Thursday, November 05, 2009
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Judge the person, not the resume
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Posted by:
Michael Medved at
5:38 PM
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(Appeared in USA Today, November 3, 2009)
‘A nation that proudly offers fresh starts and open doors regardless of old world titles or family connections should reject snobbery based on either academic attainment or aristocratic ancestry.’ The poisonous polarization of the culture has produced some ill-considered attacks that call into question one of the most fundamental American values: the notion that each individual deserves to be judged on ability, not background, and evaluated on performance rather than credentials. For instance, some of the pre-emptive dismissal of Sarah Palin's upcoming book Going Rogue — with its massive first printing of 1.5 million — represents an elitist attempt to disarm a political combatant by questioning her qualifications. Echoing themes from the 2008 campaign, the former governor's many detractors focus contemptuous attention on her teenage participation in beauty pageants, youthful ambitions as a sportscaster and checkered academic career (transferring among four colleges before finally finishing a journalism degree at the University of Idaho). Some of the nation's most influential commentators face similarly sneering criticism based on educational background. I recently received an angry letter from a Texas teacher who despised all of conservative talk radio. "You're a pathetic joke, just like all the other professional blowhards who pollute the airwaves with their rants," he cheerfully opined. "Look at the biggest clowns in your business Limbaugh, Hannity, Glenn Beck. How many college degrees among all of them? The answer is zero. You're just a bunch of ignorant boobs who think that if you shout loud enough no one will notice you have nothing to say." It's true that my colleagues Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck all failed to earn university degrees, but they've won huge audiences based on undeniable skill as persuasive communicators. For those who are entertained, provoked or inspired by an opinionated figure on radio or TV, academic distinction is entirely irrelevant. Cronkite, Novak, Safire The public recently mourned the loss of three universally respected journalists — Walter Cronkite, Robert Novak and William Safire. No one questioned their brilliance, or their contributions to the culture, despite the fact that they all dropped out of college short of graduation. By the same token, sophisticated computer geeks may feel disdainful of Microsoft products, but they don't boycott that company because Bill Gates left Harvard without earning a degree. Cronkite, Novak and Safire rose to fame in an earlier era, when far fewer Americans graduated from college. In 1960, only 8% of adults 25 or older had earned university degrees. Today, the percentage of college graduates is nearing a third of all adults. In the election of 1948, the voters paid scant attention to the fact that President Truman never attended college. But today, with college education far more common and accessible, no politician could run a credible presidential campaign without some post-high school diploma. Ironically, the emphasis on intellectual elitism has become far more pronounced on the left than the right, despite the long-standing association of Democrats as "the party of the people." In 2008, college graduates voted decisively for Obama, and he won even bigger majorities of those with post-graduate degrees — not surprising for a candidate with credentials from Columbia and Harvard. Not only do studies indicate a considerable liberal tilt in college faculties, but Democrats support increased government spending for institutions of higher learning. Because progressives attach greater significance to universities, it makes sense that they judge the educational backgrounds of candidates (and commentators) accordingly: In the past six presidential elections, every one of the Democratic nominees held degrees from Harvard or Yale. This liberal infatuation with Ivy League affiliation, going back to the Harvard-trained Roosevelt and Kennedy families, also protects prominent progressives from doubts about their "unserious" early careers. Conservatives note that Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., spent most of adulthood as a comedian,or that New York Times columnist Frank Rich was a drama critic, or that MSNBC firebrand Keith Olbermann gained fame as a sportscaster. Liberals respond to such objections by insisting that whatever previous professional paths, their stars boast solid academic qualifications: Franken and Rich graduated from Harvard, and Olbermann got a degree from Cornell. Illogical attacks In that context, I've received personal attacks because of the 12 years I spent as a full-time film critic (reviewing movies for PBS and the New York Post) before launching my daily political talk show 13 years ago. The same correspondent who objected to the prominence of Limbaugh and company because of their lack of university diplomas suggested that my books and radio commentary deserved no attention because "you're a dummy movie critic with no qualifications at all." As a matter of record, I graduated from Yale with honors and attended Yale Law School, before working as speechwriter and campaign aide for senatorial and congressional candidates, and writing an acclaimed history of the White House staff. Of course, these achievements will do nothing to help my latest book if it's inarticulate or unpersuasive, just as Sarah Palin's early life struggles should in no way discredit her best-seller if it's riveting and insightful. Attempts to disregard messages by attacking the background of the messenger count as not only illogical but also un-American. A nation that proudly offers fresh starts and open doors regardless of old world titles or family connections should reject snobbery based on either academic attainment or aristocratic ancestry. For Palin, as for any candidate or commentator, the public will appropriately judge performance, not personal history, and should by all means read the book, not the r?sum?. Michael Medved, a member of USA TODAY's board of contributors, hosts a daily radio talk show and is the author of 12 books, including The Shadow Presidents and the forthcoming The 5 Big Lies About American Business.
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ANYONE can make it if they have the talent, brains, or balls.
Or a rich daddy. |
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"Attempts to disregard messages by attacking the background of the messenger count as not only illogical but also un-American."
But [gasp] does that mean Sean "Cpt. America" Hannity is [double gasp] un-American?!?!?!
Funny, I could have swore the "background attack" method was the only trick up the GOP's sleeve. You nuts are still trying to hang Obama with ACORN, Wright, etc. despite the fact that the majority of the public is unconcerned with this nonsense.
