I’m sure the New York Times, as it is now so, so interested in Gingrich’s 1971 thesis, might inquire as to why the president continues to hide his college transcripts.
No one cares what courses Obama took*, and he obviously did well enough at Columbia to get into a decent law school.
On the other hand, a guy who talks about Kenyan anticolonialsim nowadays might have had some interesting things to say about colonialism in the Belgian Congo.
*Well, maybe you do. Maybe if he took a course in Marxist Economics, for example, you could use that as evidence he's a closet Marxist.
All the evidence I need of that is in Barry’s policies.
The reason he doesn’t want his transcripts released is that it would have his grades on them, which are probably full of C, interfering with the narrative of him being the smartest man in the history of the world.
Now that Obama no longer sends a thrill up Chris Matthews' leg, the NYT has taken over as head cheerleader. But because it's awfully hard to find anything to cheer about that's fit to print, the Times instead devotes its efforts to digging up issues, no matter how obscure and no matter how long ago, that can be used to attack the Republican candidates for the nomination. (An op-ed piece devoted to a dissertation written 40 years ago? Really?) In addition to the Times attackers, there are the Times apologists, excusing Fast and Furious and Solyndra and the rampant crony capitalism and out-of-control spending that have marked this administration. Three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and blind loyalty of the Times to Barack Obama.
MikeB: You're right; I don't care what courses Obama took or what grades he received.
I do care, however, that the media has so little curiosity about those transcripts, given their interest in virtually everybody else's--so long as they have a bit R after their name.
No one should expect MikeB for recognizing partisan hypocrisy when he displays it himself. Obama's college career? Nobody cares, but "on the other hand," Gingrich's record is verrrry interesting.
If you read the piece, it slams Gingrich for sticking to the facts as it were, such as denoting the economic structure in place while the Congo was colonized by Belgium while not taking issue against those who perpetuated it. One wants to shake the guy a little and tell him: "Dude, it wasn't a column, it was a dissertation! It's supposed to stick to the facts!"
It was like driving past a train wreck: I *had* to click on the link.
And a couple of observations/questions:
Did Hochschild read Wilson's dissertation as it was submitted to the university or did he read the version that was published? (Project Gutenberg as the fifteenth edition, giving Wilson plenty of opportunities to "tweak" the manuscript.
What is the different approach to dissertation requirements between 1885 and 1971? I know that in the current day, you can't write a dissertation that is not soporific, at best. You usually have to write it for your advisor, and if your advisor wants your dissertation to open with the memorable words, "This dissertation will explore X and y in order to show that Z is the result," by gosh, that is how yur dissertation WILL begin. Heck, if your advisor wants ot to open with, "It was a dark and stormy night..." it will, (if you want to complete your degree in anything resembling a timely manner. You give your advisor whatever he (or she) wants. Surveying the subject in a highly pedantic way is par for the dissertation course.
And in Newt's defense, it is unlikely that his dissertation advisor cared whata colonial-era Congolese school looked like, or what was in the textbooks, or how the teachers treated their students, because that is not REALLY all that informative as to “Belgian Education Policy in the Congo 1945-1960.” Also, by the time Gingrich was writing his dissertation, it was AFTER independence, and schools, textbooks, and how teachers treated their students had undoubtedly changed. (And frankly, the 1960's didn't seem like a fun time to be spending in the former Belgian Congo to do research.)
And getting so excited over wilson's dissertatin: Even the fifteenth edition of Wilson's dissertation is dull, dull, DULL. And frankly, it didn't have the sort of research that is required in dissertations today. I do not say that as a matter of judgment, just saying that most universities today require a hell of a lot of primary source material in your bibliography, and "Congressional government : a study in American politics" didn't have a bibliography that would cut it in today's academia. (Frankly, I am NOT a fan of what today's acadmeia requires for dissertations in the humanities. It is usually 500+ pages of mind-numbingly dull tripe just to prove that some grad student can jump through the arcane hoops his advisor and his department set for him.
And another thing: Wilson was an idiot. Democracies can be problematic, and the tyrànny of the majority can impose its will, and the little guy get crushed. Our Founding Fathers sought a way to keep that from happening in their creation of a federal constitutional republic. It was incredibly elegant solution. Of course, not for the likes of progressives like Wilson. Much easier to shove majority will down people's throats with a parliamentary system like Great Britain's. (What's good for Chicago, New York and LA *must* be good for the rest of the country, right? R-i-i-i-i-ght....)
(The CAPCHAS are proving interesting. This time I had "what.ever")
If obamma is the smartest guy in the room, WHERE IS THE PRROF?
It certainly is not on exhibit offf teleprompter. So what. he can read, big deal. Those words are written for him. which are then practiced ad infinitum to create the illusion he is intelligent. Release the transcripts, thesis and while we're at it, the student aid records to see if obamma applied for and received aid for foreign students to attend in the first place., Since he is the type that believes the end justifies the means, it is possible he gamed the system. That would be information America NEEDS to determine the character of the person to which the job of President aspires to. If it applies to one candidate it MUST apply to all.
No one cares what courses Obama took*, and he obviously did well enough at Columbia to get into a decent law school.
