Boren Retiring?

[dankrutka]

And frankly, given that republicans in this state repeatedly disrespect the value of education, as well as deny science as a whole, should be enough to disqualifying them.

I'm sure there are moderate Republicans or Libertarians who could do the job well, but Oklahoma Republicans and Democrats skew further right than in other states. Democrats like Boren and Brad Henry were centrists who made a lot of compromises in their political careers. While OU serves the state, it does a lot of national and international business. It's important to have someone who can navigate those different environments. For example, you can't really be against DACA and in charge of university as expelling Dreamers will be a huge economic (and social) blow to your university. A nationalist could make decisions against the interests of the success of the university, which really wants international students. I am sure there are Republicans who would understand that. While I don't necessarily know whether he has the experience, Mick Cornett, for example, would probably be able to do well.

[Rover]

Borne was a Rhodes Scholar and graduated from Yale in top 1% of his class. He was a member of the Yale Conservative Party. He holds a masters in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford. He also got a law degree from OU. He not only observed what great universities are, he lived it. His devotion for education exceeded his love for history and politics. His love for OK and OU was awesome to witness. He is a once in a lifetime leader who not only wanted excellence but knows what it takes to achieve it. He was a perfect fit and will be missed.

I hope we don't get caught up in politics replacing him. We should remember that whoever succeeds him influences generations of thinkers and leaders in this state.

[riflesforwatie]

^ very well said, Rover

[stile99]

"We're tearing it down and building a Braum's"

[Pete]

President Boren just announced at a press conference on campus he will retire at the end of this school year from the University of Oklahoma.

Contingent on permanent successor being installed.

[Pete]

So, last night Boren's press secretary said that reports he would announce his retirement today were "inaccurate".

In the broadest sense, why has it become commonplace for public officials (and private ones) to lie when asked a direct question?

Everyone understands that they didn't want the cat out of the bag and thus a 'no comment' or some other vague non-answer would have sufficed. So why provide an out-right lie?

This now happens all the time and society seems to be fine with it: "Well, we had to lie because we didn't want the news out." But why is that even remotely acceptable? Why not avoid or give a generic comment?

I can think of many examples in my own dealings, such as Trader Joe's. They had filed a building permit which was public information and then they told members of the press who called them for confirmation, "We have no specific plans to go to Tulsa".

This happens to me almost once a week. I've learned to get my hands on docs before I call someone because very often they will just straight out lie.

And seems like every single athlete or coach just stands in front of the press and lies about their next move, then very soon thereafter says, "Well, I just couldn't talk about it at that point." So don't talk about it; what they do is lie and that seems standard protocol now.


I don't mean this to be in any way political, just something I find deeply disturbing. Without truth and trust there is no foundation for just about anything and very subtly our society seems to now accept lies without any consequence.

[jerrywall]

What's so hard about "no comment"?

[traxx]

Hopefully Joe C doesn't get the retirement bug.

[HangryHippo]

Hopefully Joe C doesn't get the retirement bug.

No kidding!

[stile99]

It all depends on what your definition of 'is' is. People think they can spin it so they're not 'really' lying. Reports that he was announcing his retirement today were 'inaccurate' because he's announcing his PENDING retirement. "We have no plans to go to Tulsa" because with the building permit in hand, one might say we're basically already there.

The bottom line though is it's a return of 1984's 'Doublespeak', or as I've often called it, 'bureaucratic bull****'...with a vengeance. Now it is known as 'alternative facts'. It's not a red tie, it's maroon. I'm with you guys, I'd much rather a simple "no comment" or "watch the press conference for details", but that's just not the world we're in.

[d-usa]

"We have no comment at this time and he will share his anouncement with everyone tomorrow at 2."

Simple as that.

[Pete]

BTW, people making these intentionally (and usually needless) false statements are paid professionals with the specific job of communicating with the press and general public.

So, the fact they lie as a part of their job without any obvious consequences, I'm telling you this is a profound shift away from honesty or even the idea it is important.

