The tepid response from Amarillo-area educators to President Obama’s speech to students today is a clear reflection of the broader constituency.

Look at it this way: The president’s speech likely will be shown live in virtually all classrooms in school districts where Obama polled much better than he did here.

Consider these locations: Alameda County, Calif., Dallas County, King County, Wash., Cook County, Ill.? Students in those regions got to watch Obama live, in real time, as he spoke to them about the virtues of working hard in school.

Here, though, the calculation is much different. Obama finished far behind Republican presidential nominee John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. Thus, the teachers’ and school administrators’ reluctance to show the speech live to students is understandable.

Politics shouldn’t govern whether the president is allowed to offer wisdom to students starting a new school year. But that’s the nature of the proverbial beast — and the nation’s politican in chief knows it better than anyone.