On the other hand, a guy who talks about Kenyan anticolonialsim nowadays might have had some interesting things to say about colonialism in the Belgian Congo.
*Well, maybe you do. Maybe if he took a course in Marxist Economics, for example, you could use that as evidence he's a closet Marxist.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI care about his grades ...
I see him as a bright-ish but lazy guy ... some grades in non cake courses might show me he has more skills than he has thus far displayed ...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAll the evidence I need of that is in Barry’s policies.
The reason he doesn’t want his transcripts released is that it would have his grades on them, which are probably full of C, interfering with the narrative of him being the smartest man in the history of the world.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNow that Obama no longer sends a thrill up Chris Matthews' leg, the NYT has taken over as head cheerleader. But because it's awfully hard to find anything to cheer about that's fit to print, the Times instead devotes its efforts to digging up issues, no matter how obscure and no matter how long ago, that can be used to attack the Republican candidates for the nomination. (An op-ed piece devoted to a dissertation written 40 years ago? Really?) In addition to the Times attackers, there are the Times apologists, excusing Fast and Furious and Solyndra and the rampant crony capitalism and out-of-control spending that have marked this administration. Three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and blind loyalty of the Times to Barack Obama.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMikeB: You're right; I don't care what courses Obama took or what grades he received.
I do care, however, that the media has so little curiosity about those transcripts, given their interest in virtually everybody else's--so long as they have a bit R after their name.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNo one should expect MikeB for recognizing partisan hypocrisy when he displays it himself. Obama's college career? Nobody cares, but "on the other hand," Gingrich's record is verrrry interesting.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseExternal Link
Back in '71, the NYT was publishing the Pentagon Papers.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf you read the piece, it slams Gingrich for sticking to the facts as it were, such as denoting the economic structure in place while the Congo was colonized by Belgium while not taking issue against those who perpetuated it. One wants to shake the guy a little and tell him: "Dude, it wasn't a column, it was a dissertation! It's supposed to stick to the facts!"
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt was like driving past a train wreck: I *had* to click on the link.
And a couple of observations/questions:
Did Hochschild read Wilson's dissertation as it was submitted to the university or did he read the version that was published? (Project Gutenberg as the fifteenth edition, giving Wilson plenty of opportunities to "tweak" the manuscript.
What is the different approach to dissertation requirements between 1885 and 1971? I know that in the current day, you can't write a dissertation that is not soporific, at best. You usually have to write it for your advisor, and if your advisor wants your dissertation to open with the memorable words, "This dissertation will explore X and y in order to show that Z is the result," by gosh, that is how yur dissertation WILL begin. Heck, if your advisor wants ot to open with, "It was a dark and stormy night..." it will, (if you want to complete your degree in anything resembling a timely manner. You give your advisor whatever he (or she) wants. Surveying the subject in a highly pedantic way is par for the dissertation course.
And in Newt's defense, it is unlikely that his dissertation advisor cared whata colonial-era Congolese school looked like, or what was in the textbooks, or how the teachers treated their students, because that is not REALLY all that informative as to “Belgian Education Policy in the Congo 1945-1960.” Also, by the time Gingrich was writing his dissertation, it was AFTER independence, and schools, textbooks, and how teachers treated their students had undoubtedly changed. (And frankly, the 1960's didn't seem like a fun time to be spending in the former Belgian Congo to do research.)
And getting so excited over wilson's dissertatin: Even the fifteenth edition of Wilson's dissertation is dull, dull, DULL. And frankly, it didn't have the sort of research that is required in dissertations today. I do not say that as a matter of judgment, just saying that most universities today require a hell of a lot of primary source material in your bibliography, and "Congressional government : a study in American politics" didn't have a bibliography that would cut it in today's academia. (Frankly, I am NOT a fan of what today's acadmeia requires for dissertations in the humanities. It is usually 500+ pages of mind-numbingly dull tripe just to prove that some grad student can jump through the arcane hoops his advisor and his department set for him.
(The CAPCHA was "spin doctor.")
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnd another thing: Wilson was an idiot. Democracies can be problematic, and the tyrànny of the majority can impose its will, and the little guy get crushed. Our Founding Fathers sought a way to keep that from happening in their creation of a federal constitutional republic. It was incredibly elegant solution. Of course, not for the likes of progressives like Wilson. Much easier to shove majority will down people's throats with a parliamentary system like Great Britain's. (What's good for Chicago, New York and LA *must* be good for the rest of the country, right? R-i-i-i-i-ght....)
(The CAPCHAS are proving interesting. This time I had "what.ever")
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf obamma is the smartest guy in the room, WHERE IS THE PRROF?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt certainly is not on exhibit offf teleprompter. So what. he can read, big deal. Those words are written for him. which are then practiced ad infinitum to create the illusion he is intelligent. Release the transcripts, thesis and while we're at it, the student aid records to see if obamma applied for and received aid for foreign students to attend in the first place., Since he is the type that believes the end justifies the means, it is possible he gamed the system. That would be information America NEEDS to determine the character of the person to which the job of President aspires to. If it applies to one candidate it MUST apply to all.