October 2, 2012

The University of Wisconsin website links to the Obama campaign website...

... and requires students to provide the campaign with their names, email address, and even phone numbers to gain access to the event, which as I discussed in this earlier post, will take place at the center of our campus and will shut down normal university activities on a Thursday (obviously, a class day).

ADDED: Here's how the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talks about the event:
The day after Barack Obama's Wednesday night debate with Mitt Romney, he'll seek to show an image of strength by leading a rally on the university campus here - long a bastion of his support.

The event will give the president a chance to either sustain any momentum he has coming out of the debate in Denver or to change the subject if Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, scores points in the forum.
Here's the University of Wisconsin's own "Guidance on Political Campaign Activities at University of Wisconsin System Institutions."

ALSO: Back in August:
The University of Virginia has declined a request to host President Obama for a campaign rally next week, complicating his planned tour of swing-state college campuses to court younger voters...

“The use of either of the desired sites would require closing buildings adjacent to the sites for the entire day,” [university spokesman Carol Wood said]. “The cancellation of 186 classes would occur. … This would result in an extraordinary disruption of the second day of the new semester.”

Wood said the university would also have had to foot the bill for added security measures on campus and along the presidential motorcade route. Because of the school’s nonpartisan status, it would have to offer “the same accommodations and bear the same costs” for Mitt Romney, she said.
Of course, needing to offer Mitt Romney the same accommodations is not an issue here at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, because it's such a strongly left-liberal environment that he'd never ask.

UPDATE: The University itself is now openly calling it a "campaign rally": "President Barack Obama will hold a campaign rally on Bascom Hill this Thursday."

88 comments:

TosaGuy said...

and the sun rose in the east this morning....

Ann Althouse said...

@TosaGuy I have never seen anything like this.

cubanbob said...

Please tell us again why you are ever so reluctantly going to vote for this grifter.

Shouting Thomas said...

UW, and just about all universities, were already in the bag for Obama and liberal politics in general.

The Diversity crusade is liberal Democratic politics.

Remember, you've got a loony Diversity Provost, who called out the student goons to attack a speaker he didn't like?

Brian Brown said...

I have never seen anything like this.

Ok, but Rush Limbaugh is a race baiter and therefore you can't vote for Romney.

Shouting Thomas said...

You also don't seem to notice that UW, and just about every university, kisses the ass of every student who professes to be gay.

You keep pretending that gays are victims in the environment you live in, when in fact they are lauded and protected and given a shitload of special privileges.

garage mahal said...

The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy.

rehajm said...

Meh- All part of the game plan. They want you to think it's for security reasons, but Obama's really just adding everyone to their phone/email list. Those kids can all expect a phone call or twenty from the campaign looking for volunteers when the get out the vote push ramps up in full force.

Chip Ahoy said...

He needs that information. How else can he tap them directly for their graduation gifts?

Brent said...

Please tell us again why you are ever so reluctantly going to vote for this grifter.

Because, like all Obama voters, she is somewhat comfortable with a diminished United States status as leader of the free world.

And. like all Obama voters, she is somewhat comfortable with collectivism and the notion of "good" totalitarian governments.

TWM said...

"The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy."

I could care less who she votes for myself. Hopefully she won't be fooled twice, but that goes for anyone who voted for Barry.

BTW, I wonder how many students will decide not to attend due to this obviously racist intrusion on their privacy.

Bob Ellison said...

garage mahal said "The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy."

I agree. Don't the commenters here think for themselves? The Professor is a fantastic instigator of argument, a muse for everyone, but gosh, folks, don't obsess.

MadisonMan said...

It does seem a way to gather emails/names/phones, doesn't it? Wonder if I'll get an email from Obama now.

cubanbob said...

garage mahal said...
The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy.

10/2/12 9:26 AM

Actually not creepy at all. Rather it's fascinating to see how an intelligent and knowledgable person can willfully delude themselves in to seeing what they want to see rather than see what is actually there.

Sorun said...

