Pennsylvania legislators post video dancing the whip/nae nae. Yeah.

Dear Pennsylvania State House Democrats: Why?

Here’s why: Pennsylvania is in the middle of a budget crisis. The state has gone two months without a state budget. The Republican-controlled Legislature and the Democratic governor are in a stalemate, and funding is starting to fall short for state-funded institutions, including schools.

With some districts struggling to make payroll, legislators are worried their constituents might see them as against education. So pass a budget and get schools the money they need, right?

OR: Let’s dance a teen dance. That will show constituents we care.

State Rep. Patty Kim, D-Dauphin, took credit for the video, labeled “For the Kids,” of her fellow Democrats dancing to the Silentó song “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” in an interview with Fox 43.

“We want to grab their attention and let them know, ‘We care about you’,” Kim said. “This is how we want to fund your education because you’re important to us.”

This is a classic strategy in education policy. Who can forget when George W. Bush secured the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act by doing the Cupid Shuffle on the Capitol steps? Or Barack Obama going Gangnam style to get support for Race to the Top?

Er…maybe not.