Obama calls University of Michigan 'that certain university up north' during Ohio State commencement
President Barack Obama is seen on a huge video screen as he speaks during the Ohio State University spring commencement Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. President Obama is the third sitting president to give the commencement speech at Ohio State University.
AP Photo
He said that while, yes, he did speak at U-M, "everybody can get some redemption."
President Barack Obama gave the keynote address at the May 1, 2010, University of Michigan commencement at Michigan Stadium.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
During the Sunday graduation speech, Obama also took a note from OSU's football coach Urban Meyer, not daring to call U-M by name, instead referring it to "that certain university up north."
Obama's remarks engendered laughter from the crowd. Here is his comment in full:
"It is true that I did speak at that certain university up north a few years ago. But, to be fair, you did let President Ford speak here once — and he played football for Michigan! So everybody can get some redemption."
When Obama visited Ann Arbor on May 1, 2010, he didn't mention OSU but he did play to students' school pride.
"It is great to be here in the Big House, and may I say 'Go Blue!' I thought I'd go for the cheap applause line to start things off," he said to a crowd of more than 80,000 that day.
He also returned to U-M in January 2012 to talk about college affordability. When he visited then, he referred to Michigan Football, saying it "will be a team to be reckoned with."
Twitter CEO and U-M alumnus Dick Costolo gave U-M's commencement address Saturday at Michigan Stadium
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
Poorman
Wed, May 8, 2013 : 2:26 a.m.
Do any of you remember JFK's speech from the steps of The Student Union. That was greatness. Challenging us to serve our country. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country". My have we fallen. This guy wants us to all see how the government can serve yourself. Very different mindset now. He actually took this as an opportunity to slam congress. History will remember him very differently then JFK.
G-Man
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 2:23 p.m.
Wouldn't believe a word he utters... Wait til he tries to wash his hands of the Bengazi Fiasco......
A2comments
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 10:57 a.m.
He challenged them to make a difference. The response was "dude, we're OSU. Get real."
Krupper1
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 3:41 a.m.
I think that is a great place for him to speak.
Frustrated in A2
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 3:16 a.m.
Love it!
Stuart Brown
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 3:08 a.m.
Mary Sue Coleman did not participate in a forum President Obama held in 2012 concerning tuition hikes. The speech he gave at OSU looks to me like payback for Coleman having gone AWOL when he was last here. Standing up a President visiting your university is pretty arrogant, over-the-top behavior. If she treats a President this way, how does she treat normal people?
Stuart Brown
Thu, May 9, 2013 : 2:48 a.m.
Usual Suspect, Interesting that you chose to confirm the snub. Mary Sue did not want to answer questions about why the U has been so ruthless about raising tuition much faster than inflation and much faster than incomes for households in Michigan have been increasing. The usual glib answer for why this happens is that the State and Federal government have not grown the state subsidy as quickly as the U has raised its expenses, so its their fault. Obama came to deliver the message that after 30 years of the same tired worn out excuses, that dog would no longer be allowed to hunt; hence the snub from Coleman. I find this offensive for a public official in Colman's position. This shows a lack of respect for transparency and accountability.
Usual Suspect
Wed, May 8, 2013 : 8:56 p.m.
He's not a king (even though he thinks he is). As citizens, we're not obligated to meet him, talk to him, respect him, show deference to him, or even be nice to him. He is our servant, we are not his.
Doug
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 2:55 a.m.
Obama vs. the Twitter guy? I went to UM and loathe anything scarlet and gray, but OSU wins this battle, this year. A sitting president (any president; I don't care who it is) vs. someone whose sole contribution to society was some idiotic invention that dumbs the world (further) down with mindless, 140-character buzz phrases? Who at UM was in charge of this? Couldn't they have done any better? We're used to presidents, world leaders, leading actors, writers, journalists, poet laureates. But the Twitter guy? Just b/c he went to UM? So did the Groupon guy? Is he next? What a joke. Sorry guys, but this one's a slam dunk for OSU.
Doug
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 11:20 p.m.
Glenn - I agree that it's important to have a speaker who can speak to the students, but make it someone who, in addition to speaking ability, has made a positive contribution to society. The queue is pretty deep with people who would love to deliver a Michigan commencement address. We can do, and have done, better.
glenn
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 1:03 p.m.
