After several dispiriting months of watching their president try and fail to find consensus with Republicans, liberals are once again feeling buoyant this week. That's because President Obama has at last adopted a defiantly populist tone, unveiling a proposed tax increase on the wealthy as his signature issue "”for however long this particular phase of his peripatetic presidency lasts.
Even as he reassures the Democratic faithful, however, Obama is taking a significant political risk. That's because both parties always find themselves confined, to some extent, by historical narratives left over from the 20th century. If you're a Republican, for instance, you might just have some great idea for reforming social programs for the poor or elderly, but the problem you confront is that Republicans are always vulnerable to charges of not caring about the poor. Even an especially moderate Republican who advanced such proposals would probably spook a lot of independent voters who remember Ronald Reagan's "welfare queens" and ketchup as a vegetable. That's why it took Bill Clinton, a Democrat, to sell welfare reform "” a Republican idea.
Tax increases are the Democratic equivalent. No matter how popular such a tax increase may be in isolation, Obama's proposal is very likely to affirm the fears of some sizable contingent of voters who pulled the lever for him last time "” fears that he is, at bottom, a conventional liberal of the 1970s variety. This probably becomes even more of an obstacle if he doesn't connect the idea to some larger overhaul of the tax code or if he abandons the argument altogether after a few weeks, which has to this point been the pattern with the administration's big initiatives. (Remember how we were supposed to win the future? Who knew we'd give up after three weeks?)
To understand how Obama's proposal might reinforce an old political narrative, check out this TV ad from 1984, courtesy of the folks at the Museum of the Moving Image. The rhetorical similarities are kind of striking.
E-mail ThisPrintRecommendShare CloseTumblrDiggLinkedinRedditPermalink Barack Obama Related PostsFrom The 6th FloorThe Obama Doctrine Revisited, Again! Previous Post My Three Favorite Novels to Read as a Teenager Next Post My Three Favorite People Named Greg // NYTD.CRNR.userContent.getUserContent(25,'default'); // // if (typeof adxpos_SponLink2 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_SponLink2]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_Position1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Position1]);} //Search This Blog Search Previous Post My Three Favorite Novels to Read as a Teenager Next Post My Three Favorite People Named GregFollow This BlogTwitterRSSAbout the BlogThe 6th Floor is the blog of The New York Times Magazine, where staff members "” editors, designers, writers, photo editors and researchers "” share ideas, arguments, curiosities and links.
The Sunday Magazine staff »Follow @nytmag on Twitter » // if (typeof adxpos_MiddleRight != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_MiddleRight]);} //In the Sunday MagazineThe Education Issue: What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?By PAUL TOUGHWhy our children's success "” and happiness "” may depend less on perfect performance than on learning how to deal with failure.
The Education Issue: My Family's Experiment in Extreme SchoolingBy CLIFFORD J. LEVYWhat happens when you take three American kids and throw them in a classroom 5,000 miles from home where they can't speak the language?
The Education Issue: Can Antioch College Return From the Dead Again?By BILL DONAHUENext month's rebirth of the most liberal of liberal arts colleges comes at an unsettled moment in higher education.
The Education Issue: Why We Need For-Profit CollegesBy JOE NOCERAProfits and education shouldn't have to be such an ugly combination.
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Recent PostsSeptember 22 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/my-three-favorite-people-named-greg/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/my-three-favorite-people-named-greg/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/my-three-favorite-people-named-greg/'); //
My Three Favorite People Named GregI've always had a bit of trouble with the extended version of my first name. Gregory. It just feels a little too proper, doesn't it, as if it would be silly for me not to receive a dozen Faberge eggs upon the occasion of my birth.
