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Liberals Dominate Spring Commencement Exercises at Top Universities
Young America’s Foundation ^ | MAY 20, 2003 | Rick Parsons

Posted on 05/20/2003 2:35:12 PM PDT by Remedy

HERNDON, VA – A survey released today by Young America’s Foundation indicates top colleges and universities across the nation overwhelmingly choose liberal speakers for commencement exercises.

Using U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of the top 50 colleges and top 50 universities in the country, Young America’s Foundation has found for the tenth consecutive year that commencement speakers at these elite schools are heavily weighted to the left.

Commenting on the annual study, Young America’s Foundation President Ron Robinson explained, "For ten years, we’ve shown that college administrators have used commencement ceremonies to send their students off with one more predictable leftist lecture. This year the most prestigious schools exclude scholars like Milton Friedman, Thomas Sowell, Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas for the likes of Kofi Annan, Madeleine Albright, Walter Mondale, and Geraldine Ferraro."

* Washed-up Clinton administration officials and other liberal political figures delivering commencement addresses at top schools include former Vice President Walter Mondale at Macalester College; former Sen. George Mitchell at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Clinton administration Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at Washington University in St. Louis and Smith College; UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at Duke University; Clinton White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta at University of California – Berkeley (university-wide convocation); Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm at University of Michigan – Ann Arbor; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at New York University and Wake Forest University; former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro at Case Western Reserve University; New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson at Middlebury College; former president of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo at Harvard University; and Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell at Franklin & Marshall College.

* University administrators’ love of liberal media personalities continues. This year’s cast includes PBS’s Jim Lehrer at Hamilton College; NBC’s Tim Russert at Lehigh University; MSNBC’s Chris Matthews at College of the Holy Cross; Inside Edition anchor Deborah Norville at Bucknell University; New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman at Yale University (class day); NPR’s Linda Wertheimer at Wellesley College; Newsweek columnist Anna Quindlen at Colgate University; former NewYork Times columnist Anthony Lewis at Oberlin College; and syndicated columnist Molly Ivins at Scripps College.

* Other notable liberal speakers this year include author Jonathan Kozol at Penn State University (Liberal Arts ceremony); social activist Tim Wise at Grinnell College; International Campaign to Ban Landmines Founder Jody Williams at Wesleyan University; former Clinton nominee (withdrawn) for assistant attorney general for civil rights Lani Guinier at Bard College; historian Arthur Schlesinger at Whitman College; Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman at Sarah Lawrence College and Princeton University; and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu at University of Pennsylvania.

The leftist domination of commencement addresses in 2003 is not an irregularity. In the ten years that Young America’s Foundation has been tracking them, liberals have dominated while conservatives have generally been shut out. Some schools have an outrageous track record of hosting liberal commencement speakers.

* Yale hosted (for class day) actress Jodie Foster in 1993, activist Sargent Shriver in 1994, former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke in 1995, actor Henry Winkler in 1996, author David McCullough in 1997, NBC’s Tom Brokaw in 1998, Clinton advisor David Gergen in 1999, journalist Bob Woodward in 2000, Sen. Hillary Clinton in 2001, New York Governor George Pataki in 2002, and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman in 2003.

* Tulane University hosted Carter administration official Andrew Young in 1995, cancer researcher Andrea Martin in 1996, Mohammed Ali trainer Ferdie Pacheco in 1997, Clinton administration official Donna Shalala in 1998, ABC’s Cokie Roberts in 1999, Time magazine’s Walter Isaacson in 2000, Children’s Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman in 2001, New York Times columnist William Safire in 2002, and author David Halberstam in 2003. Tulane University has hosted only one conservative in the past nine years.

Even though liberals dominate commencements at the top schools in the nation, one would believe more than a few well-known conservatives would be on the list. However, only four top schools hosted well-know conservatives: University of Notre Dame hosted Sen. Richard Lugar; Yeshiva University hosted Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes; Georgia Institute of Technology hosted Sen. Elizabeth Dole; and Centre College hosted the husband and wife team of Sen. Mitch McConnell and Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao. Secretary Chao is the only Bush administration official speaking at a top-rated school, while four schools are hosting former Clinton administration officials.

Notably, FOX News personalities like Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, and Tony Snow are absent from the list of commencement speakers at top universities despite FOX’s ratings as the most watched cable news channel. Instead, people like Jim Lehrer, Tim Russert, and Chris Matthews appear on the list year after year.

Furthermore, conservatives recently appearing on the New York Times best-seller lists, like Peggy Noonan, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, and Pat Buchanan, are absent from the top school commencements whereas liberal authors like Anna Quindlen, Thomas Friedman, Chris Matthews, and Anthony Lewis are speaking at top schools’ commencements.

For further information or to schedule an interview, please call Rick Parsons at (800) 292-9231.

Young America’s Foundation is an educational organization promoting conservative ideas on our nation’s campuses through lectures, publications, and conferences. This past academic year, the Foundation sponsored over 300 lectures, including addresses by Walter Williams, Ann Coulter, Ben Stein, and John Stossel.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: commencement; commencements; yaf
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ED : Administration Cites Recent Surveys Showing Lack Of Basic Knowledge Of U.S. History

ED : Senate Panel Hears that Ignorance of U.S. History Poses Major Security Threat

1 posted on 05/20/2003 2:35:16 PM PDT by Remedy
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To: Remedy
It's funny, because I went to a relatively liberal school (certainly not a conservative one), but college is where I ultimately became a conservative.
2 posted on 05/20/2003 2:49:32 PM PDT by sirshackleton
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To: Remedy
I can't sympathize enough with this year's graduating class at N. C. State. Whoever selected Phil Donahue as the commencement speaker should be subjected to slow and painful torture (perhaps endless replays of Donahue's address). The Alumni Association lost my support when they put John Edwards on the cover of our alumni magazine. Now the University as a whole can say good-bye to any future financial support from me.
3 posted on 05/20/2003 2:50:00 PM PDT by Arm_Bears
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To: Arm_Bears

Phil Donahue

LOL - that is scraping the bottom of the barrel from the outside.