I attended the graduation this time and I thought the Twitter guy did a good job. My nephew was graduating and he really enjoyed his speech. It's important to have a speaker that can speak to the students who are graduating. I was disappointed in Mary Sue Coleman's speech. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but in the Big House. She gave the same speech she did for the Fall commencement Which is why it probably came out flat. The Twitter guy was clever and showed that you could have multiple careers and still do well.I learned something from him. I think he graduated from Michigan just about the same time as me in the same major of computer science.
Ann Dwyer
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 12:49 p.m.
I have to say, someone had a similar complaint when David E. Davis spoke at my graduation--but he was awesome. He even mentioned the guy who wrote into The Daily with the complaint.
Old Salt
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 2:38 a.m.
Politicians will say anytihing just to get votes...
John
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 8:09 p.m.
Who's running for election?
Tesla
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 2:06 a.m.
He's awesome.
DannnyA
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 1:41 a.m.
I wonder what Andrew Shirvell thinks about this?
mady
Wed, May 8, 2013 : 1:30 p.m.
Who Cares?!?!
ThinkingOne
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 2:26 a.m.
It appears you are the only one who wonders about what he thinks.
metrichead
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 12:51 a.m.
I voted for the man, but this is an impeachable offense.
metrichead
Wed, May 8, 2013 : 5:19 a.m.
Chill, talker. I hate Ohio State football.
talker
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 2:17 a.m.
You do realize that the President of the United States is the President of people in Ohio, as well as people in Michigan, don't you?
Arborcomment
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 11:45 p.m.
'tis what politicians do. Somebody probably handed him a little buckeye baby to kiss as well. Next time he comes to Michigan, someone can hand him a live wolverine for the same thing. Now, that would be entertaining.
dancinginmysoul
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 11:44 p.m.
I can't believe this is news. Who honestly cares what Obama chooses to call the U?
missy
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 11:11 p.m.
pffft!
Tru2Blu76
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 10:53 p.m.
RE: "... I thought I'd go for the cheap applause line to start things off," – Which is pretty much what BHO does every time he opens his mouth. He's become so adept he can turn that rhetorical humor into a cry of fake anguish and then drag his hand-picked supporters from Newtown, Conn. around for 4 months to moralize about the need for background checks on 100 million Americans. It just stands to reason he can make himself appear to be equally in favor of Michigan and OSU. This guy's loyalty is like the skin of a chameleon. In Michigan Stadium he was Maize & Blue, in the Horseshoe, he was Gray 'n Red. I bet if Obama gave a commencement speech at Bryn Mawr College, he'd turn pink.
craigjjs
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 11:43 a.m.
Score one vote for the right of felons, psychotics and wife beaters to legally buy the most powerful possible arsenal. You're in good company.
Harvey Morrison
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 10:26 p.m.
With my degrees from both "that place down south" and The University of Michigan, I can say that it's great to be a Michigan Wolverine. Perhaps he was simply humoring the bumpkins. A-H -- I-A!
MRunner73
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 9:55 p.m.
Pandering, pure and simple. That was the thank you for getting the Ohio electoral college votes in the Nov 12 election.
johnnya2
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 12:24 a.m.
Pandering, yep, he NEEDS Ohio for his next election. Oh wait, you mean the election is over? Hmm, seems like maybe Obama should have been doing that LAST year. You people crack me up when you want to put motives on things you have no clue about. I guess he is speaking at Annapolis because he OWES the Midshipmen his election. I know for sure Morehouse College is because he owes the state of Georgia for their overwhelming support
lefty48197
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 9:28 p.m.
It appears a lot of creatures are slithering out from under rocks today.
John
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 9:56 a.m.
At least now some of the anti-Obama comments make some sense, as opposed to when they're posted on other completely unrelated articles.
NoPC
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 8:38 p.m.
Considering this from a President who has mastered the art of Class Warfare, I'm not surprised...
motorcycleminer
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 8:35 p.m.
Love the teleprompter every puppet has its strings....
Polecat
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:36 p.m.
Worst President Ever!
Ed Kimball
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 11:58 a.m.
Not according to most polls, Tom. Look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States
Tom
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 9:08 p.m.
Wrong Second worst President in modern time since Jimmy Carter, although he has 3 more years to switch the order. He may well succeed.
Ed Kimball
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 8:13 p.m.