September 22 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/obamas-tax-deja-vu/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/obamas-tax-deja-vu/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/obamas-tax-deja-vu/'); //
Obama’s Tax Déjà VuEven as he reassures the Democratic faithful, however, Obama is taking a significant political risk. That's because both parties always find themselves confined, to some extent, by historical narratives left over from the 20th century.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/my-three-favorite-novels-to-read-as-a-teenager/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/my-three-favorite-novels-to-read-as-a-teenager/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/my-three-favorite-novels-to-read-as-a-teenager/'); //
My Three Favorite Novels to Read as a TeenagerOnce you move past "Are You There God It's Me Margaret," by Judy Blume, which is the perfect thing to read (if you're a girl) right before full teenagerness sets in, these three books immediately come to mind.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/r-e-m-remembered/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/r-e-m-remembered/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/r-e-m-remembered/'); //
R.E.M. RememberedRemembrances of R.E.M. after the band calls it quits.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/'); //
Doodling Away on Our CoverIt's very easy to fall into cliches for an issue on education. Lined notebook paper, chewed pencils and stacks of books were all out of the question. We knew that designing something original for the magazine would be a challenge.
Archive Select Month September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 // if (typeof adxpos_Box3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box3]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_Box1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box1]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_SponLink != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_SponLink]);} //HomeWorldU.S.N.Y. / RegionBusinessTechnologyScienceHealthSportsOpinionArtsAfter several dispiriting months of watching their president try and fail to find consensus with Republicans, liberals are once again feeling buoyant this week. That's because President Obama has at last adopted a defiantly populist tone, unveiling a proposed tax increase on the wealthy as his signature issue "”for however long this particular phase of his peripatetic presidency lasts.
Even as he reassures the Democratic faithful, however, Obama is taking a significant political risk. That's because both parties always find themselves confined, to some extent, by historical narratives left over from the 20th century. If you're a Republican, for instance, you might just have some great idea for reforming social programs for the poor or elderly, but the problem you confront is that Republicans are always vulnerable to charges of not caring about the poor. Even an especially moderate Republican who advanced such proposals would probably spook a lot of independent voters who remember Ronald Reagan's "welfare queens" and ketchup as a vegetable. That's why it took Bill Clinton, a Democrat, to sell welfare reform "” a Republican idea.
Tax increases are the Democratic equivalent. No matter how popular such a tax increase may be in isolation, Obama's proposal is very likely to affirm the fears of some sizable contingent of voters who pulled the lever for him last time "” fears that he is, at bottom, a conventional liberal of the 1970s variety. This probably becomes even more of an obstacle if he doesn't connect the idea to some larger overhaul of the tax code or if he abandons the argument altogether after a few weeks, which has to this point been the pattern with the administration's big initiatives. (Remember how we were supposed to win the future? Who knew we'd give up after three weeks?)
To understand how Obama's proposal might reinforce an old political narrative, check out this TV ad from 1984, courtesy of the folks at the Museum of the Moving Image. The rhetorical similarities are kind of striking.
The 6th Floor is the blog of The New York Times Magazine, where staff members "” editors, designers, writers, photo editors and researchers "” share ideas, arguments, curiosities and links.
Why our children's success "” and happiness "” may depend less on perfect performance than on learning how to deal with failure.
What happens when you take three American kids and throw them in a classroom 5,000 miles from home where they can't speak the language?
Next month's rebirth of the most liberal of liberal arts colleges comes at an unsettled moment in higher education.
Profits and education shouldn't have to be such an ugly combination.
Among the dead and the smoldering ruins, Libyans struggle to escape their country's twisted history.
September 22
My Three Favorite People Named GregI've always had a bit of trouble with the extended version of my first name. Gregory. It just feels a little too proper, doesn't it, as if it would be silly for me not to receive a dozen Faberge eggs upon the occasion of my birth.
September 22 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/obamas-tax-deja-vu/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/obamas-tax-deja-vu/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/obamas-tax-deja-vu/'); //
Obama’s Tax Déjà VuEven as he reassures the Democratic faithful, however, Obama is taking a significant political risk. That's because both parties always find themselves confined, to some extent, by historical narratives left over from the 20th century.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/my-three-favorite-novels-to-read-as-a-teenager/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/my-three-favorite-novels-to-read-as-a-teenager/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/my-three-favorite-novels-to-read-as-a-teenager/'); //
My Three Favorite Novels to Read as a TeenagerOnce you move past "Are You There God It's Me Margaret," by Judy Blume, which is the perfect thing to read (if you're a girl) right before full teenagerness sets in, these three books immediately come to mind.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/r-e-m-remembered/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/r-e-m-remembered/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/r-e-m-remembered/'); //
R.E.M. RememberedRemembrances of R.E.M. after the band calls it quits.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/'); //
Doodling Away on Our CoverIt's very easy to fall into cliches for an issue on education. Lined notebook paper, chewed pencils and stacks of books were all out of the question. We knew that designing something original for the magazine would be a challenge.
