Arizona State University has invited President Obama to give its commencement address. It is also the custom for ASU, and most other universities, to award an honorary degree to the commencement speaker. Not so this year. The geniuses responsible at ASU have decided not to award Mr. Obama the customary degree because as they so disingenuously put it he hasn't accumulated a large enough body of work to merit a degree.
I see.
Barack Obama has reached the pinnacle of American politics and fame in being elected not only the POTUS, but as a result of attaining this distinction, the Leader of the Free World. Mr. Obama did this without benefit of having a father who was a past president of the US, nor a grandfather who was a US Senator. He accomplished this without having had his father and grandfather serve as admirals in the US Navy. Mr. Obama's father, in fact, abandoned him, his mother was absent for a good deal of his formative years, and he had the extra burden of being a bi-racial young man in a country still struggling with its racist past.
Mr. Obama, by dint of his own determination to succeed and through hard work and dedication to learning, earned scholarships to some of America's most prestigious institutions of learning. He was elected the first African-American head of the Harvard Law Review, graduated magna cum laud and became a community organizer instead of heading for a fast-track lucrative job in a first-tier law firm.
He was elected to the Illinois state legislature, wrote two best-selling books himself--no ghostwriters involved, got elected to the US Senate, ran for president and beat out one of America's most powerful, popular, and well-known political families-- the Clintons, won the Democratic nomination, and went on to vanquish a long-established US Senator and Vietnam war hero, while carrying traditionally Republican states, like Virginia and North Carolina.
Apparently, those accomplishments are paltry compared to the honorees who have had the benefit of ASU's degrees conferred upon them in the past--one of which was a Chinese Communist.
"His body of work is yet to come," said Sharon Keeler, a spokeswoman for the university. "That's why we're not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency."
ASU's decision, announced on Thursday, has already floored members of the academic, political and media communities. At once bizarre and insulting, critics are curious as to what, exactly, a sufficient body of work resembles under the university's standards. After all, in addition to being the first African-American elected to the office of the president in our nation's history, Obama has served in the United States Senate and authored two best selling books.
In light of it all, it's worth looking back at who Arizona State University has offered honorary degrees.
Here is a list. And here is the honor give to the Chinese Communist fellow:
Wu Qidi: the vice minister of education of the People's Republic of China was given an honorary degree at ASU in May 2006."
Mr. Wu Qidi wasn't even the CHAIRMAN of education--only a vice chairman.
Incidentally, ASU gave both Sandra Day O'Connor and Sen. Barry Goldwater honorary degrees when O'Connor was only 3 years into her 25 year career on the Supreme Court and when Goldwater was eight years into his 30 years of serving in the US Senate. Those examples are hardly representative of a "body of work."
It's very clear what ASU and the people who made the decision are up to.
No matter.
Mr. Obama received REAL degrees from far more prestigious universities than ASU. He hardly needs their pissy sheepskin adornment to validate his very real, very honor-worthy accomplishments.
48 comments:
No doubt, right wing parents will see this and encourage their children to attend ASU. In a way it's a genius marketing ploy. Look at how many followers right wing blogs generate. They're deluded but loyal.
Call me old fashioned...
But our President is our President and you always give the new guy a chance.
I cannot help but believe that something is seriously wrong in a country that does not respect democracy enough to accept the fact that the majority of our citizens chose Barack Obama to be President.
At some point you have to admit defeat, dust yourself off, and move on; with at least the decency to respect the process and your fellow citizens, and know that you had all the opportunity to make your case for your side and you were beaten by a better opponent.
At some point the election ends and the work begins and we have never ever seem to get back to work...
It's clearly an insult.
Good call, Shaw.
Forget the right wingers, they're still stuck on the birth certificate thing. They truly make me ill. Watch some of the "tea bagging" (hysterical) videos; they all appear to be idiots.
Apparently ASU has come to their senses and decided his body of work does merit an honorary degree.
I wonder what convinced them?
"Incidentally, ASU gave both Sandra Day O'Connor and Sen. Barry Goldwater honorary degrees when O'Connor was only 3 years into her 25 year career on the Supreme Court and when Goldwater was eight years into his 30 years of serving in the US Senate. Those examples are hardly representative of a "body of work."
Well, let's see. By that time O'Connor had already served in all three branches of Arizona's government as well as having carved out a career as a private lawyer. That, as well as being appointed to the US Supreme Court, pretty much the legal pinnacle, sounds like a body of work to me.