He left office more than four years ago. Get past it!
E Claire
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:29 p.m.
Love how he tells them to "reject those who warn of government tyranny" when it has just basically been confirmed that the NSA has been recording the phone calls and emails of every American.
genetracy
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 6:54 p.m.
The photo is classic. He stares into the telepromter as he recites his speech. The great orator, ha!
genetracy
Wed, May 8, 2013 : 3:38 a.m.
Of the four following people, who knows how to fly a fighter jet? Obama, John Kerry, Al Gore, or GWB? Answer- GWB. Yep he must be a real idiot.
Ed Kimball
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 8:12 p.m.
I would like to know where you got your data. I was a classmate of GWB's at Yale and I can assure you that his GPA was not higher than Kerry's or Gore's. After our junior year, Yale changed its grading system to one that was incompatible with the previous one and did not have numerical equivalents, so it stopped computing GPAs.
Major
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 8:02 p.m.
Without teleprompter its all...uh..mmm...well...uh..mmm....
SonnyDog09
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:56 p.m.
Have you heard him talk without reading the words from his teleprompter? It's pretty funny.
genetracy
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:50 p.m.
George Bush's GPA at Yale was higher than both Al Gore's and John Kerry's and his grades are public knowledge.What was Obama's GPA at Harvrad? Oh that's right, it is a state secret for some reason or another. Perhaps because it was so low?
johnnya2
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:27 p.m.
At least he can read the words unlike his predecessor, the great "decider"
genetracy
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 6:52 p.m.
At least he did not say something moronic like, "You didn't build it."
Usual Suspect
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 9:25 p.m.
"can you tell me what exactly in there is moronic?" The whole thing.
eagleman
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 8:59 p.m.
Fordie, you don't seem to understand that businesses succeed or fail on the efforts of those who created that business. Roads, bridges, etc are paid for through taxes. So its's not like they are getting them for free. The quote in your post is relevant at at individual level, not a societal level. Society did not build give that person their idea or build their business. The individual, perhaps with some support from other individuals, did so. But society did not. The argument put forth is for idiots. It inaccurately credits society for the acts of genius. It is akin to crediting the Medicis for the genius of Michelangelo or Donatello. How preposterous! Yes, society constructs a basic frame, but a frame does not make a house. Elizabeth Warren said that because she herself owes her career to the machine we call government. She has created nothing, so she is incapable of understanding the absurdity of her statement. She simply is a bureaucrat, a cog, in the vast machinery of government.
genetracy
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 8:55 p.m.
Probably becuase he was so condescending when he said it.
Fordie
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 8:47 p.m.
"If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business—you didn't build that." Genetracy, can you tell me what exactly in there is moronic? I have trouble keeping a straight face when the right blasts about this line. If you are successful, chances are you probably didn't build every road, teach yourself or build the American economy. If you built everything in this country yourself Genetracy, then we all owe you a lot. Of course, that would mean his quote was still accurate to the rest of us, just not to you.
dsponini
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 6:57 p.m.
Even more moronic.....the GOP using that as their catch phrase at their convention.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 6 p.m.
"Now can we refer to him as: 'That Clown from Chicago?'" Were that the worst name he has been called over the past 4(+) years. "The traitor from D.C. is more like it." Yeah, that's more along the line of the typical hyperbolic name calling we've come to expect. "A second rate president speaking at a second rate university . . . " Quite the retort. Funny how the right wing all of a sudden identifies with the left-wing university they like to trash if it gives them an opportunity to go after the president. I don't recall any of these folks saying anything nice when he twice chose to visit the U before his first to OSU. GN&GL
a2citizen
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 8:33 p.m.
Johnny, I corrected myself at 4:10.
johnnya2
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 12:19 a.m.
@ A2 citien, You would be correct if you only talk about UNDERGRAD degrees. Bo received his graduate degree from OSU in 1952, but don't let facts get in the way of your story.
a2citizen
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 8:10 p.m.
oops I guess he got his graduate degree from osu.
Major
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 8 p.m.
I agree with all of those retorts, he's earned them! And I'm no right winger either! Call em as I see em without the blinders on. Best part, when the vote downs come...then I know I've po'd a liberal LOL!!!
a2citizen
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:54 p.m.
