New York Times reporter Michael Brick went to College Station, Texas, to preview a college visit by Barack Obama today commemorating the 20th anniversary of the first President Bush's "Points of Light" volunteer organization.
In the condescending "At A&M, a Dance of Decorum for Obama Visit," Brick posed fears that campus conservative activists at Texas A&M might embarrass themselves and their college with their "unchecked fervor," which "can be a raw and fearsome thing." Last year, you see, "the Young Conservatives embarrassed the university by throwing eggs at a picture of Mr. Obama."
Brick is being awfully protective of Obama. If defacing a picture of a president is an automatic embarrassment to a university, then every big college in America should be red-faced, since posters of Bush as Hitler were pretty much de rigueur at any decent campus protest. But the Times never showed any concern for campus hatred of Republicans.
Brick profiled Justin Pulliam, chairman of the campus chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas, who he introduced as "The most dangerous young man on campus," whose group is organizing a protest against Obama.
All across campus, from the large-animal veterinary clinics to the storied Military Walk, students, professors and administrators have been bracing for the arrival on Friday of President Obama, an admitted Democrat and, here, a suspected socialist. For an institution often cast as country cousin to the University of Texas at Austin, a turn in the national spotlight will present the chance to put on a display of diversity, hospitality and achievement. Or not.
Founded during Reconstruction as a men's technical college, A&M (which stood for Agricultural and Mechanical) has nurtured a stoic brand of conservatism steeped in the tradition of its Aggie farmer nickname and the Corps of Cadets.
....
For his part, Mr. Bush has been taking no chances. After a summer of contentious nationwide protests culminating in an outburst during a Congressional address, Mr. Bush issued a call for decorum on the front page of the student newspaper this week.
"Howdy," his letter began, going on to renounce politics for the occasion and conclude: "I cannot wait for Obama to experience the open, decent and welcoming Aggie spirit for himself. This will be an important national moment, and a moment for Texas A&M to shine in the national spotlight as it always does. I hope and believe it will serve as a point of Aggie pride for many years to come."
But among the great Aggie traditions, few outshine the spirit of the Twelfth Man, a reference to the stadium crowds at Kyle Field taking an active role, by force of volume and sheer will, in the outcome of events.
Unchecked fervor, of course, can be a raw and fearsome thing. Last year, the Young Conservatives embarrassed the university by throwing eggs at a picture of Mr. Obama ("He'll throw away your nest egg," was the topical message lost to history) on national television. T-shirts bearing the legend "Beat the Hell Outta Obama," an ad hominem twist on a football slogan, did little to improve matters.
Brick even tut-tutted the college kids's choice of protest-wear:
Believing his fellow students have lost their conservatism to a mix of apathy and professorial indoctrination, he has planned a rally for Friday afternoon involving costumes like Dr. Obama (a jab at the president's stance on health care), the Grim Reaper (a less subtle jab on the same topic), and Uncle Sam (?).
Can you imagine a Times reporter criticizing the costume choice at a left-wing protest at Berkeley, where they do it every weekend?
—Clay Waters is the director of Times Watch, an MRC project tracking the New York Times.



















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Today's MSM
October 16, 2009 - 12:01 ET by bse5150Today's MSM says:
Peaceful protests against Obama = bad!
Pictures of Sarah Palin being punched in the mouth = good!
"since posters of Bush as
October 16, 2009 - 12:42 ET by notonmywatch"since posters of Bush as Hitler were pretty much de rigueur at any decent campus protest"
Great points, as always.
What percentage of modern "liberals" have reached the point they actually don't want to see any parallel? Those people can't be reached.
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Conservatives will save unchecked fervor for Nov 2010.
October 16, 2009 - 12:43 ET by jazboat least I will.
"Democrats; Breeding voters like farm animals since 1962"
Full circle!
October 16, 2009 - 12:14 ET by CobraManSo, the children of the campus protesters of the 70's are afraid of the campus protesters of today? We've come full circle!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus.
The US Supreme Court
Oddly enough... Michael "As
October 16, 2009 - 12:16 ET by Jack BauerOddly enough... Michael "As thick as a" Brick seems entirely more sympathetic to PROTESTS against President Bush in 2004...