Goldwater in 1961 had fought in two wars and was still serving in the USAFR. He'd been a senator for eight years, a leader in the civil rights movement and was considered a leading candidate for president.
Both were also Arizonans.
Obama has been an undistinguished state senator, and a US senator for four years, two of which he spent running for president. As has been pointed out before, he really does not have any record of success or distinction beyond winning elections (and the presidential election was the only one in which he faced significant opposition).
He really doesn't have a body of work. Besides, I thought you guys were all about merit? You should be applauding this.
Well of course you must be right, Gordon. Being elected to the highest office in America and being the Leader of the Free World isn't much of an achievement at all, come to think of it. We'll have to wait and see what Mr. Obama does with his life before we think anything approaching admiration over what he has accomplished.
I notice how you fail to use the Communist Chinese guy as an example of ASU's double standard, but perhaps you have a soft spot in your heart for communists who become vice chairmen of education, and perhaps you believe that is a much more worthy achievement than being elected President of the United States.
Thanks for stopping by and enforcing what we already know about your opinion of Barack Obama.
Gordon: I'm completely with Shaw on this. If you look at the others who have gotten this degree, there is no super-duper high standard. At least by getting elected, President Obama deserves the degree by the typical standards of ASU.
What would it take for him to be qualified enough for you? Actually join the Communist Party?
Ah, dmarks...
I believe that ASU has already awarded an honorary doctorate to a Communist Party member...so even that would not be an all that outstanding life work achievement.
Kind of makes you wonder why ASU offered an invitation to speak to someone who just hasn't done all that much with his life...
What kind of example are they setting for their graduates by allowing someone to speak at their commencement who hasn't achieved enough in their life to be awarded an honorary doctorate?
Tao: Now who is being argumentative? I completely agree with what Shaw and you have said so far on this. As for "I believe that ASU has already awarded an honorary doctorate to a Communist Party member", that was already discussed in the post and comments. Not sure what you are arguing here.
Judgement appears to be saddly lacking at ASU. At least one hopes that the reasons for their bizarre decision weren't more base than poor judgement.
Dmarks,
Buddy, I wasn't arguing with you but agreeing with you! Kind of surprising...I know!
Obviously, ASU tried to have their cake and eat it to...thought they could invite the President to speak and then not anger their big donors by withholding an honorary degree...
When you have given an honorary degree to a vice chairman of some communist government department then come on, the President of the United States, regardless of how liberal, can't be that much to swallow...
TAO and dmarks,
That's why Gordon's excuse for ASU is disingenuous. He completely disregards the fact that ASU awarded an honorary degree to some Communist bureaucrat, and instead focused on O'Connor and Goldwater. There are plenty of other examples in the link in my post of underachievers who got an honorary degree from ASU.
I'm sure Mr. Obama could give a flying gekko over it. He's too classy. Besides, accepting an honorary degree from ASU would be a step down in his already impressive achievements, Gordon's sneering at them, notwithstanding.
Oh, well, I agree with Shaw and TAO that if you're going to give degrees to left-wing party apparatchiks, then Obama is totally qualified.
And I kind of doubt that ASU is exactly a hotbed of either Republicans or conservatives. Indeed, the university president says Obama's policies were aligned with the institution.
But ASU also has a policy against giving degrees to sitting politicians. Apparently they prefer to do things the Chicago way; they give stuff to folks who have given a lot of money. I'm sure the president and his chief of staff understand that.
Gordon,
How droll of you to place our president in the company of communist thugs. Why it reminds me of the angry, spittle-bedewed wackos who did that to Bush, only they compared him to a Nazi leader.
Good commenting. Great insight.
Gorden,
Goldwater was a sitting senator at the time that he got his award and George Romney had to take a break from running for governor of the state of Michigan to accept his and the same holds true for Raul H. Castro and his award while running for the governorship of Arizona...
The Democrats are in the pocket of the pro-choice groups, YOu cannot take seriously the anti abortion credentials of anyone who voted for Obama.
Those in the pro-life community should never have supported Obama in the first place. The fact that Obama voted against a bill that would have protected infants after surviving botched abortions speaks for itself. Now we have one of the most pro-abortion presidents in our history. And now American taxpayers are going to be paying for abortions in China!
Gordon typed:
'Oh, well, I agree with Shaw and TAO that if you're going to give degrees to left-wing party apparatchiks, then Obama is totally qualified.'
Brother.
What an inane statement.
Most of my friends consider Obama far too middle of the road and not nearly liberal enough.Though a vast, vast improvement over the last guy.
