Who coined the phrase "soft bigotry of low expectations"?  Is there a
story behind it's creation and spread?

Hi afriend-ga,

You got it for free.

Come here and read page 10:
http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/mark.wattier/Purpose.pdf

And you can see this paragraph:"Some say it is unfair to hold
disadvantaged children to rigorous standards. I say it is
discrimination to require anything less ?the soft bigotry of low
expectations. Some say that schools can?t be
expected to teach, because there are too many broken families, too
many immigrants, too much diversity. I say that pigment and poverty
need not determine performance. That myth is disproved by good schools
every day. Excuse-making must end before learning can begin."

Satisfied?

dr_chung-ga

Thanks, dr_chung-ga.  I know Bush used it a lot in his campaign, but I
don't think he originated the phrase.  If he or his staffers did, it
still seems like there would be a story begind it.

A profile in the New Yorker last month of Bush's speechwriter credits
him for that sentence. That is, however, incorrect. I read that
sentence in a book years ago, but it is not the one posted in the
answer here. We need to continue the research to verify who said it.
It is a very strong concept, but Bush - or anyone in his
administration - cannot take credit for it!