Of course, this was an EXTREME LEFTIST protest that turned violent.
The money quote about these 2004 protesters...
"Some people have decided they're going to go there anyway," said Bill Perkins, a city councilman from Upper Manhattan. "It reminds me of the Boston Tea Party. It's as American as apple pie."
NY Times Real Issue w/ Texas A&M
October 16, 2009 - 12:29 ET by AggieSpiritTexas A&M is one of the few public universities in this country where the student body is overwhelmingly politically conservative. That is what the NY Times real issue is. They can't stand that fact. Had Obama been selected as a commencement addressee at Texas A&M, he would be lucky if 50% of the students did not walk out or refuse to participate. The Pro-life position of the Catholic church actually means something to A&M Catholics who are nearly the majority at A&M (Notre Dame ought to be ashamed).
Obama, The New York Times, and the Mainstream media will have some friends there though --- the faculty and the Young Democrats on campus. Amongst those friendly to Mr. Obama will be Dr. Joe Feagan, who stated in my sister's sociology class ' All White people are born racists ' . Even in conservative TAMU, some nuts do persist.
I think I'm becoming an
October 16, 2009 - 13:54 ET by mattmI think I'm becoming an Aggies fan.
BTW - I wonder if the NYT was as worried about the raw, fearsome, unchecked fervor of the 2008 GOP Convention piss-bombers and window-breakers.... didn't think so.
Texas A&M
October 16, 2009 - 14:00 ET by Ben BlankenshipThe NYT "reporter" who called a 100-acre pasture in Texas a "spread" may want to visit before declaiming further about this fine school. As an Aggie alum, I went to a football game there a few years ago, and I never saw such courteous student and crowd behavior before, during and after the game. Could Ivy League schools boast similarly?
Amen, Ben
October 16, 2009 - 15:01 ET by boomerconI went to the A&M football game last Saturday, and the almost 80,000 fans, students, and alumni were friendly and courteous, even to the OK State fans, giving directions, helping as needed. Just great to watch those young people doing the right thing time and time again, not expecting (or demanding) anything in return.
That's how they were raised, and that's the culture at A&M.
But don't be bringing hate, divisiveness, or folks who talk down to them, or they'll set you straight. Loudly!
I'm betting that will be Barry's last visit to Aggieland.
WHOOP!
'73, '05 x 2; '08 x 2
Wow, 'unchecked
October 16, 2009 - 12:32 ET by Six String SpiffWow, 'unchecked fervor'.
Would that be like Congressional Democrats calling Bush EVERY NAME IN THE BOOK on the floor?
How about a leftist protester biting the finger off of an elderly man? Does that qualify as 'unchecked fervor'?
What about the phrase "Get in their faces!"? No?
Ok how about the MSM continuously tearing down the economy when it was actually GREAT during Bush's terms?
I have NOTHING but contempt for anything the MSM discusses, opines, or otherwise LIES about. Besides terrorism, they are the number one threat to this great nation.
The Times' paranoid fear of
October 16, 2009 - 12:33 ET by TenebrousThe Times' paranoid fear of anywhere in the world except upper-West-side coffeehouses has grown stale. Really, do we need a bunch of sissy liberals screaming that the world is a scary, scary place because they are sissy liberals? No-one wants to hear your effeminate cauterwauling any longer, guys. You are are bankrupt for a reason, you know.
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Random-jumbled-thoughts.blogspot.com
I must have missed all of
October 16, 2009 - 12:33 ET by Tom PaineI must have missed all of the stories expressing concern when George Bush was protested by liberals every time he set foot on a college campus.
I seem to recall that holy
October 16, 2009 - 12:54 ET by ricklailI seem to recall that holy hell was raised at SMU when it was announced that Bush would build his library there.
Semper suprene nitens
OBAMACARE: If it ain't good enough for my Congressman then it ain't good enough for me.
Campus protestors
October 16, 2009 - 12:37 ET by QueenMumJWF posted some good information on the Open Thread in regard to campus protests.
(Hope you don't mind my referencing your post, JWF. I think it says a lot about how the word "violence" is so readily bandied about by the libs when it comes to the free speech of conservatives.)
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
- P.J. O'Rourke
"Unchecked fervor" = Free
October 16, 2009 - 12:48 ET by robert108"Unchecked fervor" = Free speech.
