Conservatives Should Be Thrilled About Obama’s Visit
The Conversationalist — By danstrau on February 12, 2010 at 10:29 amNo doubt you’ve heard the big news – everyone’s favorite Commander-in-Chief is headed down to A2 this May to speak at spring commencement. I thought it might be interesting to offer a conservative-libertarian’s perspective on the news.
Truth is, I’m thrilled.
It’s funny how little things like party affiliation mean nothing when your school is hosting the most powerful man in the world. I might disagree with President Obama on just about every policy he supports, but I’m honored to have him at our fine University.
Class of 2010, just think how lucky we are. I’m not knocking the previous two graduation speakers, but Bob Woodruff and Larry Page are peanuts to the sitting U.S. President. Remember also that 2008’s graduates had to cram into the Diag. How upset would you be if your view of Obama was blocked by one of the Diag’s trees, or if your parents got stuck with the cheap seats all the way down near North University?
I suspect the response of the U’s right-leaning organizations to Obama’s visit will be similar to mine, or at the very least, respectful of the occasion’s importance. I mean, he’s the President. How cool is that?
Consider this: If George W. Bush had given a commencement address at Michigan during his presidency, how would campus liberals have reacted?
–Chris Koslowski
4 Comments
Caleb,
I don’t really understand your argument here. How is Obama representing me by giving a speech? He’s the 2010 Spring Commencement Speaker and nothing more than he was before. Giving a speech at graduation doesn’t tie him to me or the Class of 2010 in any such way. Just because I think it would be neat for the sitting President to address my graduating class doesn’t mean I’m suddenly switching teams, buying into or endorsing his message, or what-have-you.
And of course he’s giving the speech for political reasons. Why else would he? I doubt few Michigan students are going to be swayed one way or the other by what he says. I mean, we’re Michigan students. I’d like to give us a bit of credit. Surely most of us have strong opinions of Obama and his policies by now, right? Will a commencement speech really change that?
Would I have preferred Clarence Thomas or Rush Limbaugh or Dick Cheney to speak at my commencement? You betcha. But out of all the people who realistically might have spoken here, Obama is the most prestigious. And I’m psyched about that.
Holy, just imagine Limbaugh or Cheney. Imagine the protests! It’s interesting to note that no one protests the fact that Obama will be our commencement speaker, but if it were say, Bush, I bet many students would have taken to the streets, even during his time as President. It’s interesting that Obama may be better at bridging the bi-partisan divide than anyone actually gives him credit for. Just food for thought, not trying to argue, more just discuss.
Thanks for the response Chris, this can be fun.
Aha! And there’s the point of my little jab at the end. If W spoke at commencement, there would have been incredible protests. “Bush lied, people died.” I can hear it now.
I can only speak in hypotheticals, but I’d be disappointed in campus liberals if there wasn’t an uproar against a W speech. Do I want a similar reaction by campus conservatives to Obama? No way. I think most of will be able to weather the inevitable political pandering we’ve come to expect from Obama and just appreciate that the leader of the free world is taking time out of his schedule to address us when he could be chatting with world leaders or bumming around in Air Force One instead.
What I would protest, however, is if someone like Bill Ayers spoke. He recieves a disturbing amount of praise on this campus for a someone who would be tried for terrorism if he pulled some of his stunts today.
So essentially what your saying is you hate Obama, but you’d like him to represent you? I’m confused. I disagree with much of what Obama has done with his time in the big seat, and frankly, I don’t think he should be speaking at U of M. I don’t want him. Look, I think it’s cool as hell that the president is coming, but I can’t disregard that this is just another political ploy. Why Michigan? Why not Harvard or the like? Because he has to keep the industrial, struggling states regain HOPE. It’s a publicity stunt and we are falling for it. How easily our minds can change when we think power is on our side.