"...to provide the campaign with their names, email address, and even phone numbers to gain access to the event"

Speaking of unwanted phone calls, who answers their phone to pollsters? I don't believe the polls because I don't see how they can get a random sample of voters.

Tregonsee said...

I spent 5 years in Sterling Hall. Sometimes I literally lived there. And they wonder why I have never contributed a dime. More reason here.

Patrick said...

The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy.

As opposed to a major State institution requiring students to provide personal information to a campaign so they can use the institution's facilities, which I guess isn't creepy at all.

David said...

The nation's best public university refused his rally:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/university-of-virginia-declines-to-host-obama-campaign-rally/

Colonel Angus said...

The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy.

I suppose that might be accurate if she didn't put it on her blog for discussion.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

He needs that information. How else can he tap them directly for their graduation gifts?

Its a technological marble.

Althouse is standing in the way of progress.

Brian Brown said...

garage mahal said...
The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy.


That's right dumbshit. Its not like Ann has made multiple posts on the topic of her being still undecided and the factors influencing her decision or anything.

People are just bringing it all up out of the blue and stuff.

Wince said...

Will they have to show picture ID to verify their identities when they show up?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy.

Its like the process of Brett Favres retirement.

Its day to day ;)

Shouting Thomas said...

The quota system enforced by UW is designed to produce a liberal Democratic Party majority on your campus, Althouse.

It's just another form of gerrymandering.

Anonymous said...

I'm no big fan of the Wisconsin Idea, but I'm not sure replacing it with the Chicago Idea is such an improvement.

dbp said...

"The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy."

Officially? Is GM some kind of internet-tube officer?

gerry said...

The tipping point is on the horizon.

ricpic said...

So the Barry rally isn't going to be inclusive. Isn't it like a crime in the commie handbook to be exclusive?

edutcher said...

As I say, just like the Nigerian banks.

Or as SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei, Chef der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD Stellvertretender, und Reichsprotektor Heydrich's questionnaire put it:

Do you know any Jews?

Do you know of any Jews living in your neighborhood?

SteveR said...

@Bob Ellison For some of us, Ann's "How Kerry lost me" from 2004 was the reason we came here to begin with. So its not unimportant for us to care about her thought process in 2008 and of course, now. Perhaps its too "Inside Baseball" but its neither an infatuation or an indication that we can't make up our own minds.

test said...

The left is becoming bolder, more willing to come out of the closet and openly support Obama using governmental structures. We already have political activists running the academy, and we're funding leftist political activity through the public unions and social services (ACORN's children).

If you want to know why there is always pressure for higher taxes, this is the answer. At some point we have enough IT guys at the FDA. But you always need more people to lead the two minutes of hate.

And when you view government spending as a positive regardless of what you get in return (the position of stimulus supporters) the combination leads to Greek style collapse. Since there's no economy 100 times the size of ours to bail us out, we're done.

But at least we can feel better about calling other people racist while we watch our country slide down the slope to financial ruin.

John said...

This is another 'eaten by pigs story', right?

Paddy O said...

Here's the University of Wisconsin's own "Guidance on Political Campaign Activities at University of Wisconsin System Institutions."

I thought it was established this is not a Political Campaign Activity but a Presidential visit? Pure coincidence there's an election in a month.

roesch/voltaire said...

I would guess Obama wants to high light the attempt by some to disenfranchise the students from voting, but as far as I know my class will still meet during the time he is scheduled to speak. But I will encourage my students to vote, not who to vote for, because that is what keeps democracy vital.

kimsch said...

So, since this is clearly linked to the campaign we won't be seeing this listed as "official" at some point in the future so the taxpayers pay for it?

If I were the city of Madison or the University, I'd insist on the campaign paying up-front for the security and other attendant costs. From what I understand, the campaign is slow to reimburse...

Shouting Thomas said...

It's been, what? 50 years since any of the humanities departments at UW hired a white, conservative Christian man?

You've been systematically closing off the university from any semblance of opposition for half a century, Althouse, and I do mean you with your feminism obsession.

