NEA Has No One To Rubberstamp This Year

Usually the Democrats have a clear front-runner in the presidential race, and the NEA Rep Assembly in July rubberstamps the NEA governing board's rubber stamp of the Democratic candidate for president. Then the NEA really kicks it into gear, enlisting the services of its members for phone banks and canvassing--and giving beaucoup dinero--for the Democratic candidate.

The Education Intelligence Agency links to this article, but has heard this information from nowhere else:

Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association, said his frustration with the candidates' lack of focus on education caused him to write to all four candidates saying the NEA, the country's largest teachers union, with 3.2 million members, would not endorse a candidate this year.

Almost impossible to believe. Or maybe not--the NEA can always count on the Democrats to give it whatever they ask for (except eliminating the Windfall Elimination Provision), and the Dems can always count on the votes and money of a large percentage of NEA's members.

But being unable to choose when the race is tight, for fear of alienating the winner if they choose incorrectly--this does seem to make the NEA look weaker than their image and dollars suggest.