However, fair is fair.
If Obama "pals around with terrorists," then Palin is a beauty queen half-wit, Rush/Beck are drug-abusing dropouts, and Bush is, well...just a life-long failure. |
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America is finding out about Obama's resume and background just this year no thanks to the press. go ahead and compare away with the others you've mentioned.
rationalization is the lifeblood of dem/libs... |
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I hold an earned doctorate. Having said that, diplomas and degrees are highly overrated. In the end, they are more about endurance than intelligence. Students a whole lot smarter than I dropped out of both college and graduate school. Some with whom I graduated were as dumb as dirt on things that really matter in life. Academic smarts are no indicator of insight, discernment, or understanding. More often than not all one must do is regurgitate on an exam what the professor is looking for. That is not education, but indoctrination. Indeed, if one truly gains an education it often must be in spite of one's professors and the courses required rather than because of them. In the end, all a diploma means is that one has met the minimum requirements necessary to obtain the degree. Nothing more, nothing less. |
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A moment of silence if you please for the men and women at Fort Hood. |
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of the highly educated big brained geniuses currently running the country, I'll take some high school dropouts, thank you very much. |
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The only thing I find with your post is obama was in that church for 20 years,if he didn't hear what wright said he heard from others what was said. He knew what ayers was about even though, he was not around when ayers was blowing things up with his terrorist buddies, finally obama worked with acorn back in the community organizing days right? Now your opinion of Sarah Palin of course you are correct you have the right to give it, but you show your a biased fool by not seeing the connection obama has with these radicals, so you readily give us your brilliant opinion that Sarah is half-wit, well if she is as you state,you have to be close to a 1/32 wit. |
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Welcome to the college graduates of today.The products of the dumb,dumber and dumbing down of todays education system thanks to another union.The teachers unions and the Dept.of Education.
I think women like Bachmann,Palin and Marsha Blackburn of Tennesse are like a breath of fresh air.These aren't just strong women but they're politicians who know why they were elected and they're not afraid to take on not just the Democrats but their own party leadership.I don't care if they're not comfortable in front of a camera or they misspeak when giving a speech.They're strong conservatives who speak to the issues that most people care about and I'm glad to see them out there.
These women and other male politicians who are seeing the handwritting on the wall have been out all summer speaking out against this nightmare deathcare bill concocted by Obama and the Democrats.The recent elections were a very loud cannon shot fired at the Democrats and the Rino's.Let's not forget who stood tall this summer and who crawled through the mud.
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"America is finding out about Obama's resume"
What, exactly, are they finding out about? You mouthbreaters screamed Ayers/Wright/Ayers for months and it did nothing. Well, I shouldn't say nothing...conservative commentators have done pretty well for themselves peddling that crap.
"background just this year no thanks to the press."
I agree...Fox News and talk radio really aren't press.
"go ahead and compare away with the others you've mentioned."
Ok. I will. Thanks.
"rationalization is the lifeblood of dem/libs..."
Umm...ok. Let me guess - Patriotism, Freedom, Liberty and sunshine is the lifeblood of mouthbreathers. |
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Is that community of Ob's still organized? Haha |
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Keith Olbermann attended Cornell Agriculture School, the land grant, not Ivy League School according to Ann Coulter, March 4, 2009.
Olbermann, a jock-sniffer is a phony and Sarah Palin is not. Therefore people identify with Palin because she's real.
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balh blah blah blah
what's his point, anyway? |
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judge the person on substance. |
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msm or any of theses CRITICS got the right to judge anyones talent to write or think. The make IDIOTS AND FOOLS of themselves every day when they ignore whats really going on and flounder over a PRESIDENT WHO truely is proving he was and remains totally UNQUALIFIED to be presidend , commander-in-cheif, or any other position of control over anything.He acts like hes auditioning for hollywood instead of running the country which is what he was elected to do, and all these IDIOTS who arent doing their job want to attack Palin and judge her writing, I cant sand their voices on tv or anywhere else and find them the LAST PLACE TO GET A RECOMMENDATION FOR ANYTHING AT ALL. |
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"Attempts to disregard messages by attacking the background of the messenger count as not only illogical but also un-American. "
Which, makes the entire Republican party un-American. All AM Hate Radio does is engage in the politics of personal destruction.
Conservatives are in a league all their own they are so rapid and tenacious about personal destruction.
You got to wonder at the pathology of someone accusing someone of something they are even more guilty of ten times over. I mean is Medved in denial or just playing on the denial of his audience.
Pretty funny piece though. It made me laugh.
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so it's shocking how conservatives had the audacity to use Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals as a weapon to launch a major counter attack against the opposition. Everyone knows progressives are soft-spoken kind-hearted individuals while conservatives are loud mouths.
Where did conservative pickup such language calling themselves a bunch of redneck racists astrotuf teabaggers and memebers of the mob?
Is it possible that conservatives heard the swill, the unflattering language from liberal / progresives?
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Bob and some of the others are right on with my way of thinkng. I have known some "booksmart" people who do excellent on the SATs... but can't use a can opener.
Judging from his educated highness and the snooty intellectual uppercrust around him who look down on the "uneducated"- They're not doing so great. I will take a room full of the average common sense person over one of them. |
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This is a great article. For more info related to "illogical attacks" and other issues, google "No Bull Mom." |
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