Archive Select Month September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 // if (typeof adxpos_Box3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box3]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_Box1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box1]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_SponLink != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_SponLink]);} //HomeWorldU.S.N.Y. / RegionBusinessTechnologyScienceHealthSportsOpinionArtsStyleTravelJobsReal EstateAutosSite Map © 2011 The New York Times CompanyPrivacyYour Ad ChoicesTerms of ServiceTerms of SaleCorrectionsRSSHelpContact UsWork for UsAdvertise // if(typeof NYTD.Blogs.user!="undefined"){if(NYTD.Blogs.user.isLoggedIn()){var dcsvid=NYTD.Blogs.user.getId();var regstatus="registered"}else{var dcsvid="";var regstatus="non-registered"}}; // var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-4406282-113"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); /*');/*]]>*/ // if (typeof adxpos_Inv1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv1]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Inv2 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv2]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Inv3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv3]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom7 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom7]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom8 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom8]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom9 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom9]);} //I've always had a bit of trouble with the extended version of my first name. Gregory. It just feels a little too proper, doesn't it, as if it would be silly for me not to receive a dozen Faberge eggs upon the occasion of my birth.
September 22
Obama’s Tax Déjà VuEven as he reassures the Democratic faithful, however, Obama is taking a significant political risk. That's because both parties always find themselves confined, to some extent, by historical narratives left over from the 20th century.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/my-three-favorite-novels-to-read-as-a-teenager/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/my-three-favorite-novels-to-read-as-a-teenager/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/my-three-favorite-novels-to-read-as-a-teenager/'); //
My Three Favorite Novels to Read as a TeenagerOnce you move past "Are You There God It's Me Margaret," by Judy Blume, which is the perfect thing to read (if you're a girl) right before full teenagerness sets in, these three books immediately come to mind.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/r-e-m-remembered/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/r-e-m-remembered/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/r-e-m-remembered/'); //
R.E.M. RememberedRemembrances of R.E.M. after the band calls it quits.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/'); //
Doodling Away on Our CoverIt's very easy to fall into cliches for an issue on education. Lined notebook paper, chewed pencils and stacks of books were all out of the question. We knew that designing something original for the magazine would be a challenge.
Archive Select Month September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 // if (typeof adxpos_Box3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box3]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_Box1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box1]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_SponLink != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_SponLink]);} //HomeWorldU.S.N.Y. / RegionBusinessTechnologyScienceHealthSportsOpinionArtsStyleTravelJobsReal EstateAutosSite Map © 2011 The New York Times CompanyPrivacyYour Ad ChoicesTerms of ServiceTerms of SaleCorrectionsRSSHelpContact UsWork for UsAdvertise // if(typeof NYTD.Blogs.user!="undefined"){if(NYTD.Blogs.user.isLoggedIn()){var dcsvid=NYTD.Blogs.user.getId();var regstatus="registered"}else{var dcsvid="";var regstatus="non-registered"}}; // var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-4406282-113"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); /*');/*]]>*/ // if (typeof adxpos_Inv1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv1]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Inv2 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv2]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Inv3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv3]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom7 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom7]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom8 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom8]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom9 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom9]);} //Even as he reassures the Democratic faithful, however, Obama is taking a significant political risk. That's because both parties always find themselves confined, to some extent, by historical narratives left over from the 20th century.
September 21
My Three Favorite Novels to Read as a TeenagerOnce you move past "Are You There God It's Me Margaret," by Judy Blume, which is the perfect thing to read (if you're a girl) right before full teenagerness sets in, these three books immediately come to mind.
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R.E.M. RememberedRemembrances of R.E.M. after the band calls it quits.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/'); //
Doodling Away on Our CoverIt's very easy to fall into cliches for an issue on education. Lined notebook paper, chewed pencils and stacks of books were all out of the question. We knew that designing something original for the magazine would be a challenge.
