Zero conservatives selected to deliver 2013 commencement speeches at Ivy Leagues

SURVEY: Zero conservatives selected to deliver 2013 commencement speeches at Ivy Leagues

By Oliver Darcy, on May 21, 2013

The list of keynote commencement speakers at Ivy League institutions for 2013 does not include a single conservative, a recent study authored by the conservative Young America’s Foundation (YAF) found.

Not one conservative was chosen to deliver a commencement speech at any of the eight Ivy League schools, according to a new study.

Instead seven of the elite schools opted to invite ideological liberal speakers such as media billionaire Oprah Winfrey, Vice President Joe Biden (D), Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D), Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I), among others.
Only Brown University, which chooses a commencement keynote from among its students, did not have a 2013 speaker who is generally associated with the left.
YAF spokesman Adam Tragone told Campus Reform on Tuesday the list appears to reveal a larger trend of liberal bias occurring on these campuses.
“I think it is sort of indicative of the whole way it seems like Ivy Leagues have been treating conservatives as of late,” said Tragone. “With all these sex talks at Yale, it seems like conservative values on these campuses are non-existent.”
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Last year, a Campus Reform investigation found that 96 percent of the faculty and staff at Ivy League schools who contributed to the 2012 presidential race donated to President Obama’s campaign. From the eight schools, $1,211,267 was contributed to the Obama campaign, versus $114,166 given to Romney.
The survey conducted by YAF was not just limited to the Ivy League institutions.
Of the top 100 universities listed by U.S. News and World Report, 62 chose to select liberal individuals to deliver commencement speeches, compared to 17 conservatives, according to YAF.
“I think it seems like the same old people, the same old tired voices are giving these speeches,” said Tragone. “It just doesn’t seem like there are any new voices out there being heard.”
According to YAF, they identified speakers as either “liberal” or “conservative” by examining their public speeches, writing, work in public office, or financial contributions to a candidate for office, cause, or organization.

http://www.campusreform.org/blog/?ID=4763