Clearly, you got tired of the one-sided BS at some point, and I applaud you for that.

But, I can't imagine what surprises you about this event. The university systematically set out to produce this one-sided student and faculty population... and it succeeded.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Chicago Idea..

Dog whistle!

Tim said...

cubanbob said...

"Please tell us again why you are ever so reluctantly going to vote for this grifter."

Why do you assume she will do so reluctantly?

Joe Schmoe said...

The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy.

Garage, I have to grudgingly admit I agree with you. Although saying Rush's show would tilt her against Romney was pretty specious.

The thing Ann illustrates well with Barry's visit to U of W is equally creepy. In this case, a supposedly neutral state institution appears to be ignoring its own rules about political impartiality to host what is basically a campaign rally. And ignoring FERPA rules about giving out student information, and providing this information to the campaign.

Couple that with how the WH appears to be offering to pay fines for companies to withhold legally-mandated layoff notices until after the election, and lots of other instances of political corruption and malfeasance, and a press that ignores stories that reflect negatively on Barry, and I'm officially pissed off and creeped out. We can't get this guy out of office soon enough.

edutcher said...

Marshal said...

The left is becoming bolder, more willing to come out of the closet and openly support Obama using governmental structures.

Bolder, or more desperate?

The Right is bigger and better organized than ever before and Choom is the Lefties' last, best chance.

roesch/voltaire said...

I would guess Obama wants to high light the attempt by some to disenfranchise the students from voting

Sure, Zero is the last great altruist.

Brennan said...

Will they have to show picture ID to verify their identities when they show up?

Yes.

The Secret Service will establish a security perimeter and to penetrate it you will have to prove who you are.

Shouting Thomas said...

I would guess Obama wants to high light the attempt by some to disenfranchise the students from voting.

Translated... R/V is in favor of students voting once in Madison, and again in their home district.

test said...

edutcher said...
The left is becoming bolder, more willing to come out of the closet and openly support Obama using governmental structures.

Bolder, or more desperate?


Bolder. Is there any credible movement to reverse this trend? Even the Tea Party loses support when they go beyond reversing the recent government expansions.

The left has successfully embedded much of their campaign and ideological support staff into government funded institutions, essentially forcing the private sector to fund efforts to kill it. Those embedded are willing to be more open in their support because they believe it impossible to reverse the process. And given that "squirrel" is leading "avoid financial ruin" in the election polls right now I can't say they wrong on that point.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

And ignoring FERPA rules..

The University is trying to help Obama make the final push for the mountain top... they ignore the sherpas at their own peril.

Joe Schmoe said...

I think the GOP should put Clint Eastwood on a new project about Obama, a remake of one of his old classics, and it will be called "High Plains Grifter".

a psychiatrist who learned from veterans said...

I don't know about all that but the part where it says 'the first person to stop clapping abruptly will be arrested' was a little over the top.

edutcher said...

Marshal said...

Bolder. Is there any credible movement to reverse this trend? Even the Tea Party loses support when they go beyond reversing the recent government expansions.

The propaganda ministry is still a force. After the election, when the crash comes (although it may come before, irony of ironies), their reputations will be mud.

As it is, they have a lower trust rate than Congress.

Then the truth starts to come out.

edutcher said...

Marshal said...

Bolder. Is there any credible movement to reverse this trend? Even the Tea Party loses support when they go beyond reversing the recent government expansions.

The propaganda ministry is still a force. After the election, when the crash comes (although it may come before, irony of ironies), their reputations will be mud.

As it is, they have a lower trust rate than Congress.

Then the truth starts to come out.

bagoh20 said...

This Obama fantasy has voluntarily revealed the low level of reason, honesty and introspection in many of our people, but more surprisingly is how weak were our institutions of learning, the press, government and free speech. It was all a charade, and now we see these institutions have been reduced to high school cliques by leftist infestation. Saddest of all is the gutting of liberalism itself. Is there nobody over there that puts principle above their petty infatuations.

TosaGuy said...

"@TosaGuy I have never seen anything like this."

