A Fine Line Between Clever And Stupid

I don't know what's worse. Our Secretary of Education coming in second--behind David St. Hubbins--on the game show Jeopardy:

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings says she studied hard to prepare for Tuesday night's airing of "Celebrity Jeopardy!"

"I didn't want to be the education secretary who didn't know how to spell potato," Spellings joked, describing how she read books and sought advice from a former show contender and her daughters.

In the end, Spellings said she thinks the effort was worth it. She came in second behind the actor Michael McKean, best known for his role as 'Lenny' on the television show "Laverne and Shirley" and for the movie "This Is Spinal Tap."

Placing third was actor Hill Harper, from the television show "CSI: NY."

"I think I held my own," Spellings said in an interview Tuesday, hours before the show aired. She noted McKean had an edge, having been on the show before.

Or her deputy press secretary Trey Ditto (is that a name made for Sports Center or what?) sending out a press release touting her "achievement":

Last night, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings won second place on Celebrity Jeopardy and $25,000 for ProLiteracy Worldwide.

Michael McKean, best known for his role as 'Lenny' on the television show "Laverne and Shirley," and actor Hill Harper, from the television show "CSI: NY," made strong starts, but after the first commercial break, Secretary Spellings went on a streak to gain solid control of second place.

Behind the guy who played Lenny. Keep that bar nice and low.

During Double Jeopardy, Secretary Spellings played smart and conservative. In fact, her strategic play led to answering BOTH Double Jeopardy questions correctly and maintaining a significant lead over Mr. Harper.

In the end, Secretary Spellings successfully answered the Final Jeopardy answer, "What is To Kill a Mockingbird" and came in second place with $11,100.

Secretary Spellings was the first Cabinet secretary ever to appear on the popular quiz show. She said she'd like to return for another try.

And maybe next time she might even play to win!

Is it really too much to expect that our Secretary of Education could beat a comic actor in a trivia game? Is finishing in second place in a contest with three players good enough for America in 2006? Sadly, this little spectacle has a lot of parallels with the general state of American education today.