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Speaker stopped speaking [Anti-Bush Commencement Rant Gets Author Booed Off Stage]
Newsday ^ | 5/23/04

Posted on 05/23/2004 5:05:46 PM PDT by 11th Earl of Mar

BY BART JONES STAFF WRITER

May 23, 2004, 7:17 PM EDT

E.L. Doctorow, one of the most celebrated writers in America, was nearly booed off the stage at Hofstra University Sunday when he gave a commencement address lambasting President George W. Bush and effectively calling him a liar.

Booing that came mainly from the crowd in the stands became so intense that Doctorow stopped speaking at one point...

Doctorow, who spent virtually all of his 20-minute address in Hempstead criticizing Bush, told the crowd that like himself the president is a storyteller. But "sadly they are not good stories this president tells," he said. "They are not good stories because they are not true." That line provoked the first boos, along with scattered cheers.

...Those lines provoked an outburst of boos so loud the "Ragtime" author stopped the speech... He attacked Bush for giving the rich tax breaks, doing "a very poor job of combating terrorism" and allowing the government to subpoena libraries "to see what books you've been taking out."

Many parents and relatives were livid over the address... Bill Schmidt, 51, of North Bellmore, shared the outrage. "To ruin my daughter's graduation with politics is pathetic" ...

One Hofstra official said Sunday that while Doctorow had the right to say what he did, he violated the unwritten code that college commencement speeches should inspire and unite a student body. Provost Dr. Herman Berliner said he has been to numerous graduation ceremonies during the past 30 years and "I cannot remember a commencement speech that was as divisive as this commencement speech was."

...

(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: booed; bushhaters; commencement; doctorow; eldoctorow; hofstra
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To: The South Texan
I don't get it. You would think that speakers like this would get applauded at college graduations like all of the Hollyweirdos at the Cannes File Fest in France cheering Micheal Moore.

Maybe Bush itsn't as unpopular as the poll suggest?

Perhaps those polls have actually been conducted in France.

101 posted on 05/23/2004 7:03:37 PM PDT by Cloud William
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To: kayak

Seems like BKO's about page should mention who she was? I always enjoyed her appearances on television.


102 posted on 05/23/2004 7:05:55 PM PDT by Joe_October (Saddam supported Terrorists. Al Qaeda are Terrorists. I can't find the link.)
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To: 11th Earl of Mar
Rule #1 in public speaking...

Know your audience.

103 posted on 05/23/2004 7:06:13 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter
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To: CaptainK
Excellent. Drudge has pick up the story.

Drudge has it up now.

104 posted on 05/23/2004 7:08:26 PM PDT by 11th Earl of Mar
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To: ride the whirlwind

"Inconceivable!"

105 posted on 05/23/2004 7:09:12 PM PDT by WorldWatcher1
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To: gov_bean_ counter
Rule #1 in public speaking... Know your audience. <P. Winston Churchill says that the #1 rule is to stop talking before the audience stops listening.
106 posted on 05/23/2004 7:09:50 PM PDT by 11th Earl of Mar
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To: StarCMC
Some Hofstra professors said Doctorow was on target in discussing the war. "I thought this was a totally appropriate place to talk about politics because that's the world our students are entering," said sociology professor Cythnia Bogard.

That's sweet. They'll be offering the Bush side equal time, right? Isn't that what has lately been deemed appropriate?

Oh, wait. That's only when a Republican speaks.

College President Upset by Cheney's Speech

college President Fletcher Lamkin acused Cheney "stepping off the high ground and resorting to Kerry-bashing for a large portion of his speech." Lamkin has invited Sen. Kerry to speak at the college in coming months, "in the interest of balance and fairness and integrity."

107 posted on 05/23/2004 7:10:55 PM PDT by cyncooper (There's a RAT line in Iraq)
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To: 11th Earl of Mar

Apparently that would have been by about the third word.


108 posted on 05/23/2004 7:11:12 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter
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To: cyncooper

Amazing how well they do the job of outing themselves, isn't it??


109 posted on 05/23/2004 7:14:33 PM PDT by StarCMC (Please pray for the 2/7 Marines and Josh.)
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To: 11th Earl of Mar
Excellent! Free Speech, my foot! When I taught school in Tennessee I was bluntly informed I didn't have free speech rights to criticize Bill Clinton. Well, the liberal left doesn't have it either. Time to lock it down. Hard. No apologies.
110 posted on 05/23/2004 7:17:45 PM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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To: Galactic Overlord-In-Chief

If it had been a liberal audience,and he a conservative speaker, they would have flung the fruit of their bowels at him.


111 posted on 05/23/2004 7:19:41 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (Loose libs sink ships!!!!!)
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To: 11th Earl of Mar

Actually most of Doctorow's books are pretty good. And he's a nice guy. I know him fairly well. But he evidently got carried away by his liberal delusions and thought that a college audience would be sympathetic to them.

Liberals spend almost all their time surrounded by other liberals, which puts them out of touch with the world. I hope this dash of cold water will do him some good.


112 posted on 05/23/2004 7:22:19 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: deadhead

Sorensen booed at Oswego's Commencement last week and now, E.L. Doctorow being booed at Hofstra. Ya gotta love it...


113 posted on 05/23/2004 7:22:45 PM PDT by deadhead (God Bless Our Troops and Veterans Bush-Cheney '04)
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To: jwalsh07

Ooops, LOL...post #113 was for you


114 posted on 05/23/2004 7:24:05 PM PDT by deadhead (God Bless Our Troops and Veterans Bush-Cheney '04)
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To: 11th Earl of Mar

Disgusting that this idiot peed all over the college graduates at their graduation.


115 posted on 05/23/2004 7:26:03 PM PDT by Ciexyz ("FR, best viewed with a budgie on hand"P)
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To: petercooper
You could add to that sign...

Now the Faggots and Lesbos!!


116 posted on 05/23/2004 7:26:50 PM PDT by unixfox (Close the borders, problems solved!)
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To: 11th Earl of Mar
Bwwaaaa. First Ted Sorenson, now this.

The American people are sick of this crap - attacking the President during war time.

WHEN WILL THE LIMOUSINE LIBS GET IT????

117 posted on 05/23/2004 7:29:54 PM PDT by veronica (Sen. Robert Bryd has seen more hoods than Iraqi prisoners ever wore....)
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To: tiamat

do-itashi-mash'te

(so there!)


118 posted on 05/23/2004 7:32:47 PM PDT by King Prout (the difference between "trained intellect" and "indoctrinated intellectual" is an Abyssal gulf)
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Comment #119 Removed by Moderator

To: F.J. Mitchell

you have SUCH a way with words!


120 posted on 05/23/2004 7:34:50 PM PDT by King Prout (the difference between "trained intellect" and "indoctrinated intellectual" is an Abyssal gulf)
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