'Party apparatchik' with its association to the late, unlamented USSR is preposterous.
Actually it's a lie. One of many you repeat over and again.
This is good too:
'But ASU also has a policy against giving degrees to sitting politicians. Apparently they prefer to do things the Chicago way; they give stuff to folks who have given a lot of money. I'm sure the president and his chief of staff understand that.'
Obama didn't contribute to ASU? But if does he gets a degree? And as for the 'Chicago way: they give stuff to folks who have given a lot of money'.
Duh.
That is universal Gordon.
Donate a couple million to Bob Jones University or Regent University and they'll happily name a building after you. And likely take you to dinner. Perhaps you'd like to endow a chair for John Galt studies somewhere. Ditto.
"And as for the 'Chicago way: they give stuff to folks who have given a lot of money'"
I still wonder what Burris paid for his senate seat. It'll probably come out some time, as he keeps changing his story. But that is another topic!
Hey, I didn't make the comparison--you did. I just dotted the Is and crossed the Ts.
And a good lefty like Arthurstone would know that "apparatchik" is in common use in American politics. I'd put Hugh Hewitt in that category, for instance.
And certainly an institution can change its policies. The Castro, Romney and Goldwater degrees were given over 40 years ago.
It doesn't matter anyway. ASU has caved on the issue, and the president will get his prissy sheepskin adornment, to go along with the half-dozen other validations he's harvested.
The President of the United States needs validations?
Shaw seems to worry that he does, even if she says the opposite.
It's not a crazy idea. You see the same thing with Hollywood stars; they get rich and famous without having worked in a traditional way, and have an aching need to have that success validated by peers and fans.
That's why they all say "oh, awards don't matter; it's an honor to be nominated." But they all show up to be on the red carpet, and they eagerly grab those little trophies.
I "seem" to worry that Mr. Obama needs validation, even if I SAY the opposite?
There you go again, Gordon! Letting your skewed imagination run amok. What something "seems" to you is NOT reality; what I say, IS.
In truth, Mr. Obama needs no validation from me or anyone else.
That is self-evident.
You're still incensed that he was able to win the confidence of not just traditionally liberal voters, but he received the validation of Independents and not a few traditional Republicans.
In other words, he did what Reagan did years ago.
PS.
Happy Easter
I'll be waiting to read you use 'apparatchik' in connection with a right-wing pundit Gordon. Don't let me down.
Thanks for the chuckle!
President Pantywaist says it all!! Obummer is a weak, tough-talking, non-delivering bag of hot air and it didn't take long for our enemies to discover it. Putin must be rubbing his hands together in glee. Obummer will be a disaster for America, on the other hand, he is the right color for the left (yellow) and doesn't his wife dress well!!
In the space of two months, he's already become America's Gordon Brown. He is a complete incompetent.
Proposing an amnesty for the 12-20 million illegal immigrants at this time of economic crisis? Declining to pay his respects to the American war dead in Normandy?
Look what he's doing offshore Somalia. Nothing.
I think it far more significant that the US isn't dealing with pirates"
This is very strange isn't it?
One would think that the insurance companies, if no-one else, would want to underwrite the miniscule costs of putting armed marshalls (Blackwater operatives perhaps) on every vessel sailing these waters. Two to four men, depending on the size of vessel, with automatic weapons and RPGs or shoulder fired missiles would neutralise these boats in a moment. Why aren't they doing that - what don't we know?
Alternatively, a USMC assault carrier with Harriers and Cobra gunships training in the area could put an end to the lives of these miserable pirates, and test their equipment at the same time.
I simply do not understand this fatalistic, do-nothing approach.
Obama's words mean absolutely nothing. They vaporise like bubbles as soon as they hit any form of resistance. I read somewhere this morning that Obama is Jimmy Carter on stilts
And I read somewhere on the internet today that Mrs. Trellis is a deranged, rightwing Obama hater with nothing to do but spread "her" droppings in comment sections like a bloated elephant with intestinal distress.
And because Mrs. Trellis is nothing but a troll, no one takes "her" excremental effluvia seriously, except as a reason to call the circus clean-up crew.
Trellis: The title of this post is "ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY INSULTS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES". And then you comment with President Pantywaist, Obummer, bubbles, stilts, yellow, and complete incompetent. (I've seen the last one used before here, as an equally lame insult for President Bush.
Anyway, I did not take the title of the post as an invitation to heap insults on Pres. Obama. But you did. Is it possible for you to discuss him without playground insults?
