Next week I’m leaving for sunny Florida (yech!) to present a paper at the 2004 Conference on Information Technology of the League for Innovation in the Community College. The conference begins on November 7, and on November 8 the keynote speaker will be Jeb Bush.

It’s not easy to think of a worse choice for a keynote at a conference on higher education, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers, and my policy is to try to avoid keynotes, anyhow. The only one I’ve ever attended that was worthwhile was Edward Said’s standing-room-only talk at the MLA some years ago.

But now I’m thinking–by November 8, will the election even be decided? Will Jeb Bush even be able to take time away from fighting lawsuits to come to the conference? (the program says he’s confirmed, but who really knows?) Will he be the brother of a lame duck, or the awarder of Florida to his greatful re-elected brother (shudder!).

The talk is scheduled for 1:45-3PM. Sounds like an excellent time to be sipping a seltzer with lime at the poolside!