Nancy Pelosi is definite that there's going to be no "dream ticket" with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton together.
Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton have been floating the "dream ticket" idea lately, but Pelosi is emphatic about the combined ticket not happening because the Clinton camp had been claiming that "Senator McCain would be a better Commander in Chief than Obama."
When pressed by reporters on Thursday to explain why she felt so strongly about the matter, Pelosi replied: “Do you want me to go through a lifetime of political gut? Take it from me. That won’t be the ticket.”
Needless to say, my political gut is a lot less highly developed than Nancy Pelosi's--maybe because my father was a garbageman rather than mayor of Baltimore.
But Pelosi might be off the mark here. It might be the case that a Clinton/ Obama ticket might become more likely as things get tougher between Clinton and Obama.
A joint ticket might be the only way to mollify the supporters of the loser.
It also might be the best way to produce some positive news for the Democrats after a long, contentious primary battle.
That's what my gut says anyway.
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I thought you would be talking more about university politics, but I see you are just talking about what everyone else is talking about. I thought you would be talking about tuition increases and how the President accepted a huge raise despite the budget cuts. But all you've written about MSU is the rats leaving the sinking ship of the GGH dept.
That's a fair comment. I haven't written much about the sinking ship for that matter. To be honest, events at the University have be so discouraging that I haven't been up to writing on them. So, I've stuck to national politics. Hope I'm not being too boring.
Stick with national politics!
University stuff, while extremely important, is not nearly as exciting as national politics!
Superdelegates, hookers, monsters, and slanderous comments! What more should we want? :)
If Caric had any balls or capacity for introspection, he should write about how a lot of the blame for GGH's implosion rests on his shoulders. But he doesn't, so he won't.
You seem to know a lot. Maybe you should tell us how I'm to blame.
Just from what I've heard, you have a penchant for running off good faculty. You also knew about N'Diaye's drug use and covered it up. Those are the rumors, anyway.
That sounds pretty weak. Now exactly who did I run off?
Ran off or tried to run off Goldey, Scott, Ernst, Kiffmeyer, Parkansky, some Chinese guy, Dennis, and then Diaz. That's just what I heard anyway.
So what about you covering for N'Diaye?
Oh! You mean I've voted against a lot of people for tenure. Sure, that's fairly common knowledge. But, as you can probably know, most of those people are still here. So, it's a far cry from "running off good people."
Obviously I bear a lot of responsibility in relation to N'Diaye because I was the one who recruited her to the university. But anything I learned about drug use was reported quickly to university authorities.
Yeah, right.
Obviously the person who gives Caric all that power to run people off and shape the university doesn't understand university politics. If Caric has the power to influence professors to take drugs and land in jail, die of cancer, get fired, or find a position elsewhere than I think he would be in a whole different line of work than a professor at MSU. The idiot that thinks Caric has all that power or influence to make those changes at the university is either a disgruntled former employer or just an idiot.
Caric you know that you and Chris Diaz did not get along. He would not have pissed on you if you were on fire.
I'm not affiliated with Caric's program but unless Caric is a chair, dean or provost he doesn't have any authority to run Diaz off. Caric is only one vote and if Diaz got run off it had to be my more that one vote and with the approval of the chair, dean and provost of the university. Caric may teach classes and write a blog but he is only one person. Someone is giving him way too much credit for influencing the world.
I can't speak for Diaz' opinion, but I didn't any particular problem with him. There are people I like better than Chris Diaz, but there are also a hell of a lot of people I like less.
If I remember correctly in Diaz' own words, Caric, you are a "nothing scholar." He knew you were scheming to get rid of him from the beginning. Did he intimidate you?
Oh well! You can't be friends with everybody.
I guess that's the closest thing we're going to get to an admission of guilt from you, right Dr. Caric?
There's no guilt to admit to. I didn't have any particular kind of problem with Diaz. If he had a problem with me, that's unfortunate.
I've been lurking on this thread for a while. I am an MSU faculty member in another department in another college at MSU. As such, I'm not familiar with the details of the particular tenure and contract renewal cases mentioned. It also means that I have no dog in this fight, either.
However, I will say that Dr. Caric's reputation precedes him for making the lives of junior faculty in his department living hell. This is just common knowledge all over campus. Basically, he holds them to standards that he doesn't hold for himself. So yes, he is one reason that GGH is, in another commenter's words, imploding.
Poor leadership in the department is probably the bigger reason, though. This is also well known, and was a contributing factor for why Yvonne Baldwin didn't get to be dean of her college.
So this "who, me?" act you're putting on, Ric, is disingenuous to say the least and it speaks volumes for why you have the reputation that you do. You have no integrity.
If the pot starts to boil turn up the heat! Someone wondered about news from MSU and guess its coming out. It all sounds like quite a place -- faculty in jail, people leaving, now poor leadership and Caric is the root of all evil…and faculty members lurking in the shadows like Bill Clinton ready to pounce at any sign of opportunity. Wow, what next? I'm surprised that the university president isn't on this blog telling the world his story. It takes a blog to bring out the dirt.