"Proposing an amnesty for the 12-20 million illegal immigrants at this time of economic crisis? "
What is the connection? It probably goes the other way. Can you imagine the economic chaos from firing 12,000,000+ workers (which would happen as you deported them).
Gordon: Has Obama said one word about the ASU degree issue?
Dmarks,
He's too busy freeing the captain and killing pirates! :)
Highly amusing. The Right is reduced to being catty about the First Lady's wardrobe?
You know you're an irrelevant political party when you have to criticize what someone wears.
Oh this is too funny and too delicious to watch.
Thank you, Mr. Obama, for turning the Republican Party into a bunch of scolds with no ideas and no place to go.
Anon: "You know you're an irrelevant political party when you have to criticize what someone wears."
I guess that the Democrats are irrelevant too, judging from all their bashing of Sarah Palin over what she wore (right down to her boots).
To the frothing, idiot troll who posted as Mrs. Trellis:
Source: CNN
Reported by Barbara Starr, Pentagon correspondent.
(CNN) -- The captain of the Maersk Alabama was freed Sunday after being held captive by pirates on a lifeboat off Somalia since Wednesday, a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the situation told CNN.
The official said Capt. Richard Phillips is uninjured and in good condition, and that three of the four pirates were killed. The fourth pirate is in custody. Phillips was taken aboard the USS Bainbridge, a nearby naval warship.
You and your pathetic gang of whining little assholes are awfully quick to jump on the Wuss Wagon and label everything Mr. Obama does a failure.
You must be, what? ten years old? Because a ten year old expects everything to happen RIGHT NOW! and anything short of RIGHT NOW! is perceived as a failure.
Go crawl back into your cramped, fetid hole of terror and suck on your puerile thumb for comfort--better yet, stick it somewhere else where its dark and wet.
Shaw: I listened to Rush Limbaugh's weekly Saturday rerun yesterday. He was ranting about how we have a pirate problem because Obama is not torturing the pirates. Really.
dmarks,
Did I sound a tad irritated in that last comment? I think I did. It's been a long, long, tiring week, and today, a chocolate bunny ate all the peeps in my basket.
Grrrrrrrr!
And thanks for the laugh, re: Limbaugh.
Rush blaming the entire pirate problem on Obama reminds me of the article/opinion I read in Newsweek that referred to the recession of 2000 starting because of President George W. Bush's actions on the economy in 1998.
Arrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!
dmarks-
An 'editorial/article' in Newsweek blaming GWB for the recession of 2000 because of actions he took in 1998 two years before he was elected?
Are you sure about that?
Yes, I read it in the actual paper version of the magazine sometime during the first Bush term. The writer basically started Bush's term two years early.
Arthurstone: You need not wait, because I described one conservative pundit as an apparatchik in the comment to which you referred.
Shaw: "You're still incensed that he was able to win the confidence of not just traditionally liberal voters, but he received the validation of Independents and not a few traditional Republicans."
You're right, I am still incensed that a confidence man successfully plied his trade on the voters. Some of us tried to warn you. We'll be paying the price for this scam for generations.
And Happy Easter to you, Ms. K.
Insanity is everywhere!!!
Gordon typed:
'Arthurstone: You need not wait, because I described one conservative pundit as an apparatchik in the comment to which you referred.'
Um.
In direct response to having your annoying and inaccurate habit of equating Demos with all things Marxist and Soviet pointed out to you.
I'm waiting or one example in the course of normal posting.
Arthurstone: "In direct response to having your annoying and inaccurate habit of equating Demos with all things Marxist and Soviet pointed out to you."
Well, first off, I didn't make the comparison, Shaw did. I just agreed that it was apt. Besides, Obama has his own pet Marxist educator--but some might say the relationship flows the other way.
Second, calling a ChiCom bureaucrat "Marxist and soviet" is something I just wouldn't do. It's a different flavor of murderous totalitarianism, just as "fascist" and "national socialist" are different systems of left-wing authoritarianism.
So it wasn't me. Perhaps you're projecting?
Arthurstone: "In direct response to having your annoying and inaccurate habit of equating Demos with all things Marxist and Soviet pointed out to you."
Gordon answered:
"Well, first off, I didn't make the comparison, Shaw did. I just agreed that it was apt. Besides, Obama has his own pet Marxist educator--but some might say the relationship flows the other way."
(Snip)
So it wasn't me. Perhaps you're projecting?"
Hmmmmm.
Somehow I don't think I'm projecting Gordon.
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