It's not often during midday cable news broadcasting you get to see raw emotion from one or two of the hosts. However, when President Barack Obama gets snubbed, there are exceptions to the rule.
On MSNBC on April 10, co-hosts Contessa Brewer and Carlos Watson put their disapproval on display for viewers to see while reporting a decision by Arizona State University not to award Obama an honorary degree for speaking at the school's commencement next month.
"In other news, President Obama will be giving the commencement address at Arizona State University on May 13th. But the president will not be getting an honorary degree according to the school. Here's why, quote, ‘While President Obama has already achieved remarkable success including becoming the first African-American president, his greatest work is yet to come. We will be delighted to consider him for an honorary degree once he leaves office at the end of the presidency.'"
"What?!?" MSNBC's Contessa Brewer said, in response to the statement read by
"I think it's comical too," Watson added.
However, Al Felzenberg, author of "The Leaders We Deserved (and a Few We Didn't): Rethinking the Presidential Rating Game," explained this has happened in the past - to President Ronald Reagan in 1986 by none other than the prestigious Harvard University.
"First of all, this is the dumbest decision that a university every made since Harvard fired Larry Summers," Felzenberg said. "Let me tell you, there is some precedent for it and it's equally ridiculous. Back in 1986, Harvard University chose to break with its own tradition since our country was born. Every 50 years, Harvard on its anniversary date has conferred an honorary degree to the sitting president. They gave one to Franklin Roosevelt in 1936. They denied to give one to Ronald Reagan in 1986. Ronald Reagan was very gracious about it and he sent George Schultz as his substitute."
Brewer then ranted about Arizona State's decision and suggested Obama didn't need their degree anyway.
"I mean - honestly, it's not like the president really particularly cares about getting an honorary degree from ASU," Brewer said, with a condescending tone. "However - he's a Harvard-educated, Ivy League man. But that aside, every university that I know of, when they invite a commencement speaker, they give an honorary degree. It's almost like it's a reward for saying yes."
Brewer cited a few lines from an April 9 East Valley Tribune editorial lobbying the University to reconsider, and then asked Felzenberg, "This is an embarrassment for ASU, isn't it?"
To further illustrate her point, Brewer pointed out that in 1986, Kermit the Frog received an honorary degree and further expressed her disapproval of ASU's decision.
"You know, I will say - maybe this is in ASU's defense, but every school has different standards for awarding honorary degrees," Brewer said. "For instance, Kermit the Frog received one from Long Island Southampton College in 1996. If Kermit the Frog can get an honorary degree from a real university, are you people kidding me? Honestly?"
Watson even suggested that president of the university might be "in trouble" for allowing this decision to stand.
"You know, I say if this stands, I got to believe the president of ASU is in trouble," "How could you be the president of that major university and allow this to stand."
"Lame brain decision," Brewer concluded.
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What!!?.... being
April 10, 2009 - 15:56 ET by MidAmericaWhat!!?.... being honorary President of the US isn't enough?
LOL!
April 10, 2009 - 16:01 ET by mattmLOL!
So .. you mean there
April 10, 2009 - 22:54 ET by ReaganRuledSo .. you mean there actually ARE intelligent people somewhere in this Country running an institution of "higher" learning? This is complete news to me, but a hearty congrats goes out to those chaps out in Arizona!
Besides .. what good would an honorary degree do for a teleprompter-toting messiah?
*face palm*
April 10, 2009 - 16:01 ET by katainkentTeen Magazine invades MSNBC (liiike oh mah gawd!)
What are they all upset
April 10, 2009 - 16:08 ET by bigtimerWhat are they all upset about...seems to me he is getting one of those from Notre Dame.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Well, bt....he's entitled
April 10, 2009 - 16:18 ET by motherbeltWell, bt....he's entitled to one wherever he goes!
What??? They're not willing to proclaim him a success before he actually does anything? Oh right....that's the MSM's job!!
They might say "Wow, that sucks!" But at least they'll say "Wow!" -Duff Goldman, the Ace of Cakes
How could?
April 10, 2009 - 16:12 ET by ConservativeFL"You know, I say if this stands, I got to believe the president of ASU is in trouble," "How could you be the president of that major university and allow this to stand."
I'll do you one better, how can TOTUS let the Somali pirates holding a US ship captain hostage allow this to stand!!!!! I say if this stands, I've got to believe the President of the United States is in trouble.
"Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15." Ronald Reagan
those Pirates had better be careful
April 10, 2009 - 17:17 ET by Jnobleas soon as UHHbama's teleprompter is up and running, he will tell them under no uncertain terms that they must stop being mean to that Captain and maybe he'll serve them some milk and cookies and ask why they're being such grumpy-pants if they let him go.
ASU
April 10, 2009 - 16:23 ET by BlondeI think my ex-husband would be pleased.
He was a democrat, but not a socialist, and I think he'd have hated seeing his beloved University award such an honor on an idiot.
I hope he fails, too.
I daresay Kermit the Frog
April 10, 2009 - 16:25 ET by fitzfongI daresay Kermit the Frog would be a more worthy President, as well.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
WAAAAH!! WAAAAH!!
April 10, 2009 - 17:14 ET by JnobleAwwwwww, is MSNBC gonna cry because His Holyness Dear Leader The Most Supreme wasn't automatically given a fake degree from whatever college He recently graced with His Presence?
Too f'in bad. Deal with it.
I'm from Arizona and have
April 10, 2009 - 17:22 ET by gmg2aeI'm from Arizona and have been a Sun Devil fan all my life, I hope they stick with their decision, and I would take kermit over bambi any day!
Ribbit!
April 10, 2009 - 17:32 ET by RukusKermit would be better than Barry by leaps and bounds! : )
Gary
"Things can only bother you if you let them bother you" -My Dad
The difference is,
April 10, 2009 - 17:53 ET by Jack HermanKermit's strings were pulled by Jim Henson. Obama's are pulled by George Soros.
Good move, ASU... I've
April 10, 2009 - 18:00 ET by JerGood move, ASU...
I've often thought that whole President of the United States deal is waaay overrated.
Jer
→ Right on, Jer
April 10, 2009 - 18:05 ET by Cool ArrowThough I hear his 12 disciples, er, I mean 12 teleprompters, aregetting Honorary Geopolitical Science degrees.
Except for Judas, the teleprompter that betrayed him with the PM of Ireland.
LYDSEXICS UNTIE!
Meh,
April 10, 2009 - 18:20 ET by RESTLESS 1I've never thought much of honorary degrees. Think about it, do you really want someone with an "honorary" doctorate performing you heart surgery? :)
I know, I know, but I still think they are stupid.
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
Jer
April 10, 2009 - 19:41 ET by well99We agree again.Good money after you leave.Ask Bill.Still VP is the thing.Create your own religion and just rake in the bucks like Brother Al.Seriously it isnt a big deal.One thing they really puts a burr under my saddle is this whole ivy league and Harvard thing.Big whoop someone comes from there.I sure many of our fine politicians are from there as well as some of those buisness genius that put us in this mess.
Huh..
April 11, 2009 - 08:41 ET by sentforth5"This mess" is by design.
An honorary AA degree?
April 10, 2009 - 18:01 ET by slickwillie2001So does an honorary degree from a college have any more value than an affirmative action degree from a college? I'll have to think on this. But then to what extent is the honorary degree also an affirmative action degree?
MSNBC is the Billy Mays of the Main Stream Media
April 10, 2009 - 18:13 ET by PooveyMSNBC is the Billy Mays of the Main Stream Media
Let's let Obama and Michelle explain it to - in their own words:
April 10, 2009 - 18:43 ET by Gary HallLet's let Obama and Michelle explain it to - in their own words:
He hasn't done anything yet!
I haven't done anything yet!
I.. uh.. uh.. I need experience
nuf said!
"For instance, Kermit the
April 10, 2009 - 18:58 ET by Dan Diego"For instance, Kermit the Frog received one from Long Island Southampton College in 1996. If Kermit the Frog can get an honorary degree from a real university, are you people kidding me?"
How dare some rinky-dink school like ASU dis The One.
Pray that the University of Phoenix honors him at their next on-line commencement or there will be hell to pay.
Okay
April 10, 2009 - 19:09 ET by RESTLESS 1"I mean - honestly, it's not like the president really particularly cares about getting an honorary degree from ASU,"
If the 0 doesn't care, why the hell do these people care so much? Time to send emails to the president of ASU for a job well done.
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
Well we have heard that he attended Harvard
April 10, 2009 - 19:45 ET by dark_ds"However - he's a Harvard-educated, Ivy League man"
Well we have heard that he attended Harvard... although we arent allowed to see his transcripts we dont have the needed proof .... its as if he has hidden his report card .... I am SURE there isnt anything he is afraid of us seeing ... its probably that he doesnt want appear arrogant with his Spock like brain.
