It was at a summer 2012 campaign stop in Roanoke, Va., when President Obama first served up his belief that business owners didn’t succeed on their own, sprinkling on a bit of Al Gore’s “winners of life’s lottery” for some extra pizzazz. “If you’ve got a business … you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen,” the president told a receptive crowd.
On Saturday afternoon, President Obama delivered the commencement speech at Howard University and also received an honorary doctorate from the school to recognize his work on getting the Obamacare train wreck rolling. Hey look, it’s Vernon Jordan, unofficial “first friend” and golfing buddy of President Bill Clinton.
Vernon Jordan, a Trustee at @HowardU, presents Pres Obama with Honorary Doctor of Science Degree. pic.twitter.com/W2u4oiNqXZ
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 7, 2016
Official says @HowardU chose Honorary Doctor of Science Degree for @POTUS to honor his Affordable Care Act.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 7, 2016
After proving at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner that the president’s got jokes (about having been too high on “choom” to pick a college major, nonetheless), one might think the president could use this opportunity to address these proud graduates on their level: (mostly) young adults who through their own hard work earned their college degrees (which should have been free, but that’s another Democrat talking point).
Instead, the president revived and doubled down on his campaign remarks.
Obama: "You've worked hard – but you've also been lucky." You didn't build that.
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) May 7, 2016
Did he really say that?
Pres urges grads to "have the same confidence" as the late Prince. "Or as my daughters tell me all the time: 'you be you, Daddy.' "
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 7, 2016
At same time, @POTUS cites a pet peeve: "people who have been successful and don't realize they have been lucky."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 7, 2016
As the highest ranking member of the Party of Science™, the president certainly talks a lot about “luck” when citing examples of hard work and success. Maybe Vox can whip up a pie chart to visualize the elements of success and their proper proportions.
Also up for debate:
Further, Pres Obama says America is better, the world is better and race relations are better than when he graduated college.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 7, 2016
Pres Obama urges grads at @HowardU to "be confident in your heritage. Be confident in your blackness."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 7, 2016
Pres also urges grads not to block those with offensive views from speaking out. "Don't do that." "Let them talk," he says.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 7, 2016
Race relations are better? Let them talk? Is he aware that students at schools like Oberlin are fighting to self-segregate, demanding black-only “safe spaces” on campus where they won’t have to deal with their ideas being challenged, while students at other schools are mistaking loose lighting cables and paper lantern hangers for nooses? That doesn’t even include “media free” zones to protect protesters from having to explain to the press what it is they’re protesting.
As for addressing an audience made up of graduates ranging from to 20 to 74? They ate up his remarks, but really is a shame the president thought he had to dumb down the electoral process.
"If you have more votes than the other guy, you get to do what you want." Obama pushing votes over hashtags at Howard.
— Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) May 7, 2016
Stressing the importance of voting, Pres says "If you have more votes than the other guy – you get to do what you want."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 7, 2016
Yes, that’s the man who taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago explaining the complex workings of the electoral process to new college graduates. Or, in short, “I won.”
That’s one thing about Obama that distinguishes him from his possible successor: he never says he “misspoke.”
Related:
Obama to Hollande: ‘As president, I can do whatever I want’