4 posted on 05/20/2003 2:56:23 PM PDT by Remedy
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To: sirshackleton
If you are not a socialist when you are twenty you have no heart, if you are socialist when you are thirty you have no BRAIN, or something to this effect. Most figure this out if you think at all.
5 posted on 05/20/2003 2:58:48 PM PDT by BIGZ
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To: sirshackleton

but college is where I ultimately became a conservative

As a result of…?

6 posted on 05/20/2003 2:59:55 PM PDT by Remedy
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To: Remedy
Cheerful bit of news--really:

I read today on Drudge where an anti-war liberal was literally booed off the stage at commencement at Rockford, Illinois, and was described as "leaving the stage in tears."

Thank god for the students and parents who didn't let him get away with such drivel!
7 posted on 05/20/2003 3:13:48 PM PDT by Cordova Belle ("America is great because she is good. When America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.")
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To: Cordova Belle
That compensates for the Donahue appearance in post #3.
8 posted on 05/20/2003 3:25:02 PM PDT by Remedy
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To: Remedy
EDUCATION SPOTREP
9 posted on 05/20/2003 3:26:17 PM PDT by LiteKeeper
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To: Remedy
University administrators’ love of liberal media personalities continues. This year’s cast includes PBS’s Jim Lehrer at Hamilton College; NBC’s Tim Russert at Lehigh University; MSNBC’s Chris Matthews at College of the Holy Cross; Inside Edition anchor Deborah Norville at Bucknell University; New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman at Yale University (class day); NPR’s Linda Wertheimer at Wellesley College; Newsweek columnist Anna Quindlen at Colgate University; former NewYork Times columnist Anthony Lewis at Oberlin College; and syndicated columnist Molly Ivins at Scripps College.

If I were going to invite a media personality/journalist, I would invite Laurie Dhue.

In order to comply with strict Free Republic posting rules, I have posted a picture of Laurie Dhue along with my comments.

10 posted on 05/20/2003 3:27:55 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: Paleo Conservative
One freeper stated that, no matter what she said, he agreed with her.

Couldn't tell from the context, whether her appearance, perspective or both mesmerized him.

11 posted on 05/20/2003 3:45:12 PM PDT by Remedy
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To: Remedy
Hmm, I didn't see my alma mater listed. Thought I had gone to a top University when I graduated from Purdue.

12 posted on 05/20/2003 5:19:18 PM PDT by Susannah (If you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao; you ain't gonna make it with anyone, anyhow. ~ Beatles)
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To: Remedy
Thank you President Baxter, and thank you honored faculty, esteemed guests, imaginary friends and clueless graduates.

It is with a great sense of honor I speak to you today. As I look over the assembled class of 2003, their faces beaming with the bright promise of tomorrow and the Jagermeister shots of last night, I am reminded of my own youthful ambitions - making the world a better place, helping those in need, having group sex with the pom-pon squad. While none of these have yet worked out for me, the dreams are still alive. One or two, anyway.

In conclusion, if you are an English major, I have a lawn maintenance business and need people for my leaf cleanup crew. You can bring your resume by the red pickup parked outside.

13 posted on 05/20/2003 5:53:29 PM PDT by IowaHawk
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To: Susannah

Thought I had gone to a top University when I graduated from Purdue.

I worked with a Purdue grad who was personally and professionally first rate. I worked for an Ivy League grad who was neither.

Folk rise or fall on their own talent and effort.

14 posted on 05/20/2003 8:08:12 PM PDT by Remedy
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To: IowaHawk

if you are an English major, I have a lawn maintenance business and need people for to teach my leaf cleanup crew English J

15 posted on 05/20/2003 8:10:59 PM PDT by Remedy
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To: Remedy
Glad to see GA Tech was one of the few schools to invite a Republican, Elizabeth Dole.

When my husband graduated from GA Tech in 1997 (at the age of 48 with a degree in Math), the speaker was Zell Miller. Zell's grandson was graduating that year. Zell gave a great speech and it was a wonderful day for all the graduates.

16 posted on 05/20/2003 8:25:33 PM PDT by Atlantian
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To: Remedy; Arm_Bears
Funny story: Local Raleigh TV station WRAL headlined over the weekend "Rick Santorum booed off stage....." from wherever he was speaking, while hidden in small type on their headline news list was the local story about Phil Donahue's chilly reception and even more profane remarks at NC State. Liberal bias?

The headline of this thread should add "...Middle Universities, & Bottom Universities." Because most ALL colleges invite liberal speakers. The exception is a conservative speaker of any kind, at any university. Sad, but true.

It's a shame that alumni don't insist (by withholding $$$$) on fair and balanced exposure for these high profile engagements......it might work!
17 posted on 05/20/2003 8:27:08 PM PDT by RightOnGOP
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To: Atlantian
Bump to you, your husband, his Math degree from a top flight school, GA TECH, Zell and the whole flaming state of GA that turned against the vermin democrats in 2002!!!!!!!!
18 posted on 05/20/2003 8:29:01 PM PDT by Remedy
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To: Remedy
Don't they mean left wing extremist Nazi's?
19 posted on 05/20/2003 8:29:56 PM PDT by ladyinred (Bill&Hill, not for us, but against us)
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To: RightOnGOP
There was an article in the AJC about Santorum being booed, but no mention at all about what happened to Donahue at NC State. Typical.
20 posted on 05/20/2003 8:30:50 PM PDT by Atlantian
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