UVA Declines Obama Campaign Request

NBC29.com ^ | 24 Aug 2012

[mandaladon]

A University of Virginia spokeswoman says President Barack Obama will not be at the university when he comes to Charlottesville on Wednesday. In a statement released Friday, it was confirmed that the university declined the president's request to speak at UVA.

UVA says the Obama campaign requested the use of one of two outdoor venues - the Amphitheater or the Harrison-Small Library plaza. The university declined the request for a number of reasons including class cancellations, which UVA estimates could be more than 186 classes on the second day of school. The other main reason is they would have to take on the full cost of security, and because of university policy and their federal and state tax exempt status, they would have to offer the same opportunity to the other candidate so as not to show favor for either candidate.

Other than the denied request from the university, questions still remain about the where and when of the event.

The Albemarle County Democratic Party blocked off 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on their website's calendar for Obama's visit, but there is still a lot of speculation and uncertainty.

UVA spokesperson Carol Wood confirmed President Obama will not be speaking at the university. Meanwhile, other information coming in Friday is narrowing down the details.

According to the UVA Communications Office, they offered up John Paul Jones Arena, but were told it "was not academic enough" by the Obama for America campaign.

Meanwhile, Albemarle County Police Chief Steve Sellers says they know of a "proposed" location, but can't say where because of Secret Service restrictions. It could be the nTelos Wireless Pavilion.

nTelos Wireless Pavilion General Manager Kirby Hutto tells NBC29 they've been asked to save the date, but nothing's been confirmed.

[mandaladon]

People are avoiding Barry like the plague.

[MNlurker]

He’s hurting for cash that’s for sure. UVA would have to assume ALL security costs? LOL

[tsowellfan]

Obama’s not paying his security bills. (not sure if that has to do with this one)

[loveliberty2]

On the campus of Mr. Jefferson's University????

After watching this President's actions and the consequences to liberty of "the People" since his Inauguration in 2009, Mr. Jefferson's voice might thunder from above:

.

"To preserve [the] independence [of the people,] we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debts as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our callings and our creeds, as the people of England are, our people, like them, must come to labor sixteen hours in the twenty-four, give the earnings of fifteen of these to the government for their debts and daily expenses, and the sixteenth being insufficient to afford us bread, we must live, as they now do, on oatmeal and potatoes, have no time to think, no means of calling the mismanagers to account, but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers." --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816. ME 15:39

"I deem [this one of] the essential principles of our government and consequently [one] which ought to shape its administration:... The honest payment of our debts and sacred preservation of the public faith." --Thomas Jefferson: 1st Inaugural, 1801. ME 3:322

"I sincerely believe... that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity under the name of funding is but swindling futurity on a large scale." --Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor, 1816. ME 15:23

"[With the decline of society] begins, indeed, the bellum omnium in omnia [war of all against all], which some philosophers observing to be so general in this world, have mistaken it for the natural, instead of the abusive state of man. And the fore horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression." --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816. ME

[Arm_Bears]

This is hugh!

Albemarle County is among the most liberal counties in Virginia, and UVA students and alumni consider themselves made from finer clay than the rest of us (married to a UVA grad). These are Obama’s people and they blew him off.

[Gator113]

“they offered up John Paul Jones Arena, but were told it “was not academic enough” by the Obama for America campaign.”

Give me a break. They are likely worried that they wouldn’t be able to fill it.

[Brownie63]

Give ‘Em Hell, Virginia!

[doug from upland]

I found a place for him. Econo Lodge University Arena.

“The worst!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed May 30, 2012 via mobile

I have stayed two different times last 7 days. My last room is 213. Dirty sheets,pillow, towel and broken faucet, curtain. I do not recommend anybody to stay.

Stayed May 2012

“amazingly poor”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed May 30, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

ranked 30 out of 31, should be dead last. what a disappointment. this is first bad review i ever wrote. so ,here is a list
1. remote to tv not working, desk said is was fine twice
2. toilet running constantly
3. alarm clock dead
4. handle to sink fell off in my hand
5. Memorial Day and pool not even an attemp to have open
6. tub discusting
7. gutters full of leaves, birds pecking thru leaves for food
8. no display on microwave
9. drapes not attached to rods
I know it is a cheap nite rate but come on, show a little pride in your hotel, people

“Digesting, Worst Hotel I have ever stayed in”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed May 31, 2010

First off, I think it's awesome that owner of this place cuts and pastes the same canned response to every one of these 1 star reviews. Had to stay here for Fox Fields since all the other hotels near the school were booked. This was the most digesting excuse for a hotel I have ever seen. I can't believe that..

