Posted on 09/16/2004 4:50:19 PM PDT by NYC GOP Chick
Economics professor Jim Miller will be running for Massachusetts Senate this fall. Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney recruited Miller, the only Republican candidate in his district, to run in the election.
"People called me a terrorist," said Miller about his attempts to collect signatures in Amherst. As part of the political minority in Massachusetts, Miller had to go to great lengths to find the 300 signatures necessary to enter as a candidate. "The best place to go was the Deerfield Dump," said Miller. "People thought 'This guy must be dedicated to be standing out here on a Saturday.'"
Miller would like to work with Romney to cut out waste in government budgets, lower taxes and improve government services. Miller sees his political affiliation as a way to battle Western Massachusetts' under-representation.
"Boston politically dominates the state; they get holidays that Western Mass doesn't," said Miller. "They suck our taxes for projects like The Big Dig." According to Miller, the Democratic representatives from Western Mass do not normally oppose Boston politicians because they belong to the same party.
Although Miller has pursued political journalism for some time, his politics received national media attention two years ago when he was denied tenure. "I came home after reading two of the three opposed letters," said Miller. "I told my wife that night 'I am going to be on The O'Reilly Factor.'" Miller went to Smith's grievance council to challenge the tenure decision, claiming that he was rejected because of political bias and not because of academic motives. Smith has since granted him tenure, but Miller has appeared on conservative talk shows and published articles about the battle.
Intellectual diversity in higher education is one of the key issues on Miller's political platform. He describes the majority of elite colleges and universities as "politically correct country clubs that are not interested in debate, but in affirming their set beliefs," which he claims is detrimental to students' welfare.
"Students at Smith are not ready to compete in the marketplace of ideas because they are not exposed to intellectual diversity," said Miller. "They can't tell you why people would not support affirmative action ... eventually their views don't matter because they can't fight for them."
A former student of Miller's, Aya Uehara '05, recalled one argument in class over affirmative action: "He was arguing with this black girl for 50 minutes. Eventually, he admitted that she had a point, though. I liked that," Uehara said.
"If you're Republican, it's uncouth." said Miller, "but it's important that one-third of Americans are conservative," said Miller. To better represent diversity of thought, Miller wants to create "The Minuteman Institute" at the University of Massachusetts. The institute will teach regular topics from a pro-American, patriotic point of view.
To start off his campaign, Miller invited his opposing candidate, Democrat Stanley Rosenburg, to a debate at Smith over gay marriage. "The people, not the courts, should determine the issue of gay marriage. My opponent does not think so," said Miller. According to Miller, the Smith Democrats and Smith Republicans have agreed to host the event, but he is awaiting a reply from Rosenburg's lawyer.
Too bad he wasn't there when I was an Econ major -- it would have been something of a novelty to have a professor who's to the right of Mao.
Unfortunately, he will likely lose and lose big. But he's 1000% dead-on right about the intellectual snobbery of the left.
A male Republican economics professor from Smith College.
Who would have thunk it?
I can certainly see why it was so difficult for him to get signatures in the ultraliberal Northampton/Amherst area.
"Terrorist" is what they think of anyone to the right of Kennedy/Kerry.
Although Miller has pursued political journalism for some time, his politics received national media attention two years ago when he was denied tenure. "I came home after reading two of the three opposed letters," said Miller. "I told my wife that night 'I am going to be on The O'Reilly Factor.'" Miller went to Smith's grievance council to challenge the tenure decision, claiming that he was rejected because of political bias and not because of academic motives. Smith has since granted him tenure, but Miller has appeared on conservative talk shows and published articles about the battle.
He must have made a real stink to get the Smith socialists to grant him tenure. Clearly, he proved their political bias was the cause of his initial rejection.
Intellectual diversity in higher education is one of the key issues on Miller's political platform. He describes the majority of elite colleges and universities as "politically correct country clubs that are not interested in debate, but in affirming their set beliefs," which he claims is detrimental to students' welfare.
Welcome to the Five Colleges (UMASS, Smith, Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke), home to physics Prof. Jennie Traschen, who denigrated the American flag as a symbol of terrorism, repression and imperialism on 9/10/01. The UMASS Republicans had a signup table in the student commons, with the book "Unfit for Command" on the table, and one of the guys told me that a few professors had come over and said that the book was "full of lies, etc." Nice to have an open mind, eh?
"Students at Smith are not ready to compete in the marketplace of ideas because they are not exposed to intellectual diversity," said Miller. "They can't tell you why people would not support affirmative action ... eventually their views don't matter because they can't fight for them."
He is absolutely right, but I don't know how much headway he will make here. Godspeed to him!
A former student of Miller's, Aya Uehara '05, recalled one argument in class over affirmative action: "He was arguing with this black girl for 50 minutes. Eventually, he admitted that she had a point, though. I liked that," Uehara said.
A typical lib professor would have flunked a student in an analogous situation, with extreme predjudice.
"If you're Republican, it's uncouth." said Miller, "but it's important that one-third of Americans are conservative," said Miller. To better represent diversity of thought, Miller wants to create "The Minuteman Institute" at the University of Massachusetts. The institute will teach regular topics from a pro-American, patriotic point of view.
Desperately needed here. Should be required of all freshman, and then seniors, to make sure it sunk in!
To start off his campaign, Miller invited his opposing candidate, Democrat Stanley Rosenburg, to a debate at Smith over gay marriage. "The people, not the courts, should determine the issue of gay marriage. My opponent does not think so," said Miller. According to Miller, the Smith Democrats and Smith Republicans have agreed to host the event, but he is awaiting a reply from Rosenburg's lawyer.
I wonder why Rosenberg needs a lawyer to set up a simple debate?
Back in 1986, I wrote a little something for the school paper defending our bombing of Libya. I just got sick and tired of the editorials, op-eds, letters to the editor, etc., screeching about the eeeeevil United States.
While I had a few people quietly come up to me and thank me for saying what they were too afraid to express in public, I did have one manly-looking student march right up to me at an Economics Dept. party and start yelling that I'm a murderer of women and children. When I calmly asked what her feelings were about the women and children killed by Kaddafi's terrorists (such as at the airports in Rome and Vienna, in late 12/85), she just yelled some curse words at me and then stomped away.
I, of course, could not stomp anywhere as I was on crutches after a near-fatal car crash and had to stand there and listen to her tantrum as she berated me and kept jabbing her finger in my face.
I can certainly see why it was so difficult for him to get signatures in the ultraliberal Northampton/Amherst area.
Yep. I still remember watching some anti-American rally that was held on campus at Smith in my senior year (Spring 1987). As best as I can recall, it didn't start out that way -- was supposed to be some sort of Smith group rally against some perceived crimes that we were committing in Latin America -- but some local activists stepped in and pretty much took over.
I stood off to the side (I rememver that I was wearing all black clothes and dark sunglasses) with my arms crossed, watching as some little boy squatted over an American flag which was laid down on the platform floor, as some (chronological) adult announced that he was sh*tting on the flag. At that point, I just walked away.
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