His audience
October 16, 2009 - 12:54 ET by KC MulvilleBrick is writing to an audience (and to their perspective) where conservatives are racists and ignorant. He's not writing to the rest of us, who are normal and fair-minded. He's writing to a small, narrow group of people who can be counted on to agree with his bigoted assumptions.
That's the key: is he writing to everyone? Or just to bigoted liberals?
Idiot from the NYT
October 16, 2009 - 12:55 ET by RousseUnchecked fervor? Michael Brick is an idiot. He's like a dog outta the yard. He just runs around pissing on everything and barking his fool head off.
+1 LOL
October 16, 2009 - 13:41 ET by TheLip+1 LOL
No doubt the media will
October 16, 2009 - 12:57 ET by Radical1979No doubt the media will continue to ignore Bush's classy stance by asking the school to be polite. They refuse to give him credit for anything, but I believe 100 years from now history will look favorably on him (for the most part).
Chomping-off-a-finger "raw and fearsome"?...
October 16, 2009 - 13:00 ET by SickofLibsOr more like a gay marriage demonstration?
This is just one more
October 16, 2009 - 13:26 ET by ricklailThis is just one more reason to like A&M besides the Twelth Man and the way the band never stops marching once they take the field. The visit to the Chicken Ranch for the winner of the A&M-Texas game was another until it was dropped.
Semper suprene nitens
OBAMACARE: If it ain't good enough for my Congressman then it ain't good enough for me.
"everbody" knows
October 16, 2009 - 14:28 ET by wizardjrthat Bush is the devil and Barry is The Second Coming.
So... it's not only okay, but required to spit on President Bush, but even expressing opposition to The One is embarassing for your school. Heresy must be stamped out!
Butt biscuits, one and all these so-called reporters.
You won't normally hear me
October 16, 2009 - 15:07 ET by ConservativeRexYou won't normally hear me say this but I will for this one time...'gig'em Aggies'!
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum
As my 17 year old daughter
October 16, 2009 - 15:24 ET by samhermanmdAs my 17 year old daughter would say, "What. A. Hypocrite."
So it is completely fine for left-wing students to hang Bush in effigy, portray him as Hitler and (thanks to Michelle Malkin) display assassination chic, but a student who yells "BOO!" at Obama is violent and threatening? This is beyond being a panty-waist. This is going into some serious paranoiac nonsense bordering on a dissociative symptom.
The left only has the spine when its slime-throwing media pets lie and throw the insults, but when the right challenges them they immediately yell about being threatened. I would call them chickens, but I have more regard for poultry than I do for liberals.
What people need to start understanding...
October 16, 2009 - 15:54 ET by stage9...is that the image of a leader in communist nations are held in as high esteem as the man himself. Because liberals are communist in their thinking, it disturbs them to think that anyone would deface their national leader's image. National pride is wrapped up in deifying their political leader. God is no longer God - Government leadership is.
When the statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down and destroyed, I would not doubt if some liberals shrieked in terror.
They want to worship something. They want to be ruled by someone. They want to give their lives for a cause.
But rather than to a loving God, they give their lives to a fallible man. Is it no wonder that a Mao Zedong or an Adolf Hitler can seize power so easily given the right set of circumstances? Like say... during a recession and economic uncertainty?
"If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will
be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for
pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner."
— Malcolm Muggeridge
Texas A&M
October 16, 2009 - 15:56 ET by ZayneI love this school... Gig'em!
Well, if I wuz a librul I wood be skeered
October 16, 2009 - 16:58 ET by Willis_Leon_JohnsonWhen nutcases, liberals and goofballs have protests and demonstrations, there are plenty of arrests, violence and general hatred espoused everywhere.
But you let them rascally Conservatives hold a protest/demonstration, there are no arrests.
No violence, nudity, hatred or even animosity.
The areas are clean and undamaged after the event.
It would scare me half to death that the rest of the People would look around and notice just exactly who it is that causes the problems, and how hard the media pushes to create riots and vandalism to increase the prices they charge for AIRTIME.
http://gjresult.com
At least the ROTC cadre
October 16, 2009 - 20:51 ET by RR GOPAt least the ROTC cadre don't have to worry about Young Republicans burning down their buildings.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 86% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.