But are you at all surprised?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

If you go to the event, rather than class, you will get an Obama-phone.

purplepenquin said...

I have never seen anything like this.

Security&disruption-wise, what is the difference between this visit and his 2010 visit to campus?

Chip S. said...

The UW isn't just calling this a "presidential visit" instead of a "campaign event" out of some sense of propriety. According to the IRS, participation in any campaign activity puts a 501(c)3 organization's tax-exempt status at risk.

Of course, UW has nothing to worry about as long as Obama's reelected.

Pastafarian said...

I don't want to go too far off-topic, but: All of this discussion about who Althouse will vote for, how much this visit to UW will help Obama, etc, is moot.

Obama just won re-election today.

A court overturned Pennsylvania's voter-ID law. Votes can once again be cast in PA with no ID, and they'll count.

Obama just won PA, thanks to a judge. It was going to be close -- within the 'margin of cheat' -- but with voter ID, Romney had a chance. And with early (and frequent) voting starting in Ohio TODAY (!!!), PA was a must-have for Romney, because Ohio is long-gone: When the repeat-voters can start voting a month early, they'll all vote hundreds of times.

My advice: Stock up on canned goods and ammunition, because it's going to be a long, grim four years.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

... will take place at the center of our campus and will shut down normal university activities on a Thursday (obviously, a class day).

Oh no..

Althouse is going to make her students write an essay on bullying.

Calypso Facto said...

Here's what REAL disenfranchisement looks like, RV:

[Madison, Wisc...] At least 30 Wisconsin municipalities failed to send absentee ballots to military voters before the 45 day deadline, according to former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony Principi, and he's demanding the Government Accountability Board address the problem immediately.

bagoh20 said...

This is small compared to what he has done to the city of Los Angeles repeatedly. He flies in mid-day closing down nearly all air traffic. Then he motorcades right through the middle of town at rush hour on a weekday. It shuts the whole city down, extending everyone's commute home by hours. All this imposition just so he can go to a damned party with some Hollywood faces pumped full of botox, silicone and ass fat, and suck on their check books in a mutual admiration orgy of empty-headed world salvation porn.

Christopher in MA said...

The bizarre infatuation with who Althouse intends to vote for has become officially creepy.

Not at all. As cubanbob says, it's a fascinating look into the mind of an Obama supporter. One can dismiss O-bots like Obamaphone Lady; she's voting for the crackhead out of race solidarity and a desire to keep the gravy train rolling. But to see a purportedly intelligent woman attempting to rationalize away the economic, domestic and foreign disasters of the last four years in order to justify an Obama vote is quite interesting.

The same exercise using a mindless hack like yourself, however, wouldn't be nearly so lilluminating. It would, though, be endlessly amusing to watch you come up with more and more desperate "SQUIRRELS!" to stay on the plantation and in the good graces of the Inner Party.

ooonaughtykitty said...

Remember this is the same Administration that Advertised a casting call for their MTV Townhall meeting in Backstage or Variety.

purplepenquin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ann Althouse said...

"This is small compared to what he has done to the city of Los Angeles repeatedly. He flies in mid-day closing down nearly all air traffic. Then he motorcades right through the middle of town at rush hour on a weekday. It shuts the whole city down, extending everyone's commute home by hours. All this imposition just so he can go to a damned party with some Hollywood faces pumped full of botox, silicone and ass fat, and suck on their check books in a mutual admiration orgy of empty-headed world salvation porn."

Personally, I think the President should never leave the White House (or almost never). It's just too disruptive and expensive.

He's got a great work-at-home set up, and he can communicate by television and video conference. Anyone who needs to meet him in person can come to him.

Millions of problems solved.

Irene said...

List of buildings that will close.

test said...

edutcher said...
As it is, they have a lower trust rate than Congress.


I doubt this. I've never seen a stat on academia trust but the last rating I saw on congres was less than 20%.

Then the truth starts to come out.

The truth is already out. You may think it obvious people will care and thus more knowledge equals greater opposition. But that is not supported by facts.

