Possible Clinton Return To Oxford Gets Mixed Reviews

CNSNews.com ^ | Thursday January 16 2003 | Mike Wendling - CNSNews.com London Bureau Chief

[Brian Allen]

London (CNSNews.com) - The British rumor mill is swirling with suggestions that the last U.S. president may become the next chancellor of the one of the world's most prestigious universities.

Opinions are mixed, however, on whether Bill Clinton would make a suitable ceremonial leader for Oxford University.

Speculation began after Oxford's last chancellor, influential British politician Roy Jenkins, died earlier this month.

Clinton's name was mentioned as a possible candidate for the post in a story two days later in The Times newspaper, which quoted one Oxford don as saying the idea would be "tremendously good fun."

Although Clinton attended the school in the late 60s and makes frequent trips to Britain, some observers on both the right and the left have since questioned whether Clinton's admitted affair with Monica Lewinsky, the furor over presidential pardons and other political scandals would disqualify him from the post.

One professor told the Daily Telegraph that "there's bound to be trouble" if Clinton is selected.

"We need a woman chancellor, not a womanizing chancellor," said history lecturer Mark Almond.

"People say he will be a good fundraiser but from whom? Probably from all those rich people he pardoned when he left office," Almond told the paper.

Writing in the left-wing Guardian newspaper, columnist Catherine Bennett announced that "Bill Clinton is the wrong man for Oxford."

"Those who have no trouble with the idea of Clinton the young intern-expert getting his knees under the same tables as all those delightful undergraduates may wonder if his difficulties with the language should not rule him out," she wrote, referring to the former president's equivocations during the Lewinsky scandal.

Working in Clinton's favor, should he decide to run for the post, would be his fund-raising ability - the cash-strapped university is in need of a financial boost - and his popularity with Oxford undergrads.

The ex-president's daughter Chelsea is currently studying at Oxford, and according to a poll to be published Friday by university newspaper Cherwell, Clinton is the top choice for chancellor among the school's undergraduates.

Only alumni are eligible to vote, however, and Clinton would face an election in March if he is nominated by another former student and seconded by 50 graduates.

The former president has so far refused to confirm rumors that he will run for the post.

Other names that have surfaced in the press as potential candidates for the position are former Labour Party education secretary Shirley Williams, EU Commissioner for External Relations and former Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten and former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine.

Send a Letter to the Editor about this article.

[Brian Allen]

<< Those who have no trouble with the idea of Cli'ton the young intern-expert getting his knees under the same tables as all those delightful undergraduates may wonder if his difficulties with the language should not rule him out .... >>

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[Sungirl]

PLEASE let him move to England...so we can be rid of this slithering lying gutter dwelling piece of white trash.

[jimtorr]

How low has Oxford, the oldest english-language university, sunk, that they would even consider a man as chancellor who reportedly was ordered to leave Oxford U. and England for raping an Oxford University student?

Do they care that they are considering a lawyer who has been disbarred from the Arkansas state bar and from the U.S. Supreme Court?

I guess we'll see just how low they have sunk.

[yoe]

Clinton is the top choice for chancellor among the school's undergraduates.

That is exactly why you won't find nary an undergraduate running countries or anything else of importance.

Has anyone asked the impeached one to be “chancellor” of Berkeley? It would seem more fitting.

[Brian Allen]

<< PLEASE let him move to England...so we can be rid of this slithering lying gutter dwelling piece of white trash. >>

He would never do that.

He couldn't handle that among Oxford's/England's/Europe's vapid dead and decadent amorality he enjoys no notoriety.

It'd be like sending a sadist to live among masochists.

Ping

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

It seems they ARE stupid enough to disgrace and discredit their University with this.

[cloud8]

clinton comes to Oxford. Won't that be frightfully entertaining. All I can think of is what the Roman army chanted when they marched into town with the libidinous Julius Caesar...

"Citizens, guard your wives! The bald-headed adulterer approaches! Cives, uxores servate! Calvus adulter advenit!

Well, if the scumbag is diddling Over There it might keep him from meddling in affairs, political and otherwise, Back Here.

[bandleader]

This is PERFECT!Talk about INTERNS,what about all the sweet,young things he could POUND there?Is this a CAREER Move or What!!!

[bandleader]

Wait a minute,I didn't know of his difficulties with The Language!I thought that chiefly,his DIFFICULTIES had to do with THE TRUTH and KEEPING HIS PANTS ABOVE HIS ANKLES!!!

[isthisnickcool]

Look at all the pretty Clinton trials balloons. The Clinton's send one or two up a week then laugh and point and giggle that people think they are "series". Pretty pretty trail balloons that get Bill or Hillary's name in the media.

[B.Bumbleberry]

Amen. But it's hard to see how Oxford could be that stupid. On the other hand, though, his own Dems have been blind to how much he has cost them. He's a charmer.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET

...President HILLARY RODHAM in 2004

...Prime Minister BILL CLINTON in 2004 =

...The End of Freedom as we know it in this World.

[Brian Allen]

<< Wait a minute,I didn't know of his difficulties with The Language! >>

I'da though that difficulty with the meaning of, "is," is, is an indication of profound difficulty.

Or are you the victim of the NEA -- and operating on a lower standard than that?

[MeekOneGOP]

Send him to Oxford? Suits me. Either that or send him to the Crossbar Hotel...

[Norman Arbuthnot]

I suspect that Clinton would not fair as well if the Oxford grads of his era were polled instead, even among some of the hardcore liberals. They might look at him in favorable light in terms of his politics, but they would consider him unqualified to lead the university because of his questionable character. I bet even Tony Blair, an Oxford grad, would not vote for Clinton for this position.

The following is one of the funnier comments that I have read about this idea:

Mathew Norman, diarist for the left-wing Guardian, which might be expected to support Clinton over the safer options, said he could not. "People who execute brain-damaged black men for electoral gain, and fire cruise missiles on pharmaceutical factories to divert attention from Oval Office fellatio, are best kept away from the dreaming spires," he says.

[Marysecretary]

The Anti-Christ in 2010?

[Marysecretary]

Great picture! That made my day. Got one of Hillary, too? They need to go as a pair.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[NYDave]

Well stated. I live in NYC and am amazed by people who credit WJK with the economy (he led the dot.com bubble economy? - huh, duh - and Gore invented the internet). Someone also said that Clinton had a great foreign policy, sure.

I was on a project for a couple years, doing business with some very fine folks in London. When we closed for July 4th, they would tease us and complain about our day off. I told them that we were celebrating the time we kicked their butts. Their retort was that, "that is when we threw out the garbage". Maybe, we can send some of that back. Perhaps he could hire Sen. Hillary as an intern to steam up their relationship and take her with him.

Be well.