ASU hack president whines about potential political backlash from Obama degree decision.

[jefferson_dem]

Arizona State University president suggests he fears political backlash from Obama honorary degree decision

Arizona State University President Michael Crow suggested Saturday in an email to faculty and students that he was hesitant to award President Obama an honorary degree because of potential political consequences to the state-supported school.

"Since my appointment we have not awarded honorary degrees to sitting politicians, a practice based on the very practical realities of operating a public university in our political environment," Crow wrote in the message, obtained by POLITICO.

He added: "We are a young and emerging university in a new and politically complex state."

Arizona is home to Obama's 2008 opponent, Sen. John McCain, and also has a Republican governor and GOP-controlled legislature.

Crow didn't immediately respond to an email asking him to expound on his comments.

Stung by the embarrassment surrounding his school's initial refusal to award Obama an honorary degree, Crow issued a statement Saturday apologizing for "the confusion" and announced the school would designate a group of scholarship students as the "President Barack Obama Scholars."

But Crow still didn't say whether the president would receive an honorary degree when he speaks at the school's graduation ceremony on May 13th.

“It has always been our intention to recognize and honor President Obama's accomplishments during his visit, but we had not yet determined the best or most appropriate way to do so," Crow said in the statement, posted on the university's website. "Although the focus and attention of the media and others has been on an honorary degree, we never felt that was the only—or even the best—means of honoring his tremendous service to our country."

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http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0409/Ariz_State_Univ_prez_suggests_he_fears_political_backlash_over_awarding_Obama_degree.html

[Kerrytravelers]

1. He was afraid that if AZ goes Blue in the next general, and as more Dems get elected statewide, he'd

be blamed by the rethug crybabies.

The "complex" political situation he is talking about it the West becoming more and more Democratic and less... crazy.


:eyes:

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. I realize I'm probably in the minority with this opinion, but is this really...

such a big deal? I don't think the president cares as much about this as his supporters do. I don't think he accepted the invitation with this "honorary" degree in mind. I just think we should be very careful in viewing these things as a slight. If it's true that "no sitting politician" has been awarded the degree, then that should be the end of it.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a fierce Obama supporter, but I just think this is much ado about nothing. And there is the very real chance that the president of this university will face real backlash for breaking the university's protocol, just for Pres. Obama. He's in a helluva position, and I don't envy him. If the graduating students and/or the alumni association galavanized, and came to a decision that they'd like to see the degree bestowed upon the president, then I think that would counteract any political blowback, and possibly take the heat off of Michael Crow.

[Thrill]

4. I don't think its so much not giving Obama one. Its their shitty excuse for not doing it

Thats the insult, that most in the media and on this board take as disrespect. Saying he's basically accomplished nothing.

And just to add. They've lied about there reasons several times. First they said they've never given it out to a sitting politician. Then they were called out on that, when it was researched that they gave one to Barry Goldwater while he was a Senator. Now its they've never given one to a sitting politician since he's been President.

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. Ah yes...the media. They are intent on making anything involving our

president into headline news. President Obama seems to me to be the most unassuming politician of my time, perhaps with the possible exception of Jimmy Carter, and it's just frustrating that his every move is dissected by the M$M, and blown up into a two day story.

[CTyankee]

13. ASU shouldn't have asked/agreed to have him come and speak if they had NO intention of

giving him an honorary degree. It could have avoided the entire thing but once it chose to have him come and speak, they essentially opened a can of worms.

Once again, we see that the "cover up" is worse than the "crime."

[mkultra]

5. well, in his tenor, the following poloticians have been given honoraries

* Wu Qidi: the vice minister of education of the People's Republic of China was given an honorary degree at ASU in May 2006

* Lawrence Douglas Wilder: The nation's first African-American governor in Virginia received an honorary degree and delivered the commencement address at ASU in 2004.

* Jane Dee Hull: Arizona's first elected female governor received an honorary degree.

* Alfredo Gutierrez: A long time Arizona legislator, was given an honorary doctorate in 2000.

* Kim Campbell: Canada's 19th prime minister, received an honorary degree in 2005.



Wether they where sitting when awarded i don't know.

[dsc]

7. Of the five, I know that Wilder, Hull, and Campbell weren't politicians when they got the degrees

Wilder is mayor of Richmond now but wasn't then, Campbell and Hull have retired from politics entirely.

[mkultra]

8. how much do you wanna bet

that Wu Qidi was. im guessing he will need to amend his statement with the word "American"

[dsc]

10. He probably was

I admit to having no clue at all but it is quite likely.

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. It just seems to me that the president of the school has been put in an...

untenable position. He has to deal with the home state of the losing candidate, and all that it entails. The alumni association, the graduating class, and the politicians who may benefit the school financially. But, on the other hand, I do recognize the disappointment on the part of Pres. Obama's supporters. I just happen to think that this was blown up into an ordeal, just like the Notre Dame fiasco.

Just for the record, I was of the opinion that the President should have just backed out of the ND commencement gracefully, and send them a big FU.

[Thrill]

3. Michael Crow. Friend of John McCain?

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?city=PARADISE+VALLEY&st=AZ&last=crow&first=michael

[SheilaT]

6. I've always thought honorary degrees

were pretty stupid in the first place.

I've attended college on and off my entire adult life, and in almost every state I have lived in. When I lived in Phoenix I did not even consider attending ASU because I have such a low regard for it. Obama is probably better off not getting a honorary degree, which is a totally worthless piece of paper no matter what school grants it, anyway.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

9. I'd be willing to let it go if he apologized for the initial statement from the PR

person saying he hasn't accomplished enough.

[MBS]

14. what he means is this

"We are a young and emerging university in a state run mostly by Republicans, many of whom are major donors, and many of whom won't hesitate to play political hardball if we dared honor a successful and influential Democrat ."

That said, I have no doubt (based on direct experience) that the pressures are real. In fact, given those pressures, I think it's even impressive that they managed to invite Obama at all.

Also, as I wrote earlier, ASU does have weird criteria for awarding honorary degrees (one of the historical criteria has been how much money the candidates have donated to ASU over the years)

[TheKentuckian]

15. I wasn't that bent over it until I found out about

"* Wu Qidi: the vice minister of education of the People's Republic of China was given an honorary degree at ASU in May 2006"

It just turned their lame ass excuses into a bit of bile in my throat. Not that I've been ranting off the meter on this by any stretch but internally it now pisses me off quite a little bit now.