In truth most people have no real sense how what we do effects the economy. Since economic change takes decades they tend to believe nothing has any lasting or material effect. It took a lifetime to prove to half the planet that complete central control was less successful than freedom even though we had two millenia of evidence proving that already. Further from that painful lesson 3/4 of the planet learned only that absolute control by that particular set of idiots wasn't better than economic freedom. They believe a control only slightly less absolute and run by different idiots but arrived at gradually may be better than freedom. So how long is it going to take to disprove the current idiocy to their satisfaction? More life than I have left.

As long as someone is willing to sell their credibility to reassure them raising taxes by 10 percentage points won't negatively effect the economy they're going to accept it. And does anyone believe Krugman and his cohorts aren't going to say exactly that about literally anything proposed by Democrats? Krugman's exact quote: "the only criticism I have for this is that it doesn't go far enough. We need to increase taxes by 12.5 points.".

The evidence is clear now. More isn't going to help.

Irene said...

If the university closes a building or cancels a class, must employees claim a vacation day?

This gets complicated for the union employees.

bagoh20 said...

I'm pushed to assume that the problems it causes for the people he inconveniences is s feature to him and his entourage. If you can push all those people around and mess with their lives like that, then you must really be something. This is un-American, or at least deaf to what is.

Brennan said...

Professor Althouse would be fired by the campaign that employs her. If she chose that demotion. ;)

I agree that the modern Presidency is too expensive to be mobile as often as Obama wants, or rather, needs it to be.

Now watch this drive.

Colonel Angus said...

The evidence is clear now. More isn't going to help.

Of course it won't help. Our current spending is beyond what the taxpayers can sustain and simultaneously grow the economy. For some reason that mathematical certainty doesn't compute even for Nobel economists.

MadisonMan said...

From Irene's link:

Blinds in buildings facing the event area need to be closed on Thursday. Anyone standing in a window facing the event area Thursday can expect to be contacted by police personnel.

I see that all the building on Bascom (except Bascom) are closed 7AM - 6 PM on Thursday, and the Hill itself is closed to foot traffic.

What a disruption!

MadisonMan said...

So no entry into your office Althouse! Be a good UW citizen and work from home.

Joe Schmoe said...

Irene, they just need to get notes from their doctors to tap into their sick time, and we know there are plenty of Madison MDs who are ready to help out. ;)

Calypso Facto said...

Personally, I think the President should never leave the White House (or almost never). It's just too disruptive and expensive.

Your views are directly in line with those of Thomas Jefferson, who even delivered his State of the Union address via letter, rather than delivering it to Congress in person, because he thought that too "magisterial".

Compare and contrast that with the $1.4 billion annual price tag of the current White House resident.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The Secret Service will establish a security perimeter and to penetrate it you will have to prove who you are.

Think of the economic benefits..

All those Secret Service dollars coming to Madison..

Although, from what I've read here, Madison is very expensive.

Its not Colombia over there.

bagoh20 said...

If a shot was fired, wouldn't you immediately suspect the windows with the binds shut?

Shouting Thomas said...

Any suggestions, Althouse, on how UW might cease the effort to create a one-dimensional student body and faculty through gerrymandering and quotas?

Do you envision a time when actual racial and sexual equality might be the norm? When differences of political opinion don't lead to blacklisting on the job market?

damikesc said...

From what I understand, the campaign is slow to reimburse...

Do they ever reimburse? You don't hear stories of Romney's campaign stiffing people --- but Obama? It's not rare.

After the election, when the crash comes (although it may come before, irony of ironies), their reputations will be mud.

If it crashes with Obama in charge, it'll be the fault of Republicans.

If it crashes with Romney in charge, it'll be Romney's fault.

This is small compared to what he has done to the city of Los Angeles repeatedly. He flies in mid-day closing down nearly all air traffic. Then he motorcades right through the middle of town at rush hour on a weekday. It shuts the whole city down, extending everyone's commute home by hours. All this imposition just so he can go to a damned party with some Hollywood faces pumped full of botox, silicone and ass fat, and suck on their check books in a mutual admiration orgy of empty-headed world salvation porn.