"America is on the Short Bus to Socialism"
dark
April 10, 2009 - 19:52 ET by DelsaYou are so right. We only know what SOBama has told us.
Where he went to school? I have not seen anything tghat tells me anything.
Has he ever litigated? Where is his bar exam info.
He is a BLANK from birth to president!
Who pushed him? Who gave him the money to go to all these schools?
Who's his sugar daddy?
Yes the Great President
April 11, 2009 - 02:11 ET by dark_dsYes the Great President Blank ..... no other position in the land would less be expected of you .... a Stripper could get away with less abut her history .. but then again the security of the free world really doenst come into play often with a stripper ... I vote for Bambi as the next president of the United States.
"America is on the Short Bus to Socialism"
Hoo Rah
April 10, 2009 - 19:46 ET by Delsafinally this a school where grown ups make the decision and where degrees are given if you have actually done something with your life.
What has SOBama EVER done? Oh, O K he can read a teleprompter. big deal!
He organized communities? Big Deal!
The folks at this school are correct when they say, come back at the end of your Presidency and we shall see what you have accomplished!
Rather novel idea don't you think?
Pretend Catholics at Notre Dame could learn something!
Affimative action will get
April 10, 2009 - 20:33 ET by ConservativeRexAffimative action will get you an honorary degree from Columbia and Harvard as well. And where is all the evidence that he had done anything at either institution?
Good for ASU. ND went from all male to co-ed to all female. Now, is everyone happy?
Hell, give everyone a degree. Biden?..give'em a degree...distaff Clinton?..yep, degree. Pass them out to the tax cheats and various other criminals is the obama administration...we can't discriminate.
Kermit The Frog was not President of the United States
April 10, 2009 - 22:27 ET by Systems Analystin 1996, unless I missed a historic development somewhere.
As for the B.O. being a Harvard educated Ivy League man, that is still an unsubstantiated rumor. To my knowledge, no one has seen any documentation proving that claim.
I have one question: If a sitting President of the United States of America gets his panties in a wad because some minor university does not give him a fictitious degree, does that President have any business being Chief Executive of the most powerful nation in the world?
and that's PMSNBS,
April 10, 2009 - 22:54 ET by ReaganRuledand that's PMSNBS, thankyouverymuch!
This means trouble
April 10, 2009 - 23:03 ET by slickwillie2001Any money for ASU in the Porkulus bill is now in serious jeopardy. Rahm Emanuel was seen in the DC fish market this afternoon looking for something on sale. Turbo Tax Timmie is looking into firing the President of ASU. The ACORN buses are warming up and Bahney Fwank has the addresses of all the board members of ASU.
He can have one that is
April 10, 2009 - 23:19 ET by zanneHe can have one that is sealed. Just like all his other records.
The ‘townspeople’ at
April 11, 2009 - 00:03 ET by maggieqpublicThe ‘townspeople’ at MSNBC haven’t yet figured out the Emperor has no clothes. (They’re still busy telling us how much they love what the King is wearing.)
I started keying in some thoughts about Contessa…. but decided I just shouldn’t go there.
(PS Am an Arizona native who left in 1970... what on earth is the East Valley Tribune?)
I happened to be watching CNN yesterday when they reported
April 11, 2009 - 00:35 ET by Rush Fanon that Arizona State snub. After the report the CNN female reporter turned it back to Wolf Blitzer with this comment: "Can you believe that?"
------------------------------------------------------
"I'm reminded every single day, that I am not a perfect man. I will not be a perfect president." ~ Barack Obama
As a Phoenix resident.....
April 11, 2009 - 08:40 ET by mbmonahan.....who has questioned MOST of the things the ASU president has done, I give a tip o' the cap to him today.
Well done Sir!
Drinking the Kool-Aid
April 11, 2009 - 08:46 ET by Sergeant ROCKSo this guy didn't drink the Kool-Aid? Good for him. I find the reaction by msDNC hillarious. Kind of like the reaction you get from the people that have been taken over by the pods from 'Invasion of the Bodysnatchers'.
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
One could point out
April 11, 2009 - 08:56 ET by Rhymes With RightThat Kermit the Frog has a more substantive resume and more significant accomplishments than Barack Obama.
Blogging at rhymeswithright.mu.nu