“Avoid at all cost! MOST disgusting hotel EVER!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed April 19, 2009
Where to begin? When we first arrived at the hotel, we couldn't get into our room because the door handle didn't work unless you pushed in, pulled up then pushed down immediately, so we avoided closing the door as much as possible. The room was nonsmoking, but the smell of cigarette smoke knocks you over as soon as you enter the room. Aside from that, it seemed to be a typical, cheap hotel, until I took a shower the next morning.

For starters, someone had decided that it would be funny to switch the handles around so that hot meant cold and vice versa. Cute, but it really didn't matter because the water only came in two temperatures: scalding hot or freezing cold. I like a hot shower, but even I had to opt for the cold one because the hot literally burned my skin. I noticed a smell that made me gag once I was in the shower, and it didn't take me long to realize that the shower curtain had soured. It's a great smell to experience first thing in the morning. I avoided vomiting long enough to finish my shower and grab a towel, at which point I was horrified to discover a long, black hair that had been folded up in the towel and was threaded into the towel material, so I had no choice but to pull it out.

The only thing this hotel has going for it is its proximity to the UVA arena!! Easily the worst hotel experience of my life, and I've had some bad ones.

[SunkenCiv]

Obama didn’t build it.

About the only thing Obama has built is the majority to oust him and his gang of criminals.

Thanks mandaladon.

[MissMagnolia]

Hope ‘n Chains doesn’t play even at UVA (bastion of young lib skulls full of mush) & they turn Barry down? I’m all but rolling on the floor laughing!!! This has got to be giving the Obama campaign heartburn :-)

[HokieMom]

Go, Hoos!

[Joe Boucher]

I wouldn’ let the bastard on my property either.

[onevoter]

“According to the UVA Communications Office, they offered up John Paul Jones Arena, but were told it “was not academic enough” by the Obama for America campaign.”

In English that translates to “but the campus works better because the college students will show up in numbers due to cancelled classes and, thus, open schedules, and make it look like Obama can still muster up a crowd.”

[jazusamo]

Excellent...People are finally getting the word that Obama’s campaign are stiffing them.

[Hoodat]

The other main reason is they would have to take on the full cost of security . . .

. . . because as we have already learned, the Obama campaign sure isn't paying for it.

I'm glad to see these government entities begin to wise up and realize that hosting an Obama event is going to cost them thousands of dollars.

[generally]

Wow! If the reliable lefty academics have abandoned him it is not a good sign. The last few days have had some less than favorable media coverage as well. Rats abandoning the sinking ship. They are are all trying to scramble to salvage their reputations as objective and to get on the winning side. Too late.

[Hoodat]

One of the biggest stains on UVA is that they admitted Ted Kennedy after he got kicked out of Harvard for cheating, and then they didn't kick him out when he later got caught cheating again at UVA.

The second biggest stain is when they cancelled Easters.

[Hoodat]

I bet you had to fight against every instinct you had in order to type that.

[Andy from Chapel Hill]

When Obama came to Chapel Hill in the spring, he avoided asking for the Dean Dome as he did in 2008 (holds 20K people) and instead asked for the old Carmichael Gym, which holds about 11K people. Two days before the event, the campaign had only “sold” 6K tickets. There was a frantic call put out to the community to come to the event for free. A total of 8K people showed and the place looked 1/2 full because the people sat in front of Obama (naturally!) and the cameras were facing him and showed empty seats behind the podium.

Total fail and Chapel Hill is much more liberal than C’ville.

Full disclosure: I have a MBA from UVa’s Darden School and am an adjunct at UNC-CH.

[Timber Rattler]

The other main reason is they would have to take on the full cost of security...

They got smart.

DNC Refuses To Reimburse Conn. Town For Overtime Costs During Obama Visit