[Gunrunner2]

"Weblogs had entries conjecturing why conservatives avoid academe -- while never actually bothering to find one and ask -- as if they were some exotic breed whose absence lay rooted in an inscrutable mind-set. "

You try and get hired in academe if you are a straight white male, mid-40's. Can't be done. I've tried. Two Master's degrees, extensive experience in national defense and policy-making, worked in the White House, published. . .doesn't matter to these yahoo's. . .can't get a job teaching Government/Pol-Sci when all they see is a straight white male. (This dirty secret was shared with me by a guy on a hiring committee. He was an honest lefty and wanted to be straight with me).

[jalisco555]

You try and get hired in academe if you are a straight white male, mid-40's. Can't be done. I've tried.

Perhaps it's because you disagree with this sentiment from the article

Or when two postdocs from Germany at a nearby university stopped by my office to talk about American literature. As they sat down and I commented on how quiet things were on the day before Thanksgiving, one muttered, "Yes, we call it American Genocide Day."

[anniegetyourgun]

I used to work in public higher ed (on the administrative side of the house). Later, I went to work for conservative public policy org. Unless we're talking private Christian university setting, it's not likely I could ever return. But then, I wouldn't want to. Public universities and colleges are so tragically mired in waste, fraud, and abuse.

[Gefreiter]

G,
You are dead-nuts on. That's a big reason I took an MA and fled without a PhD.

I work in higher ed, but in admin. Believe me, the assumptions this writer mentions are the same here as among faculty. Every meeting I go to I expect to find new arrogance and am rarely disappointed.

Matter of fact, I know I lost out on an opportunity here- I KNOW this, because I was at the meeting- because the school was under "alot of pressure" from the President to hire a non-white, non-male for the position.

Considering I am one of 2 men in this office of about 30 women, I'm not sure how THAT celebrated diversity, but my opinions can't count because they're not PC.

Besides, I have my white privilege to fall back on.