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Obama at Notre Dame: The 7 Top Moments
He came, he got shouted at, he told jokes: The Daily Beast offers the highlights and lowlights of President Obama’s controversial day at Notre Dame.
Obama Not Completely Disrespected by the University
He didn’t get an honorary degree from the Arizona State (unlike, we kid you not, Art Buchwald), but the president did receive an honorary doctor of laws from Notre Dame, a fact about which he soon made some rather pointed jokes.
Notre Dame President Doesn’t Denounce Obama as a Heretic
University President John Jenkins, C.S.C., gave Obama a graceful introduction, focusing on the president’s human compassion, such as leaving behind his presidential campaign to go to his dying grandmother’s bedside.
Protesters Fail to Rattle President’s—or Audience’s—Cool
The president's speech looked like it was about to take a turn for the worse when a protester began shouting from the stands, but Obama kept his cool and recovered with a thunderous applause from the graduates.
Comedian in Chief Takes Over
For a guy who’s considered hard to make fun of, Obama sure gets the laughs. Still on a roll from the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Obama (or his speechwriter) lets the jokes fly, including a tailor-made bit about offering the university his skills on the basketball court.
Obama Confronts Abortion, Probably Satisfies Neither Side
Would he avoid the issue of abortion or wouldn't he? President Obama not only didn't avoid it, he spoke on the controversial subject at length, though in such a way that neither the pro-life nor the pro-choice crowd would feel totally pleased.
President Proves He, Too, Can Offer Vague, Useless Graduation-Speech Advice
Obama ended his speech by calling for harmony and cooperation, and imparting the following words of wisdom: “Each of us, endowed with the dignity possessed by all children of God, has the grace to recognize ourselves in one another.” Sure, dude, but how am I gonna get a job and pay off these loans?
“Extend a Little Bit of That Good Faith to Me on This Issue”
Immediately following Obama’s speech, RNC Chairman Michael Steele spoke with Fox News. Directly addressing the president’s remarks on abortion, Steele said, “His actions have told me, as a pro-life Catholic, that I should be concerned.”
Bonus: Michelle Inspires at Merced
A day earlier, the president’s better half handled her speech at the University of California at Merced’s commencement with her usual grace and aplomb, comparing her background to those of the graduating class and encouraging them to build up their home communities.
10 Power Food Combos
Divya Gugnani is the CEO and founder of BehindtheBurner.com, an emerging culinary media brand that creates expert-based content about food, wine, mixology, and nutrition.
How Obama Wins in 2012
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono.
How Barack Beat Bibi
Peter Beinart, senior political writer for The Daily Beast, is associate professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. His new book, The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris, will be published by HarperCollins in June. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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exploora
I think this is good. We now have an honourary doctor in the house :).
tnflyboy
technically we had a doctor in the house already. Obama got his Juris Doctorate in 91 from Harvard Law.
exploora
I am also think he is taking on a self sacrifice just being president. Really lots of people who could have a life he could have, in the private sector, would stay private. It is not just the work he is going to create, it is the work he is giving up, for the public good. The abortion issue is about choice, and it really should be private.
The life for some people is to live unloved and unwanted and die behind shoppers drug mart never having a chance for anything, accept maybe a free beer, and a free chance to swallow your pride and what have you.
IvonneGarc
How long more these radical catholic priests and fanatics are going to control other people's lives? The President gave the speech of a lifetime, non-political for a change. The questions I have for those against Pro-Choice are: What would they do if any of their daughters or friends' daughters are raped and impregnated? What would they do if any of their relatives/fathers/brothers sexually molest any of theirs or their friends' daughters and get impregnated? Do they think they are exempted from these situations? Adoption? Any woman regardless of its age has the right to decide what to do with her life. To those who are insentive to human suffering I ask them to please take a moment and ponder on what it means for a woman to give birth and have the baby taken away regardless of the circumstances, and also to become knowledgeable as to what up to 10 weeks pregnancy really is. Ask yourselves whether you'd rather have your daughter taken care of by licensed clinics than by anyone who comes along, or done secretly ? No one can stop sex, it is part of nature; and there will always be unwanted or unaffordable pregnancies. Who has heard of a catholic priest offering to support any of these pregnant women babies? Let's move on to the 21st Century and away from Medieval Times. Killing babies? Ridiculous; adoption is one of the best business ever....
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Latino
I think it is a big deal. The most pro-abortionist president being given an honor by what was formerly known as a "Catholic" university.
If you believe that human life starts at conception vs other precise moments or that what is conceived is a human being (vs. a whale or a parrot) then abortion is a grand scale moral failure and this president is pushing it beyond what has been seen in the past.
To me this is akin to giving an honor to somebody who doesn't know when human race starts and is pushing for the elimination of 'unwanted' races.
Latino
I think this is a scandal on Notre Dame.
If you defend life, you cannot give honors to a pro-abortionist. This is a holocaust and Obama is promoting it, becuase it is convenient and "pragmatic".
Years form now it will be very evident how wrong abortion is and this stupid thing was on the part of this Catholic University. The problem is that it will taint a bunch of good faith catholics who are on the side of the weak vs. being 'popular' or 'pragmatic'
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