The president’s speech (http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/)  focused on hard work, seeking out help, not making excuses and learning from failures, rather than letting failure defeat you—all shared American values, not Democratic ones that Republicans abhor.  

No educated person should have expected otherwise from the speech or would misinterpret the accompanying teaching ideas as lacking a critical component.  Having students reflect on their own success and set goals as they move forward is most appropriate.   In fact, they are already part of learning objectives at my children’s middle school.  Having the president reinforce that is ideal. 
What parents wouldn’t want their child to hear a message like this?  

Barack Obama, whether you voted for him or not, is our President.  If former President George W. Bush had given a similar speech, I’d be glad to have my children hear it.

Speaking to kids about succeeding needs to rise above politics for both parties.

Parents pulling their children from the speech sent a dangerous message about intolerance and political divisiveness.

Has it come to the point where some can’t even be in the same room as a person we have political differences with?

In the summer of 1787, 55 men converged on Philadelphia to work through the challenging and difficult process of reforming the Articles of Confederation.  The challenge they faced was how to structure the Constitution to preserve their interests without so negatively impacting others that we’d not have a unified country.

They had strong political differences, and, yes, some left due to them.  But the final document on September 17, 1787 that emerged from their political debates and numerous compromises occurred because in the end they respected each other and looked for what could unite them, rather than divide them.