Does the President Deserve an Honorary Degree from Arizona State?
The grand history and tradition of granting honorary degrees to persons emeritus has enticed the hoi polloi of American society for generations. With apologies to Aunt Josie, my Uncle Jack McCoy received such an honor from the School of Hard Knocks in the early seventies for his performance art dissertation on “Lighting Campfires Using Wood Soaked in Kerosene and Surviving” but was sadly denied any recognition in the mainstream media for his efforts.
The tradition of giving honorary degrees dates back considerably further, however. According to some sources, Lionel Woodville was the first to receive such approbation in the 1470s from Oxford, prior to his appointment as the bishop of Salisbury. This historic pedigree may vex observers all the more upon learning that Arizona State University has declined to offer President Barack Obama similar accreditation on the occasion of his commencement address there this spring.
The reason given seems simple enough on its face: they only offer these degrees to people for their “body of work, somebody who’s been in their position for a long time.” This should be fair and justly spoken in the minds of most educators. Surely the bar would be set high for those seeking such an honor without completing the prerequisite course of study.
Of course, some schools are a tad less rigid in their assessments. Stephen Colbert was granted an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Knox College after hosting his own television program for less than one year. When it comes to presidents, Harvard University has issued a number of such honors, with the last going to John F. Kennedy in 1956. Aside from his family name, Kennedy has served in the military and done short stints in the House and Senate, but it is difficult to imagine he would have met Arizona’s stringent requirements.
Does Arizona State offer a degree in community organizing? Teleprompter reading? Bowing to Kings? If so, I am all in favor of him receiving an honorary degree as he has distinguished himself in these areas.
Yes, for all his great accomplishments, starting with… um, uh, well, as everyone knows, uh, I don’t know, maybe if I could speak Austrian.
The entire concept of honorary degrees is absurd.
“Does the President Deserve an Honorary Degree from Arizona State?”
No
What accomplishments? Being the worst President in the history of the US? The first RACIST president of the US? The first President to bankrupt an entire country? The man is a hubris fraud. He has no expereince, no track record of accomplishments and is destroying our entire economic system. He is also totally devoid of leadership ability and mamagement skills. Oh, he does like his pizza flown in, travels with a “STAFF” of 500 (at tax payer expense), has cocktails and dinner with his hiphop buddies, but is too tired to meet with the heads of state of other countries;his wife has a full time make-up artist and he finds the job of POTUS too stressful – he was surprised at the work load! Give me a break.
I guess when we are the United Socialist States of America – that will be his shining moment.
How about an Honoraria in Global Community Organization. Man; What an awesome title. I don’t think any one else has one of those! Better than any James Bond movie!
Let us compare this pres with the previous. In the first 100 days. Last we had a secret energy conference in which we can assume the downfall of one us governor was discussed. The division of funds from a planned war were given.
The set up of a paramilitary organization was set into plan and how to take as much of the American dream away from. This is from man whom if on his own merits should have ended up in Southeast Asia because of his botched Air Force Reserve. I assume some one would have relieved this nation of it’s worst president ever.
So you say Obama is spend our tax dollars. Maybe you forget we had some I see as the same as a teenager with a credit card and no way to pay for it. Now that the adult is in charge was have to bring the economy back into balance.
Barry Goldwater received his honorary degree in May 1961, three years before his Republican nomination for president and only eight years into his three decades as a U.S. senator.
Sandra Day O’Connor was similarly recognized just three years in her 25 years on the U.S. Supreme Court.
But being elected the first black president of any country in the western world, and being elected president in a country where 60 years ago blacks could not vote, I guess that just does not meet the stringent criteria of Arizona State University?
You stay classy, ASU.
There are plenty of Grievance Studies degrees which are appropriate. Award him an honorary one.
Did George Tenet deserve the Congressional Medal of Freedom?
Bad Guys Generally Win (or Dumbing Down Deviancy = The Age Of Holographic Achievement) – this should be the title of this, or any other piece about this issue.
Heavens! How can a normal being even consider giving this fraud that Obama is a honorary degree for achievements?
