Bill O’Reilly rips on UO
Are you watching Dan Lawton?
Talk show host Bill O’Reilly has blasted the University of Oregon for the preponderance of registered Democrats among its professors in political science, economics, journalism, sociology and law. See the video here:
Sound familiar? I could have sworn a certain Emerald columnist might have broached this subject in our pages back in June, then published an article about it subsequently in the Christian Science Monitor and the Oregonian. You know, scooping Bill O’Reilly by two months. But Lawton gets no mention in O’Reilly’s segment, despite being the man who did the legwork for O’Reilly by having the idea and going to the database to do the research.
We are, however, treated to a rather amusing “interview”/lecture by O’Reilly’s lackey Dan Bank on Provost Jim Bean.
Bank: Do you feel this is a fair educational system paid for by the taxpayers?
Bean: I don’t know if that’s true.
It is, of course, taken out of context (in true O’Reilly fashion), but amusing nonetheless.
Lawton makes valid points in criticizing the University’s political balance. And it’s also great to have concerns about the way our institution is run aired on a national news program. However, if the news program is national, and if journalism is still considered a public service, then it has a responsibility to try and put facts here in a national context.
But I didn’t see O’Reilly comparing figures here to figures at other state universities, which would entitle him to make bold assertions such as “In the country, there are twice as many conservative individuals as liberal in the country, OK? That’s what it is. And I think it breaks down in academia the same way.”
UO Matters is also questioning O’Reilly’s calling being a University of Oregon professor a “plush, plum job,” in light of the University’s dead, dead last finish in the American Association of Universities faculty pay stakes.
Anyway, it’s not the first time O’Reilly has called for heads at the University of Oregon. You can watch him give former Oregon Commentator editor Tyler Graf the straw man treatment over the Student Insurgent’s naked Jesus cartoons here:
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Comments
I like how Mr. O’ Reilly questions “if it were a jew or a black person”……last time I checked Jesus was a jewish carpenter.
[...] reporter Alex Tomchak Scott has a nice post about the episode, citing the lack of comparable statistics from other Universities and the [...]
Educational institutions and the news media should be working for CREDIBLE ideological balance and diversity. Both are in the truth-finding business. Far too often both work towards political balance and diversity which can and is very different from going after the truth. The truth must be the goal, not political balance. The Republicans and the corporations that basically run the country love to perpetuate this myth that universities and news media should start with a goal of political neutrality between the two major parties. It works out well for them. The classic example of this problem is when a news show would discuss creationism in the classroom (intelligent design) and have one person to represent each position. This in turn infer gives the viewer the idea that each position is just as credible as the other.
Republicans have demonstrated a lack of vision and integrity for far too long. It’s a sign of integrity that there are so few R’s in these particular university departments.
Republicans war on intellectualism doesn’t help drive Republicans into education.
yea….. I liked it. lets have more conservative professors on campus and teaching. What about it UO????
Another completely one sided argument by Bill. Maybe in our free market system you should be able to pick and choose your school as you please, considering the schools political environment when you make your decision. I mean do we really need to hold peoples hand through college choices Bill? I would be willing to bet there is no shortage of right leaning public universities in this country, or in Oregon for that matter. Eastern and OSU are quite different schools than the U of O. Affirmative Action for Republican academics, I love it!
Bill wants a nanny state institution to protect the libertarian ideals of the GOP. Awesome!
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