This has all just happened in the last 10 years or so and it seems there is no getting the genie back in the bottle.

[TheTravellers]

Just one more symptom of the decline of western civilization.... Glad I'm not gonna be around in 50 years, hate to see how nasty and weird the world will be then.

[Roger S]

Just one more symptom of the decline of western civilization.... Glad I'm not gonna be around in 50 years, hate to see how nasty and weird the world will be then.

Or it could get a whole lot better when we're gone.

[Pete]

No civilization can tolerate a fixed expectation of dishonest communications without falling apart from a breakdown in mutual trust. All human relations rely upon confidence that those in the relations will, as a rule, tell the truth.

From the Hoover Institution at Stanford, "The Death of Honesty":

http://www.hoover.org/research/death-honesty

[TheTravellers]

Or it could get a whole lot better when we're gone.

True, but it's been trending downwards for a while (20-30 years) now, at least in the USA - capitalism run amok, all kinds of rights battles being fought all over again, the immense concentration of wealth at the top, the growing income inequality, politicians beholden to lobbyists and not constituents, never-ending wars, education getting the smackdown, etc. Yeah, they may get reversed in the next 50 years, but I doubt it...

[ultimatesooner]

This is a great day for the university of oklahoma, the jackass is gone. I'm sure we can find plenty of presidents who can fleece taxpayers, ticket holders, kill anything fun and keep the flagship university of the state in the worst conference in the country

[dankrutka]

Boren's tenure has been integral to so many positive changes for the university. He'll leave a great legacy.

[jonny d]

This is a great day for the university of oklahoma, the jackass is gone. I'm sure we can find plenty of presidents who can fleece taxpayers, ticket holders, kill anything fun and keep the flagship university of the state in the worst conference in the country

You are one of the people who always cried "Fire Stoops" aren't you? Football is 1 part of the whole college. Academically, OU has risen so, so far under David Boren. But since you don't capitalize proper nouns, that probably doesn't mean much to you.

[Pete]

I'll never understand such bitter hatred towards Boren, particularly for the conference thing.

That was probably mishandled on his part but it's hard to know the exact circumstances.

Even still, so what? How has that substantially hurt the school or the football program? If OU had bolted for the Pac-10 there would be plenty of people freaking out about that as well.

OU will always have lots of options in this regard so even if the Big 12 continues to struggle, a future change could be easily made.


Very narrow-minded to judge him based on something so minor compared to the monumental improvements he's brought to every aspect of the university, including athletics and football in particular.

[ultimatesooner]

You are one of the people who always cried "Fire Stoops" aren't you? Football is 1 part of the whole college. Academically, OU has risen so, so far under David Boren. But since you don't capitalize proper nouns, that probably doesn't mean much to you.

Nope, never called for fire stoops once, just think ou would be way better off if boren wouldn't have embarrassed us so bad in the conference realignment game. It's easy to get on tv and talk about how many national merit scholars you have when you get paid to come here as one and the tax payers and other students get fleeced.

[d-usa]

OU is an academic program, not a professional football team. It's so strange that a game should have more bearing on the president of an academic institution than actual academics. "How will it affect football" should be dead last when it comes to any decision about anything, but then that is what is wrong with academics in the USA anyway.

[Rover]

This is a great day for the university of oklahoma, the jackass is gone. I'm sure we can find plenty of presidents who can fleece taxpayers, ticket holders, kill anything fun and keep the flagship university of the state in the worst conference in the country

I hope you are not a graduate of OU. It would be embarrassing to our fellow alums.

[Rover]

BTW, people making these intentionally (and usually needless) false statements are paid professionals with the specific job of communicating with the press and general public.

So, the fact they lie as a part of their job without any obvious consequences, I'm telling you this is a profound shift away from honesty or even the idea it is important.

This has all just happened in the last 10 years or so and it seems there is no getting the genie back in the bottle.

I respect you so much Pete, but you can't honestly believe all this started ten years ago.

[Dustin]

Boren 2020!