BIRTH CONTROL is best for ME ? HA HA HA ! Can't Stop Laughing !!!
Are you kidding me!!!!!! What kind of person is this Santorum???? He doesn't want to see our children to forge ahead???
And this clown will be the first one to complain about people who need government assistance because they can't compete in our society due to lack of education. I do not understand this republican notion that it is some how noble to be uneducated.
Religion is about keeping the masses ignorant.
I will bet you a large sum of money that Rick Santorum's kids won't grow up to be auto mechanics. Who is this guy trying to fool? And by the way, the person I find telling me how to live my life is Rick Santorum, not Barak Obama. Someone needs to hand this dingo a mirror.
I'd love to punch santorum in the head.
This man is an idiot. Preparing our youth to such a standard that they are educated enough to enroll in college upon graduation from high school is simply investing in our future. If you don't want to go to college after mandatory education, then don't, but one of the basic tenets of economic growth is education, others are for example healthcare and transportation. The snobbery is all yours Mr. Santorum.
Now it's snobbery to want a college education? Give me a break. You republicans....such disgust.
Someone please shut this hand puppet of David Koch up!
The President believing that every child should go to college is not snobbery. You might disagree based on the fact that some kids want to be auto mechanics, as Mr. Santorum states, but calling it "snobbery" is simply more of the overreaction we see with politicians these days.
Obama wants to ensure every child in America has the means and opportunity to go to college, and Santorum calls it snobbery. This is basically what is wrong with the Republican Party in a nutshell. They are opposed to education, science, and reason. They are the party of yahoos.
Santorum is poised to take this country back to the dark ages. His own state wouldn't re-elect him; fat chance that this country will.
I guess he thinks if everyone becomes smart they will be able to detect a scam