So, since these degrees are thought to arouse in students awe and emulation desires, I’ll examine this matter from this point of view:
So, leaving aside the entire hoax atmosphere enveloping this guy, nothing in Obama’s academic career should be mentioned by a teacher to his or her students as inspiring:
1) an undistinguished student at Occidental Collega, LA (grades unavailable), reciving financial aid there under the name of SOETORO;
2) an affirmative action misdeed sent him to Columbia U, where we simply do not know what he did for the remaing three years of “intense study” (grades unavailable), his graduation there being covered by the same mystery – was his thesis in international relations dealing with “US – Soviet Union: Nuclear Disarmament Issues”, or with “North-South Relations in the Post-Colonial Age” which were both mentioned by him in his, Ayres-written autobiographies, or simply… there wasn’t such a thing like Obama Columbia thesis (students should be very excited about this situation),
3) admited at Harvard in an equally mysterious way (grades unavailable), then Harvard Law editor for two years with NO PAPERS or OPINIONS whatsoever published there…
4) accepted as a teacher at Chicago Law in the same mysterious manner, beating over 200+ better prepared candidates – then an academic career there of about ten years in which professor Obama didn’t produce a SINGLE LEGAL PAPER ON ISSUES!
5) ___________________________
6) ___________________________
7)____________________________
etc, etc, etc – what a fraud!
And they are serious about rewarding him for achievements!
For what?
I don’t know – running for and becoming the POTUS seems like a pretty solid accomplishment to me. It’s a really nice resume builder. And it’s a bigger and more important accomplishment than I’ll ever achieve, for sure. More than any commenter on this site will achieve, too, I’d wager. I’d say every president deserves an honorary degree from Arizona State – to wipe their ass with.
This is exactly why a college degree from an American university is essentially worthless. I guess bilking state taxpayers out of a yearly salary to do nothing except show up is sort of a talent though, albeit an immoral one.
Because he’s black is the reason he deserves it. The blacks and other minorities will continue to get what they want (always) because everyone is afraid to stand up against the Black Caucus and NAACP.
7 Wizonu (apparently on YOU)
Just rechecked. There is nothing comprehensible in your post.
obama is a fraud. It figures that you are his follower.
The reason given seems simple enough on its face: they only offer these degrees to people for their “body of work, somebody who’s been in their position for a long time.”>>
Hussein has been for a long time and still is a successful community organizaer so ASU should give him an honory degree in social studies.
If the posts on this board are any indiciation of the type of people who are going to show up to the Tea Parties, I can’t wait to see Fox News tripping over itself to get away from you folks when it realizes that it lent its name and reputation to a hate rally.
Pastor of Puppets ( clever moniker, I only hope that’s an homage to Metallica..) you’re saying Teleprompter Guy should get the degree for, ‘being elected the first black president of any country in the western world..’
First, the guy is biracial. I’m 1/2 Italian though never claim to be ‘Italian’. So apparently identity politics is your forte.
A person who can read a pre-written script, written by a 24 year old mind you deserves the accolade of ‘body of work’?
If Teleprompter Guy isn’t impeached before his January 2013 term expires, this will be the longest period he’s kept the same position successively!
So before spouting frustration and bringing up unfounded but always brought up ‘racism’ antics (as you did in comment #8), use your gray matter.
Perhaps Harry Truman should be recognized and honored for being the 1st Southern Baptist President. Of course not. It’s not an accomplishment.
A ‘body of work’ is just that!
If anyone should recognize this empty suit for anything perhaps it shold be the Nicorette company.
People here have the drift;
Give the poor,UNDERPRIVELEGED,>/B>Completely uneducated, coddled, little retard, another impressive document to use as wall paper; or most likely something to wipe his ass with.
This classless, punk, ghetto trash, needs more accolades.
He is becoming the leader of the FREE world.
If I was 48 years old and just coming into a position whereas I can boast of ‘I’ll be employed here for at least 4 years’, I wouldn’t be welcome to any family gatherings! That’s black sheep material.
Oh sorry. You must consider that last diddy racist..
