So Republicans think free public community college is a waste of money, but they’re still OK with high school. (Next the Tea Party will want to charge for that too.) But providing education the way Obama proposes will be more cost-effective than high school. First, it gets rid of everyone with a C+ average or lower. So we’re not paying for those who aren’t getting anything out of it, and we’re getting rid of the trouble-makers and those who just don’t want to be there. Next, we’re not having to pay for those who can afford a four-year college from the start.

Finally, times have changed since 1950, when free pubic high schools finally became universal. The red states may not have noticed, but they need this the most. There are a lot more technical jobs now, and the US is not exactly over-stocked with well educated workers. Check out this article: Shortage of Educated Workers Boosts U.S. Joblessness. The leading conservative magazine and William F. Buckley define conservatism to be “Standing athwart history, yelling ‘Stop’.” As you might have noticed, this isn’t working anymore.