"...Guess who ATTENDED the school in Ohio? I will give you a hint, his real name was Glenn. Most called him Bo..." When you say "the" school do you mean "a" school or "THE" school, as in OSU? I only ask because Bo Schembechler went to Miami of Ohio (1948-50).
johnnya2
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:26 p.m.
@Landes "He has a classless way of trying to inject humor in his speeches " WHAT? So now making a joke about a football rivalry is classless. Guess who ATTENDED the school in Ohio? I will give you a hint, his real name was Glenn. Most called him Bo. It is a SPORTS rivalry. The fact that many morons choose to make a SPORTS rivalry into something akin to the Palestinian/Israeli issue shows why rivalries over a FLAG are stupid. Yes, I like for UM to defeat OSU when they play, but I would hardly consider it life and death. The president was there to talk to 21-25 year olds and their families at a graduation. Did you expect a policy speech? Did you want him to make a political speech and tout the jobs numbers that the right refuses to discuss other than to say, they arent good jobs. (If the numbers were bad, they would have said we need ANY job, now they have to be the right KIND of jobs). FAnd for the record, just because somebody went to UM does not make them somebody to admire. Ann Coulter is hardly somebody the U should take pride in producing, while OSU can take pride in having produced the man the graduate library at the UM is named after Harlan Hatcher or Bo Schembechler
EyeHeartA2
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 6:45 p.m.
Ghost, where you been hiding? I thought you were on double secret probation for that stunt you pulled with the Dean's wife? Anyway, it is always amusing to me how one needs to "show respect" for the Office of the President, if it happens to be be the guy you pulled the lever for, but he is total idiot if it isn't. I'm not referring to you, personally. Probably the best version of this was the President from our alma mater. All American football player, yet somehow he was a clumsy fool. Me personally? I enjoyed the Twitter guy and thought he was a better fit than the president anyway. He actually had a personality.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 6:26 p.m.
When U of M grads start to sound and act like OSU grads, I have to conclude that neither school has the high ground in teaching the their grads how to act with class. GN&GL
sayzme
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 6:23 p.m.
Well said Ghost...spot on!
Stephen Landes
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 6:11 p.m.
I don't care where he chooses to speak. I care about what he says. He has a classless way of trying to inject humor in his speeches -- appropriate to the classless approach in Columbus. If he were to make similar comments while speaking at U of M I would be embarrassed for my University.
81wolverine
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 5:28 p.m.
As President you'd think he wouldn't need to nor want to drag a rivalry-fueled jibe like that into a graduation speech. But look who we're talking about (and also who he was talking to).
Doug
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 2:59 a.m.
What's the big deal? At his 1985 UM commencement address (I was there), speaker Jim Blanchard made light of the UM/MSU rivalry. Who cares? It's called levity. Look into it.
Stephen Landes
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 5:22 p.m.
A second rate president speaking at a second rate university can only seem great by making stupid statements. I guess this is what it takes for some people to feel good about themselves.
EyeHeartA2
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 5:17 p.m.
Now can we refer to him as: "That Clown from Chicago?"
John
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 5:50 p.m.
E Claire - YOU are not getting it I'm afraid, it was a hit to your savior Bush
harry b
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 5:17 p.m.
You know you are upsetting the liberals.
Carole
Tue, May 7, 2013 : 10:39 a.m.
I'm really not into name calling. However, every time this President opens his mouth something stupid comes out or something with no substance at all. What is more discouraging is the flat out lies regarding Libya and fast and furious.
E Claire
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:34 p.m.
lol Brad. by your "up" votes, I see most don't' get it.
EyeHeartA2
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:25 p.m.
" No. The correct title is 'Mr. President.' " .....as I am sure you referred to the last president. Correct?
mr_annarbor
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:20 p.m.
No. The correct title is "Mr. President."
Brad
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 7:15 p.m.
No, because insulting the Commander-in-Chief in a time of war shows us as weak and divided and encourages the terrorists. Oh wait, that was the other guy... Never mind.
Ross
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 6:31 p.m.
Sure, if you want to. Just like a vast majority of educated people would refer to his predecessor as "that reckless cowboy from Texas who put our country and economy in the toilet".
dsponini
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 6:03 p.m.
NO, you may not.
In doubt
Mon, May 6, 2013 : 5:22 p.m.
The traitor from D.C. is more like it.