And since he will get the vote of CA every time --- there is no risk to him.

Weird how states will accept abuse and keep supporting people.

Amartel said...

After the debate Romney will "show an image of strength" by leading a rally amongst committed friends and partisans.

See how that doesn't really make sense when applied to the real world?

Good of the university to be available for Obama when he really needs it. Especially since Obama will probably not be picking up the tab for all the inconvenience.

n.n said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
n.n said...

Hasn't the DOJ determined that demanding this information is discriminatory and likely racist? Other than an individual's name, it requires an active effort to acquire an e-mail address and telephone number.

Obama's demands surely constitute an undue burden for the potential participants. In fact, according to the DOJ, confirming individual identity is tantamount to disenfranchisement and is racist.

carrie said...

My son goes to the UW. Do you think we can get a tuition refund for classes cancelled for political reasons?

AllenS said...

They don't need your phone number, they already have your email address.

test said...

n.n said...
Hasn't the DOJ determined that demanding this information is discriminatory and likely racist? Other than an individual's name, it requires an active effort to acquire an e-mail address and telephone number.


Of course it's racist since minorities are less likely to have phone numbers.

roesch/voltaire said...

ST just as an aside, there is a white conservative, actually more than one, in the philosophy department for starters.

Calypso Facto said...

UWS 21.04  Use of facilities by persons or organizations not associated with an institution.
(1) The chancellor of each institution, or his or her designee, may permit persons, or organizations not associated with that institution, to use university facilities at his or her institution if he or she determines that:
(a) The proposed use is under the sponsorship or at the invitation of an organization associated with the institution;
(b) The proposed use will not interfere with or detract from the teaching, research and public service missions of the institution, or the use of the facilities by organizations associated with the institution;

paminwi said...

carrie: write a letter to the dean of your kids school! You've got to let them know how you feel.

My son had a 3 hour class cancelled by his professor because she needed to pick out her wedding invitations and she actually WROTE THAT IN AN EMAIL! She also noted that the tine would not be made up since her schedule was really tight because of her wedding plans.

I took the email to the dean's office and told the administrative assistant that I wasn't going to leave the office until I got to speak with him and show him the email. I felt like one of those student's from the 60's taking over the office. I sat there for 4 hours. Finally, I was invited in.

I explained in no uncertain terms how disgusted I was with the behavior of a "professional" and I gave the both the email and a request for a refund of tuition paid based on the hours my son was going to be missing and how much this class cancellation cost me. Of course, he was "amazed" (his word) that a professor at the distinguished UW-Madison would do something like this!

I received a letter of apology and a copy of a letter that I was cc'd on that was sent to the professor stating this would be part of her employment file. Whether that exists or not I don't know.

I then sent copies of the above to the Chancellor's office and said just a bit of information for you about your wonderful university.

I'm sure there were no consequences really for anyone involved but sometimes you need to say something because if you don't they will always assume there are no issues from aprents/students perspective.

Sal said...

So it's okay for the state to pay to fly Walker around the country but we can't pay for the President to visit. Nice logic.

chickelit said...

Althouse wrote: Of course, needing to offer Mitt Romney the same accommodations is not an issue here at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, because it's such a strongly left-liberal environment that he'd never ask.

This is why Sarah Palin showed real ciccones when she came to Madison to speak in support of Scott Walker. She was still a contender for office (or hadn't excluded herself yet). She was given a two-tiered welcome: supporters in front, detractors in the rear. Althouse caught it from the middle: link.

Tibore said...

".. and requires students to provide the campaign with their names, email address, and even phone numbers to gain access to the event"

Wow. Party of liberty and freedoms there.

Seriously. I'm not joking: Asking for all that just to attend the event is offensive to me. At risk of invoking a sort of Russian version of Godwin's Law, that smacks of old stories from Eastern Bloc communist countries to me.

Sofa King said...

Wonder if I'll get an email from Obama now.

Really? I didn't think you were that naive.