Democrats release platform, McCain posts higher education agenda

A forum last Friday at the New America Foundation gave Democrats an opportunity to roll-out elements of their recently completed platform. The foundation has extended an invitation to the Republicans to do the same with the GOP platform in September (we'll provide the link when available).

See McCain’s higher ed agenda here. and Obama's here.

The higher education section of the Democratic platform is what we expected, having heard these ideas in Obama speeches (see Inside Higher Ed article for more) – simplifying the financial aid system, support the Pell Grant program, and create a new American Opportunity Tax Credit, which students can receive in exchange for community service. The McCain campaign this weekend released their higher education program – which also has no big surprises. McCain calls for supporting modernized universities without increased regulation; improving information for parents; simplifying higher ed tax benefits; simplifying financial aid; and fixing the student loan programs.

The release of the Democratic platform piqued the interest of the DC set, with a packed room, a spill-over room, and 500+ people who (according to the foundation) logged in for the webcast, notable given that the foundation put the event together in just one day.

An overview of the Democratic platform drafting process was given by Karen Kornbluh (formerly of the foundation and now on leave from Obama’s senate staff and working on his campaign). As she put it, the Democrats had five weeks to write the platform instead of the usual five months (as a result of the prolonged primary season). They had a drafting committee and a platform committee with two high level meetings – one of about 50 people in Ohio, one of 180 in Pittsburgh. The groups were made up of half Clinton people and half Obama people. Apparently, there was no dissension.

Preceding those two meetings, grassroots participation in the platform process took place as "meet-ups” (a throwback to the Dean campaign). Kornbluh reported that there were 1,645 listening hearings and more than 30,000 people participated.

Other items of note include some new language (which we'll all be tired of by November), such as "no restoration to the status quo ante," "transnational challenges," "common security,” and "green-collar jobs."