Democrats Outnumber Republicans as College Commencement Speakers by 5 to 1
“In total, there were only nine Republican or Republican-leaning commencement speakers.”
No surprises here. It has been this way for years. There is no political balance in higher education.
The College Fix reports:
Democrats outnumber Republicans 5 to 1 as graduation speakers
Democrats will outnumber Republicans as commencement speakers at the nation’s top 100 universities, according to a College Fix analysis.
The College Fix looked for the main undergraduate ceremony speaker for the top 100 schools as determined by U.S. News & World Report.
In total, there were only eight Republican or Republican-leaning commencement speakers. There were, however, 47 Democrat or Democrat-leaning speakers. The other announced speakers have not publicly indicated a political leaning. Other universities have not announced their keynote speakers as of May 13.
The Fix found similar results for both 2023 and 2024, after reviewing public statements, news articles, and political donations to determine party affiliation for a smaller set of colleges.
Princeton University is hosting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who is a registered Republican. Meanwhile, conservative actor Gary Sinise will speak at Vanderbilt University.
Former New York Yankees’ star Derek Jeter will be speaking at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor’s ceremony. Although he doesn’t have a public political affiliation, there was talk about him being Donald Trump’s vice-presidential pick.
Republican Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin will be the speaker at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise graduation ceremony.
Michigan State University has a speaker that appears to lean right. Mat Ishbia donates to both Republican and Democrat politicians but more to Democrats, according to data from Open Secrets. He does, however, speak well of Donald Trump.
Southern Methodist University’s president R. Gerald Turner will speak at its graduation ceremony. He advocated for opening the George W. Bush presidential center on campus.
Other Republican speakers at commencement ceremonies include former Senator Kevin O’Toole at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Diane Foley at Marquette University, and Mitchell Morgan at Temple University.
Notable Democratic speakers include actress Sandra Oh at Dartmouth College, who campaigned for Kamala Harris on Instagram; singer and actress Sara Bareilles at the University of California at Los Angeles, who has been vocal about her liberal views, and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles (pictured) at the Washington University in St. Louis, who openly supported Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
College speaking engagements is a major source of soft money to corrupt politicians. Getting paid to indoctrinate. What a life!
and they lead 20-1 in the ratio in prisons
It’s not Democrats outnumber Republicans 5 to 1, it’s outnumber them by more than 5 to 1.
5×9=45 (5 to 1)
45+2=47 (more than!)
What was it in 2020? I’d bet it was more like at least 20 to 1. If so, 5 to 1, while still not good, is at least progress.
5-to-1?
The decision makers that select speakers know that if they don’t select a liberal speaker, the pool of liberal speakers might become depressed and do self-harm. It’s for the greater good…
Besides, it they chose the conservative speaker, the habitually hysterical liberals in the audience would stand up and turn their backs to the speaker, or they’d chant something ignorant and noisily parade out of the assembly hall.
Those tactics have been allowed to work. Pity.
Portraying yourself as a “tolerant” progressive liberal on the typical college campus is very easy.
Portraying yourself as a critical-thinking conservative on the typical college campus is very difficult.
There are more than a few “tolerant” progressive liberals that would want to do harm to a critical-thinking conservative, even if that critical-thinking conservative kept their mouths shut.
Do not assume that the activists who have taken over the administration, faculties and student organizations are representative of the political inclinations of the population of these campuses as a whole. The zealots have gained control because they are very strongly motivated by ideology, ambition or the desire for more money and power over others. But the vast majority of students are there just trying to get by, get decent grades, and/or have a little fun and get laid occasionally. They may profess to believe as instructed, but they are capable of putting that completely aside once they exit the progressive zone of toxicity. Just ask some of them a year or two down the road how their political beliefs have evolved since they went to work or started a family, and they will readily explain how reality is the best teacher of all.