It’s not a hate rally, butt wipe, it’s a FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR COMMON SENSE AS A U.S. CITIZEN RALLY1
You are so confused you don’t even know what being an individual is all about.
18. Pastor of Muppets:
Are you one of those trolls trained by the Obama campaign to post controversial info and confuse, mislead, etc.
I think you are…Jude Schweine!
Honorary Degrees seem to be created to kiss butt to politicians & celebrities. I want to see Barry’s degree from the Chicago Cesspool. Then I might take him seriously as a satire.
Good point Sebastian Shaw! Why give him an honorary when we haven’t even seen the original “degree”.
Wizonu, put down the pipe and try again. Your post makes absolutely no sense. On the issue at hand, why would someone with a degree from Harvard want an honorary degree from ASU, anyway?
Why not! He already has an honorary birth certificate. Call him the “Easter Seal” hero!
(no offense intended to the Easter Seal Charities. Good people!)
I used to live a few blocks from the ASU campus in Tempe, AZ. After a $1300 vandalization to my new car, numerous breaking and entering attempts in the apartment complex, and tons of hate filled angry students and their behavior, I left. North Phoenix isn’t paradise, but anything beats that hellhole.
Yes, I’d say our pantywaste president exemplifies the spirit of ASU and definitely deserves at least an honorary degree !!
Absolutely not! Maybe he should apply for a green card and a TEMPORARY visa instead. I don’t think they have such degress for lying, cheating, hating America, being racist, anti-semitic, hating the military, and trashing your country in 120 days or less. He would have to get those degree from UC Beserkley.
Does he deserve an honory degree from Arizona State University? For what? Spending our children into debt they may not get out of? No. He has done nothing to deserve an honory anything. Well, maybe he could be an honory citizen of Saudi Arabia sice he bowed to the king.
I believe he should be given an academy award for a stellar performance. He has no record, no birth certificate, no grades, no scholarly papers published (despite being president of Harvard law review for 2 years). He has only delivered perhaps the most convincing performance of the world starring as The Emperor in The Emperor’s New Clothes!
ha, ha, ha. Why does he need an honorary degree from ASU (where the state legislature just greatly reduced funding for public education)when he is the honorable leader of the free world?
H*** NO!!!!
[Our president came bearing a basketful of mea culpas. With varying degrees of directness or obliqueness, Obama indicted his own people for arrogance, for dismissiveness and derisiveness, for genocide, for torture, for Hiroshima, for Guantanamo and for insufficient respect for the Muslim world.]
Charles Krauthammer
I quoted this excerpt from a Kauthammer’s article regarding the trip of “fellow traveler” Barrack Hussein Obama to Europe. As a result:
1) France, population 64 millions, will take ONE Guantanamo prisoner.
2) Austria’s Ms. Fekter rightly said that if the Guantanamo detainees are not dangerous, why not let them lose in America.
3)He got no new troops for Afghanistan from the “allies”
4) The Europe stimulus package idea was rejected flat out.
5) While he spoke the North Koreans shot a missile.
6) He wants to engage the Russians in reducing nuclear weapons, giving them the status of the Soviet Union.
and on, and on, and on…
Did not his wife Michelle, now First Lady, said that America was a downright mean country?
That she was never proud to be an American until the candidacy of his husband was a reality?
Pres Bush was right when he once suggested in Israel that some bad people were going to be happy when Barrack Hussein was president.
Mr. President:
America is not a mean country, but the greatest and freest country on earth. Stupid, yes, we are, because we elected you.
YOU DESERVE AN HONORARY DEGREE IN DIVISIVENESS AND FOR BEING A LIAR.
I’m giving an Honorary Degree to all who wrote in this blog:
. . .
I graduated from ASU, and to paraphrase Michelle Obama, I’ve never been so proud of my alma mater until now. As to the accomplishments of the teenager-in-chief, The Onion got there first and did it best (as usual):
http://www.theonion.com/content/whitehousewar/barackobama
THE PRESIDENT DESERVES AN HONORARY DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HAVANNA. FIDEL CASTRO
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CARACAS TOO! HUGO CHAVEZ