Archive Select Month September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 // if (typeof adxpos_Box3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box3]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_Box1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box1]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_SponLink != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_SponLink]);} //HomeWorldU.S.N.Y. / RegionBusinessTechnologyScienceHealthSportsOpinionArtsStyleTravelJobsReal EstateAutosSite Map © 2011 The New York Times CompanyPrivacyYour Ad ChoicesTerms of ServiceTerms of SaleCorrectionsRSSHelpContact UsWork for UsAdvertise // if(typeof NYTD.Blogs.user!="undefined"){if(NYTD.Blogs.user.isLoggedIn()){var dcsvid=NYTD.Blogs.user.getId();var regstatus="registered"}else{var dcsvid="";var regstatus="non-registered"}}; // var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-4406282-113"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); /*');/*]]>*/ // if (typeof adxpos_Inv1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv1]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Inv2 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv2]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Inv3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv3]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom7 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom7]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom8 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom8]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom9 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom9]);} //Once you move past "Are You There God It's Me Margaret," by Judy Blume, which is the perfect thing to read (if you're a girl) right before full teenagerness sets in, these three books immediately come to mind.
September 21
R.E.M. RememberedRemembrances of R.E.M. after the band calls it quits.
September 21 // NYTD.blogsCRNRObj.setPostData('http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/', 'http://community.nytimes.com/comments/6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/', 'http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/doodling-away-on-our-cover/'); //
Doodling Away on Our CoverIt's very easy to fall into cliches for an issue on education. Lined notebook paper, chewed pencils and stacks of books were all out of the question. We knew that designing something original for the magazine would be a challenge.
Archive Select Month September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 // if (typeof adxpos_Box3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box3]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_Box1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box1]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_SponLink != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_SponLink]);} //HomeWorldU.S.N.Y. / RegionBusinessTechnologyScienceHealthSportsOpinionArtsStyleTravelJobsReal EstateAutosSite Map © 2011 The New York Times CompanyPrivacyYour Ad ChoicesTerms of ServiceTerms of SaleCorrectionsRSSHelpContact UsWork for UsAdvertise // if(typeof NYTD.Blogs.user!="undefined"){if(NYTD.Blogs.user.isLoggedIn()){var dcsvid=NYTD.Blogs.user.getId();var regstatus="registered"}else{var dcsvid="";var regstatus="non-registered"}}; // var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-4406282-113"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); /*');/*]]>*/ // if (typeof adxpos_Inv1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv1]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Inv2 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv2]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Inv3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv3]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom7 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom7]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom8 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom8]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom9 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom9]);} //Remembrances of R.E.M. after the band calls it quits.
September 21
Doodling Away on Our CoverIt's very easy to fall into cliches for an issue on education. Lined notebook paper, chewed pencils and stacks of books were all out of the question. We knew that designing something original for the magazine would be a challenge.
Archive Select Month September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 // if (typeof adxpos_Box3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box3]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_Box1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Box1]);} // // if (typeof adxpos_SponLink != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_SponLink]);} //HomeWorldU.S.N.Y. / RegionBusinessTechnologyScienceHealthSportsOpinionArtsStyleTravelJobsReal EstateAutosSite Map © 2011 The New York Times CompanyPrivacyYour Ad ChoicesTerms of ServiceTerms of SaleCorrectionsRSSHelpContact UsWork for UsAdvertise // if(typeof NYTD.Blogs.user!="undefined"){if(NYTD.Blogs.user.isLoggedIn()){var dcsvid=NYTD.Blogs.user.getId();var regstatus="registered"}else{var dcsvid="";var regstatus="non-registered"}}; // var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-4406282-113"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); /*');/*]]>*/ // if (typeof adxpos_Inv1 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv1]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Inv2 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv2]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Inv3 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Inv3]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom7 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom7]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom8 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom8]);} //// if (typeof adxpos_Bottom9 != "undefined"){document.write(adxads[adxpos_Bottom9]);} //It's very easy to fall into cliches for an issue on education. Lined notebook paper, chewed pencils and stacks of books were all out of the question. We knew that designing something original for the magazine would be a challenge.
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