I’ve spent years explaining to college students why grading is necessary.  I have thoughtfully reviewed all the reasons why I can’t just give everyone an “A” and make them love me.  Grades are merely a tool, I have said; they help you to adjust your learning modalities and achieve your life goals more efficiently.  I’m sure no one believed any of it.  Grades are more an essential element of our culture than we may realize.  After one debate among Republican Presidential hopefuls last election season, journalists attempted to simplify the comparison by assigning each candidate a letter grade.  As we review these, keep in mind that the surgeon who operates on you could have gotten through medical school with a “C” average.  Newt Gingrich was asked about his ex-wife’s claim that he wanted an open marriage.  He managed to turn that into a political advantage, and a grade of “A+”.  By continuing to refuse to release his tax returns, Romney dropped to a “B”.  We want our President to be a shrewd businessman, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Santorum also earned a “B” mark, basically because he lacked energy and seemed content to finish fourth.  Ron Paul earned a “C-“; his mind seemed to be wandering off to other things, like most of the viewers.   Two things were worthy of note; first, grade inflation is rampant – the average for this class was a “B”.  Second, Newt’s in the lead based on his ability to nimbly dodge a direct challenge to his moral values.  If you don’t believe that this is a key skill for a successful politician, I suggest you Google “Bill Clinton impeachment.”

http://thepage.time.com/2012/01/19/grading-the-last-stand/