Talk about university politics at its finest. I, myself, have heard many comments about different people that have been opposed by Caric, including the former chair of the dept. That could be one reason that GGH is running out of profs. (the mass exodus from GGH of Diaz, Swain, N'Diaye, Dennis (who was perhaps even overqualified for MSU). Rumor has spread for a while now that Jones has also tinkered with the idea of leaving. As for Chris Diaz, the stories I always heard sounded as though there was definately work on Caric's part to get rid of him. I have also heard of Caric criticizing him in his classes, even. Also, from what I hear, the new guy has been at MSU once before and been forced out.... what's the deal with that? So... my question--- are there plans to hire replacements for the missing profs., or will the dpt. just keep shrinking?
A few things.
First, since I had Diaz in a class I feel like I can judge what type of professor he is. To be blunt, he was a shit professor who didn't care about his students. He showed favoritism rather blatantly and was less than willing to speak with students outside of class unless they were, of course, among his favorites. I'm glad he's gone.
Secondly, blaming Dr. Caric for Dr. N'Diaye's drug habit and subsequent collapse is a bit unfair. Did he play a large role in bringing her to the university? Yes he did. But he didn't know she was a train wreck waiting to happen. How could he have known? She was universally revered as a major boost to the department until this happened.
Finally, I have heard that Dr. Caric plays hardball with tenure votes. Well, that's fine by me. I wouldn't want someone like Diaz getting a tenure track position just because he knew who to kiss up to. He is a very smart person, but his method and attitude leave a lot to be desired.
What's the matter, Scotty, did Dr. Diaz not hold your hand, wipe your butt, and tuck you into bed? Awwwww...
No offense, Scotty, but I've taken several classes with you, and you are a gigantic pussy. You always expect the professor to soothe and reassure you. If you were a chick, you'd be considered clingy.
If you did get on Dr. Diaz' nerves, I can see why. I can also see why you didn't like him because you expect to be coddled and babysat. He didn't cater to those kinds of students. Students like you.
Sure Diaz wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but he was a hell of a lot better than a lot of professors in that department, IMHO.
Wow, nice characterization there. At least I have the courage to post my thoughts under my own name. So much for your theory, eh anonymous?
Sorry Scotty, but it's the truth. I've seen it too. You're a big whiny baby. It's funny to see you follow Dr. Caric around like some puppy who's been kicked too many times.
I suppose you missed my association with Dr. Lewis, and Dr. Swain...oh and with most of the Philosophy faculty. Yeah, I never hang around with those folks, either. Next time, before you start with the personal attacks. Do us all a favor and actually know what you're talking about.
OK, Scotty, so you cling like an overgrown titty-baby to those other folks as well. Thanks for helping me make my point!
The more you post, the more glaringly clear your character becomes. Keep it up, I enjoy watching someone make an ass of themselves from time to time.
So, Ric. What say you? Cat got your tongue?
[crickets chirping]
A couple of things:
1. I think Scottye's wrong about you. It should be obvious that you're one of the kindest, most considerate people anyone could hope to meet.
2. A lot of good students like to talk with professors. Scottye's one of them. I spend a lot of time talking with students in my office, after class, on campus, and in stores. Any good government professor would do the same. Talking with students is part of what the university pays us to do.
Who are you talking to, Caric?
Who is scottye?
I wanted to comment on the comment from another MSU faculty member.
You're a couple of years behind on my reputation.
Around 2000-2001, GGH pretty much abandoned standards for five or six years.
I fought that development, lost, and there were a lot of hard feelings on both sides. During the battle, rumors were spread that I didn't get anything published before I came up for tenure. In fact, I came up for tenure after 4 years (as was the policy in 1994) with 2 articles published and one forthcoming. If I had come up after five years, I would have had 3 pubs and one forthcoming. A lot of people still get tenure with much less than that now.
But things changed recently. Beginning in 2006, GGH went back to standards and people who once hated me began to tell me what "good judgment" I had, how I "knew more about the tenure system" than anyone else, and stuff like that.
As a result, rumors of my new prestige will be headed your way soon.
But I take both the downs and the ups with a grain of salt. One of the things I've learned is that reputation and reality often have very little in common.
This is the anonymous MSU faculty member again. What mind-blowing arrogance, Ric. So everyone hired and/or tenured in GGH between the "lost" years of 2000-2006 were "below standard?" Whose standards, yours? It's no wonder to me that your colleagues laugh at you behind your back. But I'm sure that doesn't bother you as they are likely beneath your standards anyway.
I guess you're willing to bend your stringent "standards" for drug addicts as long as they are black and female. Right, Caric?
Of course, it's only mind-blowing arrogance (or at least bad judgment) if I'm wrong.
About all I can say is that I'm comfortable with my history of tenure and contract renewal votes, and the rest of the GGH tenured faculty has been coming around to my way of thinking.
As for you, I used to be in the same position that you're in or have been in.
My friends and I used to complain about the senior faculty all the time.
Now that we're senior faculty, we're the ones being complained about.
And that's fine. I guess there's some justice to that.
But I'm still going to vote according to my views of the PBSI standards in GGH (which I helped write), the well-being of the Department, and the needs of students.
And if people don't like it, I'll just have to live with that.
You don't have friends, Ric. And yes, you are arrogant and hypocritical in that you don't apply your "standards" consistently in your department. Is it any wonder that junior faculty are leaving in droves?
Oh, that really hurt my feelings. Where are those "droves" again.
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