Sally Ride on Space, Education, and the Election

Under Obama, no one will be reaching for the stars - or anywhere else, for that matter, except their wallets. The democrats are already talking about "New Deal II" - more properly known as "Great Depression II". By the time they are through, there will be little, if any money available for NASA, due to the fact that all availiable funds will be required to pay for the demos other insane schemes.

I agree with Brad's posting above.

Welcome to the cradle-to-grave society. My wife and I refuse to participate.

The answers to all this country's ills, and NASA's, are:

1) Putting a personally, conscientious work ethic above all else, including money. Guess what, if you do follow this rule, relentlessly, and with any measure of good fortune, the money WILL COME.

2) Pursuing a commitment of excellence regardless of circumstance or situation.

3) Committing to a goal of success, whatever the endeavor.

Following these simple, basic, common-sense-based rules of governing a person's life, their career, NASA's objectives, or this country's challenges will change EVERYTHING, for the BETTER.

I think it fair to say, by-and-large, our citizens who become qualified astronauts have followed, with great success, and without retreat, the fundamentals I articulate in this post.

Our government does not and CANNOT understand these rules, and I do not hear it articulating them, either, as a ways and means to improve personal and societal challenges.

Put that in your pipe, and smoke it for a while.

You are aware, I presume, that the Bush administration has set all-time spending records? And that the last administration to have a surplus was the last Democratic administration?

The only reason that "there will be little, if any money available for NASA" is that the Bush administration's "borrow borrow borrow - spend spend spend" strategy has spent the nation pretty nearly into bankrupcy-- the idea that you can borrow money today and pay for it next year kinda hurts when it gets to be next year.

Is Sally Ride really impressed with Senator Obama's grasp of space issues? The same guy that wanted to EXTEND the US Spaceflight gap? The guy who joked that we won't have scientists and engineers without education, but in his shortsightedness neglected to mention that without science and engineering jobs, there won't be scientists and engineers?

Ms. Ride, the Senator Obama space policies that you see are those made after Senator Clinton's folks got involved.

Sen. Obama's space policies also have go goal and no direction for NASA other than contributing money to keep the Shuttle flying. Notice that there's no mention of the Moon or Mars. On the surface, it looks like Constellation will merely be our version of Soyuz.

That girl you imagine playing with a chemistry set that's going to be first on the Moon? She's likely Chinese.

I can't wait until the election is over. Neither candidate is a friend of NASA, even though both have propped themselves up as such. Obama and McCain are only interested in NASA because KSC is in Florida. McCain can't decide if he's actually going to freeze all discrectionary spending, and Obama was ready to take 1/3 of NASA's budget until it was time to campaign in Florida. If either of them actually actually pony billion or two for NASA, I'll print this comment on 200 lb paper and eat it for breakfast sometime in 2015.

Its Dr. Ride, actually. She is a Physics professor at UC San Diego.

Barack Obama will cut funding for investments like the space program, and direct the money into education. That way, we can explain to our kids how the Chinese and Russians are getting to the Moon. While we sit on the ground and watch them through that telescope. John McCain really understands our priorities and should be the next President!

I'm sorry anybody believes campaign rhetoric fairy tales. It's too bad we can't run McCain and Obama presidencies in parallel. It's the only way we'll ever know what would have really happened.

Sadly, if you read the full article in the Sentinel it reads like a rather addled and starry-eyed ode to the power of PC-thinking. I mean, come on Sally, inspiring the scientists and engineers of tomorrow by letting them manipulate remote cameras via the web; golly gee whiz - they've probably been doing that on their home PCs since they were 8. Overcoming the biases and distractions of the constant immersion in the popular culture is going to be tougher than just providing equal access to remote controls.

C'mon Brad, put down your attack anecdotes and talk specifics in a world of ideas. Ideas are powerful. Define them. Anecdotes in the vein of "remember the alamo" do nothing to lead anyone to understand anything, but just to stir aimlessly in some direction encouraged for other reasons or where reasons is lacking.

And Keith, c'mon, many people follow your rules...that secret was out a long time ago and many people still fall through the cracks in society. Recall the great depression. Or simply look at the numbers of people in this country who are our working poor, at 40 and 60 and more hours per week getting no where for lack of opportunities to grow income or to live affordably. The matter is if we as a community let that happen amidst our power and wealth to change it. Many people will use our societies safety nets like unemployment insurance with no intention of abuse, trying to get off the safety net ASAP after it's purpose was served. Many entitlement programs that NASA competes against such as Medicare exist because sometimes a need can not be divided up and competed and allowed to arise and meet needs through the same business model that makes cars or computers. Like the post office, some functions are so integral and best run as a cohesive infrastructure that enables, rather than as an ensemble of disjointed private endeavours. Apply the right model for the right outcome. Many times the private co-exists with the public, witness we still have Fedex and DHS.

And "DX" - great you mention that about who has spent what! Guys, look at the numbers, then see what you think. A great site, "Perot Charts" (do a google) shows exactly what DX said. The amount the government "spends" or as well "revenue" (not the same things) as a % of GDP are numbers any discussion such as this must include to get anywhere. This whole "he'll cut this" or "he'll spend that" should rely on data as well as vision, expectations, and beliefs about direction!